Norfolk Lady Tales

[YnysMon]

36 minutes ago, Mouldy said:

It is a lovely mooring.  It’s been one of our favourites on the southern rivers for a while.  It was disappointing last year when the BA failed to renegotiate the lease, so we’re pleased that they are open once again, even though there is a cost involved.

Don’t go for a walk along the opposite side to the moorings though.  It’s private land at the end, so best to walk along the side the ‘temporary’ moorings are.  I’m sure you’ll find a route to go somewhere from there 😉.

It doesn’t work well for us as, depending on the time of year, there’s a risk of coming across cows with calves along the path that runs toward Cantley (or perhaps I should say the bank opposite Cantley). There used to be a warning sign on the gate that leads from the Dyke to the riverbank walk. That’s off putting for us as we get nervous taking our dogs anywhere near cows. You hear so many tales of people being trampled by cows.  There doesn’t seem to be access to other paths without having to traverse several lanes.

[SwanR]

47 minutes ago, Mouldy said:

Sundays a week apart, Jean?

Ah yes, of course .... ooops ... I was getting totally confused with being out the previous weekend which of course wasn't the bank holiday weekend.  

[ExSurveyor]

Well, that’s ok then Mark, as I used to work as a shepherd, so am fully entitled to cast my clout!!!!

I spent a lot of time traipsing up and down the scarp of the South Downs when moving them, bringing them down for lambing, clipping and dipping, up again afterwards, driving up and down the bostal (a track on the downs) on a Massey 135 when checking them. And sorting them when grading the lambs for market up on the tops in a makeshift pen and race setup. 

I remembered that fact from my old MIL who was a proper country girl, she was full of old wisdom.

She was more from an era of horse drawn rather than tractors 😁

[Broads01]

Yay, Langley Dyke returns! I love that mooring too, Malcom so great you were back. Is the signage clear that moorings have to be pre-booked?

[kpnut]

2 hours ago, ExSurveyor said:

She was more from an era of horse drawn rather than tractors 😁

I could say Tony’s era then, but that would be cruel 😂 

I have seen pictures of him seeing to the horses when ploughing, but by the time he was working properly he had a little grey Fergie with 2 furrow plough. 

[Mouldy]

6 hours ago, Broads01 said:

Yay, Langley Dyke returns! I love that mooring too, Malcom so great you were back. Is the signage clear that moorings have to be pre-booked?

It does state that the moorings are not free and there is a QR code to take you to the website if you’ve not pre booked.  There is also a phone number incase of issues arising.

[Troyboy]

Lovely pics of Langley Dyke. We are on Bella Maria again on 20th May for a week and hopefully we are going South. Must moor at LD for a night. Thanks for the reminder. 

[Mouldy]

We went back to the boat on Friday evening.  We’d arranged to meet some friends for a meal on Saturday evening at Wayford Bridge, so we thought it best just to stay put in the yard and do some cleaning and polishing, getting the old girl ready for the summer.

It’s fair to say that the journey to Brundall didn't go too smoothly, taking an hour and a half instead of 40 minutes.  Accidents on the A11 and A47 had caused delays on the 47, so we diverted onto the A1067 to pick up the NDR to go the other way round Norwich.  That was okay, but as soon as we got back onto the A47 at the Postwick Interchange, there had been another ruddy accident, with the emergency services in attendance.  Now knowing the area, I took the Little Plumstead exit and went through the back roads to Blofield, only to find the road to Brundall closed for roadworks!

Arriving at the yard, we soon transferred our stuff onboard.  I’d planned to get fish and chips for tea from the Blofield chippy, but because of the road closure and resulting diversion, went to the one in Brundall instead.  I have to say that it was much improved from my last visit and we enjoyed our dinner back on board the boat.

Saturday was grey and misty when I woke, but by about 10:30 had developed into a glorious day.  I set about compounding the boat and by lunchtime had done most of the superstructure apart from the white roof.  The heat has caused me to be quite thirsty, so The White Horse beckoned for a libation.  We also sampled their ciabattas for lunch - we both had fish goujons in ours which were served with fries and a small side salad.  It was very good and reminded us that being so local to the yard, it offered lunch options other than the Golden Arches when we leave to go home.

Back at the boat, it was time for waxing where I’d compounded.  It was hard going in the hot sun, but I soldiered on and got it all done, before getting ready to go out for dinner.  We met our friends as arranged and had a very enjoyable meal.  It was the first time we’d eaten there.  As we can’t get under the bridge in Norfolk Lady and with the moorings so close to the busy road, it has never appealed, but the food and service were both good and we may be tempted back in the future.

We drove back to Brundall, arriving just before 22:00.  We were hoping for a repeat of the Northern Lights, that we’d missed on Friday night, but no such luck!

I was up quite early on Sunday, keen to get the roof (white bits) compounded and polished before we went home.  I waited until about 09:00 before getting busy with my polishing machine and was eventually finished by about 12:30, with wax applied.  All I have left to do now is the toe rail.  Hopefully  I can get that done next weekend, but the forecast doesn’t  look that hopeful at the moment.  We’ll see.

