Three Men in a Boat
(A tale of fun and adventure on the Norfolk Broads)
It is
difficult to say where this story begins.
In one sense it began when I first went sailing, whilst on holiday in
At any
rate, a few years ago the idea was conceived that my dad, David, would like to
join his two elder sons, Jon and myself for a sailing trip on the
What
follows is an account of that trip,
which finally took place in June 2005, but first a bit of background. It’s time to meet the place, the boat, the crew and
the idea.
The Norfolk Broads
Situated in
eastern
The Boat
Over the
years I have sailed boat from several Broads yards. Many of these have now withdrawn from the
sailing market and only offer motor boats.
In recent years however, I have discovered the delights of Hunter’s Yard. The yard, tucked away at the end of its own
little dyke off Womack Water is almost like a time warp. There are no motor boats and all the yachts
are traditional wooden vessels in varnished mahogany. As an avowed traditionalist I find the
Hunter’s boats, which were built in the 1930’s and 40’s offer the kind of
experience I seek. Gaff rigged,
un-modernised, and without the dubious benefit of an auxiliary engine, progress
is entirely dependent on the wind and the crew’s muscle. There is no electricity aboard. Lighting is by oil lamps and cooking is a gas
stove outside in the well. Headroom in
the cabin is sitting only, although a lifting central roof section allows an
improvement when moored up. A clockwork
radio will serve for weather forecasts, and mobile phone batteries will have to
be carefully conserved.
Our particular
boat on this trip is Lullaby, a four berth craft built in 1932. She is therefore of similar age to our oldest
crew member. The fourth berth allows the
luxury of a bit more space. We will also
take with us a small pram dinghy, equipped with oars and a tiny lug sail. This will be towed behind.
I have
sailed Lullaby before, and am looking forward to the re-acquaintance.
The Crew
|
David |
Jon |
Robin |
|
|
|
|
|
In his seventy fifth year, David proves that you don’t have to start young to be a Broads sailor. His sailing experience is limited, but includes several forays into the Solent as crew on various yachts, as well as some dinghy sailing with Robin and Jon many years ago. He is looking forward to the trip with much enthusiasm. |
Jon started sailing at school, where it was available as a sporting option. He and Robin also raced a 505 dinghy in their teen years. Since then his forays afloat have been intermittent, but have included dinghy sailing and coastal excursions with friends. He has also made two previous Broads trips with Robin. |
Robin has sailed since age 11 and first sailed on the Broads in 1969. School and the 505 were replaced at university by team racing in Lark dinghies, and then in 1976 a summer season as a sailing instructor on the south coast. Over the past few years he has returned to the Broads several times with Jon, with his family and also single-handed in Hunter’s day boats. |
The Idea
The first
bit of the concept was simply that the three of us should have a sailing trip together. We settled on June as the ideal time for the
long days and generally good weather.
Around 17 hours of daylight allows for a lot of options. We are aiming to get as much sailing in as
possible. However, as the holiday gets
nearer, Jon raises an interesting question.
Shortly afterwards he is to visit
Being
sponsored by the mile seems a bit tame and ordinary but after a couple of
telephone conversations during which ideas get kicked around we settle on what
we believe is the most interesting way of approaching this. We will endeavour to reach the limit of
navigation on every branch of every river.
One problem
with navigation limits is defining them.
The main ones are obvious, but if you decide to count the head of every
publicly accessible dyke, then the whole exercise becomes ridiculous. It is also compounded by the fact that there
are places that the yacht cannot reach, but which may be accessible by
dinghy. The North Walsham and Dilham
canal certainly used to be navigable as far as Honing Lock, but is rumoured to
be too overgrown. At the upper end of
the Bure, Coltishall lock is no longer operational, but the river above is
navigable for a further 12 miles to Aylesham in a small craft which can be
carried round the lock. The Waveney has
canoeing above the navigation limit at Geldeston Lock, but we have no more
details about what is possible.
Eventually
we settle on the following, arranged by river:
River Bure
Coltishall
Aylesham
(by dinghy)
River Ant
Dilham
Honing Lock
(by dinghy)
River Thurne
The Pleasure
Boat, Hickling
Bridge
Farm, Waxham New Cut
Horsey Mill
River Yare
River Chet
Loddon
River Waveney
Geldeston
Lock
Lowestoft
(Mutford Lock on Oulton Broad)
Another suggestion comes from
David. He is keen to support an organisation
which he is involved in, the Guillain-Barré Syndrome
Support Group. He is himself
recovering from Guillain-Barré Syndrome and has been acting as a research
“guinea pig” Therefore he suggests that we each try to raise money for an
organisation we wish to support. On this
basis I decide to seek sponsorship for The
Association of Young People with ME (AYME).
Both of my children have ME (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis), and AYME has
been a great support to the whole family.
Jon will, of course, stick with the Romans One Eleven
Trust.
So that is settled. A sponsor
form is prepared, listing the ten navigation limits and the two extra
“dinghy only” ones. Along with all the
other preparations, we now have the job of recruiting sponsors.
The Trip
As the 9th
June approaches, preparations are completed.
Along with the usual requirements of clothing for all weathers, sun
cream, waterproofs etc. a few special
things need to be arranged and packed.
Jon is planning all the food, and will bring as much as possible to
avoid the need for shopping. Much of it
is frozen and stored in cool-boxes, where it will defrost slowly. Even so, with no fridge we will have to start
shopping for fresh stuff sooner or later.
Robin is bringing a cask of home made beer, which has been maturing for
the last three weeks, and each of us will bring three bottles of wine, making
one bottle available for each night of the trip.
There are
also the background information and navigation documents and tools. The boats are well equipped with a
comprehensive information pack, but I still like to add my Hamilton's
Navigations
We also have
a pair of binoculars and some field guides to the animals, plants and birds.
Day One, Thursday 9th June
Great Yarmouth 9/6
7am: 11c WD 210deg WS
0kt VIS 24km RAIN 0%
1pm:
12c WD 180deg WS 5kt VIS 21km RAIN 0%
From the
early planning stages, we have intended making as early a start as
possible. I have left home in Yorkshire
the night before and headed to London, where I am joined by David, who has
travelled up from Winchester. We are
staying overnight in London and travelling together the next morning. Jon will travel in the morning from his home
in Nantwich. David and I enjoy an
excellent dinner at the Acropolis
restaurant in
We arise
early the next morning and are on the road by five o’clock. Before leaving I send off the text to
subscribe to Marinecall. This will deliver a simple Great Yarmouth
weather forecast every morning at around 08:00 (see above). We enjoy a trouble free journey which
includes a stop for a substantial breakfast.
Shortly after nine we are at the yard.
Unfortunately, despite a similar early start, Jon is not so fortunate
with the traffic, so David and I are able to have a trip into Ludham village
for a cup of tea, and still have the boat prepared for departure by the time
Jon arrives.
After
several phone calls with progress updates.
Jon finally makes it for 11:45.
