The second attempt 4/8

The next morning, Jennifer Jane helped tidy the boat to get her ready for sailing again. She was so obviously enjoying herself that Fern took pity on her.

"Why don't I come back with you to your parents and ask if you could come on holiday with me. I'm planning a coastal cruise up to Woodbridge and it would be nice to have some company."

Jennifer Jane didn't need asking twice. She immediately got out of the dinghy and ran towards her house with a very big smile on her face. Fern followed a bit more sedately and arrived just as her rather bemused parents were being told that their daughter was off sailing for a week with Fern.

Mary insisted on loading Jennifer Jane with enough food to last a week, then came with Dave to the giant's pool to see them off. The wind had gone round to the south, so Fern only hoisted the jib for a quiet run down stream to the fog. Everyone, including the giant, waved their goodbyes until the dinghy sailed slowly out of sight amongst the trees.

"Soldier's wind today," said Fern as the dinghy came out of the fog into the Therdle by Pope's yard, "a good long reach right out to sea and then a run up to the Naze."

Jennifer Jane took the tiller, while Fern went forward to set the mainsail. Jayjay picked up speed.

"Should make six or seven knots over the ground with the tide under us. If this wind holds, we can make the Naze easily by night fall and we can pop just inside and camp on Stone Point."

Jennifer Jane was enthusiastic as well. The Naze was the scene of one of her favourite story books and it would be very interesting to be able to see the actual place. Fern kept Jayjay about a mile off shore, so as to make the best of the tide. It only took them an hour to get level with the creek which lead to the goblin boatyard and then Jayjay was sailing in new waters. The dinghy was very stable, so they were both able to sit in comparative comfort on the side benches.

'No sitting out on the side deck and getting wet like Dad's racing dinghy,' thought Jennifer Jane, 'it's more like sailing in the lugger.'

They took it in turn to steer, while the other had a drink and a bite to eat. In that way, they were able to keep going at maximum speed and as predicted, arrived at the Naze in a total of five hours sailing time. Fern took over the steering to bring Jayjay into the main channel and then ran her up on the beach on the western side of Stone Point. Although they'd both enjoyed the trip, they were glad to get out and have a good stretch, before setting up the boat tent for the night.

The wind was still blowing from the south when they woke up next morning. Fern waited until the tide was slack before re-launching Jayjay, then the sailing was a repeat of the day before, with an easy run northward. They had to dodge about a bit to avoid the commercial traffic coming from Harwich and Felixstowe.

"No magic protection for this boat," laughed Fern, "I know steam gives way to sail but you can't expect thousands of tons of ferry using the deep water channel, to get out of the way of a fifteen foot dinghy drawing three foot six with the plate down!"

However, they were soon clear of the traffic and approaching the river Deben. Fern warned her crew that she would have to gybe as they entered the river. Jennifer Jane ducked very quickly, but the boom came across with none of the violence she was used to in her Dad's racing dinghy. Nor was it necessary to change sides to sit the boat out. Fern changed her seat so as to remain to windward and be able to see past the sail, otherwise nothing altered. Jayjay seemed to be travelling much faster, now that the riverbanks were nearer.

"I reckon about another hour, or an hour and a half," said Fern, "we'll have to gybe a few more times I guess but the boat is very well behaved and there shouldn't be any trouble. I'm getting the feel of her now."

They arrived at Woodbridge by midday and Fern ran the dinghy up the beach by the tide mill. She laid out the anchor and stamped it well into the ground above the high tide mark.

"That should do, now let's go and explore."