Easter Break

[mbird]

Friday:

Picked Dad up from home at 07:15 as he and I are both working at DRL Marine today to help with the rush (Dad works there three days a week and I just do a bit of volunteer work when they are busy). I sort out a 12V fridge, do a bit of rewiring, and install a DVD and TV whilst Dad is pumping out, cleaning and refuelling a few boats.

In the afternoon I do three show-outs; one to a family on a 42 footer who have never been on the broads before, a family who are old hands, and a couple who aren't really sure if they want to be there at all! All get off safely even though my nerves are a bit shot.

Sharon turns up with the kids and Mum and starts to load our boat while me and Dad just finish up. We are finally off at 5:00pm, so we motor down to Stokesby for the night as the plan is to go south for the weekend and the low tide at Yarmouth is quite early. Mooring outside the pub is interesting as there is a really weird current there that is causing some big eddys. We help another family moor behind us who are having difficulties and despite much protesting they insist on giving us a bottle of wine for our help (lovely people). The pub is fully booked so we eat on the boat and then an early night follows.

Saturday:

Alarm goes off at 05:00am and we are ready to get underway at 05:30am. Sharon and I quietly untie so as not to disturb our neighbours and we slip out moorings for Yarmouth with nav lights on .It is still really quite dark with the dawn having not yet broken, but there is just enough light to see the reeds either side. I've never navigated before dawn before and it is both eerie and exhilarating at the same time.

Dawn breaks quite quickly and we reach Yarmouth at about 06:50, perfectly timed for the incoming tide to help us across Breydon. The big pond is flat calm and we are the only boat around, which is really nice. We are looking forward to a big brekkie at the Berney Arms cafe.

Moor up at Berney arms, only to find the cafe shut! Oh, well, DIY breakfast it is then. After this we motor down the Waveney through Beccles and to Geldeston Locks for the rest of the day. Kfurbank had warned me there was a music festival on, but I hadn't realised this also encompassed a beer festival too! Mum and Dad hadn't been to the Locks Inn for over 40 years and were really surprised how it's changed.

We all had a few too many ales rather too early. I took a walk with the camera to get a bit of air, and also met Keith (kfurbank) moored right infront of us. Nice to speak to you Keith!.

We planned to got to the pub again after tea to see what the music was all about, but I'm afraid the early morning and mid afternoon ale testing session meant none of us really fancied it, and the place was packed out. We all turned in about 10:00pm for a surprisingly peaceful night.

[mbird]

Sunday:

We wake up somewhat refreshed from our early start the day before and take our time with breakfast before slipping the moorings. We take the small river towards Geldeston village just so we can show Mum and Dad where the moorings are if we wanted to sample the Wherry Inn in the village next time. It's a very quiet spot with room for just 3 or 4 boats.

We head back to Beccles and tie up in the marina for water and a wander.The weather isn't as good as Saturday and very overcast and damp. Whilst filling with water, I spot Jupiters Mist on the opposite bank and introduce myself to Adam and Suzanne. It was lovely to meet you both, and I apologise for pouncing on you after you had only just got up! Your hair wasn't that bad Adam, honest .

After filling with water and a walk into town to get some milk, we poodle back down the Waveney and along the New Cut towards the Chet. Marsh Harriers provide entertainment on the cruise as they seem to be doing really well this year.

Sharon immediatley bottles the helm on entering the Chet and I have to take over. It is about 6 years since we have been down the Chet, and it certainly seems narrower than I remember just after the entrance from the Yare. We meet two or three boats coming the other way but there is just room to pass (apart from the poor lady who got scared and immediately pinned herself to the bank).

We reach the Pye's Mill moorings and decide to stay here the night rather than the basin. We walk to the village and then turn right along the main road to the White Horse pub in Chedgrave for some decent ale and a really goot roast dinner. After that it's a slow walk back to the boat for a nightcap. Dad and I take a beer and go and sit on one of the benches at the moorings to listen to the wildlife as dusk decends. There are pheasants and peacocks shouting at each other, as well as Tawny and Barn owls hooting and screeching. After getting to sleep, a barn owl thinks it'll be fun to sit in the tree above out boat and make the loudest screech possible, which makes me jump out of my skin!

