Polly

Looks like you had a great time, proud new owners.

Keeps you staring into the darkness does it Mike?

Well it's supposed to be this weekend

The lady has good taste.

Monday morning, a lovely day! We pottered about packing up and then took Zoe back round the corner to Martham Boats, where we unloaded, mopped, tidied up the rigging, ...and forgot our nice new NBN burgee!! It's coming in the post. What a privilege to sail this Broads treasure it has been, she is lovingly cared for and really a pleasure to be with. Of course it's Brilliant that we really love, and she was our next priority. We popped into the New Inn for coffee and did a quick visual check on Brilliant, her cover had not been put on, and the cabin door was ajar, the fore hatch was open because we had the lid, so the expensive lead weights were there and unlocked to be seen by anyone who might have been interested. Covering the boat would have removed this temptation. We then went round to Boulters who were moving her for us. It emerged that they had tried to move her before the weekend, but were told she was chained up! A quick and slightly explosive phone call solved that issue and twenty minutes later Brilliant came back to us at last, looking fine. She had a patch where a survey had holed the hull but it was meticulously repaired keeping her dry and happy. She seemed to be saying, 'Here I am, what was the problem?' We checked her over, all was well, then we headed off to chat to the destination boatyard owners, and a cooling ice cream. Brilliant followed under tow and was lifted the next morning. She is now in the hands of Doug and his glamorous assistant Timbo. We were very happy to return home with all boat objectives achieved. Staying in an hotel would not have been half as much fun!

Yes they eat everyone's plants too. They had feral peacocks in a friend's village for years until the foxes got them.

Next morning, a bit of happy wandering and chatting, a burgee was bought and Bern gave us some home made honey, to take home, yum! It was time to go. We planned to sail on Wroxham Broad and Doug and Hele possibly were going to join us. This turned out to be a bad decision as the Sailing Club were out in force and their course for the day took up almost the whole broad. We were confined to a fluky shallow corner that has possibly got shallower this year, Zoe was grounding and the wind was circling so we ditched the idea and motorsailed as yesterday. After a while Nipper caught us up, we chatted then they went on. Rounding Swan Bend in Horning, there was Nipper on a mooring(amazing for Horning) with Doug waving a cake box. We moored alongside, failed to identify the box; it was apparently the one Austin the klepto guide dog had raided later yesterday, it was now nice and clean so we filled it with a few left-over cakes for Doug and Hele, who gave us some of the lovely wine they had found on their boat. We then had a lunchtime 'Cream Tea' at The Staithe and Willow and I bought a gas igniter thingy from the shop. We passed Brilliant, moored in a place we would never have chosen, but that was a job to resolve tomorrow. We cruised in company until Ant Mouth then waved goodbye to Nipper as they turned for Stalham. We carried on for Potter and I managed to tangle the roller reefing on the jib. &@!?@ Given that Zoe has a nice long bowsprit (cf. thrutching's MM's boats...but that's another story) I thought we'd wait until we moored to fix it. Therefore I spent an interesting few minutes wresting down the sail in the wind and tying down on the deck. Sailing really can be 'Tales of the Unexpected' never a dull moment! We moored up at Potter and fixed the furling gear in seconds with the bowsprit poking over the bank a bit. Easy. Mast down and under the bridge, mast up and pop across the river to the 24 hour moorings. Now I had food aboard that needed cooking, so being a. tired and b. lazy we wandered up to the village and got fish and chips. We sat on Graham the Pilot's memorial bench overlooking the river. Phill ate his, the swans ate mine! Someoneone over the weekend told me they had heard weird bird noises, we thought maybe it had been Herons, but Potter offered an exotic alternative, someone has bought peacocks, their shriek is pretty unearthly but unmistakeable, I bet the other residents are pleased! We set off back to the boat and sailed up toCandle Dyke where we moored up for the night just down from the eel catcher's hut. A couple of late and eager twitchers wandered by, still looking for whatever the celebrity bird was and then it was perfect peace. You can't beat a night moored out in the reeds with a glorious sunset to watch! Night night.

Salhouse Broad looked festive with the party tent and flag flying, thanks Uncle Albert. We slotted Zoe in between Nyx and Windmill Lady, delivered the cakes, dropped some, gave them to 'a certain guide dog' . Robin had gone the extra mile with disco lights and music, these things don't just 'happen' so thanks to all the team for the hard work. Everyone looked happy and relaxed enjoying a low key get together. Doug was very proudly displaying his blue fender for anyone who would look, but I am not sure Robin decided to compete. Ellie and Timbo sorted an awesome raffle, thanks! We were happy to catch up with old friends and make some new ones; walking along the line of boats, it was clear how relaxed and comfortable everyone was feeling. I stopped to admire the BA model and Grendel's ingenious bread oven. If ever I get into a survival situation, I hope he's nearby so that we don't starve. Talking of starving.....the flipping Cobb was not keen to go. Last year we had fuel packs that needed one match and POW, not so this year; clearly the safety elf had been at the manufacturers. This was a problem as Zoe only had one small box of matches aboard and Phill used all but three trying to get it lit. Morning tea was now at risk! John offered his lighter fluid, but that had been safety elved too. We were rescued by Charlie(?) and an impressive flame thrower. Phew. The BBQ score was burgers, 2 each to us, sausages, 2 each to us and 4 to the local ' wolf pack' Doug and Hele's wolf looked especially funny eating two linked sausages, one dangling....just like that blue fender. Steve and Nik set off with Windmill Lady after supper as Nik was cold, silly me, I just vaguely wondered why they didn't have the heating on. It was only the next day Phill said it was because they were worried that their exhaust would vent into Zoe. Sorry guys, I would have moved if I'd realised, and thanks so much for the concern. We turned in quite early as the Bake Off Marathon and a lot of boat handling suggested this was a good idea. We could hear the party softly in the background, no problem.