We are ready with a trolley for the luggage. Everything is rapidly stowed and we are under
way by 12:15. The light SW wind gives us
an easy reach down Womack Water, and we turn up river towards Potter Heigham. It does not take us long to reach the
outskirts of Potter Heigham and for once he journey past the riverside
bungalows is relatively straightforward.
It is still close season for fishing and so the banks are not lined with
rods, and the wind direction is such that we are not heavily blanketed by the
bungalows. So we are able to moor up
ready to drop the mast for our first bridge by 13:10.
Potter
Heigham is blessed with two bridges. The
original bridge is a mediaeval stone arch and is the smallest on the
Broads. Many cruisers are unable to pass
through, and I can recall on a trip some years ago when one of the yachts in
the fleet had a higher cabin roof than most.
The mast was dropped onto the roof itself, and even then it took two
people hanging on to the end of it to bend it enough to fit through. Anyway, we have no such problems. David has his first experience of “masting”
without any problems, and by 13:45 we have passed under both this and the newer
bypass bridge, we have hoisted sail and are under way again. Our intention is to make as much progress as
possible towards the four navigation limits up the river Thurne.
The first
choice comes within half an hour, as, having passed Martham boatyard, we reach
the entrance to Candle Dyke. The wind
has now moved to the south, as forecast, but it is still possible to get back
down the dyke on a fine reach with relatively few tacks. This is just as well, as this far up the
Thurne, the river is narrow enough to make tacking difficult. We opt to head up the dyke towards Hickling
Broad. This will also give us a large
expanse of water for David to develop his familiarity with the boat. We pass the eel sett and continue into the
wider expanse of Heigham Sound. Much of
the sound is to shallow to navigate and the way through is marked by
posts. It is as well to stay within the
posts. As Jon and I discovered on an
earlier trip, the mud is particularly glutinous, and we were only able to get
free by jumping into the water and pushing.
We pass the yellow top marker post indicating the junction with Meadow
Dyke. We’ll be going that way later. Through White Slea, and we come out into the
vastness of Hickling Broad. Parts of the
broad are shallow, and the safe areas are marked with posts, but there’s plenty
of room for a practice sail, and what is more, at 15:20 we reach our first
objective, The Pleasure Boat Inn, at the top of the broad. Navigation limit
number one has been reached.
With many
miles to cover, we forgo a pint at the Pleasure Boat, and simply turn around,
capturing a picture of the moored boats as we go. Not only do we want to make progress, but
also two of Jon’s friends, Ron and Jean, are on holiday in the area. We are meeting them later for a meal.
So it’s
back to Heigham Sound and the left turn for Meadow Dyke and Horsey Mere. The plan is to go up Waxham New Cut to Bridge
Farm and then return to Horsey Staithe to meet Ron and Jean. The journey back down is easier than expected
as the wind veers to the north west, so it’s a run down and then a reach up
Meadow Dyke. By the time we get on to
the Mere the wind is almost due north.
This means that to go up Waxham New Cut will be straight in to it. I have been up to Bridge Farm once before,
and know that it is far too narrow to tack.
In fact, in many places it is too narrow to turn round. It’s like being on the canals; you have to
carry on until there’s a turning space (a winding hole to canal lovers). However, if we are to make progress, then up
the Cut is where we are going, so in the entrance to the cut (found by aligning
two triangular leading marks), we drop the sails and resort to quanting.
For the
uninitiated, a quant is a long wooden pole (about 16 feet) with a fork on one
end and a button on the other. The
technique for making progress is to stand on the side deck by the shrouds,
raise the quant vertically in the air (forked end down) and then drive it down
in to the water. It is then possible to
propel the boat forward by heaving on the quant until it is angled sufficiently
to lean against the button. With a
shoulder pressed to the button, walking to the back of the boat provides even
better forward propulsion. The most
critical bit comes on reaching the stern.
The quant must be freed from the mud with a sharp twist and jerk,
without either letting go, or even worse, falling in. The whole process is then repeated. In this manner we arrive at Bridge Farm at
18:30. We have already reached two of our limits.
The normal
procedure at Bridge Farm is to drop the mast and go through the bridge to turn
round in the small basin beyond. However
there are no boats on the private mooring just below, so we conclude that there
is just room to turn below the bridge.
This saves us the delays associated with masting. Time saved is a good thing, as we are keen
not to keep Ron and Jean waiting. We
would like to set off sailing back down as quickly as possible. With the wind behind us, and no room to turn,
going down under full sail would not be a good idea. There is nowhere to go if anyone comes the
other way. However I intend to run down
under jib alone. Unfortunately this is
not to be as the north wind has died completely. We therefore resort to the quant again. Once clear of the moorings we adopt another
Broads technique and opt for a tow. This
is not some cheat involving a motor boat, but relies on muscle power. One end of a long rope is tied to the base of
the mast. It is then passed round the
shrouds and the other end given to a crew member ashore. The boat can then be manually pulled from the
bank. Jon and I both take our turn at
towing, and collect the usual assortment of nettle stings, bramble scratches and
wet, muddy feet. Occasionally we have to
resort to the quant to get past an obstruction.
Even out on
the Mere there is not breath of wind, and so we quant as quickly as possible
across to Horsey Staithe. Three limits
now attained! At the head of the Staithe
stands Horsey
Mill. This fully restored old drainage mill is now owned by the National Trust and is open to the
public. We will not visit, as it has long since closed for the day and we will
leave before opening time in the morning. It is still fascinating to stand on
the little bridge by the mill and see clearly how the fields lie several feet
below river level.
Horsey
stands out for only being just over a mile from the sea, despite being some 21
miles upstream from Great Yarmouth. Ron
and Jean are waiting on the bank as we arrive.
We moor up at about
|
Yacht Mileage |
14 |
|
Navigation Limits |
3 |
Day Two, Friday 10th June
Great Yarmouth 10/6
7am: 12c WD 339deg WS
4kt VIS 7km RAIN 0%
1pm:
12c WD 18deg WS 9kt VIS 10km RAIN 0%
At 06:30,
as we get up, the four knots of wind forecast seems optimistic, there is hardly
a breath. We therefore have a cup of
tea before setting off. By 07:10 we are
refreshed and the awning is stowed ready to depart. There is now a hint of the forecast north
westerly breeze, so we quant out onto the Mere, where, clear of the trees,
there is enough wind to sail. We moor to
a mud weight, hoist sail and are off.
Today’s plan is to visit the next limit of navigation, West Somerton,
and then sail down to Yarmouth Yacht Station, ready to make the passage through
Yarmouth the next morning. Yarmouth is
notorious for its strong tides, and a passage through can only be undertaken at
slack water, about an hour and a half after low water. Slack water today is too late to reach a safe
mooring beyond Breydon Water by sunset, so we will moor at the Yacht Station
and go through on the morning tide. One
result of this is that we have time to spare.