With the boat tidied and the car packed, we set off for home.  It was a much easier journey than the one there on Friday.  Despite not getting out on the river, it had been a good weekend, with a lot done.

Roll on next weekend!

 

[Troyboy]

She's a lovely Broom 29. I've been looking at these with great interest. There is 3 for sale at the moment. There is one with Norfolk Boatshed at Richardsons moorings which looks a nice boat. 

[Mouldy]

6 minutes ago, Troyboy said:

She's a lovely Broom 29. I've been looking at these with great interest. There is 3 for sale at the moment. There is one with Norfolk Boatshed at Richardsons moorings which looks a nice boat. 

Thank you.  She’s in a much better condition now than we we bought her in 2019, most of which has been completed by Paul at Swancraft.

The 29 you mentioned at Richo’s yard has dropped dramatically in price having been pitched rather optimistically at either 55 or 60k when it first came to the market.  One of the others advertised used to belong to fellow forumite Ray, who traded her in for a rather lovely Bounty Sovereign that is moored next to ours!

Depending on what you’re looking for and if you accept that passage under certain bridges isn’t possible, they’re a good little boat.

[OldBerkshireBoy]

I may be bias but I think Rays old Broom 29 for sale at Swancraft is the better boat compared to the one at Stalham, with an electric mud weight, nicer inside plus it comes with moorings and is cheaper.

[Ray]

I have to say, I absolutely loved that boat, no problems at all, handles beautifully and never regretted buying her for one minute. I only changed boats at all because something a little bigger was available and we have a greyhound crew member... that's an awful lot of leg to accommodate lol. I have no financial interest in the sale btw as she was part of my next purchase 👍

[Bikertov]

19 minutes ago, OldBerkshireBoy said:

I may be bias but I think Rays old Broom 29 for sale at Swancraft is the better boat compared to the one at Stalham, with an electric mud weight, nicer inside plus it comes with moorings and is cheaper.

I agree. I had a good look at Keleka last year, and was very impressed by her and Paul at Swancraft. She is well spec'ed  and in good condition, IMHO. 

The main reason I didn't "bite the bullet" was that I found a Broom 29 on the RGO in St.Ives, which is nearer to me and hence more practical at this point in time.

I also looked at some recent ex-hire ones on the Broads at the time, similar to the one on Boatshed, and I didn't think they were as well spec'ed or as good value for money as Keleka.

[Troyboy]

Thanks for the information everyone. I looked at Keleka online. It does look like a very nice boat. We are on a week's hire next week so hopefully I will get to see it. Just a thought. Is Ludham Bridge a problem on these Broom 29s. My only stipulation is that it goes under Ludham bridge. 

[Ray]

She has an air draft of 8' 6", Ludham Bridge can be "iffy"

[Mouldy]

3 hours ago, Ray said:

She has an air draft of 8' 6", Ludham Bridge can be "iffy"

Norfolk Lady has been measured at 8ft 3ins.  We’ve gone under Ludham Bridge with 8ft showing on the markers.  Not sure if Keleka has been measured or if that is the height marked from when she was in a fleet, but I can’t see any reason for it to be taller than NL.  Passage under Ludham is usually okay through late spring, summer and into early autumn, but may be questionable through late autumn and the winter.

4 hours ago, Troyboy said:

Thanks for the information everyone. I looked at Keleka online. It does look like a very nice boat. We are on a week's hire next week so hopefully I will get to see it. Just a thought. Is Ludham Bridge a problem on these Broom 29s. My only stipulation is that it goes under Ludham bridge. 

If you want to look over her, it would be advisable to give Paul a ring to let him know.  Contact him on the sponsors advert here on the Forum for BK Windows.

[Ray]

20 minutes ago, Mouldy said:

 Not sure if Keleka has been measured or if that is the height marked from when she was in a fleet, but I can’t see any reason for it to be taller than NL

You're right Malc, I was just going on previous info and had not had her measured. In fact the fold down radio aerial would account for the difference on it's own.

I used to keep records of trips and I just found that I cruised from Sutton Staithe to Potter in her on the 14th January 2022, clearing Ludham OK at not an ideal time of year 👍

[Troyboy]

Thanks Malcolm. I will ring him before going to see it. 

Regards, Dave. 

[Mouldy]

We set off from home last Friday as soon as the wife finished work.  I’d already loaded the car, so other than lock the bungalow and persuade Harley to get into the car, we were ready!  The journey was much easier than the previous week, taking the usual forty minutes or so and it didn’t take long to move our stuff aboard.

I still had a bit of polishing to do, so compounded and waxed the starboard toe rail before casting off.  The owner of the boat who moors next to us had indicated that he would be out at a boat club meet all over the weekend, so I planned to moor in his berth when we returned on Sunday, to do give the port side toe rail.

