Mouldy

They used to run the Horizon Craft fleet from the basin in front of what was Pedro’s restaurant, including much of the moorings on that side of the river upstream of Bridgecraft. It was leased to The Broads Boating Company whilst they were in business, but has been largely unused since their demise.

I’ve seen Barton Broad worse than that! I’ve attached a photo taken when we crossed Breydon on Moonlight Shadow in April 2019 (before we bought Norfolk Lady). Benign and beautiful.

Maybe not my favourite Quo track, but it does bear the hallmarks! 😉

Whoaaaaa! I take it your better half doesn’t read the Forum! 😉

I must have been Living on an Island, as I haven’t heard that one! 😂

Thank you for remembering, Mark. Happy St George’s Day to you too and to anyone else who is sufficiently patriotic to mark the day! I never used to, but the more I’m told that either I can’t or I shouldn’t, because it isn’t inclusionary, the more I will! 😁

Snooker. That’s one thing guaranteed to send me to sleep. Snooker. I recognise the skill of the players and their ability to plan several shots in advance by planning where the cue ball will come to rest after each shot, but it just sends me to sleep. Wouldn’t do it for me. Nothing like a bit of Quo’s inimitable twelve bar to get the foot tapping. Jean MichelJarre. Remember him? I bought the album Oxygene when it first came out and still haven’t heard it until the end. That also sends me to sleep, without fail. There’s a couple of ideas for you MM, watch some snooker or listen to Oxygene (the album). 😉

And, the more the ‘wokerati’ tell us that we have to conform to their thinking, the more resentment will be generated amongst people who don’t need to be told how to think, because they are already able to distinguish between what’s right and wrong for themselves.

Much less windy today than yesterday and from a different direction. Looking at the forecast, northeasterlies and northerlies prevail until midweek, them northwesterlies for Wednesday and Thursday, just in time for the next springs! Complete change of direction from Friday, which may help river levels to drop a bit.

The electric posts at The Ferry House at Surlingham do the same. If you need to top a post up, the cards are available from the pub. There is a standard £5 credit on the card and a £5 refundable deposit for the card itself.

If the tides are that high, I’d suggest the pontoon moorings at Oulton Broad would be better. Beccles will probably overtop.

The lads at GYYS have posted on Facebook, as they do through the season, that low at Yarmouth today is at 14:44.

Access when stern on looks to be good, as the bathing platform is central, so the raised sides would be helpful at somewhere like Rockland where there tidal rise and fall make access for us a little awkward sometimes. However, where we benefit from the bathing platform extending to both sides, is when moored side on. At most locations on the northern rivers as well as a few on the southern side, it’s easier to step on to it from the bank. As I said, swings and roundabouts - as with all boats, there’s always a compromise somewhere.

Norfolk Lady does have a high freeboard, which can make access difficult when moored side on, although we can step onto the bathing platform at the stern from the bank. Mooring stern on, makes access easy on the northern rivers, but at low water on the southern rivers, it can be a challenge. Moonlight has no bathing platform, so it can be a stretch if the river levels are high, but possibly easier if they’re low. Personally, I think it’s a case of swings and roundabouts for access. As for handling of the boat itself, Moonlight has a bow thruster, but we have no girly buttons on NL, which can make her a bit of a handful in a stiff wind. On balance, MS is probably easier to handle overall.

If you’re approaching Somerleyton from the New Cut, I’d aim to be around low water, especially if the river levels are high at the time. If, however, you head straight across Breydon and onto the Waveney, you’ll have to get to St Olaves Bridge at low anyway. I believe Belmore has a quoted airdraft of 8ft 10ins, so clearance will be even more restricted than ours. I try to arrive at low, to save any delays waiting for Somerleyton to swing, but they are contactable by phone now, so it is easier than perhaps it used to be.