There is no advantage to being at Yarmouth before slack water, and there
is no time, if we are to go through Yarmouth in the morning, too reach any
further navigation limit in the northern rivers. So before we set off down Meadow Dyke, there is
time for David to hone his helmsman’s skills in the expanse of the Mere. With the wind in the north, the trip down
Meadow Dyke, Heigham Sound and Candle Dyke is straightforward and David sails
the boat downwind through the Sound.
We turn up
river at the entrance to Candle Dyke, and almost immediately pass through the
very primitive hand operated swing bridge at Martham Ferry. This bridge is normally open, but the
uninitiated need to be aware of a sizeable concrete slab on the left bank. At certain states of tide this can be
underwater and invisible. We pass this
hazard without incident and carry on across Martham Broad. Martham Broad is reed covered such that the
river feels no wider than on the approach, but one the way across there are
occasional glimpses of open water beyond the reeds. These areas, inaccessible to boats, are a
haven for birds.
The
approach to West Somerton is due east.
This means that with the north wind, it will be a reach both ways. However, the river is narrow and there is no
room to turn except right at the end. We
intend to turn and head straight back. I
have stopped here on a previous occasion and there is a pleasant pub a short
walk away, but we haven’t yet had breakfast.
We turn at
the end of the river at 09:40, thereby achieving navigation limit number four,
and head off back across Martham Broad.
Just below the broad we find a pleasant bit of bank and moor up for
breakfast. Jon has planned the catering
well, and we enjoy the first of many traditional breakfasts of bacon, egg and
sausage, washed down with copious draughts of tea.
Again we
pass Martham Ferry and with the wind behind us, we make rapid progress to
Potter Heigham, where once again we must pass under the bridges. There is plenty of mooring for masting and we
pass through the first, modern bridge then quant on down to the mediaeval arch.
The
approach to the old bridge is always difficult.
The flow is constrained to the small arches and there are unpredictable
eddies. Also motor cruisers and day
boats often have no idea of giving way to an un-powered craft.
Anyway, we
fit neatly through the centre of the arch and carry on down to moor just below
Herbert Woods basin to raise the mast.
With no
pressure on time we decide to moor up for lunch. Our chosen spot is at the entrance to Womack
Water, where a leisurely break is accompanied by a stroll up to the yard to
pick up a buoyancy aid for Jon. In the
hurry to get away we had forgotten to collect one before departure.
Continuing
down river we pass Thurne Dyke with its white painted windmill, a landmark from
many miles away. Moored at the dyke
entrance is one of the many yachts named Teasel, after the boat featured in Arthur
Ransome's "Coot Club"
Just below
the dyke we join the river Bure at Thurne Mouth. From here the river downstream is much wider,
but he tide is now stronger and will increase yet more as we draw near to
Yarmouth.
Less than
three miles below Thurne Mouth is the road bridge at Acle. This is a big, wide bridge and there are no
worries about fitting through. The
problems here can occur because parts of the river are too deep to quant. I have also had a situation here when it has
been impossible to quant against the wind, and we have had to tow through,
wading on the shallow foundation of the bridge abutment to pull the boat
along. Today we have no such worries,
with the tide and a moderate breeze behind us.
Our only concern is arriving at Yarmouth too early. If the tide is still strong it will be
impossible to get ashore with a mooring rope.
Whilst we
are moored up for the bridge I make a call to the Yacht Station. I explain my concern and they confirm that
they can be available to take a line and it will be OK to arrive early. It is as well to check; normally the Yacht
Station staff seem to assume that the crew of Hunter’s boats are unlikely to
need assistance and will leap to the aid of a motor cruiser instead. This is probably a valid approach as we do
tend to be aware of the potential problems.
I would certainly not be there until slack water without the assurance
of confirming that they would be to hand.
So with no
reason to delay, we are on our way shortly after 18:00 and we are soon past
Stokesby with its wonderful pub, The Ferry Inn.
(The ferry itself ceased many years ago). Below Stokesby are some of the most desolate
reaches of all the rivers. This feeling
is heightened because one is always there as the tide is low and the horizon is
limited by reeds and mudbanks. Go
aground here and you have only moments to get off if you’re not going to be
stuck until the tide rises.
We carry on through the reeds and marshes with the only landmarks being
the Stracey Arms (It will always be known as the Stracey Arms, even though it
has been renamed, after all it’s on the Hamilton’s chart). It must say something that I can’t even
recall what it’s now called. Below here
the only landmarks are the isolated buildings of Six Mile House, Mautby Marsh
Farm and Three Mile House. At Marina
Keys I ring the Yacht Station to warn them that we are approaching. 19:30 sees us coming alongside at the Yacht
Station. The tide is still very strong,
but with both wind and tide behind us, we are able to turn up into them both as
we come alongside and throw our lines to the Yacht Station staff who are
waiting for us ashore.
We are
swiftly made fast, and I sort out extra ropes to use as springs. This arrangement allows the boat to lie
comfortably alongside whichever way the tide is flowing and with enough slack
for the tidal rise and fall (several feet).
Once
everything is stowed, we walk down to the White Swan Inn. The riverside parking is a mass of gleaming chrome
as a huge party of bikers have descended on the pub. Much as we enjoy the company of bikers, the
queues at the bar are massive, so Jon returns to the boat to cook whilst David
and I take a walk down as far as the railway station, where we can look out
over Breydon Water and I can explain how we will make our trip through in the
morning.
We return
to the boat where an excellent meal is awaiting. This is washed down with a bottle of wine and
we turn in for sleep. The only thing we
miss is a shower; the yacht station showers are closed as there is new laid wet
concrete on the step in front of them.
|
Yacht Mileage |
25½ |
|
Navigation Limits |
1 |
Day Three, Saturday 11th June
Great Yarmouth 11/6
7am: 10c WD 311deg WS
4kt VIS 18km RAIN 0%
1pm:
11c WD 346deg WS 9kt VIS 22km RAIN 35%
Our night’s
sleep has been much disturbed by a group of young people on two nearby motor
cruisers, who have been drinking and making noise until well into the early
hours. We, together with the yacht
station staff, gain some small sense of satisfaction as we converse loudly
whilst picking our way through the abandoned beer cans and other debris that
litter the bank.
Rather than
hoisting sail, preparation consists of lowering the mast ready to pass under
the two low bridges. In an un-powered
yacht, this can only be done at slack water, when there is virtually no
tide. We cast off at 08:30 and quant
down under the bridges. I have already
telephoned the Breydon Water lifting bridge to ask for a lift. They will be looking out for us. Quanting down this bit of the Bure is easier
than it used to be. Silt deposits mean
that the quant will actually reach the bottom and there is no need to rely on
paddling with mops, frying pans and the dinghy oars. The oars are however, aboard the boat in case
of need.
