Little Ships Reunion

Report by Chris Burls – THE Association of Dunkirk Little Ships (ADLS) aim to have a reunion around the end of May each year, the anniversary of the actual event and Leigh’s own little ship, the cockle bawley ‘Endeavour‘, always tries to attend.

This year St Katherine’s Dock marina was chosen as the venue from Thursday 23 to Monday 27 ( next year it will be in the Port of Dunkirk itself ).

So, it was on the high tide of Wednesday 22 that Endeavour slipped her moorings off the ‘Peter Boat’ pub in the Old Town and with a skeleton crew motored round to a borrowed mooring in Holehaven Creek.

This location was chosen because it is possible to get people on board at Low Tide from Holehaven causeway.

At 0800 on the Thursday, ‘Endeavour’ nosed into the end of the causeway and collected six Trust members, who had opted to join her on the trip upriver. The passage plan was to ride the flood tide up to Tower bridge, which was achieved without any fuss, arriving off the marina lock at 1-30pm.

On entering St Katarine’s basin, there were 20 or so Little ships already in their allocated berths and looking very smart dressed overall. Once ‘Endeavour’ was secure in her berth, no time was lost dressing her to match.

Over the weekend the fleet was open to the public for inspection. ‘Endeavour’ is always popular at such times because we are happy to let people come aboard for a look around.

Several of the Trust’s members also took the opportunity to come up by train and have a close-up look at the boat from a secure pontoon.

On the Sunday, late afternoon, the pontoons were shut to the public and a Service of Remembrance was held for those troops and Little Ships that did not make it home.

The forecast for Monday was for wind and rain, which is probably the reason for a lack of interest in the return voyage to Holehaven.

However, at the last moment four brave souls volunteered to join the boat. In actual fact the rain was spasmodic and the trip was enjoyed by all. Locking out at 2.45pm ‘Endeavour’ made her way downriver arriving at the Holehaven causeway at 7.45 to land all but the skeleton crew.

Once again, the night was spent on the borrowed mooring, with ‘Endeavour’ returning to her permanent mooring in Leigh early on the Tuesday afternoon tide. Another successful voyage.

A video record of this ADLS meet may be seen on the Website ‘Thames Ships’.

Read more.

Visit: https://leigh-on-sea.news

Contact us. Email: [email protected]

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leighonsea.news

Twitter: @leighonsea_news

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leighonsea.news