The time was getting on, but it was a lovely end to the day.  I’d booked a table at The White Horse, Chedgrave on Saturday evening, so I hoped to moor at either Cantley or Hardley Mill.  There were only two hire craft moored at Cantley so decided to stay there for the night.  We had some pasta and sauce for dinner and watched a beautiful sunset as it developed, casting a warm glow over the area as the sun went down.

Darkness fell and when I let Harley out for her do what she needed to do before retiring, I noticed the floodlights from Cantley Refinery were casting an eerie glow, highlighting the boat moored astern of ours.  No post processing - this is how my phone camera captured it!

I was awake quite early on Saturday morning, not because I was excited about reaching the 47th Anniversary of my 21st birthday, but by the dog, who was fretting to get out!  Deb pulled her clothes on and walked Harley, whilst I opened my cards that the wife had brought with us.  I knew she’d bought me a gift, too, but I asked her not to bring it as I didn’t want to break it on board, so left it at home to be enjoyed on our return.

She was gone with the dog for about forty minutes, during which time I’d Karchered the windows, wiped the window frames, made the bed and put the kettle on.  We had some toast before casting off and heading for Loddon.  It was a bit cloudy and grey, but the forecast was for the sun to make an appearance later.  At least it wasn’t raining.

The tide was rising and I could feel the boat accelerate as we turned onto The Chet.  I was doing 4mph at little more than tickover, according to Aweigh.  We passed four boats heading in the opposite direction, before arriving at Loddon.  I usually prefer to moor at Pyes Mill, but due to our dinner venue and mindful of Harley’s arthritis, decided that on this occasion the basin would be best.

There were only two other craft moored there when we arrived, a very tidy looking private Fairline Mirage near the water point an AF Sapphire moored in the corner nearest the marina.  We moored halfway between them and finding 48p on the nearest electric point, plugged in.

Deb had showered whilst we were on the way to Loddon, so once moored, I showered and changed into some clean clothes.  The sun was beginning to break through and it was turning into a good day.  We wandered up to the Co-Op for something for lunch.  We had bacon on board, so a French stick seemed a good idea, as did a chocolate cake . . . . . . well, it was my birthday.

After lunch, we just chilled, reading and watching the comings and goings in the basin,  another private craft arrived - an ex Freedom hire boat, looking in good order, having apparently had much work done externally, at least and a couple of Broom hire cruisers.

Although our booking at the pub wasn’t until 19:00, we wandered round a bit early for a drink before dinner.  We were shown to our table, chose from the menu and were pleasantly  surprised to find that friends had found out where we were eating and paid for a bottle of wine to go with our meals.  Debbie had pate followed by pan fried salmon, with crushed new potatoes and vegetables, whilst I had whitebait, followed by venison and mushroom pie, mash and vegetables.  The service was good, as was the food generally, but we both felt that the potatoes had been over seasoned.  It’s all down to personal taste, I guess.  I have to confess that I did have a dessert - a waffle with red fruit, ice cream and chocolate sauce, which I did enjoy!

When we were finished, it was a slow walk back to the boat.  We hadn’t set up the aerial, so we read for a while before retiring.

We woke to a beautiful morning on Sunday.  Bright sunshine from the outset to welcome us.  Deb dressed and took Harley out and I busied myself in the boat, making the bed, wiping down the window frames and Karchering the windows.  When she arrived back, I pulled up the mudweight before casting off for a cruise back to the yard.  It was a lovely morning and I didn't see another boat on the move until we were back on The Yare.

By the time we arrived at Brundall, we’ were both showered and ready.  I moored, as planned, in our neighbour’s spot, making access to the port side easier to compound and wax the toe rail.  Once done, we pulled NL across to our mooring and secured her.

 

I cooked a brunch of sausages, scrambled egg, sautéed baby plum tomatoes and chestnut mushrooms, which was very enjoyable, even if I do say so myself, before tidying up, loading the car and returning home.

It had been a good weekend - a great way to celebrate another birthday.  We have to visit Milton Keynes this Saturday (25th) to see our son and his family - number 1 granddaughter will be five on Sunday, but hope to be back afloat on Bank Holiday Sunday and Monday.

Oh and my present, from the wife that I didn’t take because I didn’t want to break it - a bottle of 60% spiced rum.  I’ll let you know what it’s like! 😉🥴

 

[Ray]

Sounds like a perfect way to spend a birthday Malc, belated Happy Birthday wishes from Gill and I 👍🎂

[kpnut]

Happy birthday Malcolm and the weather certainly played ball for you. 

[Lulu]

Many Happy Returns Malcolm. Don’t look a day over 35 😉

[Bikertov]

Happy Birthday Malcom !

Your dear Norfolk Lady looking stunning as ever 

[NorfolkNog]

2 hours ago, Mouldy said:

a bottle of 60% spiced rum.  I’ll let you know what it’s like!

Looks good Malcolm, enjoy! And belated happy birthday from us. Didn't make it to Paul's this time sadly. 

[YnysMon]

A belated Happy Birthday from me and Graham. Can’t beat a weekend on the rivers for your birthday.