Immediately
below the second bridge are three steel and wooden “dolphins.” These provide a
mooring from which to raise the mast and hoist sail. We moor up to the second, being very careful
to position the fenders to protect the boat from the barnacle encrusted rusty
metal. Mast and sail go up and we cast
off for the few hundred yards to the lifting bridge. True to their word, the bridge crew are
ready. We see the traffic stop, the
siren is sounding and as we round the marker post on to Breydon Water, the span
begins to rise. It’s a great feeling to
be holding up the bypass. With the brisk
north-west wind we are approaching the bridge too fast so we have to take a
turn back whilst it finishes opening, but soon we are through and on our way
across Breydon Water. Crossing Breydon
is a unique experience in Broads sailing.
The channel, marked by posts, is wide enough for good long tacks,
although today we can cross on a fine reach and the water spilling over the mud
flats as the tide rises leads to a feeling of being out on open water. The banks are a long way away.
The 4½ miles pass quickly and it is decision time. The Yare or the Waveney? With the north west
wind persisting we will have an easier trip up the Waveney, and if the wind goes
south, as is likely over the next day or two the trip back will be easy as
well. So we turn left and pass Burgh
Castle roman fort and the marina. We
continue up the reed lined river to the first real civilisation at St
Olaves. Here a low bridge crosses the
river. The tide is even stronger here
than at Acle, and again there is no certainty of touching bottom with the
quant. We moor up just below the bridge
and after dropping the mast we take a short trip ashore to visit the quaint,
antiquated village shop. We are out of
luck today as the shop is closed so we return to the boat and make our way
through the bridge. The moorings
upstream belong to the village pub, The
Bell Inn. I know from previous experience
that the food and beer are both excellent, but today we are going straight
on. A sign requests that boats moor
stern on to save space, but that is not an option for us, and besides, the
moorings are not busy. We moor facing
downstream so that we are head to wind and tide, raise the mast, make sail and
we are away. Just outside St Olaves is
the entrance to New Cut, an artificial channel linking to the river Yare at
Reedham. It is just past the entrance to
the Cut that disaster strikes. Jon, at
the helm, is heading up what should be a wide and open river when there’s a
loud crash and shake and we come to a halt.
We have hit a dredging platform moored such that it sticks out into the
river.
We push ourselves free and I make a quick damage assessment. The rubbing strake has been torn and the
chain plate for the forward shroud has been ripped from the hull. The jib boom is also split. It is clear that we will need to call the
boatyard to arrange a repair. The
problem is where to moor up? St Olaves is the nearest place, but we would need
to go back against the wind and tide.
With the broken shroud we dare not sail to windward on the port
tack. A look at the map shows public
moorings just below the railway swing bridge at Somerleyton. It is all downwind and we will be able to
turn up into wind to moor. There is also
vehicle access for the yard’s van. With
this plan in mind I make the difficult call to the yard. Graham agrees that it is the best option and
says that they will be with us as soon as possible, but that there are some
jobs to finish in the yard before they leave.
We make Somerleyton without further incident, moor up
and have lunch. With a substantial wait
for the repair, David and I decide to venture up to the Dukes Head for a couple
of excellent pints. Jon elects to remain
on board. Refreshed, David and I return
to the boat. The gas is lit under the
kettle and it is nicely boiling when Graham and his colleague from the yard
arrive. They waste no time in setting to
work. The holes are filled with
resin. The chain plate is re-fixed and a
new section of rubbing strake is fashioned out of a piece of mahogany. The jib is attached to a new boom. It is fascinating to watch true craftsmen at
work. By 16:30 all is done and there is
no sign of the damage other than some sticky tape over the resin to keep it dry
until it sets.
We set off again and the swing bridge duly opens to
let us through. We would like to make
Beccles tonight, but with the tide now against us we make slow progress to the
mouth of Oulton Dyke. Beyond the Dyke
progress slows even more as the wind dies and in less than three miles we are
forced to give up. We find a pleasant
mooring on the north bank just below Castle Mill and away from all
civilisation, with just a rural footpath along the bank.
A probe with the quant shows that the water on this
bank is fairly shallow. We should be OK,
but I resolve to check as we approach low water at 23:00. It turns out that such caution is unnecessary
and there is plenty of depth.
|
17 |
|
|
Navigation Limits |
0 |
Day Four, Sunday 12th June
Great Yarmouth 12/6
7am: 11c WD 221deg WS
4kt VIS 24km RAIN 0%
1pm:
14c WD 254deg WS 7kt VIS 5km RAIN 70%
At 04:30 I am
up and having a look outside. If
conditions are suitable we will get under way and make up for lost time. There’s no wind and a low mist over the river
so we will be unable to make progress against the tide. I go back to bed having resolved to be under
way by 10:00, when the tide will be about to turn.
The later
start gives us time for a leisurely breakfast followed, as it is Sunday, by
celebrating an informal Holy Communion led by our resident Minister in
Training, Jon. We finish both as the
wind picks up and so just after 09:00 we get away and make progress against the
last of the falling tide. The plan for
the day is to carry on up the Waveney, through Beccles and to Geldeston Lock. This will achieve the first limit of
navigation on the southern rivers. With
more west in the wind we have to tack up some stretches, but by lunch time we
are approaching Beccles.
Beccles is
a lovely town. I have visited before by
car. The town centre is full of
wonderful old buildings and a quaint narrow road leads down to the water. Today however, we are not going to explore
the town. We moor at the yacht station
just for long enough to lower the mast.
Beccles
bridge is low, with only just over six feet of clearance at high water, but it
is not arched so the passage through is fairly straightforward. Once through we look for a mooring but unable
to find anywhere, we drop the mudweight whilst we raise the mast. Lunch is taken under way and we carry on up
the river. The banks are now much more
tree lined and occasionally blanket the wind enough to have to assist progress
with the quant. Shortly before the junction where the Geldeston and Geldeston
Lock routes diverge, we spend some time in the company of a River Cruiser class
yacht. With their large sail area they
eventually leave us behind and we continue alone.
Shortly
afterwards we have a close encounter with an overhead hazard, although well
away from the bank we catch the rigging in an overhanging tree. Of course it is at that moment that Chris, the
Hunter’s Yard administrator, passes by in her motor boat. How embarrassing! The
debris is still on the cabin roof as, at 15:50, we arrive at Geldeston Lock,
our fifth navigation limit. We don’t
waste time celebrating, but turn straight round for the journey back.
Once again,
progress is gentle through the tree s as we head back down towards Beccles in
the gentle breeze, which now comes from the south west.
Approaching
Beccles, and remembering the lack of mooring on the way up, we elect to lower
the mast whilst under way. This
technique only works in a very light wind and is hard work with a crew of only
three: one to lower the mast, one to quant and grab the mast as it is nearly
down and one to steer.
Below
Beccles there is a bit more wind as we clear the trees, and we make our steady
way down the river. This part of the
Waveney is a lovely river. There are
enough trees to break the monotony, but not enough to blanket the wind. We make
gentle but steady progress back downstream, helped by the wind, which is now
almost due west.
In this
relaxed fashion we eventually reach the entrance to Oulton Dyke, our route to
Lowestoft. A steady reach down the dyke
a run across the broad and in to moor at the Yacht Station at 19:30. We have arrived in Lowestoft. Limit number
six.
