On Sunday morning our (male) guest was slightly de-hydrated and refused tea, coffee or food! Pints of water seemed to be his thing……….Fortunately Lucy obliged and had a bite with us.
Too soon and it was time to head for Loddon, our next destination. We followed the tide down the Waveney as far as Oulton Dyke, a lovely cruising morning. But just what is it with some peeps? Approaching the WRC, just before 10.30, we saw a very large steel “narrow boat” coming towards us with a bow-wake and following waves to make an MTB skipper proud.
A while later and it was up with the power to counter the flood and make a measly 4.5mph. Between the black chimney and Somerleyton yet another very large steel barge-like creation was coming towards us, with the tide, and pushing up a bow-wave to make Titanic envious. I just can’t understand these people, both privateers. I could name both boats and actually took pics of them to post or send to the BA, I was so annoyed. (And NO, these two didn’t get a wave!).
Pushing up the New Cut against the tide took a long time and it was a great relief to turn onto the Yare and throttle back from 1600 to 1000rpm to stay within the 5mph speed limit.
In a very short while we turned into the Chet and had a lovely peaceful 50 minutes down that most serene of Broads Rivers. (Although it does still need dredging and the reeds removed from the bends). My heart rate was by now back to normal and thoughts of shelling/torpedoing had faded away!
We arrived at Loddon Staithe just 4 hours after leaving Beccles YS and were delighted to find a nice space stern-on to the leccy pylon. (Some kind guy had even left 89p in it!) And there was Paul (Peters Joy) to take a line. Tied up and tidied away and it was time to earn another couple of stamps...
Loddon is such a lovely place. Minutes from the Staithe and you have either Rosy Lee’s or the choice of four pubs! We visited the White Horse and the King’s Head at lunchtime and saved the Swan and the Angel for the evening.
We’ve never been to the Angel before and it really is in a time-warp back into the 50’s/60’s! And what a welcome… within minutes we felt as though we’d been regulars for ages… Thanks to Simone and Simone, who are two local folk!