Springer’s Retreat On The Rivers

[kpnut]

Tuesday 31st October. 
What a misty damp morning, enough to make anyone in their right mind stay indoors with a nice mug of tea. All too easy to do on the boat and I do sometimes have to talk myself round to going out now I’m here!

So we set off to go down the dyke, round past the Toad Hall holiday cottage towards Potter Heigham. And what a joy. It was muddy, mind you. 

The Broads might not have the spectacular mountain scenery of the Lake District or Scotland, or the rugged coastline of Pembrokeshire or Cornwall, but it does have a totally mesmerising and atmospheric landscape. And in some ways, the grumpier the weather, the better it is. I’m totally in love with it🙂

Our walk took us along to the start of the chalets, where the cottage that has recently been sold is well on the way to being renovated. It looks like a particularly low spot will be altered to a wildlife pond. 

The view across the river.
 

The young stock looked happy enough grazing on the marsh. At least they can cope with the sogginess underfoot as they don’t suffer from foot rot in the same way that sheep do. 

Then up the causeway which is a particularly well maintained track, and along Fritton Lane, where the footpath back to Ludham goes off to the left, through a hedge as the houses start. It runs along the side of some stubble fields; presumably they’ll be cultivated for spring crops rather than autumn sowing and having the danger of rotting seedlings over winter. Finlay enjoyed flushing a couple of pheasants and although he barked which was naughty, he sat as they flew up in front of him, and waited for me to tell him what to do next. 

The path comes out at the triangular bit at the top of Horsefen Lane and we made our way back down the lane,  via a photo stop at Womack staithe as the tide continued to come in. This was taken about 2 hours before high tide. 

The water in Hunter’s yard was also higher than yesterday.

It seems that each high tide this week is slightly higher than the last. I’m now down at Acle bridge, paddling about again, having arrived right on high tide.

Good thing I have some really comfy wellies, as I’ve hardly taken them off since I set off last Thursday. I wear them when going along so I don’t have to change into them quickly on arrival somewhere. I normally use my nonslip boat boots, but they’re not long enough for this water! And the mooring posts come into good use as staging posts on the clamber up and down. 

On the way down here I was very happy to see poor old Oby  mill has a new tarpaulin on its cap. The previous one was increasingly tattered as the year had gone on and it had finally blown off sometime in the summer. At least now, the mill is watertight again. Hopefully someone will continue with an improvement at some point.

Clippesby mill down the river continues the process of renovation.

And the black mill on Upton marsh is having a new side building built to replace the old wooden one removed when the piling was done in the summer. I think it’s great to see money being spent on them, be it private finance or grant money from somewhere. 

It’s now only an hour after high tide and the water has already receded off the Acle quay heading, so the perception of the state of the moorings and water level rather depends on what time you get to them. The fenders can start doing their job again for a while. 

[SwanR]

Interesting update Kate. Many thanks for providing so many photos to keep us all updated. 

[kpnut]

47 minutes ago, SwanR said:

Many thanks for providing so many photos to keep us all updated. 

I can be the ‘reporter on the ground’ while I’m out and about. 
I might have to hunker down tomorrow afternoon, ready for Cieran’s visit. 

[kpnut]

Another nice walk this afternoon. About 2.5 miles.
We firstly went up towards Acle along the footpath that follows the road, on the other side of a hedge. I’m always a bit on edge along there with the dog as I know there are a couple openings onto the road. He’s good at staying fairly close if I nag him enough. 
Then to Acle dyke moorings and up towards the road by The Hermitage.
Then along through Roman Wood which was lovely, and no mud. The footpath starts to the left, opposite the restaurant, just before the road. 

Across the road at the Travelodge roundabout and along New Rd into the village. Then back to the Hermitage via Old Rd, where I saw this silver birch tree with a thickened trunk like I’ve never seen before.

Back down the side of Acle dyke and round the riverbank towards the Acle Bridge Inn. 
Acle dyke moorings don’t seem to suffer from flooding at all. The quay heading is really high.

And to answer a question Lulu had a while ago - this is the present situation with the old cottage at Hall Farm moorings. I feel it will soon be ‘no more’. 

