Lads Week 2022

[grendel]

Well the printable events anyway.

I arrived at Stalham  about 1 hour before the others, so as victualler for Broad Ambition, I went to testosterone to stock up on breakfast stuff for the week.

Duly stocked and with all the cold stuff in a cool bag I returned to the wet shed to await the rest of the lads. About 7pm we were all aboard and ready to sail, so it was off for a night navigation down the ant to griefs corner.

The river was easily discernable from the banks, so we progressed down river, across Barton Broad, and headed back towards instead, with the river mouth clearly marked by a wild moored boat right at the mouth.

Down we went, past how hill, with most of the moored boats popping up to see who was moving in the dark, or worse shining a torch at us, ruining our night vision.

We arrived at griefs corner to find 3 boats already moored, one at each end and one smack in the middle leaving 2 30 foot gaps, we did call over and ask if he wouldn't mind shuffling up a bit to make space, but apparently he did mind and said there were plenty of moorings further down. 

So we proceeded down river, Ludham Bridge was rammed, so we dropped mast and went on through, eventually spying a BA sized gap at St Bennets.

 

[grendel]

Saturday morning we had a slow start, a leisurely cheese and bacon wrap breakfast, and headed for Herbert Woods, where we moored up near the other 3 craft.

Eventually, after handover, and waited for the fishermen to return from their shopping trip(they had been fishing almost until the boats were ready, then shot off to do the shopping) so it was nearly 4pm, and a good hour later than we could have left before we headed off. Destination thurne dyke.

Rabbit casserole for tea, and very nice it was. This was when we found the heating aboard BA  wasn't working.

[grendel]

Sunday, today was a full English breakfast, then set off for Stokesby.

We hadn't even got to Acle bridge when jewel 3 came on the radio, engine getting hot, little water exiting the exhaust, and oil pressure maxed out. Hw engineer called out, the other jewel had a similar issue with oil pressure, but engine temp was fine, and one boat wanted a bigger telly than the tiny thing aboard. Also one boat with battery issues.

We arrived at stokesby  ferry Inn 5 minutes later than planned, and the engineer was parked up waiting.

We then adjourned to the pub, whilst the engineer did his thing. The impellor that came off of jewel 3 had 3/4of 1 fin out of 12 left. All other issues fixed.

2pm, it was time to head south, and across Breedon, destination St olaves,  it was going to be tight arriving before sunset.

We just had clearance getting under the bridges, then it was a slog against the ebb across breydon. And then upriver to St olaves. We arrived 5 minutes before sunset,  and squeezed the 4 boats  into 2 spaces, the tide was still ebbing strongly, faster than normal.

This was when boat issue no 2 reared its head, 2 of the boats engines would not shut down, they had to manually actuate the shutoff solenoid in the engine bay. Plus one boat had managed to break their TV.

Tea was full Sunday roast, followed by apple crumble and custard, cooked by myself.

[grendel]

Monday, and we headed for Oulton Broad, jewel 3 reported an unexpected engine shutdown as we approached Somerleyton bridge, it restarted ok, and was only an issue at neutral.

We arrived at Oulton Broad, and  the Herbert Woods engineer and the autoterm  engineer were both there ready, to fix the boats.

For the Herbert Woods engineer, this meant stripping down the dashboard of one boat as the alternator had also failed, and aboard BA the  seats were removed and decks lifted to reveal the heater.

The heating issue turned out to be a loose sensor connector on the pub, the engineer was unable to determine if it was the fan or the pcb and unable to guarantee it wouldn't happen again the engineer fitted a new unit under warranty. He then thoroughly tested the new unit until he was happy it was performing properly. 

Eventually all the other boats were also fixed, and shortly after it was time to leave for Beccles. 

This trip was uneventful, and we were soon moored up.

Tea was a pub dinner at the bear and bells, I can thoroughly recommend the pork belly.

 

[Gracie]

My goodness, peoples attitudes really amaze me at times, it really wouldn't have taken much time or effort to move up a tad for you to squeeze in.

I hope the custard with that apple crumble was hot and runny  Have a great rest of the week x

[Ray]

Mechanically eventful and huge respect for the amount of onboard cooking!

