I managed to fit in a quick visit to Blazer and drove down alone on January 22nd.
The marina had brought Blazer alongside the visitors pontoon for me because I thought that I would be late arriving and it would be unsafe to got out to Blazer in the dinghy in the dark.
She was in good shape - dry - batteries still full - just a bit grubby from the birds roosting on her.
Very cold - heavy frost on the pontoons - very slippery.
Wednesday - I fitted the replacement Tortoise stove and fired it up - wonderful.
Also fitted a new pair of wheels to the bottom of the transom on the dinghy - the first ones that I fitted were too small and had tyres that kept coming off.
Thursday - I discovered Blazer's engine had seized !!
I un-seized it and got it going but is seemed like compression is down on one pot !
I will investigate more on the next visit.
Friday - time to go home.
No frost this morning.
I cleaned Blazer from end to end and put all my gear in the car.
No rush - low water at 09.46 so the dinghy park would be high and dry.
As soon as there was enough water, I launched the dinghy and motored out to the mooring buoy.
I like to untangle the mooring lines to make picking them up easy when I bring Blazer to the mooring.
I then motored back to Blazer and secured the dinghy to the stern.
I motored Blazer to the mooring buoy - picked up the lines first attempt - perfect.
I drained the engine block - left everything as it needs to be for cold weather and motored the dinghy back to the dinghy park ramp.
I climbed out of the dinghy and pulled it onto the ramp until the outboard clanged onto the lower edge of the ramp.
I thought - it would be better to lift the outboard instead of it rattling up the ramp ( I like to look after my ancient outboard )
I walked down the ramp - put one foot behind the transom - lifted the outboard and WHOOSH !!
The dinghy launched itself and took me with it. !!
I was not injured at all - I hung onto the port quarter of the dinghy but it filled with water - My life jacket inflated - THANK GOODNESS.
I realised that the dinghy was no use to me so I let it go.
I was not cold - the water seemed comfortable for a while.
I knew that there were no other people around - No visiting boats - no point in shouting for help.
I was wearing lots of upper body layers including a thick padded jacket which made the life jacket a bit too tight and it restricted my breathing a bit.( the life jacket was outside the padded jacket )
I swam to the ladder on the end of the visitors pontoon - installed for just such an occasion.
It is constructed of stainless steel U shaped rungs linked together like a chain.
I managed to get one foot onto the bottom rung - two hands on the top of the ladder but I could not climb it !!
My life jacket was holding me away from the ladder and also the rungs were not rigid- as I tried to stand up my leg just went under the pontoon.
I realised that there was no point in just hanging onto the ladder - I would just get too cold and weak very quickly.
I also realised that it was two days after spring tides and the current runs really fast three hours after low water - I was careful not to stray further into the river than the visitors pontoon.
I decided that my only option was to go back to the dinghy park but when I got there I could not climb out - I could not find a foothold low enough.
I decided to go hand over hand along the dinghy park - this worked but half way along it the current pulled me away and I lost my grip on it.
No option now but to swim for the shore - luckily the current wasn't too strong in that corner and I wasn't getting swept up river.
Swimming on my front was no good the life jacket was holding me vertical in the water.
I flipped onto my back and swam easily - after a few minutes, I turned over and my feet touched the mud - Great !! - all over now.
WRONG !!
The mud on the Crouch is very thin and sticky - as I tried to walk waist deep in water my feet sank deep into the mud.
I realised how dangerous it was to get stuck in the mud on a fast rising tide - I threw myself onto my back - the life jacket gave me enough buoyancy to allow me to use both hands on each leg and pull them free - THANK GOODNESS.
I then swam / slithered and crawled ashore - my hands were sinking deep into the mud - I held my cap in one hand to help.
It was slow going but once I got beyond the water line the mud was a bit more supporting - it had been draining for hours I suppose ?
I made it to the concrete launching ramp and just laid there exhausted.
I didn't have time to think of what to do next - a car stopped at the top of the ramp with two people in it.
The man driving looked at me - he couldn't work out what was going on so I waved him to come to me - he ran down the ramp - realised that I needed help and shot off in his car - he found Paul in the boat compound and he arrived at my side seconds later.
Paul raised the alarm via his VHF and Danyal arrived in the van soon after.
They helped me to walk to the Yacht Station office - I washed my hands - danyal took off all my wet clothes - he gave me his overalls (too small ) - Paul arrived with lots of coats and towels to try to warm me up - I was shivering by now.
Two ambulances arrived - the paramedics warmed me up - Danyal made me some hot tea.
The paramedics said that I had second stage hypothermia - my temperature was down to 33.6
but soon recovered.
I felt OK at that point but they wanted to get me checked out at the hospital.
They took me to one about 15 miles away - Very busy - 4 hours later they said that I was OK and could go.
I had no phone - Jackie still did not know what had happened.
I could not remember any phone numbers and the hospital staff failed to find a land line number on line.
They called me a taxi - I was wearing a pair of overalls that didn't fasten at the front + a hospital gown that covered me a bit - no shoes ( hospital socks )
I had my wet through clothes in a bag that was dripping water all over.
The taxi took me to a cash machine and then onto Fambridge - £55.
He waited while I tried to start my car - no joy - the fob on the key was not working - the immobiliser was stopping me starting the engine.
The taxi took me to the Ferry Boat Inn - I walked into the bar looking like a drowned rat and asked for accommodation.
The landlady - (Kerry) was very unsure about me but said OK - we walked round to the chalets behind the pub and I told her the story.
She was so moved by the story - she laid on a good meal in the room - quickly sorted out fresh bedding because the room was not ready - sorted out a phone I could use - ALL FREE OF CHARGE !!
At that point the police walked in and said they were searching for me and had spotted the taxi.
Apparently - Jackie had asked her son Scott what to do when I didn't phone or turn up at home.
He is a detective Sargent in the police and he had initiated a search for me.
The police had found my car in the car park and feared that I had fallen in and drowned - Scott was wondering how to tell his mother !!
I used the policeman's own phone to speak with Scott and he reported the good news to Jackie.
Shortly afterwards - I spoke to Jackie on Kerry's phone.
After a hearty meal and a bath, I slept until about 5am - got dressed with the spare clothes from the car - still no shoes !
Then - over a cup of coffee - I remembered that a previous car used to suffer key fob trouble and a way round it was to open the car door with the key only - then it would start.
I tidied up - left a thank you note - and walked in my socks from the Ferry Boat Inn through the boat compound to the car park.
IT WORKED !! - the car started - I posted the keys through the pub letter box and drove home.
So - thinking it over -
All totally avoidable - a stupid mistake on my part - I assumed that the dinghy was secure on the ramp - totally forgot about the new, bigger wheels.
the outboard engine skeg was all that was holding the dinghy onto the ramp !
All I needed to do was pull the dinghy up a metre further until it was on the level platform.
Good thing that I was wearing my life jacket - ancient but serviced by me every year and yes - I was wearing a crotch strap properly fitted.
Many thanks to Paul and Danyal from the Marina - they recovered the dinghy within minutes and stowed it in the rack.
Many thanks to the Ferry Boat Inn for looking after me so well.
It has shook me up a bit overall - but I will be back on the river soon.
Next time in the dinghy I will carry my hand held VHF radio - it floats and is waterproof.
I will find out which channels the Marina monitor as well.
I do also have a PLB satellite rescue beacon that I can put in my pocket - I do when I sail single handed !
All's Well That Ends Well.
Mike.
