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First time on the Broads


tazman

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Picked up Eden Bridge from Bridgecraft at Acle Bridge and started North up the Bure.

Ranworth Staithe was full (well its a bank holiday weekend) so its stern to on Ranworth Island, moored facing west as the sun sets over Ranworth Broad.

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Martin is up early and taking the kids out sailing in the dinghy.

Over to the shop with "little" Martin and re-stock with bread. We had plenty until the kids discovered Swans last night.

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Sunday motored along to South Walsham as the kids were demanding to drive!

(Only one technically old enough but South Walsham Inner Broad is normally dead quiet so we can to let them have go under very close supervision.)

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Coming back up the Fleet Dyke, sail ahead and its a nasty bit of channel coming up..

Moor Eden Bridge up as we are by a BA mooring, and the yacht never appears, was she going out of Fleet or was she already in the Bure?

Kids are up on the roof again!

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Up the Thurne to Potter Heigham, totally rammed again, no where to moor to wait for the pilot to say whether or not we could get through so a quick 180 and back to Womack Water.

Boats everywhere, see a mooring spot just before Hunters and in we go.

Ring the Kings Arms (Internet is working and onto the NBN for the number) an walk into the village for an early dinner.

Back to the boat only to see another half loaf disappear as a family of swans comes calling.

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Internet connection is ok here (no signal from 3 at Ranworth) so a quick Holiday Tales post photos to follow.

Quiz in 4 minutes so time to sign off!

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Out of Ludham and down to the M25 that busy bit of the Bure between the Thurne and the Ant and right hand down a bit and into the Ant.

Up through Ludham Bridge (easy with 6' 9" air-draft) past How Hill and into Irstead.

Irstead Staithe is full (usual I gather) so onto Barton Broad.

Its Bank Holiday Monday and there is a regatta on, oops....

Left hand down a bit, I hear Nettishead is nice and so left hand down a bit.

3 mph zone must be nearly there...

Oops missed the turn into the Staithe so turn around at the end of the navigation, oops again there is a dinghy on the back..

Kingfisher on the port side, and we are round.

Right down a bit and into Nettishead Staithe, oops its narrow here.

Ok were in. Down to the pub for lunch, good meal but eating outside cos of the sprogs and dog and a bit of a wasp problem.

Back to the boat and, ok how do we get our 42' Bahama out of here.

The guy behind is moving so we can walk her back and turn her...

Oh **** another boat coming in and having parking problems.

Grab her stern line and walk her in behind us so that is the easy option out and its now a slow astern departure.

Hooray we are out and 3 mph down to Barton Broad.

Saillies coming at us in bulk so we wait and tack on the back of the fleet as they run North.

Oh **** they have another lap to do and there are thirty yachts coming at us...

Toot toot and left hand down a bit and go between them.

Out into the river again and a junction coming up.

Left for Stalham no right that's left for the Wayford and Dilham, so right hand down a bit

Into Ricko's and park up on Merlin Quay opposite all the rejects that Clive has for sale.

Goose Green Picnic Area, this is Greylag the feeding zone.

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Sunrise on the Broads, Bigfoot due east so not a good photo.

There are people about so fifty or so Greylags do a formation landing..

Where is the camera, too late..

Out we go , left hand down a bit and up to Sutton, turn around before the narrow bit and west again.

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A splash in the water and a small animal swimming for the bank, Otter?, nope it gets to the bank and climbs a tree.

Do grey squirrels normal practice diving?

Was Ramjet that surprised to see us coming?

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Dilham? where is that? Right hand down a bit.

Wayford Bridge,7' 3" no problem!

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and into the Dilham dyke. "narrow Dyke difficult to turn"

No one said difficult to pass!. Tree branches in the window (b****dy right hand drive boat!") and another monster goes past.

Up to Dilham,lovely stretch three kingfishers disappear in flashes of blue.

Turn her on the warps and oh s**t the dinghy is adrift. :oops::oops::oops:

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Lasso one dinghy and off we go.

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Hi Seadog-I,m sure it was you I passed in the opposite direction going down the Ant just before How Hill yesterday the 1st.I recognise the face from your avitar and saw the NBN flag flying. I was on Sandpiper heading back to Sutton.Enjoy the rest of your holiday :wave:wave

cheers

Boycee

:band

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Back to Wayford, passing HMS Leaky pulled up on the bank.

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Through the bridge and on down to Barton. Only one yacht out this time, far easier passage.

Join the convoy down the lower Ant, four or five boats in front and another two astern.

Small sea cruiser type insisting on overtaking, so pull in, and she overtakes the boat in front just before Ludham Bridge.

Suddenly she is going astern and looking to moor up on the starboard bank to lower the windscreen, hard a port and hard a starboard to miss her!

Through Ludham and two Hunter's yachts trying to sail into moor. Stop her in the water to wait for them to clear and then its off again.

Out into the Bure and up past the entrance to Ranworth.

Look behind to see clouds of blue smoke pouring from the engine, engine temperature has hit the end stop!

Shut her off and drift a bit then restart and limp up to Horning Church mooring.

One of Ricko's is already there but lets us double up with them.

Clear the weed filter but no coolant coming through.

Impeller failed or blockage, either way ring the boatyard and the engineer is driving up!

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Mass of weed in the inlet pipe, before it reached the filter, and the inlet pipe snakes around to get to the filter.

No easy way to clear it on this boat without undoing the pipes and putting a pipe cleaner through.

Off again and looking at the scenery in Horning. Ferry Inn is still showing "To Let".

Up to Wroxham but get there too late for the pilot and its still not low water.

Should be enough room but chicken out and turn her round at the bridge and go into Royal's for the night.

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Wednesday morning and up to Roy's to resupply.

