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A Weekend On Water Rail


YnysMon

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Monday 31st August

It was beautifully sunny and warm first thing this morning, though the sky started to cloud over a bit after a while.

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Graham made us some toast for breakfast, which we ate sitting in the sun in the wheelhouse. Seren was very good and didn’t react to a wasp that almost landed on her nose. We had a few wasps lurk around the wheelhouse as we were travelling along the Waveney yesterday, so it’s good that Seren is catching on to the idea that we don’t want her to try to catch wasps.

After breakfast we took Seren for a walk around Beccles Marshes, along the river bank and then back along a farm track to the sailing club.

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It was after 11 by the time we got back to the boat. Graham had to change the gas cannister yesterday, so we thought we’d get a replacement in one of the boatyards opposite the Yacht Station. We tried the one nearer the Old Bridge first, as we could see where their fuel point was from the Yacht Station, but when we called their phone they said they didn’t have the gas cannister that we needed, so we moved around to Hippersons fuel pontoon. They didn’t have the cannisters either (‘they're like gold dust’) but we topped up the fuel. It’s just as well that we couldn’t change the gas cannister, as we later learned from Dave that he’s planning to change the type of cannister being used on Water Rail, due to the difficulty of sourcing the butane cannisters.

We took the journey back to Oulton Broad slowly. Graham washed up and started to pack as we went along. There was a small space on North Cove moorings, and one of the boats moved along to give us more room. We found North Cove a better mooring for Seren than Worlingham, as there isn’t a lane immediately behind it, so no cars.

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Graham settled down in a picnic chair whilst I put some pasta on for lunch. We had that with pesto sauce and the leftover shredded pork mixed in with it.

One of the lovely things about being on Water Rail is the number of people who come up for a chat about the boat. Over the weekend, we ended up chatting to far more people than we do on Moonlight Shadow.

Another slow cruise took us back to Oulton Broad and Water Rail’s home mooring and, as I mentioned further up this thread, as we approached Oulton Broad we spotted a squirrel swimming across the dyke.

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By the time we had packed all our stuff up, transferred it to the car and had a chat with Dave’s friends, it was getting on for 5pm. We had a good journey home, opting to drive up to Norwich and go back along the A11 instead of going past Diss and Bury. When we got home the kitchen was reasonably tidy. Miracles!

 

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Sounds like you had another lovely trip, despite the weather.  I have never quite worked out how much headroom I had with the canopy up! With it down it is 6' 3" for Potter but that is because the canopy when down increases the width of the boat.  I frightened a friend once going under the Norwich end Thorpe railway bridge with about an inch to spare  but knew the other end is a fraction higher!

The business of starting with the stop lever up is one of those horrible moments.  Usually caused by the previous user leaving it pulled up!  The other starting problem is when someone leaves the battery switch in the bottom position!

We ran out of water at Barton Regatta on day 2 and I had to row to the shore to get a container of water brought over by my brother!  We always had a huge supply of water containers on any trip as a result!

Liz

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Thanks Liz, it's always interesting to hear your perspective of Water Rail. We did enjoy the trip very much. Actually, I think we were both more comfortable on her this time than last, even though the weather wasn't ideal. There is something about having got familiar with a boat that adds to the enjoyment. Whenever we have had our first trip on a boat that we are not familiar with, it's always taken me a few days to get used to how the boat handles, and then there's the knowing where things are stored and so on. 

On this occasion the engine stop level was down (I would have felt a complete numpty had I called Dave out because of that! LOL). Dave fiddled with the other end of the cable, near the engine, to get her going.

We would have been fine for water if we hadn't been such idiots at Norwich. Ah well, live and learn. It's taught me to be a bit more vigilant about filling up at every possible opportunity from now on, including when we are on Moonlight Shadow!

Helen

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A very interesting account, and you evidently enjoyed your trip. We were thinking of getting a boat next month but decided we wanted to be totally lazy, so we're booked into a houseboat at Wayford Bridge for a fortnight. Hopefully the rowing boat supplied will be usable, although my wife would like a motor! A boat with an outboard would be great but I don't suppose you can hire one. We don't want a dayboat.

Sent from the Norfolk Broads Network mobile app

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25 minutes ago, YnysMon said:

On this occasion the engine stop level was down (I would have felt a complete numpty had I called Dave out because of that! LOL). Dave fiddled with the other end of the cable, near the engine, to get her going.

 

That's not funny.  I remember arriving at the house and my brother was in panic that he couldn't get WR to start, to the extent the battery was nearly flat and I went on board and immediately rectified the problem - the lever was up.  He never thought to check!

