Springer’s Retreat On The Rivers

[Troyboy]

Hi Kate. That was me waving on Monday as you were approaching Ludham bridge. We were on a Richardsons boat. Back home now. I hope the weather is as good as it was for us. We had a fantastic week. 

[kpnut]

Oh blow Dave, my apologies firstly for not recognising you properly - my mind was on turning just in front of the bridge to moor on the other side. I had a roll of Formica I didn’t want to have to carry over the bridge to the boatyard. And secondly, I’d meant to write that someone waved and was it anyone I knew! 
Anyway, Im very pleased to hear you got another boat trip in this fantastic weather. 

[kpnut]

I’ve been a proper holidaymaker this morning.

We moored up at Coltishall common for a walk along the bure valley railway line. Then the sun and temptation got the better of us and we had an adventure in a two man canoe back up to the mill. I’m not sure what Finlay thought.

He seemed to like it well enough, peering over the side and lying down relaxing but when we came back to the pub to get out, he shot off and was running in between tables (sniffing out food I expect rather than being in a panic!). A bit embarrassing seeing as I was stuck in the canoe while Cath disembarked. The trouble with a whistle trained dog is you can’t really blow the recall whistle when only 1 yard away from a table full of diners. 
It was interesting paddling up the left hand fork to the mill, something new for me. Those new things seen were a crocodile and very many banded demoiselle damselflies are close quarters. 

Lunch and an icecream from the van followed and a slow trip back to the viaduct moorings as we need to do some shopping. 

[CambridgeCabby]

I envy you Kate , we were so hoping to squeeze under Wroxham this week , sadly we need at least 6ft9” and then that only gives us a fag paper clearance with the tanks full 

[Troyboy]

17 hours ago, kpnut said:

Oh blow Dave, my apologies firstly for not recognising you properly - my mind was on turning just in front of the bridge to moor on the other side. I had a roll of Formica I didn’t want to have to carry over the bridge to the boatyard. And secondly, I’d meant to write that someone waved and was it anyone I knew! 
Anyway, Im very pleased to hear you got another boat trip in this fantastic weather. 

 

No worries. You wouldn't be expecting a wave. We had a great week all week. It just whetts my appetite for another week. 

[kpnut]

Last night before mooring up we’d gone over to Bridge Broad yard to see if their water point was now operational. Their main stretch of moorings is still taped off, but towards the railway bridge where the pedalo swans had previously been, there was no tape so I thought we’d be in luck. I put my £1 in but no water came out, no matter which buttons I pressed. I’m not complaining as it does still say ‘no mooring’ but this is just for info for others. The quay heading itself is now complete, but behind it there is still infilling to do. 

[kpnut]

By having the Barnes webcam on our phones, I managed to time going under the bridge while ‘on show’, as it seemed all Cath’s family were eagerly glued to their screens at home. Her 3 yr old granddaughter was delighted with a wave from Grandma.

I moored at Barnes to fill with water, unknowingly being photographed by said family until Cath waved at the camera!

Realising we were setting off too early to arrive at Horning during the lunchtime recess, I pootled along the river while Cath showered and took a detour round Salhouse Broad just to kill time, spotting Pipedreams moored up and shouting a greeting over to Simon and Katie as we passed. 
I turned the corner at Dydlers Mill and caught up with a race. The last yacht had just passed Hoveton Little Broad so we sped across the river into the Briad for an extra 10 minutes of time wasting. That didn’t pay off as by then, another race on its outward journey was coming towards us while we were still soon up to the stragglers from the homeward bound sailors. But I did have the advantage of not following a queue of dayboats any more so could just hang back and enjoy following.

The marshalls were doing a good job of sorting out the dayboats and a couple of cruisers who were weaving in and out right down the middl, and then there was a bit of a muddle of yachts as we approached the end of the course by the Swan as it seemed one had sort of stopped in the middle, another two had gone alongside and were trying to disentangle while another couple behind were negotiating past them just in front of me. No problem to me, I just enjoyed waiting, good practice for me holding steady. 

