kpnut

That’s a shame, but being on the boat is the biggest step forward, even if going nowhere. Home away from home!

I presume you are referring to how the mooring looks. Boat looks ok, would look better newly painted (🥲). If you’re referring to the skipper, I know it’s April 1st 😂 The mooring is nice and dry and fairly clean of goose poo at the moment. I’ll be down Fleet Dyke this week, may get the giant scissors out.

Are you back in the water Biker? So looking forward to reading your tales.

Sounds you had a very good first outing. Will be pleased to hear of your wanderings.

Nice to see you both, sorry I didn’t have my camera ready sooner.

I moored up at Griff’s corner upstream of Neaves Mill where it promptly started raining on me as I faffed about with the rhond anchors. Only light though and it soon stopped and was then on and off all afternoon. Two choices of walk from here - towards Horning or towards Ludham bridge. Being a Sunday afternoon I thought there’d be a bit going on at Ludham bridge so we wandered down there. The Richardson’s lads were just finishing taking the two Amore boats through the bridge. The height gauge was on about 7’7”. I chatted to a fellow Richos mooree for a while then decided that we needed a longer walk. We walked down the riverbank and along the causeway to St Benet’s. The river Ant has been decidedly busy this afternoon, mainly heading upstream. I had been passed by numerous sailing boats from Hunters while travelling down and plenty of other boats on their way back to Stalham for the morning handover, along with a lot from other yards having an explore. Plenty of private boats out too. St Benet’s moorings were very quiet though, only a couple of boats. Maybe people had been put off by the wind, forecast to die down by evening. We walked along as far as the Bishop’s mooring at the far end before heading home in reverse. Ludham bridge moorings were surprisingly much less full than anticipated as I returned. All in all, 4.5 miles and without feeling the need to hurry in case it started getting dark. I saw what I presume was a short eared owl flying low over the marsh by the causeway on the way back. Not that I know anything, but I have spoken to birdwatchers there in December who were on the lookout for them. And having white underwings has convinced me. I really ought to take my binoculars out with me but invariably forget. I also spotted a little shrew, or maybe it was a mouse, scuttling across the path into the long grass - I didn’t see it quick enough to identify it. And while cleaning Finlay off back at the boat, I was treated to my first booms of the bittern for the year. Excellent. And then the best night’s sleep I’ve had in ages, only waking when boats started passing this morning. And the sun’s shining and the birds are singing. Nothing more needed!

That’s what I would expect. Being at home all this time though it hasn’t really happened like that up north of the Humber. Yes, some days lovely and warm but nothing has got established. Nothing to make me think I need to leave the greenhouse door open at least! I’m not too sure the first week of April is going to be a turning point either; plenty of wet dog towel days on offer in the forecast 😂

I left home at 7am new time and had the roads to myself for a while. Being so quiet cut 3/4 hour off my usual 4 hour journey. I was happy to catch up with the crew of the Sally Marie (Sally and David, ‘Salmar’) which came into her mooring as I was readying Springer’s Retreat for departure. I had thought I might try Ranworth for the last free night, but seeing just how many boats were out I talked myself out of it, partly ‘cos I thought it’d be full and secondly, if busy, being stern on next to others is not really my cup of tea. How Hill only had a couple of spaces left when I went past about 1ish. I noticed Pipedreams at just about the same time as Simon noticed me, we both opened windows at the same time for a cheery wave and greeting. It feels ‘right’ to be back onboard, even with a very dismal afternoon weather-wise. March is ending without really getting going in my view. When the sun does shine, it has more heat in it, but it’s still been distinctly lacking.

That’s the problem of retirement Helen, not enough time in the day, or days in the week!

I enjoyed reading your tale Simon. It kept me going while impatiently waiting to be out and about myself. Suzie is a game little lady isn’t she?

Thanks Simon. It certainly feels good to be onboard again. Lovely reading your write-up, it sounds like yesterday evening at Ranworth was the place to be.

Most probably!! I have lost time to catch up on. I still have berths vacant for the meet weekend if you fancy it Helen.

So is mine Grendel, but that doesn’t mean I like getting out of bed. For some odd reason, 4.21 seems to be my waking time at the moment.

Thanks Gracie, I’m grateful for that reminder as it had not registered. Once I’m there, that’ll be lovely. But seeing as I was planning on leaving home at 6am tomorrow morning, in my book that’s going to be 5am. Might just have a bit of a rethink about that then.

So, having postponed the paint job, last weekend I brought both dogs (Finlay and brother Charlie, my daughter’s dog) down to prep the boat for the year. She’s all ready and waiting now, water tank sterilised, heater checked, curtains up, engine running nicely, window gutters thoroughly cleaned out, (probably full of willow leaves again by now😂), boat washed and polished. And first outing will be this Sunday for a week or so. Long overdue! A lovely bonus of my weekend was driving down to How Hill to pay a visit to Lulu on Mermaid. Honoured to be their first visitor. And although they have acquired her after such sad circumstances of Ian’s passing, I know they will love her and have wonderful adventures on her. And Desmond will find it so much easier to get on and off for stern moorings that so many more stopping off points have opened up for them.

The best laid plans and all that! The boat’s gone nowhere, not as far as the lift out hoist. Unfortunately, the boat already in and being done as I shut mine up took way longer than anticipated, so Paul R and I decided I’d try again in late autumn, just a year after the initial date I’d been given. So I’ve wasted January, February and March. Most annoying. Update on the heater - it was the fan blower causing an overheating problem. I had reckoned it was overheating after 3/4 hr of running but had hoped if would just need a service. Oh well. I still have in mind about swopping to a planar or Chinese in the future if necessary, but for now I’m up and running again. And very confident I know how to do a service on it myself when needed. Thanks all who gave me tips, phone numbers and websites. The man on the website that Smoggy posted is really helpful and friendly. And I also now have a contact in Hull for help. I would like to change to an 802 controller which can read the fault codes, but they seem rather expensive, so still thinking about that.

Well done Sam, you beat me to it!

I’m eating my breakfast Simon!

I’ve been taken in by that trick before now. Once at those bankside moorings just upstream of Hunsett Mill, the ones you can’t moor at now due to the dredging spoil being offloaded there. I pulled in, grabbed both ropes, let Finlay jump off, (didn’t need a wee!) told him to get back onboard, got back on myself and set off again, all in one fairly seamless motion, I think much to the surprise from another boater who was moored up there!

Bridge Broad if you can get through Wroxham bridge. Also that little inlet on the right angled bend down Fleet dyke (on the right going down towards the Broad, before you get to the EA ‘bend’ moorings.

They were closed in January, I presumed a victim of the high water levels. I would think the quay heading there is really poor condition now after being submerged for weeks. It wasn’t in the best condition anyway.

Whenever I’ve been in mid morning onwards they’ve run out of bread. So I’d suggest either getting there as they open (I don’t know what time that is) or maybe you can pre-order? They fo a very nice meal size sausage roll.

Room on there for both of them.

I like hearing the rumbling of the trains across the bridge.

Presuming you mean beer and ginger beer, totally yum! If lemonade has been anywhere near it, then rather you than me.