[Guest]

Hi Mark

very good read nice pics aswell

In the afternoon I do three show-outs; one to a family on a 42 footer who have never been on the broads before, a family who are old hands, and a couple who aren't really sure if they want to be there at all! All get off safely even though my nerves are a bit shot.

you cant tell me it was that bad i would be so excited

We all had a few too many ales rather too early. I took a walk with the camera to get a bit of air, and also met Keith (kfurbank) moored right infront of us. Nice to speak to you Keith!.

yes met Kieth twice he also went past us while moored at Brooms also i had chance to meet his friends he brought down for a nice weeks cruise have to say they were all nice to get along with hope we see you & your friends again Kieth

Jonny

[Guest]

hooting and screeching. After getting to sleep, a barn owl thinks it'll be fun to sit in the tree above out boat and make the loudest screech possible, which makes me jump out of my skin!

PMSL

Jonny

[mbird]

Monday:

We intend to head to Berney Arms for our overnight mooring to be well placed for the tide the following morning. We head to Loddin basin first for breakfast and water. Whilst there, Harry, our youngest, spots a duckling on its own in the basin. It is no more than a day old I reckon and no sign of a female anywhere. As we watch the poor little thing gets weaker and weaker until it can't swim any more. I'm not one for interferring with nature but it is obvious this little chap needs help, so Sharon manages to get him with one of the kids fishing nets. We warm him up and he seems to pick up a little, but there is nowhere we can see to safely release him as there are no female ducks or other ducklings any where. Sharon decides to adopt him for the time being, with the intention of trying to release him at Womack Water when some ducklings appear there in a few weeks.

After this we head off again and moor for lunch at Reedham. There is plenty of space at the staithe and the ranger directs us to behind another cruiser. I use the tide to my advantage and am well chuffed when we moor up with a perfect ferryman's crab sideways to the quay. The sun has just started peeping through, and we head for a lunch time beer at the Ship.

We head back to the boat after an hour or so for lunch in the sunshine, and then back towards Berney Arms. By the time we get there, the weather has changed completely and mist has started decending. Sharon and I take the dog for a walk across the marshes to the little station, and are surprised when we turn around to find the Mill has completely vanished in the fog. Very eerie and slightly reminicent of the start of the "American Werewolf in London" film!

Safely back at the boat we have a veggie curry for tea (no meat in the fridge but loads of vegetables left). After this Dad, Sharon and I wander through the fog to the pub, leaving Mum and the boys watching a DVD on board.

I have never visited the Berney Arms in all the years we have been on the broads. The nearest we got was 20 years ago when we moored for the night to find the pub shut. Early the following morning I awoke to find the boat floating above the mooring posts which was rather scary to say the least, and we have never moored there since. However, now the moorings are castly improved, Sharon finally relented on us spending the night there so we could visit the pub, and I was well impressed with the Humpty Dumpty beers on offer. The pub itself is on the quirky side of quaint, but welcoming and warm none the less.

On the down side, the duckling has taken a turn for the worst and is not even able to stand on it's own. We guess the mornings struggles were to much and just try to keep him warm.

[mbird]

Tuesday:

Up fairly early again (well 6:30 ish) and the mist has not lifted overnight. Unfortunatley the duckling has died overnight, but we did what we could. Harry is upset and sheds a few tears, but is old enough to realise these things happen so soon gets over it. We slip moorings and head out into Breydon, though we can't actually see it! As we pass one marker post we can just make out the next so at least we know we are staying in the channel, but had the fog been any thicker I would have gone back to the moorings.

We arrive in yarmouth and decide to moor up at the Yacht station. We breakfast then walk into town to try to find the Time and Tide museum. After walking through some thouroughly depressing and deprived streets we finally find the museum and spend a couple of hours learning all about the herring industry that Yarmouth was so renowned for not that many years ago.

We walk back along the seafront, although the sea is obscured by the fog, and grab the obligatory portion of seaside chips. Back to the boat for the run back to our home mooring at Womack. We are surprised the tide has risen about 3 feet whilst we've been out, and the decks of Tranquil Breeze are now level with the quayside, whereas the roof had been level when we left!

