Our two day weekend

[Guest]

Day1. Sunday 4th may

well here goes

we left the house at midnight Sunday morning hardly any traffic on the way down nice and lite and a steady pace. We got the Loddon at 04:15am and parked up at the staithe car park until 06:00am as we dint want to disturb any sleepers. We loaded up the boat but before we did anything i wanted to check the bilge and behold water in there as when the water tank it full it flows into the bilge and out the stern via the pump. Now i wanted to pour some water in as to make shure it was working before filling the tank or a whole world of trouble could of been caused.

After taking out the pump and taking it apart it was so gone inside i wounderd when it had lasted so long. So the next thing was to try and find a place open on a Sunday so i was ringing and ring till i rang Penny at Brundall riverside chandlery and she had one which was an automatic pump not bad £15 after a couple of quotes exceeding £50. when back to Loddon and dad (David) stopped at the CO-OP while in the car park i open the package around the pump and read the instructions and says the following "for this pump to become fully automatic you need a bilge float" DOH!!!!!!! .

So we thought we will fit the pump and see it work and NO is the answer so little mixup of the wires and it works. but only using the manual switch so a little drain and clean of the bilge we find a float switch which we hadn't noticed before until we saw one in the shop.

filled up with water engine checks oil header tank weed filter and start the engine now as we get half way down the Chet farther makes us both a nice bacon butty and a nice bottle of Bulmers each only to realise he forgot to get eggs at the CO OP DOH!!!!!!.

come out of the Chet a couple of text to Sue (TR) and off to Reedham to get a toll licence and who do we see coming through the Bridge behold BA and the team man she look beautiful cutting through the water. so we turn around to see if we could moor up but it was so packed not a chance there was two BA officers opposite some large ferry and dint even bother to try and fit us in they could if they got up and moved a boat up BUT NO!!!!.

so we spun back around and off to Brough castle and a few more text later and half way up to Berny arms. we see kingfisher as i know her anywhere closely inpursuit is KiKi fine looking vessels you have there lads. shame we dint get there early enough

a little bit later about 15mins before we hit Berny arms we see a little seal pup still with its white fur it was so cute. so had to turn back around to take a couple of pics (to follow at the end) just get to Berny arms and get a phone call of Sue (TR) telling me she will be mooring side on with Pete to fit us in.

So about 200 yard from where everybody was moored the current was so strong we was barely moving but got there in the end and moored up dad was changed already as i was driving most of the way and whent for a pint. but i dint want to get off the boat as was too shy so stayed on the boat i have to say it was nice to put a few names to faces but as most people was there from the start you got to know each other.

then after watching big Dave going Paul and few others Pete followed by hank and Sue we was still talking to Steve and said he was going over Braydon then going back the St Olaves marine.

So we thought if we went back to reedham not guaranteed a mooring and shorepower and going against the time would take long so deiced on St Olaves. so after an hour cruising towards St Olaves i get a phone call from Sue (TR) asking to look out for a big seagoing cruiser as her and Pete got swamped. so i kept my eyes pealed like hawk to no avail the only boat we see was concerto and Steve not far behind us. after mooring up we huck upto the shore power get sorted out on the boat had a nice tea and settled in for the nice before taking Cindy for a walk. got back toured myself a class of Ironbru and off i jump into bed but its only 21:00 i drink half a glass and rest my head on the pillow.

Day 2 monday 5th May

i woken up at 06:00 the sight of the sun bouncing of the water though to the cabin roof was a much missed sight in the morning. but to my surprise i still had half a glass of Ironbrue lift so i must have dozed off prity quick after being away for more than 24hrs. not long after dad awoken (David) and said you snore so loud the dog got sick off it and came in the rear Cabin and i woke up several times. so after a cup of coffee followed with a couple of bacon butty's dad (David) walks Cindy while i do the engine checks the come back ten mins later and we get ready to cast off. engine started ropes on push off and off we go but nope wasn't going in gear no forward of reverse just a dead stick lucky we was going against the time and it pushed us back into the bank. So we moor back up again and have a fiddle about the time is reaching 10:00 after trying to leave at 07:00 i tried ringing up to and get Boulters out as there only closed on christmas day and they was so busy they couldn't get anybody out to us.

So we diced to have forward and reverse as if we put it out of gear it would stay like that so just had forward and revers to get us back to the yard that all we wanted. So try again and this time wear moving and under St Olaves bridge and down the new cut we come to reedham and wanted to stop of and get a toll even tho we was going home today only rite as we was going to anyway. So as i bring curlew side on and straight i slowly engage reverse to find out we wernt stopping just going forward and faster so i cut the engine as dads on the quay and we came to a complete stop.

We got the toll and casted off and back towards the check i ring Paul (NCSL) to see if he knows of anywhere we could get a throttle and throttle cable but as it was bank holiday dint realy know any places that would be open. so down the Chet and back to the yard we got back for 14:30 and got the check for insurance through Boulters and found out Penny at Riverside chandlery could get hold of some throttle controls.

so off to Brundall and tried freshwater cruisers but locked we stop at buccaneers boats one yard over from ower old yard.

But who spots up Trever ower old yard owner we told him ower reasons for moving as the quay was unsafe and he took none of it we told him. when he started updating the otherside quay heading he needs to do the otherside that me and Simon was on. ok no worries it will get done soon six months later not done to looking for a new yard. dint tell him as if we did and he found a replacement for ower mooring but we couldn't find a new mooring we would of been beached. only got a phone call on 31st march saying we have a new mooring. But he dint want to sort it out like civil people only shouting so we left him to shout WELL F*** Y** then and just though no need on that mate.

So we go round the riverside chandlery we got quoted £220 for a chrome more control for a flat side mounted control £200 nah not a chance too steep. So we though leave it we will cut out the middle man and get one online so we head off to Boulters to sort out the insurance got into horning at 16:15 and just going past the Swan. Low and behold Sue Hank & Pete talking to each other after getting the insurance sorted heading back toward the Swan i whistle to try and get the attention of them but to no avail. Dad say lets stop for a pint i said we cant knowing you would end up chatting and one would tern into several and we would be able to get home.

so we went back to the yard got there for 16:45 and started to pack get tea cooked and train the water tank just about to lockup and dad looked at the clock ow crap its 20:00 two and a half hours has flew heading back home i send Sue a text and have a big gulp of Pepsi YUM!.

we had a nice steady trip back home traffic not that bad got home for just gone 23:10

i was so nakerd i got my qwite pillow and bottle out of the car and off to bed i was so Goosed

[Antares_9]

Nicely written and interesting account Jonny, sorry to hear about the mechanical problems and it was a pity we missed you.

[Guest]

ahh David neva mind there were a few people i wanted to meet and get to know properly but there will be meny more wicked and well organised site meet iam shure

[Brian]

Great Write up Jonny, thanks for sharing your weekend story with us