Water Rail April/ May 2021

[Lulu]

43 minutes ago, grendel said:

had a late night, stayed up to watch the youtube live event from travels with geordie, where he did the first sea trial of his new engine, 

Just watching it now.  Such a great YouTube channel 

Have a great day on the rivers :)

[grendel]

So, today I looked at the tide and picked s random finish point, I had decided Worlingham was to be my destination, so out with the tide tables, yes it could work, taking theebb down the yard all the way to Berney arms, would put me just right to pick the flood back up the waveney, I did slow down once I turned the corner,but not for too long,so I am now moored up at Worlingham staithe

The wind is starting to get up, but it's coming off the staithe, and the high quay heading here is providing some shelter. I nipped through somerleyton as the 3 minutes to opening was showing, passing under just as the train went over, I was met the other side by 5 of brundalls finest, waiting for the bridge to open, and passed a fair few more over the next mile upriver.

 

[grendel]

the wind is starting to get up now so I have run springs from the opposite cleats too, not taking any chances, thats 5 lines on to 4 posts, currently sat nicely 12" off the quay heading. ropes are creaking well.

[SwanR]

I was just sitting here thinking the same about the wind getting up now. Glad we came home earlier rather than sit listening to the wind in the caravan! 

[Broads01]

On 02/05/2021 at 13:38, SwanR said:

But in the situation where you’re struggling to keep back and maintain any steering because you’re on tickover bordering on reverse, I always wonder how the boat at the front is able to go quite so slowly. It’s usually an old Richardson’s bathtub drifting along!

That's about the size of it. When people don't steer in a straight line, it slows their effective speed considerably.

[grendel]

awoke to sun streaming in the windows,a really good nights sleep last night, i can remember hearing the wind and rain, but it lulled me to sleep.looked out to see everything still in good order, apart from all the detritus blown onto the decks, it seems to me that it was a lot warmer overnight, and this morning, though I am sure in the wind it will be cold. the cheery whistle of the first kettle of the day has passed, and I am now sipping the fruits of my labours, a nice cup of boat coffee to start the day. next to cook breakfast.

looking out of the window, the water has quite an amount of small choppiness, as the wind whips it up. its still howling through the trees outside.

[grendel]

today was going to be a bad day, so i made my plans, if i was going to get up North it made a kind of sense to be travelling while the weather was bad, i knew that slack water was 11.30, so i guessed it was about 3 hours to Breydon, setting off at 8.20am, the trip down was quite tricky, with some high cross winds blowing the stern round, and quite large waves on the waveney. at somerleyton I met up with two dredgers the weed boat and a ranger just after they came through the bridge, they too were having issues with the wind. On down to Breydon, where it didnt seem too bad (though I hear it was closed to hire boats) passed only 4 boats, one of which was spirit of breydon, all making a lot of spray headed south, it didnt seem too bad to me as I was barely going faster then the waves, the wind was strong, i needed 1/4 turn of starboard rudder to counter the wind from the port rear quarter (it blows the back end of water rail round ) finally found the incoming tide just before breydon bridge as I was about 15 minutes late so slowed  down to 4mph (i had done an engine test at full throttle at the top of breydon, with a trailing wind, 2800 rpm- 7.5 mph). turning at the bottom of breydon by the yellow post was interesting as we were then side on to wind and waves, for a few seconds we were rolling heavily in the swell, then i got into the Bure, and everything calmed down, I must have timed it right as i then had to slow down to 5mph to pass under the bridges and past the yacht station, the height about 15 minutes past low slack was just 8 foot, not many of the taller ships I later saw headed down to lowestoft would be getting through today ( i didnt know until later that they had closed Breydon to hire boats).

anyway on my way up the Bure I spotted a hire boat moored in a most unusual spot, this was made clear later as I passed Hercules heading down that way as well as my third ranger of the day (who says they are not out and about) i carried on upsstream considering where to stop, there was a space at stokesby, nah, i carried on, a space at the free BA moorings at Acle, where I had to do some fancy steering to keep out of the way of a craft that was on its third attempt at mooring at the free moorings, he went round me this time and then managed to get straight in., carried on, i suddenly decided i didnt want to cook tonight, so the lion at thurne came to mind, passed my fourth ranger of the day at thurne mouth, then on to thurne dyke, plenty of spaces, but i didnt fancy reversing out in the morning so I tried turning at the bottom, with the assistance of the wind I made a complete pigs ear of this, getting blown side on to the red and white post there, some assistance from a fellow boater on the headrope got me round, and the minute he let go, the bow headed straight back where it had been, this time i got out of it, and got moored up on the bank, this wasnt straigtforward due to the hooligan that was blowing down the dyke, but after several episodes of adjusting ropes, and with a spring added to the mix to stop the stern going too far back and sticking out into the dyke, it was eventually achieved. looking forward to a takeout from the lion shortly.

[grendel]

I will have pictures of the Breydon crossing when I get home and download my camera, they were taken through the rain spattered windscreen, i couldnt get any pictures from my tablet as that was busy with speed app and mapping.

I was a good boy i did wear my lifejacket on the Breydon crossing, one of the few occasions i actually do wear it, otherwise its always handy.