[Lulu]

Sad face is because of that lovely old cottage.  I hate seeing them being demolished. Think because I grew up in a thatched cottage which my parents still live in, and my grandparents also lived in one, I’m very attached to these type of buildings 😟

[kpnut]

And another bit of heritage gone, even if it had severe subsidence. 

[Broads01]

6 hours ago, kpnut said:

The Broads might not have the spectacular mountain scenery of the Lake District or Scotland, or the rugged coastline of Pembrokeshire or Cornwall, but it does have a totally mesmerising and atmospheric landscape.

I completely agree.

 

 

[Broads01]

6 hours ago, kpnut said:

And in some ways, the grumpier the weather, the better it is. I’m totally in love with it🙂

I don't follow what you mean there, can you explain?

[kpnut]

That was a bit ambiguous I suppose. The grumpier the weather, the better the atmosphere of the Broads.
I like the foul weather once I’m out in it. It makes the experience even more ‘real’. 

Of course, I’m also always impatient for a sunny day🙂, especially when the boat is full of soggy dog towels. 

Today is the day to move somewhere sheltered for the next couple of days to sit out the forecast storm. 

[Turnoar]

6 minutes ago, kpnut said:

That was a bit ambiguous I suppose. The grumpier the weather, the better the atmosphere of the Broads.
I like the foul weather once I’m out in it. It makes the experience even more ‘real’. 

Of course, I’m also always impatient for a sunny day🙂, especially when the boat is full of soggy dog towels. 

Today is the day to move somewhere sheltered for the next couple of days to sit out the forecast storm. 

A cafe with a launderette next door?

[Gracie]

12 minutes ago, Turnoar said:

A cafe with a launderette next door?

A pub with a launderette next door, much better 

I agree with you about the weather Kate, I love a storm on the Broads. Stay safe x

[kpnut]

1 hour ago, Turnoar said:

A cafe with a launderette next door?

That would be my home mooring then. Too easy an option. I need an adventure!

[kpnut]

Wednesday 1st November

I moved on from Acle bridge mid morning and cruised along to Fleet dyke, choosing the first wild mooring. It’s rather soggy underfoot. Happy with my mooring up with three rhond anchors, ready for the storm, we then set off for a walk round the marsh, fully togged up in waterproofs for the forecast rain. Of course, we stopped in at the White Horse in Upton for soup and a cider. The pub was very busy for a winter weekday lunchtime. Finlay was happy with three other dogs to keep an eye on, although he did nearly take the table that he was attached to with him in his haste to say hello to one of them. 
As I put my gear back on to leave, the heavens opened and it was a wet walk back to Pilson Green and up Fleet Lane and up the riverbank path to the end of the dyke. 
I realised that the moorings nearest the broad would be more sheltered for the wind direction expected later, so on my return to the boat, I had a quick 10 minute cruise down the river. It was lovely as the sun had come out and was just beginning to go down. 
There had been a wonderful double rainbow over St Benet’s as I walked up to the boat. 

I presume the benign feel to the weather out there at the moment is the calm before the storm. We’ll see.

[CambridgeCabby]

We found the levels over the weekend the highest we have ever seen them , interesting video online watching the Richardson’s crews weighing the boats down to pass under Ludham bridge 

 

https://youtu.be/hTKEtpxlxik?si=t_32bM2ez-uuDh43

[Boatingman]

We had a trip round yesterday never seen the water levels so high in fifty years of visiting the broads

 

Ray

[LizG]

13 minutes ago, Boatingman said:

We had a trip round yesterday never seen the water levels so high in fifty years of visiting the broads

 

Ray

My brother has just told me it's the highest he has seen in Horning in also 50 years. Apparently my dinghy has floated off it's trailer in the dinghy store!!!

[kpnut]

1 hour ago, CambridgeCabby said:

interesting video online watching the Richardson’s crews weighing the boats down to pass under Ludham bridge 

 

https://youtu.be/hTKEtpxlxik?si=t_32bM2ez-uuDh43

Thanks Simon. 
 

NeilB, you’re on this at 12 minutes, taking Rambling Rosie through. 
What day would that have been?
Sunday afternoon when I was at How Hill all of a sudden a whole flurry of Richos boats came past. I presumed they’d all been put under one after the other and the crews from each were helping weigh down each other’s boats. 