Fantastic range of local and regional beers. Come out with a 5 litre mini barrel of Wolf Ale and two bottles of Head Banger.

Oops need food as well!

Catch the 11:15 train in the Bure Valley Railway, (3 year old Thomas the Tank Engine fanatic on board!)

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Back into Wroxham at 1:30 kids see the Roy's Macdonalds so its burger and chips for lunch.

Under way again and down to Salhouse for the Bell Quiz.

Reverse in next to two other forum boats, but no flag up on either!

Should be a full house at the Bell tonight...

Can I join in on the Chat quiz at the same time using a web enabled phone....

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Hi,Colin,

i think i got your name right i was moored next door to you in Tot Tyme a bounty 37,nice to meet you all and a fab night was had by all in the bell Inn salhouse.good food/drinks and quiz night was interesting.there was brian,roy & di,me and olive,simon,jonzo and lou,john(hockham admiral)colin and martin(goodall)and a nice touch was the pub owners picked us up at the carpark salhouse and back when the rain came in sideways and the WIND!!

slept well that night,must be all the fresh air.one word of warning touched the bottom at salhouse less than 3 feet deep. :wavecheersbarcheers:party2::party2::party2:

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  • 2 weeks later...

What a night rain pouring down and the wind is getting up.

Head down towards Horning, we are early so we might find a mooring..

There is a place but the boat in front is going for it.

Down to the New Inn and there are two boats trying to go stern to at the same time, (one of them badly!)

and the Southern Comfort is coming up...

Into Malthouse Broad and see if there is a space.

Nothing on the front but the BA guy is pointing down the right hand side.

Dont fancy turning a 42' in there so, dinghy to the front, turn her outside and go in backwards.

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Visibility on this boat is definitely a problem but we are in.

"Would you please move your dinghy around to the dinghy dyke" says the man from the BA.

It seems that the big yellow thing is going to but people off trying for the inner berths enough without having the dinghy sitting on the bow.

Martin dons his trusty lifejacket (the auto inflate one so he obviously thinks he wont fall in!) and rows the dinghy around Ranworth Green.

Walk the gang around towards the Wildlife Centre. Oops no dogs so Martin is off back to the boat to park a Jack Russell whilst the family continue down the boardwalk.

Stories of Crocadiles in the Swamp keep the kids from trying to go exploring and eventually its into the Visitor Centre.

They love the "feely" table but perhaps some labels saying what the objects are might be useful.

That one is obviously a heron's wing but thoe otherone could be an owl's...

Back through the swamplands and up the hill to to Ranworth Church.

Martin takes the boys up to the top of the tower,

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and then its back to the boat, calling in to book a table for seven at the Maltsters on the way.

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Last real day of the holiday and where shall we go?

Really need to be back at Bridgecraft at Acle Bridge tonight but we do have a whole day...

Sqwacking noices, there is someone up on that boat!

Everybody move, "BREAKFAST", well that what every duck, cooot and swan in Ranworth seemed to say.

Martin goes to get the dinghy and oops only one rowlock!

Stick the oar over and we are only in six inches of water so roll the sleeve up and go dabbling.

Got it!

Ready to goso were are off.

The dredger is scooping buckets of peat out of the broad and loading a small barge.

Out into the Bure, down river and into South Walsham.

Get into the shelter of the trees and drop the mudweight.

Set the anchor drag on the GPS to 30' just in case and Martin is off with the dinghy again.

Reef in his sail is it that windy...

Beep Beep beep, anchor alarm is going off and yes we have dragged 30'...

Martin is back and says he isnt taking the kids out, it is getting gusty.

Off we go and tie up in Fleet Dyke for lunch.

Off again and into the Bure down to Acle Bridge, too early so lets carry on down river and come back.

Wind is really picking up six or seven and wind over tide, getting choppy.

Down towards Stacey Arms and we are catching a wherry yacht that start to head into the bank to let us pass.

"We are turning at the wind pump so we will stay behind you"

Into the quay, bow spring on and use the wind and engine to turn her.

Into the shop and restock with coffee.

Wind is definitely a 7 now and its back up river into the wind.

Three attempts to stern to at Bridge craft and its give up take her in forwards and warp her round.

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Martin gets chatting with a couple who are about to take the Trent Bridge out.

"We are planning on going South this evening..", a quiet explanation about tides and Yarmouth, and lack of moorings on the southern Bure, plus donating them our (two trips down) map of the Broads and they decide to stay put unti tomorrow. (It was about 18:00!)

Over to the Bridge Inn for dinner, a couple of goes on the electric quad bikes for the kids and back to the boat for a quiet night.

Some chance!

There is a boat drifting across the river towards us in the dark, with its cabin lights ablaze!

All hands (ok all senior males) on deck and yell at them to see if we can wake them.

One guy on deck so throw him our long line (a 60' rope can come in useful on a 42' boat so Martin brings his own)

and haul one of Clive's boats alongside and tie her up. His mates are still in the pub! Was she set adrift or just not tied up properly, who knows. She is snug for the night now (must remember to recover our ropes tommorrow!)

Back to Bed.

00:00 and our Herbert Wood's neighbours are back from the pub and intent on carrying on the party.

Ask them to tone it down a bit but the noise continues.

01:00 and sounds of shouting from next door. Their up wind mooring has come adrift..

Pull her back in and explain use of cleats to the inebriated crew.

03:00 and party is still going on. More words with the neighbours and eventually they decide to...

Move their boat to somewhere without such picky neighbours!

Try to explain the concept of "No Insurance after dark" but off they go into the Bure at 03:15, heading DOWNSTREAM...

Where to they expect to tie up going that way, still at least its a full moon and the wind has dropped.

Did "Lime Light" get back to Potter the next week?

No photos of her wrecked anywhere so perhaps they were lucky!

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