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Solo Southern Wanderings


Broads01

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Indeed Howard. By the time I returned to the boat last night it was just me and White Champagne you can see in the background. 

Well the Wherry was a disappointment. It was very busy because a wedding party was going on. When I moved to one of the dining tables to eat I made the mistake of picking the one next to the doors that open on to the car park. I moved mid-meal to escape the draft but the one much further away was almost as bad. Could they not keep those doors locked on cold nights and just have the main entrance? To eat I opted for the carvery but it was pretty ordinary including a pureed suede that had tons of pepper in it for some reason. Alas the place has a lovely position but I shan't bother next time. 

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I`ve done the Chet in driving rain and blinding sun, but Loddon is worth it, and if you DO get to Loddon, go into Rosie Lee`s for tea and cakes, or breakfast and  give Caroline a message for us, and say Neil and Karen from Dorset wish her well, and will be in in mid - late June. Not sure exactly what day, but we`ll definitely be in for tea and home made cake in the afternoon, and breakfast the following morning lol. We can`t keep away from her place. Glad to hear you`re having a great holiday, we`ll be back on Lightning in 8 weeks from today.

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It's still winter here at Oulton Broad this morning and drizzling again. Ive only just started the engine to heat the boat because there are boats either side of me and behind. Unfortunately on this boat once I turn the engine off the heating cuts out after about 20 minutes.

I've decided I will go to Loddon for tonight and stop at Pyes Mill and walk to the town from there. I don't think I've ever been in Rosie Lee's Neil but if I do I'll pass on your message. 

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10 minutes ago, Broads01 said:

. Unfortunately on this boat once I turn the engine off the heating cuts out after about 20 minutes.. 

That has got to be a duff domestic battery, I would hope that a call to Freedom would get them to come and change it out for you

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12 minutes ago, Broads01 said:

.I've decided I will go to Loddon for tonight and stop at Pyes Mill and walk to the town from there. I don't think I've ever been in Rosie Lee's Neil but if I do I'll pass on your message. 

Good advice from Neil there. We nearly always hire from Chedgrave (Loddon), always arrive early and wander in to Rosie Lee's for a snack. Lovely food and excellent service. Free smiles included.

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Shame about the Wherry Hotel Simon. I've never tried the carvery but it always seems popular. 

Odd about the heating, the battery takes a hit in the first few minutes but when it's warmed up the current draw is much less. In winter I usually flick the heating on first thing in the morning before we set off and never had a problem. Might be worth mentioning to the yard and as 40s says. 

Looking forward to the next installment :default_beerchug:

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44 minutes ago, NorfolkNog said:

Might be worth mentioning to the yard and as 40s says. 

It does sound odd, as if the battery were weak, the heating wouldn't start up at all unless you had the engine running. I'm sure it's worth a phone call to see what they advise.

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14 hours ago, Broads01 said:

Could they not keep those doors locked on cold nights and just have the main entrance?

I believe the doors you are talking about are a fire escape in which case CANNOT BE LOCKED. That said we have been in there many times mid winter and never felt cold.

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For the windscreens outside try rain x it works we don’t have wipers ! For inside try fog x it works too. 

Don’t know why boatyards don’t apply it at the start of a weeks holiday lasts about 5 days .

Other products are available 

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Well today is once again proving a challenge. The weather is appalling - winter wind again and constant drizzle with it. I'm currently stopped at Berney Arms having come down the Waveney all the way to Breydon and then turned left. From going with a strong tide down the Waveney once I turned for Berney the boat was hardly moving even at full throttle. Rather than battle the tide all the way to Reedham I decided to stop. The boat is bobbing up and down now so much (and banging the quay) I'm at risk of getting sea sick. I'll move on soon and stop at Reedham I'm now thinking. 

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4 minutes ago, Malanka said:

For the windscreens outside try rain x it works we don’t have wipers ! For inside try fog x it works too. 

Don’t know why boatyards don’t apply it at the start of a weeks holiday lasts about 5 days .

Other products are available 

Sounds like a great tip, thanks. 

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The weather really has been appalling today. I had hoped to pop over to Oulton Broad this morning and would have said hello if you were still there Simon. But it was bitterly cold in the wind. We stayed in the caravan this morning, had a quick walk along the front and then drove back to Essex earlier than we usually do.

Hope that you get moored up safely soon for the night.

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1 hour ago, Malanka said:

For the windscreens outside try rain x it works we don’t have wipers ! For inside try fog x it works too. 

Don’t know why boatyards don’t apply it at the start of a weeks holiday lasts about 5 days .

Other products are available 

They sound useful!, where do you get them from?

 

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1 hour ago, Broads01 said:

Well today is once again proving a challenge. The weather is appalling - winter wind again and constant drizzle with it. I'm currently stopped at Berney Arms having come down the Waveney all the way to Breydon and then turned left. From going with a strong tide down the Waveney once I turned for Berney the boat was hardly moving even at full throttle. Rather than battle the tide all the way to Reedham I decided to stop. The boat is bobbing up and down now so much (and banging the quay) I'm at risk of getting sea sick. I'll move on soon and stop at Reedham I'm now thinking. 

Shame about pushing a hard tide, but you should have done the new cut, much better,  and you could have been at Reedham before getting to the Berney Arms. However, if the weather is that bad, Reedham can be just as bouncy as Berney, so it might be better to carry on and up to Loddon where it`s very much more sheltered.

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1 hour ago, SPEEDTRIPLE said:

Shame about pushing a hard tide, but you should have done the new cut, much better,  and you could have been at Reedham before getting to the Berney Arms. However, if the weather is that bad, Reedham can be just as bouncy as Berney, so it might be better to carry on and up to Loddon where it`s very much more sheltered.

Yes of course Neil and to be honest I ended up regretting my choice. Its just I never seek to minimise the cruising I do, even on a wet day and to go the long way round just seemed the more interesting choice.

Earlier, as I expected, I had to pull over in the lay by at Somerleyton Bridge to lower the canopy and screens with clearance at 7 foot 11. I then raised the screens on the move (handily easy on this boat and opted to carry on to St Olaves where I dropped the screens once again for the bridge there. I took a break for some food at the St Olaves BA moorings and then whooshed along with the tide until turning for the aforementioned Berney Arms. I know the south Broads is quiet but the weather seems to stop everybody coming out. I passed a boat coming upstream just before midday then saw zero boats whilst stopped at St Olaves and the sum total of one on the way to Berney Arms. 

I left Berney just after my last post around 4-15. Some years ago when solo I almost got caught out untying at Berney and had to make a leap on to a boat which the tide wanted to sweep away to Great Yarmouth. Today I had that in mind and on leaving looped each rope around the post and back on to the deck cleat. That way I could release each rope from the safety of the boat. 

The ebbing tide was still very strong and at full throttle all the way to Reedham I made no quicker than 3mph. What I did enjoy is realising that with life jacket on I could stand on the side deck and steer with my right foot. I could enjoy fresh air for a few minutes then!

I opted to stop at Reedham Quay for the night having cruised more than far enough bearing in mind the weather. As I arrived at 5-30 I doubled the occupancy of the moorings! 

I cooked on the boat tonight and I'm now in The Nelson. It's the first time I've been in here and it's ultra quiet and all fine except the interior resembles a restaurant with nothing but dining tables and chairs. 

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Great thanks. It's a very bad habit I have of asking questions like that and then realising I could just google it. I did and both Halfrauds and Amazingzone stock the rain one, my guess is that the mist one is on the next shelf.

Note to self.  Next time git orff ya fat ass and look for it.!

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