Halcyon Memories
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The Ever Resourceful Captain Stewart - Robert Niblett
Thursday 24th August 2006
'I was a cadet in 1958 and well remember Captain Stewart spending hours on the foreshore wading across the mud (on the Hamble side, opposite the school pier) sometimes in sea boots, sometimes on snow shoe like contraptions strapped to his feet. He spent several full days probing down into the mud with a very long boathook/pole, making notes as he went and then sinking a series of markers into the mud. Then at high water springs one day, Halcyon was taken out as far as the fairway buoy, turned round, then driven at full speed on her auxillary engine up the Hamble River and at the precise point, turned hard to port and driven straight into the muddy shore. Some shoring was erected in case she listed,but she was stuck fast ,thereby exposing her stern tube and propellor for urgent repacking work at low water.....and no dry dock fees to pay.
My 3 day stint on Halcyon consisted of:- Drifting down to Newport (IoW) on one tide. Drifting back to Cowes on the following day.Then back on the appropriate tide to Warsash. Thank God for the auxillary engine.'