[grendel]

I may have over ordered going for the pork belly bites (yum,) the hot box (not tried yet), and a side order of onion rings (to die for nice)

[LizG]

You were very brave taking the old girl over Breydon, even I wouldn't have done that today!  I have had one rough crossing in modern years but that was in the opposite directions.  Hope you shut the front port holes - otherwise you might have a wet bed!

Enjoy the take away!

[grendel]

Pics for bthose that like that sort of thing, unfortunately a picture can't show you how good they taste.

[grendel]

front portholes all shut, she did it like a champ, seemed to be taking it a lot better even than the spirit of breydon that was splashing spray every which way

[grendel]

i did also help out an electric day boat, that was unable to turn at thurne dyke, they couldnt get the head into wind, so I too their headrope and turned them in the right direction, then manouvered them alongside water rail to get them in the middle of the dyke with a straight run.

[grendel]

40 minutes ago, grendel said:

I may have over ordered going for the pork belly bites (yum,) the hot box (not tried yet), and a side order of onion rings (to die for nice)

yup, half of a hot box in the oven to be heated for breakfast in the morning, it was lovely so I wont be wasting that half.

[YnysMon]

Great minds think alike...we are awaiting delivery of our box and a pizza from The White Horse. 

[grendel]

i hope yours is as tasty as mine was.

[BroadAmbition]

front portholes all shut, she did it like a champ, seemed to be taking it a lot better even than the spirit of breydon that was splashing spray every which way

Of course SOB would have been doing that, but when you take in to account WR was doing about 6mph? SOB much more than that and with SOB not being up fully on the plane?  The is bound to be spray going every which way, if SOB had been doing 6mph in the same direction as you were though it would have looked very different

Griff

[JanetAnne]

3 hours ago, BroadAmbition said:

....... WR was doing about 6mph....

Griff

He claims 7.5 

I think there was a missen mast hidden in that Volvo full of kit he bought with him 

[grendel]

generally 6mph across Breydon, yes i did do an engine test as I had been informed that with the morse control hard on the stops, she wasnt hitting max revs, but my test showed 2800 rpm and 7.5 mph

[grendel]

Hard stops for water rails Morse control

[grendel]

today was time for something different, i was informed of an informal meet up of several of the lads week lads at ranworth, so after heading into Potter heigham and executing a perfect mooring opposite Herbert Woods (who had half their fleet on the river front as the salt barriers were closed.) it was time for a bit of shopping.

I would not be passing under Potter Heigham bridge today, at 5 foot 6 it was too low even for me.

then it was time to leave Potter Heigham and head to Ranworth, when I arrived there were still plenty of spaces, so after having been caught by the wind several times, I decided to walk her in on the ropes, borrowing Moonrakers deck to achieve this, this meant i was soon moored up, and just in time as two boats behind was evening Shadow with Andy aboard (another lads week participant), London Rascal arrived shortly after by car and the reunion was adjourned to the maltsters over several pints, while there we were sat out of the wind and in glorious sunshine, making it a pleasant way to pass a few afternoon hours chatting and supping.

I had connected up to electric so as not to worry over using the laptop all evening, maybe for a dvd too, and to ensure the batteries were fully charged. (i had earlier found something not in stock in Lathams - no small electric fires for cabin warming).

Still since I had brought an inspection camera with me it was my chance to fill the water tank, and do a hunt for the leak that is somewhere out of sight at the back, so that is my next task.

[grendel]

well the good news is that i now know the leak from the water tank is 6" from the top, right in the middle at the back. its quite a dribble really, mind you I filled the tank especially for this test.

 

[annv]

Hi you could use Belzona or a liquid metal to repair it or new stainless tank, if repair a braid with very coarse emery paper first then a small amount over and in hole when hard wipe a further larger amount over first patch. John

[grendel]

This morning was an early start 8 am departure from ranworth, as I wanted to moor up at wroxham, that meant bridge clearance was needed, now I have been told she will go through at 5'9", buti went through at 6'5" and at the back corners of the roof had only about 5" clearance. Anyway, got through the bridge with no problems, and then as I moored up the rain started., Popped into Roy's to see what they had in the way of small heaters, found a plug in 500w heater for £12.99, reduced to £9.99, so I bought 2, one for each cabin, for use onshore power only as the inverter is 300w.

Now it was time to get back through the bridge, this time it's raining, so with some forethought I hooked up the roof lifting mechanism then as soon as I was ready, dropped the canopy, cast off and headed through the bridge once again, this time in the rain. As soon as I was through, the canopy was being hauled up, it was up before I got to Barnes, next was the screen, it's almost as if it knew the watchers would be sheltering from the rain, because it behaved perfectly. Then it was time to head downriver, not many boats could have been using a speed app, because sticking to the limit I managed to get past about 6 boats heading to horning, topped up the diesel at horning for the trip back down south tomorrow, then it was downstream to find an electric post to try the heater, found one right on the cafe end at acle bridge, so swung around and moored up right next to it, still 47p on it too, I like that I can charge the post back up without leaving the boat too.

[grendel]

i have to add the rain stopped when I moored up, just finished a sumptuous lunch (beans and sausages on toast with bacon and eggs,) now watching the comings and goings at bridgecraft, and its started raining again