[NeilB]

2 hours ago, CambridgeCabby said:

We found the levels over the weekend the highest we have ever seen them , interesting video online watching the Richardson’s crews weighing the boats down to pass under Ludham bridge 

 

https://youtu.be/hTKEtpxlxik?si=t_32bM2ez-uuDh43

I say, what a smart looking cruiser starting at 11:50 with a handsome chap at the helm...... 

This was filmed on Sunday just after 11am as I'd just taken a photo of all the crew on the Richos boat.

[Broads01]

Fascinating video, the Broom 29 seemed to be the one with which they had the biggest challenge. But there you go, Malcom, when you want to cruise the Ant you know what to do now!

[Broads01]

4 hours ago, kpnut said:

I moved on from Acle bridge mid morning and cruised along to Fleet dyke, choosing the first wild mooring. It’s rather soggy underfoot. Happy with my mooring up with three rhond anchors, ready for the storm, we then set off for a walk round the marsh, fully togged up in waterproofs for the forecast rain.

I must admit that when boating solo I tend to avoid using the rhond anchors, seeing it as too much faff to have two ropes in hand whilst trying to get rhond anchors organised at the same time. What's your technique?

[grendel]

for me, the technique is to step ashore with 2 ropes and 2 rhond anchors in hand, the front rope led via the centre cleat, this is the first one to get in fixing the middle of the boat to the bank (if there is anything to tie to, this will be tied to it.

then the stern rope is fixed, after this i unpin the one from the centre cleat (or bring a second bow line ashore, and put that in place (this can mean I am using 3 rhond anchors)) after this is several minutes making sure the anchors are in properly and the ropes as I want them with the boat approximately 1 foot off the bank all the way along.

[kpnut]

3 hours ago, grendel said:

step ashore with 2 ropes and 2 rhond anchors in hand, the front rope led via the centre cleat, this is the first one to get in fixing the middle of the boat to the bank

That’d be what I would do if I had the luxury of a centre cleat. 
I’m fitting one on the starboard side soon, but can’t do one on the port side as there’s no access under the deck and I don’t think I want it only fixed from above. 

But in it’s absence, in theory, I too take two lines and two anchors with me from the bow and then it depends on what the river is doing to the boat. 
If the bow is fairly steady, I’ll quickly do a stern anchor while standing on the bow line to keep it more or less steady, as I can bring the bow back in with the bow thruster if needs be, but if the bow looks like it’s going out too quickly, I stick the bow anchor in and then pull the stern back. 
It’s usually all a bit fraught to start with!!!
And I have, once or twice before tying anything, then made a quick decision to get back onboard and regroup.

The final aim being to have one from the bow line, one from the opposite stern line and one towards the middle of the boat from the near stern line. 

In practice rather than theory, I find that the anchors are still on their hook at the back and I get off at the bow, steady the boat, then have to quickly get back on to get the anchors. That’s through lack of forward planning. Ok to do in a still calm situation, not in a fast current or if windy!

I think Grendel’s technique sounds far calmer and safe to be honest. Or maybe it’s the way he writes it.😄

Forward planning is the crucial bit I think. 

[kpnut]

Thursday 2nd November

So far so good as far as storm Cieran goes. No bumping about in the night, no noisy bow slap. But rain it certainly did. 
And forecast to rain all day today, although it looks to me like it might be a bit more intermittent than predicted. I think the wind is due to return on and off through the day too. Think I might stay put today. This is as good a mooring as there’ll be in the wind. 

[kpnut]

9 hours ago, Broads01 said:

must admit that when boating solo I tend to avoid using the rhond anchors, seeing it as too much faff to have two ropes in hand whilst trying to get rhond anchors organised at the same time. What's your technique?

It is a lot of faff, but the gain is all the loveliest mooring spots!

[Vaughan]

9 minutes ago, kpnut said:

I’m fitting one on the starboard side soon, but can’t do one on the port side as there’s no access under the deck and I don’t think I want it only fixed from above. 

If you are fitting a cleat, make sure it has a thick pad of wood, about a foot square if possible, to bolt through under the deck, and glass it in.  The pad can also be made of plywood, laminated to be about an inch thick.  There is a surprising amount of strain on a centre cleat, especially when a boat comes past making a wash.

Also make sure that the fixing bolts which hold the superstructure mould onto the hull, are in good order in this area.