Page 88 - It's a Rum Life Book 3 "Ivy House Tales 1970 to 1984"

There is also a disadvantage, at the river mouth four miles downstream there is a bar. That
is a bank of sand and mud created by the tide and current. As the fresh water is pouring
out of the river constantly, when the tide is incoming it fights the fresh water as the
currents are in different directions.

This causes the silt in the fresh water to be deposited in a bar
it also creates a rough area of water with cross currents. If
there is a spring tide, that is when the moon is strong and
there is more water incoming then this area can be very rough
and lumpy with large waves.

HEAVY SEAS
Vesta had powered strongly downriver and the tide was still
incoming over the bar, there was also a strong wind against
the tide. There were short waves by now, about three or four
feet in height and turbulent over an area of about four
hundred yards.

Vesta had a centre cockpit, that is the
steering position was about halfway
down the boat with a full width
wheelhouse. Being a decent day we
had removed the wheelhouse roof on
the downriver trip and now the
turbulence was causing the boat to
pitch fore and aft.
As the bow dived into the waves, long
sheets of sea water flew over the hull
and wheelhouse, but we knew it would
not be for long.

The passengers were not so sure. We
had an additional friend, Jack Rundle, the eldest son of neighbours Ena and John Rundle.
The flying spray and heavy excessive movements of the boat began to make him feel
decidedly unhappy!

To add to the atmosphere, just at what seemed to be the worst of the action, we lost
propulsion, that is forward movement and control.
This really made the sea throw us in all directions and I had to change gear from forward
to reverse several times before I could get any response from the propeller, we had
something fouling our prop!
About quarter speed was all I could manage and I knew that could not be maintained as
whatever was down there would not just go away, but could get badly entangled and
cause serious damaged.

We had to find a safe place to anchor and sort out the problem and quickly. Fortunately
just beyond the bar at the river mouth is an old anchorage for the ancient pilot cutter that
was used when pilots used sailing boats.

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