In that time it had moved a full inch. Rather later than was wise, the anchor was raised; it was slack water and the "George Smeed" did not get the advantage of the ebb tide to pull her to windward so she was put on a starboard tack to get onto the Maplins to get away from the full tide in the main channel. She went over the Middle Deep, to within a couple of cables length from the Barrow [beacon at ]. Round she came, as jib, jib topsail, and foresail were let fly; the moment is used to trim the jib topsail sheet and she set off south-westerly to the Sheers, (the point on the Maplin [Bank] where the Sheers lighthouse had stood [near ]). She tacked three times by the Blacktail Spit [] before joining the [Yantlet] channel. She passed the Nore, where the lightship had stood before being replaced by the forts. Medway was to windward and Southend to leeward. As the breeze strengthened, the topmast became whippy so the Jib topsail was dropped and stowed at the end of the bowsprit. She sailed all of Sea Reach, and a mile into the Gravesend Reach before anchoring for the night. The Monday, the start was at 5 am, the anchor didn't come up easily, and the sails were set. This time the bowsprit was topped and the jib-topsail was rehanked to the stemhead becoming a staysail. There was still little wind. To come up to the tier, a boomie would anchor up wind and drift in, but the George Smeed came in under sail from the leeward and crept to the tier. The anchor is lowered. Then 'Down foresail', 'Down tops'l', which must be lowered before it is sheeted. The voyage was over and the "George Smeed" loaded its next cargo of potash.