Oulton
Broad is one of my least favourite parts of the Broads. It is highly commercialised and home to
powerboat racing. This is not a concern
right now, at this time of day all is quiet and the Yacht Station is not
crowded. Our nearest guests are two
sailing yachts from Southgates Yard, whose crews express admiration that we
have come so far without an engine.
Things improve even further as I go to pay our mooring fees. The harbourmaster is an enthusiast for
traditional yachts and we spend a happy quarter hour reminiscing about the
sailing yachts we have known over the years.
Back to the
boat and another superb meal courtesy of Jon then we go ashore for a beer. We try the nearest pub, which is not
inspiring so we take a walk to look at Mutford Lock. The lock separates Oulton Broad from Lake
Lothing, a part of Lowestoft harbour and was built to allow trade via Lowestoft
to reach the Broads. It is unusual in
having two sets of gates at each end.
Depending on the tide, Lake Lothing may be higher or lower than the
broad, so the lock must work both ways round.
By the end of our stroll it is fully dark, and we retire below.
|
23½ |
|
|
Navigation Limits |
2 |
Day Five, Monday 13th
June
Great Yarmouth 13/6
7am: 8c WD 274deg WS
9kt VIS 14km RAIN 0%
1pm:
13c WD 243deg WS 12kt VIS 15km RAIN 48%
Today’s
plan is to work our way back down the Waveney to New Cut and up New Cut to the river
Yare. We can then make our way towards either Norwich or Loddon as appropriate.
An early trip ashore to the little general store by the Yacht Station is
thwarted as the bread delivery has not yet arrived, so we have breakfast and
make a further trip ashore for bread. The up side of this is that the butcher
is also open and we are able to buy some excellent chops and some bacon.
When we do
depart, with the wind now in the west, we will be unable to sail off the
pontoon safely. A conversation with our neighbours in the Southgates yachts and
we agree that we will manhandle our boat around theirs and on to the other side
of the pontoon. This accomplished we are under way by 09:30 in an excellent
force three breeze. Up the dyke and on to the Waveney again, we head
downstream. Initially we make good progress, and pass through Somerleyton swing
bridge with no difficulty, but further downstream the wind is dropping and the
tide is turning against us.. Getting through the pillars that remain from the
old St Olaves swing bridge proves tricky, and below there, as we approach St
Olaves, the wind is distorted by the trees and we have to make a few tricky
tacks to get into New Cut across the flood tide. Once in the cut and clear of
the trees it is clear that the wind is still south of west and we will not have
to tack up the cut. This is just as well as major dredging and bank rebuilding
works are under way. It would be difficult to tack past them.
A sort way
up the New Cut the main road from Great Yarmouth to Beccles and Bungay crosses.
Haddiscoe bridge, with 24 feet of clearance, was built to allow larger trading
vessels to get from Lowestoft up the river Yare to Norwich. Unfortunately 24
feet is not quite enough for us, and the mast must come down. The previous year
I had experienced difficulty with getting through because of dredging platforms
close to the bridge and very shallow water on the north east bank. Today, with
the wind in the south west we can manoeuvre on the other side. There is plenty
of depth and good piling, but the bank is overgrown. Bramble scratches and
nettle stings are the inevitable result. Once through the bridge the only
problem is that we must let the stern out into the cut so that we lie head to
wind to hoist sail. With the dredging works this will effectively block the
channel, so we have to wait for a suitable gap in the traffic.
The gap
appears, the sails are hoisted and we are away. Clear of the bridge, the wind
picks up again and we make steady progress on a beam reach. New cit is a straight
line for its entire, nearly three mile, length. With the good breeze we keep
pace most of the way with a little motor day boat and periodically we are
overtaken by a train on the track that runs parallel for most of the distance.
At the
north end of the cut we pass the Motor Torpedo Boat that has been moored there
for many years. Immediately in front of us now is Reedham Swing Bridge. The
tide is strong at Reedham and care must be taken. It would be easy to be
carried down by the tide, and the bridge is closed. Today though, we have a
good enough wind to make our way back and forth until the train passes and the
bridge opens. Unfortunately the railway swing bridges are not on the telephone,
so ringing up for an opening time is not an option. We sail back and forth for
around quarter of an hour, two trains pass and then the bridge opens. We can
carry on.
Above the
bridge in Reedham, are the very busy town centre moorings, and under sail,
stopping can be difficult if the wind and tide are n opposite directions or the
town shore is the lee. Today however, it is fine. We come alongside head to
wind and tide. We replenish our water carriers and adjoin to the Nelson for
refreshment. Suitably replete we are under way again and continue past the
boatyards where we see the beautiful and fast modern River Cruiser class yacht
“Farthing” moored up. Another couple of bends, with some tacking where the
bends take us in a more southerly direction and we are at Reedham Ferry. A
chain ferry provides a crossing for cars. It plies to and fro with scant regard
for other boats. The technique is to pass behind it. In front the chains are
under stress and may be only just below the surface.
Just past
the ferry is the mouth of the river Chet, with its stone signpost, but we decide
to continue toward Norwich and save the Chet for our return. We have no trouble
passing the sugar refinery at Cantley, where often the wind is blanketed. Just
above is the Red House, which has been refurbished and reopened. On a previous
family trip, this was the scene of a great disappointment. We had come through
Yarmouth and up the Yare. We stopped at the Berney Arms at lunch time, only to
find (this was late September) that they were now on winter hours and didn’t
open at lunch times. No matter, we were planning a bar meal that evening and
would stop at the Red House. When we moored up I took a walk over to the pub
only to find that it had closed down. There was even a poster for the last
night party some three weeks earlier. With little food on board and a serious
thirst, we had quanted the mile further up river to Langley Dyke, and had
moored at the Staithe. Just about to head off to the pub, The Wherry, we
entered into conversation with a couple moored next to us. Imagine our horror
on learning that The Wherry, too, had closed down. We dined frugally and drank
just tea that night. Things were no better the following night. I knew that the
Woods End was a busy, thriving pub; I’d been there a couple of weeks earlier.
Unbelievably, when we arrived we found it closed for a private party.
Anyway
today we intend to keep going as far as possible. We pass not only the Red
House and the Wherry, but also the Beauchamp Arms, with its adjoining sailing
club. On past Short Dike and The Fleet, the two entrances to Rockland Broad and
we are nearing Brundall.
Brundall is
not a pretty place. Boatyards and bungalows line the river and access to the
village centre is across the railway line. Fortunately there is an alternative.
A cut through Surlingham Broad is tranquil, picturesque and shorter. So that’s
the way we go.
Sheltered
by the trees, we need to use the quant to help us along the dykes but soon we
are back in the river and passing Brundall Gardens. By now the wind is dying
away and the tide has turned. Progress is laborious and we frequently need the
assistance of the quant. We therefore make the sensible decision to call it a
day at Bramerton Woods End.