Grandad? Well that's just great news. I will get crocheting! Yes Carole is soooo right.

Pops is right, the aim of these atrocities is to make us hate; tragic news.

Very technical you see.

Grandad? Well that's just great news. I will get crocheting!

So there we were at Potter, and planning to meet up with Mike (Chameleon) and Pat (Alice). There seemed to be an awful lot of people rushing about the marshes above the bridge with cameras and tripods and binoculars. Mike revealed that the twitchers were out and excited about some poor lost bird that had accidentally become a celebrity by landing in Norfolk. Meanwhile we had our own cause for excitement, the mast gate pin thingy wouldn't go back into its mast pin thingy socket, it's a very small pin with a very big job, viz. holding the mast up. There is a lot to be said for a mast that stays up after all.... Eventually with a squirt of Lathams' bargain WD 40, quite a lot of 'persuasive language' and a leaning on the mast sort of sideways 'just so' we got the thing secured and were able to go on our way. While we were at Potter, Danny (Broadsword) and Alison came up on Oby, to get a Lathams fix for something to do with the rigging. They were off to Womak for the night, and as we were running late for getting to Horning as planned, we too ended up mooring near Hunters for the night. We went off to eat at the pub whilst they did the annual saily thing of 'how was this rigged last year?' then later had a pleasant chat and admired their new saily, much roomier and more comfortable than Coelis had been. Next morning, having not made Horning, we shopped in Ludham and had tea and a snack at Alfresco. This did mean we couldn't stop and sail South Walsham as planned taking much longer than intended. But we were on holiday and loving being back in Norfolk. We therefore motorsailed to the meet, letting the sails help the motor where possible rather than tack tacking along against the wind. Passing Horning, we saw Brilliant on the water for the first time since November and waiting for her transfer by Boulters, progress. Maybe Doug will do some posts on the work he is going to do on her? And so we got to Salhouse to see what was occurring.....

We are currently without Brilliant, she needs work and Doug 'to the rescue' has kindly said he will take the work on with Timbo as 'sorcerer's apprentice'. Maybe he will post pics as that develops? So, yes, we/I thought we'd attend the meet by car and stay in an hotel for the weekend; but as the date approached, the saily deprivation grew on me with the result that I looked for one to hire for the weekend. Martham had Zoe available, which was excellent news because sailing her was on my bucket list. Booked! Now I could get really excited about the Spring Meet Weekend. When we were coming by car and numbers on the sign up thread were modest, I volunteered to bring cakes for tea; a final count revealed that at two cakes per person I now needed to make 100 cakes, and transport them in a bijou boat. Thursday, therefore was a marathon Bake Off because I wanted them to be nice and fresh as possible for Saturday. Friday, therefore, was a (reasonably) bright and early rise, pack, and head out to Norfolk. We were told that Zoe would be ready at lunchtime and so she was. This little boat is a pretty saily with a beautiful upswept counter stern. She was built in 1896 and is the oldest hire boat in Europe apparently. Mike Barnes found her in a field rotting away and brought her back to life and back into hire. Now Martham Boats are her custodians and are giving her loving care. On handover her rigging was in perfect order, cabin warm and welcoming, and the briefing careful and thorough. We were away and off to 'that bridge'. On booking I had worked out all the tides for Potter Bridge to make sure we could use Zoe, 'That's alright, she'll go through at any state of the tide, unless they are paddling on the Staithe at Potter' I was told; and, indeed, she slipped through with ease. We were on our way.

Wishing you all the very best Chris. When we get Brilliant back afloat, which won't be for a while, but when we do, you are invited to come out sailing.

Yes the loos at the top are always fine, if a good walk.

Just choked on my coffee, Tim! You should issue a health warning with your posts.

No Doug there weren't as far as I saw last time we looked. £16 ain't cheap!

Grendel's model reminds me of the Globe Theatre but in reverse! I had seen so many models of the Globe that when I sat inside the 'real' one I had the oddest feeling that I had shrunk. Now with BA, having often been aboard, Grendel's model was so realistic in all its proportions, I thought it had shrunk!

Yes I am really excited too, our first time afloat on the Broads this year, and sailing Zoe! Today is mass cake making for Saturday 'afternoon tea' 50 cakes at last count....better get on with it!

Very nice! Congratulations. There is a Forum discount at Brian Wards....

We keep a folding wooden step on Brilliant for guests, it is pretty sturdy, unlike a plastic one we inherited.

I would be very unhappy with someone announcing five minutes into a conversation that they were recording it!

Very camp!

Chameleon knows camp fire songs