A year ago Ian and I made a trip from Purton, on the Gloucester – Sharpness canal, via Sharpness Docks down the Severn Estuary to Uphill, near Weston Super Mare and back again. After making this successful trip we decided that we’d make a repeat journey down channel this year but instead of going to Uphill we’d head to Cardiff. Well, that was the plan anyhow! We wanted to do this in September, when the water was warm and we settled on the 21st – 23rd as the tides allowed for sociable times afloat and arriving at our chosen ports in daylight.

We planned to depart from Purton on Friday for a midday lock-out at Sharpness to take the out going tide to Portishead and lock-in at 3.15pm (the latest lock-in available on the ebb tide). Saturday’s plan was to lock-out of Portishead at 11.30am, cross the channel on the last of the incoming tide before making passage to Cardiff by following the Welsh shore line down channel and arriving for a late afternoon lock-in through the barrage into Cardiff Bay. Sunday was to be a 6am lock-out at Cardiff, a 12 mile channel crossing with a 40 mile sail back to Sharpness in time for a lock-in at high tide at 13.40.

Sadly, due to the weather that materialised on Sunday (it’s a good job we checked the forecast and changed our plan at the last minute) Cardiff had to be dropped from our little adventure. Strong North Easterly winds, heavy rain and rough seas meant we would have not made it back to Sharpness in the one day and would have had the inconvenience of being stranded down channel and given real shake up awful conditions. Instead our trip was limited to Portishead and Back and a walk to Clevedon on Saturday, the best day of the three.

After assembling Green Bean on the canal side at Purton and loading our provisions (less than last year due to learning from experience!) we motored along the canal towards Sharpness. Following a call to the Pierhead on the VHF to confirm our arrival we were allowed straight into the lock. After paying our lock fee to the harbourmaster we were locked into the outer basin where we tied up on the pontoon and took an early lunch of lamb stew with noodles as we waited for high tide. Ian’s job as my crew was to also be quartermaster and chef and to be fair, considering the tight confines of our canoe he did a splendid job. There wasn’t a moment on our trip where there wasn’t food and drink available upon request!

Unfortunately, due to the fact that the wind was 5 mph from the south west I had no choice but to motor to Portishead in order to ensure arriving by 15.15 for the last lock-in on the ebbing tide. As requested we reported our progress and ETA to Portishead Marina once we were south of the Second Severn Crossing and into ‘The Shoots’. Arriving at Portishead was a relief as motoring in choppy conditions always gives us a good soaking and we were ready to get dried out and have another warm drink. We locked in with a fishing boat and then bought a pastry and a hot chocolate from the quay side kiosk, where we talked boats and fishing with one of the locals.

We got ourselves dried out and set up the boat tent, stowing all the kit in place on the cargo nets. The only thing with no proper place to go was the outboard motor, which I locked to a large cleat on the pontoon. This wasn’t too much of a concern as the pontoons are protected by security gates and patrolled by staff. Later in the evening we wandered up the hill to the local pub (overlooking the estuary) and settled down for some beers and a hot meal. What bliss!

Sunday was a day of glorious sunshine, decisions and weather checks. As beautiful as the weather was a sail to Cardiff was looking doubtful. The day was just so perfect with a force 3 blowing down channel (a tail wind all the way in bright sunshine) yet all the time the forecast for Sunday was looking grim. On Friday night I had re-arranged our Saturday lock-out for midday (as late as I dare leave it) to give us a maximum chance of catching any last minute change in forecast. We actually sacrificed any chance of sailing to Bristol as an alternative by hanging on in the hope of some improvement. As it turned out the forecast got worse and we had to accept that we were going nowhere today and would be having a rough day of it tomorrow. Therefore we spent the afternoon on a very agreeable walk along the coastal path to Clevedon and took afternoon tea on the Pier, later walking back for another meal and some beers in the pub.

Sunday dawned and we woke to an overcast morning and a threatening looking sky. We had a lock-out booked for 09.30, as early as was allowed and we’d have to make it 20 mile back to Sharpness by 13.40 (high tide). A chat with the harbourmaster revealed that yesterday a whole fleet of yachts had cancelled their plans to sail to Cardiff due to today’s forecast and there would only be two boats out today, us in Green Bean and a fishing boat. The rest were safely tucked up in the marina and going nowhere!

By 08.30 the rain started but luckily we were packed up and just stowing the last of the gear aboard. We cast off from the pontoon, but in my state of apprehension I forgot to drop the rudder down and promptly collided with the side of a yacht. Fortunately we were going very slowly and the yacht was made of steel. A good job it was too as I hit it with the end of my mast, which was tied to the outrigger poles like a lance! We made it into the lock for 09.35 and at 09.45 we thanked the marina staff (on the VHF) for their hospitality and Green Bean poked her nose out of the safety of the lock into the channel alongside the breakwater and out into the grey and windy Severn.

As soon as we were clear of the breakwater we cut the motor and set sail. Playing safe we stayed reefed and sailed out into the flow of the incoming tide. The wind was strong and blowing from the North East, straight down the channel and wind over tide gave us some exciting conditions to say the least. The rain was in our faces as we began a four-hour journey back home in foul conditions. Out in the channel in a small sailing canoe, 2.5 miles from the nearest shore on a day when most sailors were drinking tea down below in the marina we were flogging our way back home into the wind and rain with the spay flying. Terrific!

We made good progress for the first half of the voyage but eventually the tide slowed and we were forced to drop sail and motor in order to make it back in time to lock in. We sailed 15 miles into the wind and then motored the last 5. A cruiser coming up channel from Bristol slowly overhauled us it also headed for Sharpness docks.

Before we got back the VHF radio brought to us one half of a conversation between Sharpness Docks and someone we couldn’t hear. “I’ve got two boats booked in” came the voice “ a cruiser and a canoe by the name of Green Bean. But we’ve not heard a thing from Green Bean at all” I realised that we may be the cause of some concern in these conditions so I immediately reported our presence to the Docks and said that we would be with them soon. I must admit they did sound relived!

We made our lock-in at Sharpness 15 minutes late but at least we had taken it steady, stuck to a plan and made it back safely in what was pretty rough and foul conditions. The experience had proved to us that if not pushed too hard Green Bean sails well in this testing environment and although only an open canoe, she’s capable of a lot more than we have yet to put her through.

Happy sailing!