This time
the Woods End Tavern is open and we enjoy a couple of well earned pints. Norwich
is still however, a long way off and a plan is required. Our trip back through
Yarmouth has to be matched exactly with the tide and that tide is early in the
morning. It is now Monday and we are due back on Friday. If we are to explore
the rivers Bure and Ant, we must go through Yarmouth no later than Wednesday
morning. We reluctantly conclude that we cannot get all the way up to Norwich
Yacht station, but then we hit on an idea. We may not get right to the limit,
but we can make a token visit to Norwich. Jon will take the dinghy at first
light and row up to Postwick Bridge on the Norwich bypass. With this plan
agreed it’s time for bed.
|
23 |
|
|
Navigation Limits |
0 |
Day Six, Tuesday 14th
June
Great Yarmouth 14/6
7am: 12c WD 245deg WS
9kt VIS 19km RAIN 0%
1pm:
14c WD 202deg WS 11kt VIS 10km RAIN 0%
By 04:30 we
are up, and by 05:05, Jon is in the
dinghy and rowing up past the pub and towards Norwich.
It’s only
05:40 when Jon rings to say that he’s at the bridge and is heading back. Limit number seven has been reached, even if
not in the best style. David and I get
everything ready so that we can get away quickly on Jon’s return. He is slower coming back, as the tide has yet
to turn, but by 06:45, more or less on the turn of the tide, we are under way.
Progress is
at first fairly slow, and once again as we cut through Surlingham Broad we have
to resort to the quant as we go down the dyke.
Once on the
broad, we drift slowly across, enjoying the early morning tranquillity and
admiring a pair of herons in the trees on the southern bank.
The exit
dyke can be managed under sail as the wind is almost behind us.
So it’s on
down the Yare in the freshening wind, which is now south west. Once again we pass
Rockland Broad, and the Beauchamp Arms. Again, with the brisk southerly breeze
we have no problems passing the factory at Cantley, and by 10:00 we are at the
mouth of the river Chet.
The Chet is
a narrow river, but the first half mile or so wiggles around so that, with
careful manoeuvring, we are able to tack round the bends. From here on the way
is much straighter and heading south west, straight in to the wind. The river
is too narrow to tack, so we drop the sails and the quant pole is brought
out. The fresh wind is such that
progress with the quant is almost impossible. We are constantly blown back and
off track into the bank. If we are going to reach Loddon, the only option is to
tow.
Thus begin
the longest and hardest few hours of the whole trip. Robin and Jon take turns
at trudging down the bank pulling this 27 foot yacht by hand. Initially we
follow the west bank, without too much difficulty other than the occasional
need to resort to the quant to get past a tree which would snarl the tow rope.
Dragging the boat into such a head wind is backbreaking work. After the first
mile or so the bank is more obstructed and we cross to the east side. Here bank
refurbishment works are in progress and there are no obstructions other than
very small isolated trees. The problem is that the bank has just been rebuilt with
large earth movers and is very soft. We often sink in knee deep.
We finally
arrive in Loddon at
After such
superhuman effort, the first requirement is a pint. Fortunately the path to the
village runs straight to the Kings Head. We hesitate for much less than a
millisecond and dive in. The first pint hardly touches the sides and another
follows. Thoughts now turn to food. Unfortunately there is no food on at the
pub, so on the barmaid’s recommendation we head up the road to the butcher for
meat pies. Our expectations, which have been raised by the enthusiastic
recommendation, are exceeded, and we sit on the bench just outside the
churchyard to enjoy the superb steak and kidney.
Wit the leisurely
lunch it is almost three by the time we depart, but this is not a worry. We
cannot pass through Yarmouth tonight, as there will not be enough daylight at
slack water. The plan is to go down as
far as the Berney Arms, just before Breydon Water. As we leave under sail, a motor cruiser comes
up behind us. There is no room to pass and the crew are looking very
frustrated. They needn’t because as soon as we round the bend and clear the
trees, we pick up the breeze and leave them far behind. It takes less than an
hour to cover what had needed three in the other direction and soon we are
passing Reedham Ferry. Jon and I recall the fine meal we had at the pub there
on our last trip, but today we head on.
As we round
the last bend into Reedham itself we see that the bridge is closed, so we sail
back and forth across the river up by the boatyard whilst we wait for it to
open. We hope that the bridge operator realises that we are waiting. After
three or four trips across, we pass close to a moored seagoing yacht with the
owner aboard. He offers to call the bridge on his VHF radio and find out what
is happening. We are relieved to learn that we have been seen, that there are
two trains expected and the bridge should open in 15 minutes. Sure enough, just after the second train, it
begins to move. The wind by now is slightly east of south and still fresh. We approach on a fine reach and despite the
adverse tide, and the blanketing effect of the bridge structure, just squeeze
through without the need to tack.
After
Reedham the river is wide and the banks are reed. There are no trees to blanket
the wind and we are set for a good brisk sail. Because we are stopping at
Berney Arms and do not have to be timing everything for Yarmouth, we are not on
the usual rapidly falling tide and the banks are not ominously growing expanses
of mud. It makes for wonderful sailing.
All too
soon we are at Berney
Arms and it’s time to moor up.
Berney Arms
is a strange place. The Berney Arms pub sits by the river and normal access is
by boat. There is no road, so if you don’t have a boat and don’t fancy a long
walk, the only other option is the train. There is a railway station. Even then
it’s not straightforward. The pub is a walk across two fields by an ill-defined
cowpat strewn footpath. That’s all very well, but on the way back there are no
lights to indicate the whereabouts of the station. There are also no late night trains.
Before we
head for the pub we have a walk up to admire the restored
windmill, managed by English
Heritage, and then cook and eat our meal:
superb steaks from the butcher in Loddon. Whilst preparing our meal we enjoy much
hilarity watching some lads in a motor cruiser who have moored up with very
short warps and are now hanging from them in the falling tide. Eventually they
have to resort to cutting them. We also
enjoy conversation with several of the other boat crews. With hunger well satisfied, we adjourn to the
pub and relax over a few pints. On leaving the pub, whilst the others go to bed
I enjoy a walk along the banks of Breydon Water in the gathering gloom before I
too turn in.
|
24½ |
|
|
Dinghy Mileage |
3½ |
|
Navigation Limits |
2 |
Day Seven Wednesday 15th
June
Great Yarmouth 15/6
7am: 12c WD 195deg WS
9kt VIS 10km RAIN 0%
1pm:
13c WD 162deg WS 16kt VIS 5km RAIN 81%
Our departure
time in the morning is governed by the need to arrive at Yarmouth at the right
time. Traditionally this has been slack water, but going from south to north
since the new bridge was built requires a slightly different approach. The
tides at Yarmouth do strange things. The
vast expanse of Breydon Water provides a repository for lots of water. This is
the result. At low tide the water coming up through Yarmouth harbour from the
sea starts to flow up into Breydon, but the river Bure continues to ebb. The
water coming down the Bure combines with the water coming in from the sea to
spill out across the Breydon mud flats. Thus, for about an hour and a half,
water flows up the Yare, but down the Bure.
