Jump to content
Print your own personalised forum logo

A week on San Francisco 1

Broads01

By Broads01
in Holiday Tales & Blogs

 Share

Recommended Posts

Broads01

Broads01

Posted
Posted

Having just worked out how to use Richardsons wifi I thought I'd start my holiday tale mid holiday for a change. Forgive me I only have my modest Samsung phone with me so I'll keep it brief and pad out the gaps when home.

Friday was a work day for myself and my fellow crew my fiancee Mel. Our home is in Cardiff and we set off 6pm, arrived Acle Travellodge 2350.

Saturday 24 May. What better way to start the day than a short drive down the road to Horizon Craft. The chap who did my trial run last year recognised me and said hello - brilliant. Breakfast at The Flour and Bean at Potter. We did some boat mooching and then off to Stalham Tesco to stock up. Boat ready before 2 which was fine. Away at 3 having unpacked. Why may you ask San Francisco for the 2 of us? Because its hardly any more money than a decent 2 berth and it has a lovely master cabin with island double bed! Chugged to How Hill for tea and photos then on to St Benets for the night. Somehow there I spot no less than 4 boats on the same mooring upon which I've spent at least a week of my previous hiring life. This included the very first boat I was on with my parents some 33 years ago

  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Broads01

Broads01

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Sunday 25 May

We're heading South today. We pootle down to Acle for a water stop then on to Stracey Arms for a lunch break. Strange how its still called that even though the pub is many years gone. I manage to time slack at Great Yarmouth about spot on. I open the throttle on Breydon and we whack along with the motor at 2500 rpm. The engine temperature soars so I throttle back - maybe the rev limiter hasn't been set right? We make it to Berney safely. We've booked a table at The Reedham Ferry though so we pootle on to there. Lovely meal.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Broads01

Broads01

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Monday 26 May

A lovely sunny morning. The couple moored near to us on their sail boat were eating boiled eggs and orange juice out in their cockpit and why not. We set off upstream and endured the scenic marvel that is British Sugar plc at Cantley. The scenery improves after that of course and we made for Rockland Staithe. I always enjoy Rockland as a lovely little back water. The village shop is a fair old hoof but we made it there and back successfully. We chugged to Brundall, made a water stop at Alpha Craft then dropped the mud weight at Surlingham. I was sat on the back of the boat enjoying my book when a chap shouted to me we were drifting. Sure enough we were a country mile away from where we'd started and I don't really know why. I was spooked and we set off immediately. We wanted to moor at Bramerton for the night but alas it was full of people who seemed to think its ok to take up the middle of 40 foot of space with a 25 foot boat. No matter we finished up at the peaceful Commissioners Cut at Thorpe which is where we are as I write this.

The South Broads is always quiet but I'm always taken back by how quiet.Busy Bramerton aside there's been no Bank Holiday here today!

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Broads01

Broads01

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Tuesday 27th May

The wettest day I can remember spending on the Broads in a while. Its sheeting down as I write and the rain has been continuous for the last 12 hours. Somehow we ended up combining the weather with the biggest mileage day I can remember doing as well - Thorpe to Acle today. That's a long day at the best of times but the weather was too much. What am I doing? My crazy logic told me to go back north, something to do with the South being bleak in bad weather and also because Mel seems to prefer the north as well. Good points of the day were an entertaining visit to Silverline where we enjoyed being shown aboard Silver Mystique and a relaxing respite at Reedham Quay. Full marks to Richardsons after I called them due to a non existent tv reception. A guy came to Reedham very quickly and swapped over our aerial. At least tomorrow whatever the weather we shall have fewer miles to do. Damn that Great Yarmouth getting in the way of the South Broads!

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Hockham Admiral

Hockham Admiral

Posted
Posted

You're certainly seeing a variety of scenery and weather, Simon and Mel!

 

And blimey, Thorpe to Acle in one go is a real flog, isn't it? I do Brundall to Acle usually and that's far enough. Does Mel spell you at the helm?

 

Whatever I'm glad you are taking it all in your stride and hope the remaining few days are kind to you.  :wave

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Broads01

Broads01

Posted
  • Author
Posted

It was a mistake in hindsight to do that many miles when the weather was that bad. Mel doesn't take the helm. Thank goodness for a break in the rain this morning, even if we do have rain later. We have some relax time on the north Broads for the rest of the week. Mudweighting on South Walsham as I write.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Broads01

