Below is the personal log by Bill Barnes of a cruise on the charter yacht Iryuna. They picked up the yacht in Poole and sailed to Walcheren and Duiveland in Holland between 5th and 19th August 1961. This ill-fated cruise lead to the decison to build Seven Kings.

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CREW

 

Derek Williams Group Scoutmaster Skipper

 

"A" Watch

Doug Mountford Scoutmaster

Trevor Bending

Wayne Hughes

Ralph Wignall

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"B" Watch

Andy Cox Rover Scout (Luton)

Peter Piercy

Trevor Patten

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"C" Watch

David Taylor Rover Scout (3rd Westcliff)

Geoff Cousins

Martin Taylor Purser (but mainly a passenger)

Bill Barnes District Commissioner - Ilford East District

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Saturday 5th August 1961

I left Hargreaves at 05.30 hours with three sea scouts. I drove through the City to Westminster and then on to the Portsmouth road. It was wet and misty. We stopped at a café on the Hog’s back, near Guildford, for breakfast then continued through Winchester to Southampton, where we collected a Life line transmitter from Marconi. Drove on to Poole, where we had lunch (excellent fish and chips), and explored the town. We saw the Iryuna sail in to the bay, and then round to the quay. We waited for the rest of the party which arrived in cars driven by Derek and Doug. We met the District Commissioner, and an ADC Poole South District, who had arranged parking for our cars, and then went on board. Into town for supper (more fish and chips!)

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Sunday 6th August 1961

Prepared Iryuna for sailing. Left Poole 11.00 hours. Sailed out of the harbour past Brownsea Island, and continued along the south coast to the Needles, on the Isle of Wight. Weather fair and sunny. Wind force 4, sea choppy, but she sailed well. Went through the Solent to the Naz Tower and on to Owers lightship. During the night, the wind dropped and a swell developed. Because of the unusual motion, some on board were sea sick. The wind dropped completely and we drifted off course.

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Monday 7th August 1961.

Derek checked our position at dawn. We were in mid-channel, opposite Beachy Head. Continued sailing east. Wind slight, but increased during the day. We heard a gale warning on the radio and Derek decided to put into Newhaven. The wind gradually increased to force 6. We arrived in Newhaven at 20.00 hours and found a berth, tidied up ship and had supper.

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Tuesday 8th August 1961.

The gale warning was correct. Very strong wind, force 9 - 10 in the morning, with high seas. We watched the sea going over the breakwater, and to the top of the lighthouse at the harbour entrance. A car was blown off the quay, and there was a lot of damage.

After lunch there was free time for the sea scouts and the Scouters and Rovers went into Brighton where we had dinner. (Doug drew a sketch on a napkin of the pretty waitress in a mini-apron, which he presented to her). Returned by midnight to hear a better weather forecast.

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Wednesday 9th August 1961

After buying provisions, we left Newhaven at 10.30 hours. The wind was still force 6, and the sea very choppy. We could see the waves breaking over the sea front at Seaford. We sailed along the Channel, passing Beachy Head, Eastbourne, Hastings and Dungeness, reaching the Straits of Dover by nightfall, when we were in the main shipping lanes. A Norwegian ship passed very close. I went on deck about 03.00 hours to watch Doug with his hat on back to front, steering and singing a variety of sea shanties. Had cocoa with Doug, Trevor, Wayne and Ralph.

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Thursday 10th August 1961.

By dawn we were just off the Belgian coast. The wind was light, and in contrast to recent days, gradually dropped to a calm. The lack of care of the Iryuna by the owner started to cause problems. The engines could not be started , as the batteries were flat. Some of the crew circled the yacht in the dinghy and took photographs. The wind freshened at dusk and caused a tear in the mainsail. We tried to sail into Ostend, but with only a small mainsail and no engine this was impossible, as wind and tide were against us. We passed through a fishing fleet, some very near to us.

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Friday 11th August 1961

At dawn we sailed along the Belgian and Dutch coasts with a stronger wind. We entered the Westerschelde and reached Flushing (Vlissingen) by midday. Without any engine power it was difficult to enter the harbour, especially as ferries were leaving. We tacked in the bay to catch the tide, and eventually entered the harbour at 14.00 hours. We had some difficulty in berthing owing to lack of engines, but eventually arrived safely in the yacht basin, and were well received. The batteries were recharged and the yacht cleaned after the cruise. In the evening, the Scouters went into Flushing and had a Chinese meal.

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Saturday 12th August 1961

We went into Flushing in the morning, sight seeing, and to exchange money. Personally I was horrified to see the Senior Scouts swallowing raw herrings, but they seemed to enjoy them. After lunch we left Flushing and sailed along the canal to Middelburg. This was a pleasant journey, and we passed bathing and canoeing stations and typical Dutch windmills. We arrived at Middelburg at 18.00 hours. We went ashore to buy further provisions. Some of the crew were upset at the unfriendly, even hostile reception by the proprietor and some of the customers in the café. Derek spoke in Dutch to the proprietor and ascertained that we had been mistaken for Germans. Even after sixteen years, the Dutch still hated the Germans, who occupied their country. After Derek’s’ conversation, when they realised we were British, they were very friendly. In the evening, the chairman of a Middelburg sea scout group called, and took Derek, Doug and I to see their camp site. He also took us to visit Veere and introduced Derek to the town mayor, who gave advice on the depth of the canals we wished to sail along. The chairman and his daughter came on board for coffee.

