Cal

Day 4 Bembridge to Sandown to Southland CAMC Campsite Time to head to a site today to deal with refilling and emptying the relevant tanks. We chose a CAMC site as they are generally pretty good however this was the only place we probably won't bother with next time. It was a very generic site and could have been anywhere. The rest of the day was good though and the dog was shattered again!

Day 3 Fort Victoria to Bembridge Harbour We headed back across the island today to sort of pick up where we should have been on our planned route with another free stopover at Bembridge Harbour. We decided to set off early and this worked a treat as we arrived another van on the beach front parking area was just leaving so we got a great parking spot for the night right on the beach. We found a really nice pub in the village and an excellent butchers. Will definitely call in there again next time.

Day 2 Fishbourne to the Needles to Fort Victoria A complete change to our plans for the week when we discovered that some internet friends were on the island so we headed across the island to meet up with them. It was a great day meeting new friends but we also discovered a fantastic free park up at Fort Victoria

We got back on Sunday from a cracking holiday in the van on the Isle of Wight. Couldn't have asked for better weather. Day 1 The long drive from Worksop to Portsmouth to catch the ferry and then a short 5 minute drive to our first overnight stay at Kite Hill Farm. We were impressed with the organisation at the ferry terminal, we were quite early having given ourselves plenty of time for the journey but they happily slotted us onto an earlier ferry. Every good road trip starts with a McDonalds breakfast! After a long day on the road, a walk to the pub and a swim in the estuary a little dog was shattered.

Even when we have hired for two weeks we have been told to top up the fuel mid way through the holiday and this is from two different yards. So you will certainly need to refuel on a 3 week break.

It is a bit of an odd time of still year though. The kids are still at school so the summer holiday rush has not started yet. Give it a few weeks and you will all be wishing it was quiet again

Cheap loo roll from the supermarket. We use the Tesco Springforce one on the van when they have it in stock.

We do the same. Can't have a full breakfast every day. We mix it up with toasted sandwiches, bacon butties, varies things on toast, porridge, eggs benedict, etc.

We tend to have beans, a big flat mushroom, grilled tomato, cauliflower hash browns and a glass of orange juice with our cooked breakfast so it is closer to four of our five a day. Add a couple of slices of dry cured smoked bacon, a proper butchers sausage, a slice of Stornoway black pudding, a freshly laid poached egg and a slice of toast and you have the perfect start to the day.

We use copperstone pans in the van and at home so we can have a "fried" egg but without using any oil. Much healthier than scrambled eggs loaded up with butter or cream.

We are happy to do either. Some mornings we cook onboard (be that boat or van) some mornings we eat out. I don't mind either way, I enjoy cooking but equally I don't mind paying for someone else to do all the work.

I will admit that we did take a Richardsons hire boat through Ludham when the board said 7ft and the boat allegedly needed 7'8" with the screens folded. But we are experienced boaters, it was quiet with plenty of time and space to abort the manoeuvre if required and conditions were still so we could edge up to the bridge to judge the clearance. As it happened we had loads of clearance. Good on these hirers though for not attempting the bridge when they were unsure if they would make it. They have done exactly the right thing. Quite rightly the bridge gauge boards are pessimistic and the hire yards air draft figures are pessimistic to try to avoid too many bridge strikes.

What extra instruction do you think would have helped in this situation?

The sun is coming round the office now and it's warming up. Just text the van and it's 31 degrees in there so the air con will be working hard to cool it down!

We never did manage to get NC to the Thames. Somewhere we will definitely have to hire I think. Unfortunately Kris Cruisers don't seem to have a great deal of choice in pet friendly boats with a Saturday start. Most of them are their elite range boats that don't allow pets :(

I don't think it is as hot as forecast here today. It is slightly overcast and there is a very welcome breeze which seems to be keeping the office cooler.

Work for us today. It was already 22 degrees when we jumped in the car to drive to work this morning. Off to North Yorkshire in the van tonight.

We did wonder as we were walking up there if it would be a wasted walk and we would be coming back again

The other half was drinking the Guinness in there. He said it wasnt a bad pint but then again at that price it didn't want to be. I was on the Southwold. Not sure how much that was.

We may have seen you head back out then. We were sat outside the pub at that time

We rounded day 4 off with one last walk on the beach. Day 5 was a day of travelling. We had both been woken up in the night by the heavy rain on the van roof but we quickly got back to sleep again. When we opened the blinds we realised that more tents and vans had left in the night, the weather proving too miserable for some. This had the unexpected bonus for us of making the traffic home much lighter than expected. The sat nav took us a way HOME we have not been before from Norfolk or Suffolk along the A14 and A1. We were travelling for a total time of 3.5 hours and had a half hour stop for dinner at some services. All in all an enjoyable trip. We will certainly be back to Southwold. The site isn't the most flash but it is clean, tidy and presentable and in a fantastic location. It is good to see the council spending some money on the site and improving the facilities as well.

Day 4 and the weather was decidedly more gloomy and chilly today. The strong wind was getting more blustery and we could hear the waves crashing onto the beach from the van. We had a walk to Walberswick before catching the ferry back and heading back to the fishmongers to pick up some more lovely fish to take home with us. Dinner tonight was a steak and stilton pie with chips and chilli mushy peas. As the day wore on more tent and camper van campers started to pack up and head for home. The weather forecast had not improved and another night of heavy winds and heavy rain was forecast.

Day 3 and today we decided to walk into town. There was a real carnival feel to the town with roads closed off for a travelling fair ground and everyone in a really happy mood. It was really busy as was to be expected and getting a couple of drinks proved to be a challenge with the queues for the bars. Dinner tonight was a lovely bbq with produce bought from the butchers in the main street. It was all really nice stuff as well. With the bbq done it was more drinks on the van to finish the night off. The wind really started to get up as the day wore on. By nightfall it was really quite strong. We were fortunate and the van was parked directly into the wind. Some of the tent campers were not so lucky and were pitched side onto the wind which couldn't have been comfortable. We enjoyed a sunset walk on the beach to finish the day off nicely.

After a break, drink and walk we hit the road again for the final half hour to our destination in Southwold. We were still too early for the official check in time but as with most sites they were very accommodating and let us in early. By midday we were pitched up, bunting on the van and dog wearing his Jubilee harness ready to explore the harbour. The harbour was surprisingly quiet. We had heard rumour it was booked out for the break but when we walked down the visitor moorings were pretty empty, as we most of the floating moorings on boat banks. After a couple of drinks in the Harbour Inn we retired back to the van for a few drinks and a mixed fish bbq with produce bought from the harbour.

Day two and we had an early start to beat some bank holiday traffic. By 7.30am we were sat in Farm Cafe eating breakfast. Breakfast eaten we hit the road again and were soon over Sutton Bridge heading in the direction of Lowestoft. By 10am we were parked at Ness Point, Lowestoft for a break as we were way too early to get onto site.