Broads01

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Hi Matt. Phew a much much better day today. The weather was still grey and with patches of drizzle but compared to yesterday it was a relief. Bridge Craft at Acle is a bizarre place. What other boat base could you be woken up at 4am by a cockerill a few feet from the boat? We chugged on to South Walsham and mudweighted there for a while. Later we were jammy at Ranworth in timing our arrival for when there happened to be a space to moor. Mayhem ensued afterwards with the usual hovering around for spaces going on. A group of 4 boats decided to tie to each other end on which was something I'd never seen before. We decided to head for Wroxham via a stop at Salhouse. As we reached Horning it started to drizzle. Darn it I'd opened the sliding roof as we left Ranworth.San Francisco has a winch operated roof which is so low geared it takes 190 turns (yes 190 is the actual number) to raise or lower it. That makes the roof a pain in the back side but especially when you need to raise it in mid stream. We managed it eventually and continued to Salhouse. By the time we left there for Wroxham the rain had abated. Night mooring is at Barnes. We had a good carvery meal at the Kings Head. We'll see tomorrow if water levels allow the pilot to take us through Wroxham Bridge.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Broads01

Broads01

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Hi again Matt. We were at Thurne Mouth today but not until 330pm! The bridge pilot had to give us the brush off "No sir, you need 6 foot 11 and theres only 6 foot 8 clearance today". Never mind, with the weather grey and drizzly we opted to drop the mudweight at Wroxham Broad and wait a while for the rain to clear. Faith in the forecast paid off as around 1130 the rain had almost stopped and we set off for Horning. The only option for mooring there was Horning Ferry Marina. We stopped for some lunch and then set off determined to open the roof for a while. Brrr 12 degrees! That lasted about 10 minutes. We chugged al the way to Potter and later to Womack. Alas no space for the night there but we squeezed in at Thurne. All the popular moorings have been full this week - we moored at Thurne last August but that night it was only two thirds full. Ate on the boat tonight and had a pint at The Lion later. Its an odd place - I better not say any more.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Matt

Matt

Posted
Posted

The Lion is not my kettle of fish either!

Sorry for jumping in your thread but...

We left Gayes Staithe this morning and Ludham about 11:30 was absolute chaos. It was overcast, windy and threatening. As we approached the bridge we had to hold station as 6 (six) boats came through line astern. No problem for us (bow thruster!) but slightly problematic for the queue behind.. Eventually a gap but a Royalls boat coming round the bend by LBB. We are lined up and give it done welly, hard on the horn we are going through! Bow reaches the bridge when this big Barnes Lullaby bow comes across the bridge "exit" (they had been tied up on the moorings sorting out dinghy and screens etc totally out of sight). We are full astern and hard on the horn again. They get the message and back off. As we come through the Royalls boat is waiting to transit the bridge with the 6 foot aerial extended on the roof... Totally ignores my pointing and shouting but eventually the LBB guys get his attention.

We lunched at Acle bridge Pub and proceeded across Breydon at about 17:10. Slack water was 18:20 but that was a bit late for us. Never been across early before but judging by the amount of boats going up the Bure before we got to Yarmouth many do. Raced down with the tide- difficult to maintain steerage and then a real slow plug across Breydon struggling to make 4.5mph. Got to Reedham just after 7pm but no moorings. Carried on upto The new Hardley Mill moorings where we are the only boat.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites
kadensa

kadensa

Posted
Posted

.San Francisco has a winch operated roof which is so low geared it takes 190 turns (yes 190 is the actual number) to raise or lower it. That makes the roof a pain in the back side but especially when you need to raise it in mid stream

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Broads01

Broads01

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Indeed Neil the winch was a pain in the back side. Don't let that put you off the boat though. The rear cabin is lovely and the new wood floor looks great.

Friday 30 May

Hoorah for some lovely sun! Alas though our last full day. We set off and headed for the Ant. Ludham Bridge was busy but nothing coming downstream when we were coming up! We kept the screens down after the bridge for the first time since Saturday - great to enjoy the breeze. Just before Barton we pulled over and did the tie up to a tree wild mooring thing. Its not something we're used to but just right for a sunny day and very relaxing. We pootled on to Neatishead and stopped there for a while too. Later we motored to Wayford but the bridge had less than 7 foot so no Dilham for us this time. We had a look at Sutton for the night but all full even at 4pm. We finished at Stalham on the grassy spot at the edge of Richardsons. We had dinner at The Swan - just squeezed in as after there were more customers wanting done than there were tables.

Saturday 31 May

Returned the boat - 85 litres of diesel used! Long drive home.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
C.Ricko

C.Ricko

Posted
Posted

190 turns? we did not build the boat, ! that is my excuse! 

Still, there is no hurry you are on holiday!

we geared it low so that customers can get their children to do it?

 

I have run out of excuses/ ideas!

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites
NeilB

NeilB

Posted
Posted

we geared it low so that customers can get their children to do it?

 

 

 

Just booked San Francisco 2 for 1st weekend in Oct to give my mum a run out.  As it's low geared it sounds fine for an 82 year old :smile:

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Sponsors

    Norfolk Broads Network is run by volunteers - You can help us run it by making a donation

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

For details of our Guidelines, please take a look at the Terms of Use here.

  I accept