This flood current is not strong and it used to be relatively easy to
sail against it. The problem now is that on reaching the bridge the wind is
blocked by the large structure, and it can be impossible to get through the
bridge against the tide.
We
therefore plan to come down Breydon with the last of the ebb. We will be unable
to get up the Bure until slack water, so we will remain moored to the dolphin
and enjoy a late breakfast. Low water is at 10:00 so there is no rush to be
away. 08:55 sees us casting off in a brisk southerly breeze. The sail across Breydon
is exhilarating. With the beam wind and the tide the GPS shows us travelling at
more than 9mph. Motor cruisers are left standing. At this speed we will reach the bridge too
soon, so we sail back up and enjoy the crossing again.
Meanwhile I
call the bridge to arrange the lift. We learn that they have a planned lift at
low tide for a seagoing vessel. Could we go through at the same time? We arrive
at the bridge almost exactly at the allotted time. With no sign of it opening,
we turn back for a few minutes. As we turn, we see a large vessel approaching
at high speed. Looking back the bridge starts to lift. The approaching boat
turns out to be a catamaran hulled survey vessel. One of the crew shouts down
to follow them through. The wind is blanketed under the bridge and we slow
down. By the time we are through the survey vessel has disappeared down through
the harbour towards the sea, We reach the marker post, turn up the Bure and
moor to the second dolphin.
Coming in
to the Dolphins can be a tricky manoeuvre, but is much eased by a trick learned
from Graham at the yard. His advice was not to worry about reaching the
dolphin. If you miss you only go aground on the soft mud. You can then take a
rope across with the dinghy, and float off with the rising tide. As it happens
we manage to come neatly alongside the second dolphin.
With the
sails down it’s time to brew up and cook breakfast. It will be more than an
hour before we can go up the Bure and we are stuck until then surrounded by
water and mud flats. We get some strange looks from passing boats, but we also
get a cheery greeting from folk we met in the pub last night. The scenery is
not inspiring, so we concentrate on food and drink then the washing up.
With the
meal cleared away, it’s time to drop the mast and head up under the
bridges. Above them, we moor, raise the
mast and sail and set off. This first bit of the Bure through the commercial
part of Yarmouth can be quite tricky as the wind is distorted and masked by the
buildings, but we make good progress. Jon disappears below and we reach the
large bend with Marina Keys on the north bank. As we round the bend, the full force
of the wind hits us and it is all I can do to hold the boat. In the last hour
and a half the wind has increased dramatically, and because we have been
sheltered by the buildings we haven’t noticed. I put the helm down to bring us
up into the wind and at the same time yell to Jon to get on deck quickly. We
come alongside Marina Keys neatly and now we are head to wind and have got a
rope ashore, we can relax. I also take
the opportunity to get an updated forecast
Great Yarmouth 15/6
11am: 14c WD 175deg
WS 16kt VIS 11km RAIN 84%
5pm: 14c WD 184deg WS
16kt VIS 14km RAIN 14%
Usually the
wind on the Broads is lighter than the forecast, which is for coastal waters,
but we are experiencing at least 16 knots. We put a full three reefs in the
mainsail, and set off again, feeling much more in control. With wind and tide
behind us, we fly up the Bure, even fully reefed Stracey Arms and Stokesby fly
by. At Acle we pass through the bridge with no trouble. Whilst the sail is
down, we shake out one of the reefs. On to Thurne Mouth, and this time we stay
on the Bure.
Well into
the afternoon and we are at Ant Mouth. The Ant is a narrow river and going up
under full sail in this strong wind would be a foolhardy undertaking, but with
the wind in the south we can run up under the jib alone. We turn up into the
wind on the south bank. Opposite Ant Mouth, drop the mainsail and cast off. We
are on our way up towards Ludham Bridge, Barton Broad and eventually Dilham.
Mooring for masting at Ludham bridge is a problem, as the public moorings are
currently closed, but a call to the boatyard confirms that they have enough
space for us. Once through the bridge,
with the wind moderating, we continue up past Howe Hill and onto the expanse of
Barton Broad. As we go we see for the first time boats festooned with fishing
rods. People are also beginning to find their spots on the banks. The fishing
season starts tomorrow and many enthusiasts are getting ready to make their
first cast on the stroke of midnight.
On Barton
Broad, with the wind still dropping, we shake out the reefs, and in among the
trees above the Broad, progress becomes very sedate. Eventually we reach
Wayford Bridge. Through the bridge, and the wind has died completely. We quant
on without stopping to raise the mast. Navigating after dark is not permitted,
but we can raise the mast by torchlight.
Shortly
after 21:30 we are moored up. Nine of the limits have been reached. We tidy up in the gathering gloom. Deciding that a walk to the pub is too
ambitious, we enjoy a drop of the on board home brew before retiring for what
will be a very short night.
|
29 |
|
|
Navigation Limits |
1 |
Day Eight, Thursday 16th
June
Great Yarmouth 16/6
7am: 14c WD 203deg WS
9kt VIS 10km RAIN 0%
1pm:
14c WD 199deg WS 12kt VIS 9km RAIN 78%
The night
is indeed short as we arise at 05:00. Ten minutes later, with no sign of wind
despite the forecast, we set off quanting back down towards Wayford
Bridge. At 06:15 we moor just above the
bridge and, leaving David to prepare breakfast, Jon and I set off in the dinghy
to see if we can reach Honing Lock.
With the
lack of wind continuing we leave the rig behind. We will rely on the oars. Up
to Tonnage Bridge the channel is wide, and would be navigable in the yacht.
Indeed just below the bridge a privately owned yacht is moored. About half a mile further on and the way
divides, with a small spur going up to East Ruston. This point marks the end of the easy progress.
From here on the lilies and other weeds intrude more and more. Rowing becomes
increasingly difficult. Eventually I resort to using one oar over the bow of
the dinghy, with a technique akin to a canoeist’s draw stroke. In this manner
we eventually reach the lock at 08:00. We have got to our tenth limit.
The return
from the lock is a little easier. Our
technique is better developed and we have also cleared a channel on our way up.
By 09:00 we are back at the yacht.
We set off
straight away. There is now wind in the treetops, but it is light and from
ahead at river level, so we quant down to Barton Broad. We moor up on the
public moorings at the top of the broad, on the north side of the island with
the strange name of The Heater. Refreshed, we prepare to hoist sail in the
rapidly freshening wind. We opt for one reef, which is about right on the
Broad, but in the tree-lined river below we are a little under canvassed. No
matter, because by Howe Hill we are clear of the trees and the reef is a good
thing again. The Ant is a narrow river, and tacking is not easy, particularly
when there are motor cruisers wanting to get past. There are no real problems
though, and by early afternoon, we are at Ludham bridge. As we are dropping the mast, we see the
distinctive sails of two Hunter’s yachts coming up the river, the first we’ve
seen since leaving the yard. I walk down to the bridge and find that the two
Wood class yachts have managed to moor opposite the boatyard. The moorings here
are closed, but the men working on the repairs are happy for us to stop for
masting. There is no room for us as well, so we wait until they have passed
upstream before going under the bridge.