We got to Cockshoot Broad where we stopped for a lunch break and had a walk along the disintegrating boardwalk back towards Horning. It is so lovely along there it’s worth the possibility of a bouncy piece of wood beneath your feet. 
The NWT boardwalk up to the bird hide is STILL shut, grrrh. 

Then on we went to Fleet dyke and ended up on a wild mooring where I did a bit of gardening, spotting Sasha on the icecream boat who came over to make a sale and have a chat. The icecream perked us up to go for a walk along the riverbank to the first pumping station and back down the marsh track towards Fleet Lane. The pea field had been harvested, but ha ha, they’d missed some by the edge, so we got our feast after all. 
 

I was hoping for a lovely sunset to round off another beautiful day, but it fizzled out before showing itself.  

[kpnut]

Oh, forgot to say I was very happy to exchange greetings with SteveO as he passed me on the Bure. We usually seem to miss each other on our outings. 

[kpnut]

On to Stokesby today, where we’ve had a cake, bought some chocolates (not me!), had a drink in the pub, and tried to have a decent circular walk. Gave up! And sent yet another report to NCC. 
I couldn’t find Helen’s post on her Moonlight Shadow thread about the riverbank path along to the pumping station, up the concrete path and the footpath to New Rd and Muck Fleet. Well, don’t try the bit between the concrete track and New Rd at the moment. My legs are still zinging with nettle stings and there were obviously some brambles 😂

I’d say it’s still quiet on the river. From fleet dyke down to Stokesby there were few boats this morning (in between hire boat handovers) and even late afternoon down at Stokesby it hasn’t been a steady stream. I suppose down here it depends a bit on the tide times at G.Yarmouth. 

[kpnut]

I had a lovely catch up with Mermaid’s inhabitants when they came in to moor next to me at Stokesby this morning. I had a most interesting lesson about batteries following my request to Graham and then he showed me, again, how to use the multimeter to check the voltages - I’ve written the instructions down now! Many thanks. 
Desmond tried to entice Finlay to play, but Finlay being Finlay, it’s a rare pastime! 

Setting off later than originally intended, I was very surprised to find my original mooring plan of Griff’s corner was empty. Result!
(needs a cut Griff, I’ve trimmed the edge nearest me with the shears so I wouldn’t fall in the holes near the edge!)

We walked into Horning for a stop in the Galley cafe, very nice. 
On the way I wanted to test the instructions in the Horning church magazine about a sundial. See 3rd paragraph down. 

This is the sundial. 

Works beautifully, only trouble was it was only just past 2pm when we tested it. Is this what they call Norfolk Time? 

An interesting piece of info in a frame in the toilet at the church. 

[Lulu]

It was great to see you again and very helpful with the regular updates on mooring space.  Finlay adorable as ever x

[grendel]

1 hour ago, kpnut said:

Works beautifully, only trouble was it was only just past 2pm when we tested it. Is this what they call Norfolk Time?

summer time?

 

[kpnut]

1 minute ago, grendel said:

summer time?

+3hours 😂

[grendel]

did it state which mark was 12 o clock, theoretically it should be due north at 12 o clock, remember it will read from sunrise to sunset, so 12 will be in the middle

if its vertical on the wall, straight down would be 12 o clock,  and where it shows in your picture 1 o clock

[grendel]

Quote

In a vertical sundial the true noon is always drawn on a vertical line starting from the base of the style. Sometimes this line is drawn even on dials showing the mean (time zone) time and it is marked with the letter M or with the symbol of a bell (see previous picture).

Quote

The style shadow rotates counter-clockwise around the point where the style is fixed to the wall, it so rotates on the contrary with respect to a watch hand. In the morning the shadow is in the left side of the dial, it moves to the bottom center where it reaches the noon line, then in the afternoon it proceeds to the right side where it will disappear at the sunset.

 

[kpnut]

No markings on it, but I think you’ve cracked it, Grendel. Mystery solved. 

We did question ourselves as to whether it worked differently being vertical rather than the usual horizontal and pondered that if the priest stood on a chair and looked down from above, and flipped it over it’d read nearer 2pm. 

So it works as in - 12 at the bottom and it goes anti-clockwise, plus 1 hour for BST and it’s correct.
Why did they not write that in the leaflet I wonder? 