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Sunday 13th August 1961

Left Middelburg at 1.00 hours. Sailed along the canal to Veere where we stopped for lunch, explored the village and climbed the church tower. Magnificent views. Veere is an old fishing village, now cut off from the sea by dykes. It now depends on tourism, and some of the inhabitants were in old fashioned Dutch clothes. Left Veere. It was raining, and we went through the locks, and sailed along the river to the main dam and lock gates. We moored here for the night. Very quiet. There were sand dunes and many varieties of sea birds.

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Monday 14th August 1961

Went from the dyke into Oosterschelde and across the river to Zierikzee. Went aground temporarily, but were carried off by the rising tide. Arrived midday. Cashed traveller’s cheques and bought provisions and presents. Explored the town. Took the mainsail to a sailmakers to be repaired, marching through the town with it on our shoulders. The scouters went to a hotel for dinner in the evening.

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Tuesday 15th August 1961

Spent the day in Zierikzee. We collected the repaired sail. Changed our moorings, and filled up the water tanks.

In the evening, we walked along the river to the open sea.. Quite pleasant, although windy and cold. Did not sail because of a gale warning for German Bight. All the crew had supper in the town.

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Wednesday 16th August 1961

Left Zierikzee 08.30 hours. Sailed out of the canal across Roomdost into Oosterschelde. Watched Dutch mine sweepers. Sailed into the North Sea. The mainsail split again in a different place and the engine short circuited. It got rough and some of the crew were sea sick. At night, we passed through a fleet of fishing boats off Ostend and saw the pilot boat.

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Thursday 17th August 1961

Sailed along the North Sea slowly under small mainsail and gib. Got rougher towards dawn when we were in the main shipping lane, and we had to keep a close look out. Sailed into the Straits of Dover. The tear in the small mainsail got worse, and we took it down and mended it.

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Friday 18th August 1961

Dawn was dull, in the Straits of Dover, off Calais. Plenty of shipping, mainly ferries. At 10.00 hours we changed course for Dover. The tear in the mainsail got worse. The wind freshened to force 7. All on board, with the exception of Andy Cox and myself (the only landlubber!!) were sea sick. Sighted the English coast at 13.00 hours. The tear was worse, and without sail or engine power the yacht would not respond to a change of course, and we were drifting onto the Goodwins, out of control. After a short consultation, Derek advised us to send out distress signals, and we fired some rockets. These were seen by a French fishing boat "Forbin" from Boulogne, and tow ropes were passed to us and secured. We were towed into Dover, and when we arrived at 16.00 hours, we were towed into the yacht marina by a tug. The skipper of a neighbouring yacht bought some hot soup for the crew. This was very welcome as we had been unable to cook anything - in fact most of the crew had been too ill to eat. Andy and I survived on sardines and cream crackers, and some brandy passed over by the crew of Forbin. I went ashore and arranged for baths and a meal at the British Sailors Society headquarters on the quayside for all the crew. While I was ashore, Customs Officers came on board and searched my kit, saying I should not have gone ashore. We contacted the Group Scoutmaster of a Dover group, which had a headquarters at Tower Hamlets, Dover, and arranged for the crew to sleep there for the night.

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Saturday 19th August 1961

Derek, Doug and I went by train from Dover to Poole, via London to collect our cars. Fares from Dover to London were £2 - 8s -9d. London to Bournemouth was £3-10s-6d. The bus to Poole was 2/9d (contrast with today’s fare). Having collected our cars, we drove back to Dover, arriving in the early hours of Sunday. The rest of the crew tidied Iryuna and dried wet clothes.

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Sunday 20th August 1961

I left for home at 10.00 hours with Martin Taylor and Peter Piercy as passengers. Peter was starting his first job on Monday. We arrived at Hargreaves at 13.00 hours. I was very tired, and for the first time felt sea sick. (the bungalow would not stay still!). Doug, Andy Cox, and Geoff Cousins left Dover in the evening. Derek and the rest of the crew stayed at Dover for a few more days.

Derek met the owner of the Iryuna, who at first tried to blame us for the fact that the yacht went out of control, and he tried to make us pay salvage to the owners of the Forbin. He soon realised that he was seriously at fault for chartering out a vessel which was badly maintained. I heard he became bankrupt.

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Postscript February 1999

Shortly after the end of the cruise, Derek had a meeting with his scouters and committee and said he would never charter another yacht, and that the group would build their own. Some said this was impossible, and as D.C. I had a hard job to persuade the District Executive Committee to let the proposed yacht be built at Hargreaves. As we all know, the building started in September 1961, and was finished by April 1969, when the "Seven Kings" was launched at Maylandsea by Joan Gardner, with most of the District and many others present. Many enjoyable cruises took place on the Seven Kings, and countries visited included France, Holland, Denmark, Sweden and Norway, as well as many weekend sailings along the east coast of Essex. Derek and Doug were two of the finest Scout Leaders I knew, and I know that those at the group reunion will remember them with great affection and gratitude.

It is good news that the Seven Kings will be cared for and still used for sail training.

 

Bill Barnes.

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Marine solicitor David Willaims represented the crew when they were sued by Iryuna's owners. David supported the group financially including buying the sails for Seven Kings. For many years some 4SK sea scouts would spent a weekend sailing on David's yacht St Anne in theSolent. 

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There is a video of this cruise but without sound at https://vimeo.com/126405391