Under way
again and the reef is definitely needed as we have a lively tack down to Ant
Mouth, which we reach at 16:00. Our
remaining navigation limits are up the Bure, so that’s the way we go. The
direction is west, so with a south wind it’s a beam reach. At least it’s a good theory, in practice,
with the many bends, there will be numerous tacking sessions. We carry on up river and the wind begins to
ease. We stop at the entrance to Cockshoot Broad to shake out the reef. Here we
have our second encounter with Hunter boats, a couple in a Hustler are moored
up here. The broad is not navigable, but has a nature trail around it. Another
time this trail would be great to explore, but today we will have a quick brew then press on. With the wind
almost behind us we quickly reach Horning, but by now we are well into tree
country and from the bend at the top of Horning the wind is no longer behind
us. Progress slows and the wind drops, slowing it even more. It is nearly 20:30 and a very light wind when
we reach Wroxham. With no prospect of
making much more progress, we take advantage of civilisation and head for the
chip shop. The mast is down and we quant
through the bridges.
The first
bridge is an arched road bridge. There is a bit more clearance than at Potter
Heigham, but it is set at an angle across the river making it difficult to see
oncoming traffic. At this time of night however, the traffic is non-existent.
We pass through, then under the railway bridge to moor on the Broads Authority
moorings. We eat our fish, drink our beer and discuss our options.
It is clear
that we cannot make Aylesham. A 24 mile round trip is a very long day’s rowing
and we have to be back at the yard tomorrow night. Indeed Jon would like to be
back sooner. He has a commitment at home in the evening, but keen for success
he will forgo this if it will make a difference. We decide on the earliest
possible start, with the intention of making Coltishall then returning to the
yard all in one day.
|
17 |
|
|
Dinghy Mileage |
4½ |
|
Navigation Limits |
1 |
Day Nine, Friday 17th
June
Great Yarmouth 19/6
7am: 16c WD 140deg WS
8kt VIS 14km RAIN 0%
1pm:
-10c WD 0deg WS 0kt VIS 0km RAIN 0%
With only
today to reach Coltishall, we arise at 04:30.
Wind is stirring in the tops of the trees, so we rig and get under way.
Unfortunately the tall trees completely mask our sail and we are in a dead
calm. What I would give for a topsail! After a quarter hour we have made no
more than 300 yards. At one point a pigeon passes us – on foot! At this rate we
cannot reach Coltishall, so we moor up whilst we decide what to do. If we cannot get the boat to Coltishall, it
can be done on foot, so at 05:45 I set out to walk. There is no footpath so the
route is along the road, but at this hour there is little traffic. Also it is
not yet uncomfortably hot. 07:05 sees me
at the lock. It is our eleventh
navigation limit and the last that we will achieve. I phone in my success and by 08:30 am back on
the boat. The others have breakfast
waiting and I devour it hungrily. There is nothing like a six mile walk first
thing to hone the appetite.
After
breakfast we drop the mast and head down through the Wroxham bridges, our last
of the trip. Below the town we opt to sail on to Wroxham broad, where there is
less shelter from the wind. We enjoy an exhilarating sail up and down the broad
and take the opportunity to admire Solace, the pleasure wherry, as she swings
on her mooring.
Unfortunately
we can’t spend all day at this and we return to the river. On a failing wind
progress is leisurely, but we are making progress. We eat lunch as we pass St
Benet’s Abbey, which despite being a ruin, was never dissolved. The bishop of
Norwich is also the abbot to this day.
14:30 sees
us back in the yard, and Jon wastes no time in setting off home. He will be
able to make his evening appointment. David
and I clean and tidy the boat. Along
with most Hunter’s clients, we share with the staff a love of the boats, and
would not dream of handing one back until it’s spotless. We also enjoy a chat
with the Hunter’s staff, who are all impressed with the distances we have
travelled and are keen that we should write it up as an encouragement to other
sailors. All this done, it is with a feeling of satisfaction that we too climb
into the car for the journey home.
|
Yacht Mileage |
11½ |
|
Walking Mileage |
7 |
|
Navigation Limits |
1 |
Afterwards
The
travelling is uneventful, and we all enjoy the longest night’s rest since the
start of the trip. Unfortunately mine is broken the next morning by beeps from
my phone. The weather forecast has arrived. I send the cancel text and bemoan
the loss of a lie in. Now it’s time to take stock.
We reached
almost all our objectives. I would have liked to have got right up to Norwich
Yacht Station, and even taken the dinghy up to New Mill. I still have an
ambition to visit my favourite
Could we
have done it all? There is no doubt that
we were delayed, firstly by Jon’s late arrival and secondly by the dredger
mishap. With an early start we might have been at Yarmouth a day earlier.
Without the stop for repairs we may have made Geldeston and started back down
the same day as passing through Yarmouth. But all this is speculation. We were
often in the right place for the weather. Northerly winds as we headed south,
and southerly as we came back north, was more than we could have hoped for.
Hardly a drop of rain made for pleasant sailing conditions. Anybody attempting
a trip such as this would not be guaranteed success. Also it is important to
remember that safety is more important than achievement. Ambitious goals must
never be a reason for reckless decisions.
The
fund-raising was equally successful. Jon, who had initiated the idea, raised a
total of almost £600 for the work of the Romans One
Eleven Trust in
|
Totals |
|
|
Yacht Mileage |
185 |
|
Dinghy Mileage |
8 |
|
Walking Mileage |
7 |
|
Navigation Limits |
11 |
References
The
essential navigation guide is Hamilton's
Navigations: The Definitive Guide to the Norfolk and Suffolk Broads
For more
information on Hunter's Yard and the boats, read Richard
Johnstone-Bryden's excellent book "Hunter's Fleet"
For maps I
recommend the 1:25000
Ordnance Survey map of the Broads
If you want
to know more about the Broads and their history and geography, the following
are good places to start:
The
Broads (Official National Park Guide)
The
Man Who Found the Broads: A Biography of George Christopher Davies
Eating and
drinking is fairly well covered in Hamilton's
For the
ultimate entertaining read about a sailing holiday on the broads, The
Art of Coarse Sailing
Links
These links
are provided as a convenience and do not constitute an endorsement. Those we
have found particularly useful are mentioned in the text. If you have a Norfolk Broads site that you
would like listed, please contact the Webmaster.
Yacht Hire
Norfolk Broads Yachting Company
Martham Boatbuilding &
Development Company
Local Information
Shorebase (Tides,
weather and lots of information)
Broadsnet: Pete's Norfolk & Suffolk
Broads Cruising Guide
Hamilton Publications (Navigations,
Tide Calculators, Tide Tables)
Greg Browning’s Broads photographs
Speakers Corner (Broads and East Anglia
Message Board)
Norfolk and Suffolk Boating Association
(The Green Book)
Weather
General