[LizG]

Your timing at Horning wasn't bad considering how many boats could have been out! It was one of the best attended weeks for years helped by the sunshine and not over strong winds. 

[kpnut]

It was an overcast journey up the Ant this morning, firstly to Irstead to make a purchase at the pot stall and then to Stalham to drop Cath back off at her car for her long drive home. The pump out service at Richardsons was excellent as usual and I caught up with news with Simon and Katie while there.

As I wrote on the Hickling pub thread, I very annoyingly completely forgot about going there this afternoon, but went instead down to Great Yarmouth to the big diy shed to get some metal trellis to use as a dog/child gate for the back door. Finlay’s got to thinking he can just hop off the boat wherever we’re moored up if the door’s open to let a breeze through. Not okay on a public mooring! 
I tried the idea out when I moored up later at Irstead - works a treat nicely wedged in with no fixings. 

I was pleased to find a space free there, as I’d been a bit later leaving than intended. Our mooring basin at Richardson’s is just too sociable and of course Oscar and Finlay had to say hello to each other. Paddy’s Lane looked busy so I didn’t bother to go down there. Barton Broad had a lot of saluting boats out on it. My mooring neighbour at Irstead only booked on Friday afternoon for a holiday starting on Saturday. He said it felt a bit bizarre having had no preparation but just being thrown in the deep end for a first hire (dayboat excepted) 

[YnysMon]

Saluting boats…that’s a new one on me Kate! 
Apt though! 
I get caught out by predictive text so often.

I must show Graham your anti-Finlay-escape solution. Much better that the wooden frame and mesh solution that Graham came up with, which Pozzie once snuck under when I wasn’t looking. 

[Lulu]

We might steal the idea of the metal trellis.  Desmond attempted for the first time to nearly leap out and would have ended up in the Bure.  I think he had got used to the rear access in the marina, not realising we were side on. He doesnt usually want to get out if we are on board. 

[kpnut]

9 hours ago, YnysMon said:

Saluting boats

Oops. 
 

Finlay normally looks left and right before deciding his route off the boat. You can nearly see the cogs in his brain thinking. But he’s made mistakes before now with wet consequences!

[Mouldy]

52 minutes ago, kpnut said:

Oops. 
 

Finlay normally looks left and right before deciding his route off the boat. You can nearly see the cogs in his brain thinking. But he’s made mistakes before now with wet consequences!

Harley has never been a problem on the boat, even back when we were hiring.  She did struggle a bit with Gainsborough Girl (an Aquafibre 32 flybridge) as it was high at the stern when stern moored and  had quite steep steps down into the accommodation.  Until last year, she was good getting onto and off the boat too, but since her arthritis has taken hold, she does struggle unless moored stern on.  She's never been tempted to jump off the stern of NL, despite the opening through to the platform when underway.

Our son's dog, despite looking as if he'd quite enjoy you leg for lunch, is utterly stupid, hates getting on and off and if there’s a boardwalk to negotiate, shakes like a leaf and treats it like we might when negotiating a tightrope!

Harley and Simba in France in 2015

Simba with a stick he collected on a walk

Simba, when someone mentioned food

[kpnut]

Some stick! I love a Staffy grin.

[kpnut]

Well, I should have stayed with Lulu at Stokesby on Saturday to put my produce in the show. 

Perfectly even size and perfectly evenly ripe. 

First boat tomato harvest of the season. Fried tomatoes to go with my egg in the morning is on the cards. 

[grendel]

my aunt bred Staffies, she even had a crufts champion, but they were as stupid as anything, to a staffie a stick is anything from a 6 foot garden fence post down to something the size of a matchstick (the same original stick 24 hours later) but if you have ever seen a staffie with a 6 foot fence post in its mouth try and run through a door- it didnt go well, at the third attempt he managed to flip over the stick and land inside, he was so proud when he picked it up and carried it through the door (this time from inside to outside). my aunts mum lived next door and when my uncle popped round one evening and didnt turn the light on, he got grabbed by her staffie, she didnt let go until he dragged her all the way to the light switch and turned it on, then she was most apologetic.