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I know that it been confirmed that there is a leak in the starboard tank - which was fitted in the 1960s whereas the one in the bow was the original.  Could the starboard tank be isolated in any way until the leak is resolved although of course 'all' the taps are connected to that tank now?  When I say all I mean two!

Under normal circumstances when the tanks are getting low there is a sort of knocking noise when the pump is turned on as the water moves around!

I always sleep in the bow - swapping between bunks as the mood might take me.  As mentioned before the cooker was on the port side and a bunk created when the cooker etc. was refitted in the rear cabin.  That bunk is only good for short people despite being wider.  The starboard bunk was much lower originally but father lifted it and created some storage space underneath.  As that was quite useful on longer trips, I retained it.  Although over the years, I removed a lot of his plywood additions.  I never got round to removing the plywood off the fore cabin storage spaces and under the deck- doing that will display the original coachwork and panels.

L

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I measured the top of the canopy at a generous 7'3" using a laser measure to a leaf floating on the water, so would be happy i had clearance at 7'6" and be watching very carefully at any height lower than that.

Liz, Dave and I have been discussing whether the roof could be tapered in at the rear from behind the rear support arm, to make it narrower, (and easier to get to the rear of the boat down the side deck) this would inevitable also mean canopy modifications, but we are only at the bouncing ideas stage at the moment.

the starboard tank leak is only a drip drip at the moment, but its enough to keep the planking under the tank wet all the time, we cant see where its coming from though.its not from the visible sides.

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9 minutes ago, grendel said:

the starboard tank leak is only a drip drip at the moment, but its enough to keep the planking under the tank wet all the time, we cant see where its coming from though.its not from the visible sides.

That then shouldn't be so much to empty the tank so I suspect she isn't being filled up fully.  There was a definite art to filling up her tanks - very slowly or in two sessions.  If you fill her up very quickly so that it overflows (and wets the bunk) - it hasn't had time to fill the starboard tank.  The clue is that if in particular the front tap flows without turning the pump, the tanks are FULL.  If that doesn't happen then they are not!

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2 minutes ago, YnysMon said:

That's suits me then! By accident, Graham and I chose the most suitable bunks. He's long and thin, I'm shorter and wider!

If my husband is onboard - yes he takes the starboard bunk!  My parents always slept in the rear cabin but it was such a faff taking the table out every night.  I also lengthened the rear cabin mattresses so that they could be single bunks as well - my friends would sleep there and likened it to be in a coffin or presumed coffin!

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2 hours ago, Malcolm Withell said:

A very interesting account, and you evidently enjoyed your trip. We were thinking of getting a boat next month but decided we wanted to be totally lazy, so we're booked into a houseboat at Wayford Bridge for a fortnight. Hopefully the rowing boat supplied will be usable, although my wife would like a motor! A boat with an outboard would be great but I don't suppose you can hire one. We don't want a dayboat.

Sent from the Norfolk Broads Network mobile app
 

I've seen fishing hire boats on the Broads that have outboards. Richardsons do them, but only from their day boat base at Wroxham unfortunately.

https://www.richardsonsboatingholidays.co.uk/norfolk-broads-day-boat-hire/fishing-boats-hire/

 

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20 minutes ago, YnysMon said:

Hi again Liz,

We found the bed in the rear cabin really comfortable and roomy for the two of us.

Did you convert it to the double - I've never done that myself !!!!  I always found I was always so low sitting at the table as well!

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22 minutes ago, w-album said:

Did you convert it to the double - I've never done that myself !!!!  I always found I was always so low sitting at the table as well!

Yes we did, and slept across wise.

We had taken a couple of cushions with us (as we do when we are on Moonlight Shadow too), so I used one of those to give myself a bit more height at mealtimes, so that I didn’t have my chin almost in my plate. :default_rofl:

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2 minutes ago, grendel said:

being somewhat tall, i found the table to be the perfect height, i did try the forward starboard berth and found it comfy, but tall as i am it was still a small jump down in the morning, the rear double i found perfect.

I find a cold box quite useful to stand on as long as it doesn't slip over! I have had a few crash landings or arrived on the bed a bit faster/quicker than I planned.  The cabin sides are very hard!!!  My father fitted a strap to stop me falling out the port bunk in the days when the starboard bunk was still lower when I was (very) young! 

Yes cushions in the rear cabin to sit on! Defo!

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Have you tried getting off the port bunk in the middle of night for a loo visit when there’s a dog nicely settled in her bed just below? I didn’t squish her...honest!
Er no! I've probably tried to avoid squishing something but never a dog :)

Sent from the Norfolk Broads Network mobile app

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