The forecasts leading up to the rally were not good. A complex situation was brewing overhead. The worst case scenario was Rally Armageddon! However, on the Friday afternoon the first boats arrived. The arrivals brought hope and the mood lifted. That evening a group of excited sailors sat down to an evening meal and chat in ‘The Ship’. Later the liveaboards returned to their boats beached in The Ouze, safely tucked in against the wall from any south-easterly weather. ‘Dolly Peel’, already anchored in deep water, was motored across to the creek behind Guile Point and anchored in the lee of the dunes.

Saturday gave a cool onshore breeze with prolonged rain and limited visibility. More boats arrived bringing the fleet to 16 boats. David Cooper (currently boatless and looking for a suitable boat) crewed Wanderer ‘Herbie’. One Wayfarer had a stubborn stone jamming the centre-board which required the boat to be careened to facilitate extraction. The fleet remained local. Newcomers discovered the esturial waters of Holy Island Sands and Fenham Flats. To none of the old hands surprise, several told stories of bumping on to submerged sand banks. Tim put in many hours gaining experience in his brand new Virus tri. The evening meal/pub gathering caused some criticism. The sailors numbered 28 persons plus non-sailing family members numbered up to 35 persons. We were too many for any single Island restaurant to cope. Add to that, we DCA are not natural ‘herd animals’, consequently there was some dispersal.

The forecast for Sunday was good: dry, sunny, variable wind, becoming SE 3-4. Very Farnesable. That night the liveaboards stayed in The Ouze. Ed again overnighted in the creek behind Guile Point.

Sunday. The weather was as forecast and the sea was smooth. Less experienced skippers had been encouraged to make the trip. Soon many were sailing or motor-sailing south into the light headwind. Inner Farne seemed the landfall of choice and with it’s south facing cliff was passed closely by several dinghies allowing close examination of the birds on the crowded ledges. Then with ‘Dolly Peel’ and ‘Cat-a-List’ anchored inside West Wideopens they were joined by ‘Herbie’, who rafted up to port, then ‘Restless’ to starboard, all to a 2Kg Bruce kedge! Behind us, high up the beach was the wreck of the f.v. ‘Children’s Friend’. During the lunch stop other DCA boats were seen exploring the Inner Farnes group.

After lunch a north-easterly course brought us to the Outer Farnes group. With a dead engine ‘Restless’, with good seamanship tacked through the narrow Gut between Brownsman and South Wamses against the current. ‘Herbie’ and DP anchored inside Longstone and were joined by ‘Bluey’ before tackling the 7M passage back to Holy Island with a light quartering breeze
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Monday. Five liveaboards had anchored behind Guile Pt. They had been requested to keep away from the ground nesting Little Terns. The warden would soon be lifting the nests to a safer place higher up the beach – apparently the birds tolerate their rehousing. The weather was similar to previous. Whilst a handful of DCA folk were picnicking on St Cuthbert’s Island a proper hide-on-willow coracle with passenger aboard circumnavigated the island before the gawping sailors
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Finally, when about to drive home, we were told the Causeway was blocked by an abandoned car. The tourists, desperate to catch a plane, had ignored the many warnings that the tide covers The Causeway at high water. Duuh!