A Long Weekend

[Guest]

Hi David

keep it coming mate

Jonny

[Stranger]

yeah up early but not as early as usual lol gets to about 8am and i wake everyone up lololol i start frying bacon then you hear peeps stiring looks like its going to be another sunny day so as i make a coffee for April and a bacon buttie wash the pots and start the engine as the water is only luke warm now and a couple of other boats are doing the same we get sorted and are off with waves all round and head for Barton Turf only to see if Sue and Robin are arround but no no sign of them .

We head for richardsons to see if Clive is arround we pull into Kingfisher bay and ask one of the lads doing a pumpout if Cile was arround he laughed and said "what on a sunday" so we laughed too and made our way back down the ant btw the yard was almost empty only a few boats available to be hired.

No signs of the Otter again at Irstead quite a lot of boats on the move thoall canopies etc are down and we are getting warmer by the minuite in the lovely sunshine Ludham bridge passed with no worries and the moorings are quit full again we decide to make for st Bennets to see if Lord Paul is arround the bure is very busy as we hit it and lots of slowing and waiting for peeps to sort themselves out and we squirt out on to the bure towards St Bs where there is to be a

service conducted by the Bishop of Norwich this afternoon a bit late for us to see as we will struggle to get to potters to get back for the morning and yes Lord Paul is ther so we do an about turn and slip,in infront of Minstrel and moor there for 30 mins chatting over a cool stella sounds like paul will be photographing the goings on so we say our goodbuys and head offand turn about towards the Thurn we reach thurn dyke about 1pm and decide to go down and have lunch at the Lion which was 1st class and a pint lol .

so back to the boat turn it round and head for potters with the flow seems to be even more boats on this streach and lots heading for Womack so we get tho the bridge moorings all full so we cheat and moor at herbert woods frontage and ring martham hes on his way he says as silver jubilee is coming back under the bridge he wil do you after which he did we dropped him off and carried on and had to take a pic of Davids boat Ex Pilots what a beauty she looks

[donnygeoff]

Nice one Dave,

Glad I am not the only one to have taken a pic of "snot and custard" (those are Davids words, not mine)

A very nice looking boat.

Will get my pics resized soon

[Guest]

Thanks both. I always regard it as a compliment to have had the old girl photographed. It has been a very long uphill struggle to get this far, but the end (or an ending of sorts, because a wooden boat is never finished) is in sight. She now has a new galley that I hope is in keeping with the original intentions of her designer. I was going to upload some internal photos, but I think I'll have to work out how to resize them first. Watch this space.

[Stranger]

the final instalment there will be a few more pics at the end

so after seeing snot and custard lol i still think shes a cracker we trundle up and decide to have our last night at Somerton as we get up pst martham ferry the water gets clearer and clearer we can see the fish and see the bottom as we pass martham broad and carry on to the end of the navigation turn arround and moor on the 24 hr moorings theres only 2 more boats moored so its very quiet what a lovely spot as well theres a water hose available here too we sit out and April fishes as i dose looking at the fish in the river swim up and down a huge tench keeps slowly swimming up and down clearly seen and a huge eel sets about a lump of bread thats settled on the bottom and the sun lights the water well lots of reeds and muddy spots we cook out pork chops from roys with new pots and cauli and enjoy settle down for an hour of tv as it goes dark and start nodding so we call it a night and go to bed

Next morning up at 6.30 and we clean the boat down and pack up final bacon and mushroom sarnie and pack our gear and a nice slow trundle back to martham for 9am we moor at martham unload our gear into the dar and say our good buys and set off home sulk sulk what a brilliant weekend just not long enough

so thats it folkes hope you enjoyed Dave & April

[Loops]

Lovely tale Dave and what gorgeous photos

[jimbo]

Smashing Dave

[Guest stevie varnish]

Great read Dave.

Enjoyed it,

Much thanks.

Stevie.

[pks1702]

Is that our Jimbo sneaking in the back of this photo?

[Boaters]

Great read Dave .I have decided we shall rise earlier on the boat and enjoy the best of the day,but know where near your waking time?????? was there much weed at West Somerton ,one of our favourite places,as I have heard it was bad some weeks ago causing some weed trap problems.

[Jupes]

Very enjoyable Dave, thanks.

[Stranger]

thanx for the responses the weed at somerton was thick in the edges but there was a clear channel i could have stayed there for the week a fantastic spot

how many swans can you get in one spot lol

[jimbo]

Is that our Jimbo sneaking in the back of this photo?

No Perry! That's one of Clive's lesser models

[pks1702]

No Perry! That's one of Clive's lesser models

How remiss of me not to recognise the more superior lines of your ship Jimbo

[C.Ricko]

No Perry! That's one of Clive's lesser models

The Cheek

[Guest]

Hi Dave just got back from my 2 weeks holiday and read your story it was

great and lovely pictures

[Stranger]

Hi Cathy diddnt see you lol hope you had a good time

[Guest]

Hello Dave i had 2 weeks of glorious sunshine it was just lovely will post holiday story soon