Where is grief's corner?

[Mouldy]

3 hours ago, grendel said:

The heating issue turned out to be a loose sensor connector on the pub . . . . .

Eh?  A loose connector on the pub would surely have more far reaching consequences than just the heating failing!!  Go on Peter - blame autocorrect!  I do!!  

[Meantime]

When you go long distance walking it's quite normal to have a support vehicle to take your bags and things from stop to stop. These boys are taking it to a whole different level with their own support mechanic. Currently bring serviced at The Fisherman's Inn. Mind you there are worse places to stop for a DTS and pit stop.

 

 

 

[Meantime]

No sign of the boys. Can only be in one place. 

[Mouldy]

Ever though about inviting an engineer from Woods along as one of the ‘lads’?  After last year and the start of this, it might not be a bad shout! 😉

[Smoggy]

Be better with a brewery van following you.

[Meantime]

3 minutes ago, Mouldy said:

Ever though about inviting an engineer from Woods along as one of the ‘lads’?  After last year and the start of this, it might not be a bad shout! 😉

I think they have. Only the poor guy doesn't know it and cannot drink as he has to drive everywhere. 

[CeePee1952]

30 minutes ago, Smoggy said:

Be better with a brewery van following you.

Somehow don't think a van would be big enough  more like a brewery truck loaded to the maximum! 

Chris

[grendel]

2 hours ago, Mouldy said:

Eh?  A loose connector on the pub would surely have more far reaching consequences than just the heating failing!!  Go on Peter - blame autocorrect!  I do!!  

I corrected that to pcb  3 times too

[grendel]

We have threatened to put up an engineer in a spare cabin, and tow a dinghy of spares

[grendel]

The engi ever has just left, having fixed glistening alternator yesterday, we found it wasn't charging the domestics,  we are all at the fisherman's for a lunch stop error, having had to divert around the new cut because there was only 6 ft 8 in at St olaves. 

[Smoggy]

30 minutes ago, grendel said:

we are all at the fisherman's for a lunch stop error

There's no error to a pub lunch stop.

Or is the auto correct speaking for you again?

[Meantime]

6 minutes ago, Smoggy said:

There's no error to a pub lunch stop.

Or is the auto correct speaking for you again?

Or maybe the error was in one too many pints at the lunch stop error. 

[Meantime]

Now the burning question is which one arrived with the tide and which arrived against the tide? Or maybe one was being towed backwards? Or was it last one to the bar buys the drinks? My bet is they arrived at slack high water.

[grendel]

The first to arrive got there on an incoming tide, the second and third with the tide almost slack coming in, and the 4th had a pump out and came in with the ebbing tide, so all are turned to how the tide was running when they arrived

[Mouldy]

18 minutes ago, grendel said:

The first to arrive got there on an incoming tide, the second and third with the tide almost slack coming in, and the 4th had a pump out and came in with the ebbing tide, so all are turned to how the tide was running when they arrived

Pump out already?  Is the standard of cooking that bad?? 😉

[Bikertov]

9 hours ago, grendel said:

Well the printable events anyway.

I arrived at Stalham  about 1 hour before the others, so as victualler for Broad Ambition, I went to testosterone to stock up on breakfast stuff for the week.

I guess being lads weeks, you would need a lot of testosterone for all the meals, not just breakfast 😉 

[CeePee1952]

Found the beer truck! 

[Andrewcook]

At least all the Ladds are safe. As for having a Pump out all already one's cooking was not good who? I do hope these sorts of Boat clinches will now be all cleared as the Ladds enjoy the Boozes and Food while they are travelling around the Broads. 

[grendel]

Has anyone ever heard  me  say how much I hate autocorrect? 

Tuesday, with only an alternator  issue not charging domestics, we departed from Beccles, destination the fisherman's Inn at burgh castle,  we had a problem with headroom at St olaves, and the jewels couldn't get through, so we diverted via the new  cut, arrived at the pub only a few minutes later than planned. Had some drinks and food, a wander up to the castle,  then it was time to head back across breydon and Moor up at great yarmouth.

The alternator issue had been repaired, so we have all the boats fully functional.