September is nearly here and we are really looking forward to getting stuck into some tree care and preparations for exciting future projects at Sailors Creek. It's pretty extraordinary to see how far we've come these last few months thanks to so many positive and enthusiastic people - thank you!
Here's a picture of the creek from the Spring of 2021:
And here is the same area of beach this Summer:
Scroll down for:
Sailing in the Rade de Brest - some Tips!
Early September Land care
Sailors Creek CIC Members Party Friday 9th September
Safety update update
Works update - Dead Tree Felling Sunday 4th September
Creek update
Moorings
Foraging hedges
Future Projects
Members' Projects
Sailing in the Rade de Brest - some Tips!
Andrew and Anna have just got back from a sailing trip to Brittany from Penryn River, Loz's daughter Jess (check out bluerivertable.co.uk by the way..) gave us the heads up that the Rade de Brest had some fantastic rivers to explore and she was so right. If you're considering a trip over we'd say go for it, the coastline is beautiful and the sailing exciting - lots of tidal and rocky inshore waters to navigate, it's worth the challenge.
For us the biggest challenge was the lack of wind crossing the channel - 20 hours of motoring there was mind bending. We dropped an anchor in Portsall NE of the Four lighthouse. The tidal range is 7m on springs there and we felt it! It was brilliant to see all the local kids out in their dinghies bombing around undeterred by the standing waves and powerful currents.
In Brest we stopped at Chateau Marina to get through Customs, which for us was very easy - no need for all the mountains of boat paperwork, maybe we were lucky or maybe they want to encourage us to return? Lots of chat with the marina staff about abandoned boats, there is a facility in Brest for munching up boats - the marina can send them there for free as long as they can prove they cannot find the owners, which takes years. So similar problems there but maybe a slightly more evolved solution? We got our folding bikes out and found a market in St Marc for provisions; also a really fantastic meal in town at a place called Nautilus.
After that we made our way across the Rade to the River Aulne, which is of course the beginning of the Nantes/Brest Canal. We had a fantastic sail - calm waters and plenty of breeze from the north- ish, so the MPS was rigged up in our usual perfectly effective and haphazard fashion. We came across a naval boat grave yard which is pretty impressive and meandered our way up the Aulne to Chateaulin on the rising tide. There's plenty of water for bigger yachts and the space to accommodate lots more boats on the quayside at Chateaulin, in fact it looks as though there may have been pontoons there in the past? The eclusier was a really friendly man and told us on a busy day 3 boats might navigate through the lock... He asked us to tell you all to visit! It really is very lovely....
Early September Land care
We have dates for upcoming volunteer days!
Please come and join us for fire pit digging, wooding, water sampling and tree mulching amongst other things:
Land care work days will be: Thursday 1st September Saturday 3rd September
Sunday 4th September Tuesday 6th September Wednesday 7th September Friday 9th September Saturday 10th September
We will meet at the gate down by the noticeboard next to the creek for 915am and 1245pm.
Otherwise call Anna on 07793022660 to find out where we are.
Please wear good boots and long work trousers to protect your legs from brambles, please bring gloves if you have them! Also please bring your own provisions for lunch, water and sun cream. Looking forward to seeing you there!
Sailors Creek CIC Members Party Friday 9th September 2022
We are having our annual party for members only to thank you for all your wonderful support this year. It has been both rewarding and rather tricky at times and there are plenty of challenges ahead but our volunteers and members have been a consistently powerful source of fun, encouragement and enthusiasm particularly when we've been at our wits end!
So on Friday 9th September evening straight after a volunteer day we are going to heat up some food on the fire, cook some jacket potatoes and invite you all to join us in Longfield around the newly cleared and dug firepit for some catching up and celebrating. Food for veggies, vegans and omnivores will be ready from 6pm, please bring your favoured booze and maybe a small salad or sweet thing if you would like to contribute, it is not compulsory!
Please RSVP to sailorscreekinfo@gmail.com so we can gauge numbers - thank you!
Safety update update
Planning permission has now been approved for the tree work needed along the shoreline of Sailors Creek, you can see the notice of consent on the planning portal: application number: PA22/00364
Please be reassured that a huge amount of effort has gone into planning for this - planning officers, forestry officers, the parish council, our landlords, an excellent arborist - our collective goal is to protect the treeline habitat while doing everything we can to protect human enjoyment of Sailors Creek at the same time.
Please email us if you have any questions regarding safety at Sailors Creek: sailorscreekinfo@gmail.com
Works update - Dead Tree Felling Sunday 4th September
Some of you may have seen the creek recently - we have cleared substantial areas of beach of large sections of broken up boat - thank you all the helpers! We also built a lovely bench area on the shoreline to the right of the creekside noticeboard - it looks more like a daybed! Please, please feel free to use it - there are plans for a public (bring your own charcoal) stone BBQ to be built here, anyone interested in helping with this please shout: sailorscreekinfo@gmail.com
We will be felling the dead elms in this area at the head of the creek, this Sunday 4th September. We will ensure that footpath users are forewarned - if anyone wants to lend a hand please turn up at 9am by the creekside noticeboard.
Creek update
Creek work will be slowing down for a couple of months while Mark and Loz carry out a huge project for a boatyard in an exotic place. We do plan to have something in place more suitable for dinghies by the end of this winter and we do plan to work on the mushroom barge superstructure to create a lockable and safe tea hut.
Thank you again everyone for all your efforts clearing the beach this summer.
Moorings
We will have a small number of beach berths available for shallow drafted boats this autumn, if your name was down on the list you should've had an email asking for confirmation of the dimensions of your boat, most importantly the draft.
If you haven't received an email and you think you should've, or you would like to be considered for a mooring please email: sailorscreekinfo@gmail.com
Foraging hedges
We will be ordering stock this month for planting out foraging hedges this winter - if anyone would like to know more please get in touch. We will likely be ordering some of the following:
A line of woody stemmed species plumcot, Asian pear, American elder for example...
Surrounded by roots - horseradish, herbaceous comfrey (mineral accumulator), fennel, raspberry, Japanese wineberry, Chilean guava, chokeberry.
Future Projects & Members' Projects
We have all sorts of plans in the pipeline! Including creating more standing water across the site - this will hopefully encourage birdlife, frogs, toads and insects; exploring the possibility of siting a polytunnel for propagation, creating two temporary berths for visiting boats; improving our compost loos, installing a community composter, siting more permanent art including a sound bench with local artist Justin Wiggan.
If any members have any ideas for personal projects or community projects they envision for the site please get in touch by email or grab one of us for a chat on a volunteer day....
See you all soon! Remember those September Landcare dates:
Thursday 1st September Saturday 3rd September
Sunday 4th September Tuesday 6th September Wednesday 7th September Friday 9th September Saturday 10th September
And also the: Sailors Creek CIC Members Party Friday 9th September from 6pm!
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