A pleasant trip back up the Bure found us back at Womack at about 4:30pm. I took her straight onto the service moorings to do my own pumpouts. Just as we are finishing, the yard owners wife, Ruth, comes round and asks me if I'd be kind enough to do a pump out for some poor chap who had been waiting for ages. Darren was single handed in the yard and busy with customers. I happily oblige, and call over the skipper who brings over Windmill Lady. Upon mooring her, the skipper surprises me by saying "You're Mark aren't you?". It was our very own JohnT, and so another face is put to a name. It was really nice to meet you John, even if it was whilst I was sucking your unmentionables from your tank .

After packing bags etc we make the long trip back home (well 8 miles anyway). Even though we live so close and get to use the boat whenver we want, I still hate leaving her after a few days afloat, just the same as I used to when our Broads holidays used to come to an end when we were hirers. I guess it just gets you like that, but never mind, I might be back on her on Saturday

[Jupes]

We head back to Beccles and tie up in the marina for water and a wander.The weather isn't as good as Saturday and very overcast and damp. Whilst filling with water, I spot Jupiters Mist on the opposite bank and introduce myself to Adam and Suzanne. It was lovely to meet you both, and I apologise for pouncing on you after you had only just got up! Your hair wasn't that bad Adam, honest .

Upside down, he would make a good sweeping brush in the morning

Good tale, enjoyed it. Thanks.

Surprising the difference in weather in just a few miles, we woke to blue skies and brilliant sunshine albeit probably later than you .

[Guest]

Reading this kind of thing just makes me insanely jealous that we don't have out boat anymore though the sad fact is that even if we did she was a superbly impractical design for the disabled and would probably have spent most of the year tied up in Brundall doing nothing.

[RedRover]

Hi,Mark,Very nearly went darn sarf for the Easter weekend to Geldeston/Beccles as that is where the Southern meet is going to be, thought of it then decided to motor to Coltishall/Wroxham/Acle/Barton Turf instead as hav'nt been there for awhile.knew you would have a good time as have been down there a good few times so know the area well,and now have a boat that will go thro Beccles bridge.

[pks1702]

Enjoyable read Mark nicely illustrated too

a barn owl thinks it'll be fun to sit in the tree above out boat and make the loudest screech possible

It seems to be its 'party piece' each time we have been there one of them was 'on duty'

Bit early yet perhaps but normally plenty of also

[Jupes]

We saw bats everywhere we moored and they have been out in our garden now for about 3 weeks or more.

[Happy Jax 3]

Sounds like you had a great Easter Break Mark.

As usual, some fantastic photos, I am so envious of the Marsh Harrier shots, I think I am trying to hard to get a good shot, they are always to far away, even with my 300mm lens. Wednesday morning we had a short trip back to our yard from Sutton Staithe, I didn't even bother to get the camera out of the bag. As we turned into the Ant going up towards Wayford, I see a large bird dive into the undergrowth on the left hand bank. I shouted to Lou to get my camera, but to late, as we went past, a Marsh Harrier looked up and took off from the bank approximately 20 feet away, such a fantastic sight. I didn't realise they were so big. Lou was too interested looking out of the window, rather than passing up my camera bag. Oh well! Till next time. Then, to rub salt into the wound a small hawk flew over our heads and back again. You guessed it, still no camera to hand.

[mbird]

Sounds like you had a great Easter Break Mark.

As usual, some fantastic photos, I am so envious of the Marsh Harrier shots, I think I am trying to hard to get a good shot, they are always to far away, even with my 300mm lens. Wednesday morning we had a short trip back to our yard from Sutton Staithe, I didn't even bother to get the camera out of the bag. As we turned into the Ant going up towards Wayford, I see a large bird dive into the undergrowth on the left hand bank. I shouted to Lou to get my camera, but to late, as we went past, a Marsh Harrier looked up and took off from the bank approximately 20 feet away, such a fantastic sight. I didn't realise they were so big. Lou was too interested looking out of the window, rather than passing up my camera bag. Oh well! Till next time. Then, to rub salt into the wound a small hawk flew over our heads and back again. You guessed it, still no camera to hand.

That's always the way Col. When I have my camera in hand trying to get a good shot of something, nothing appears. As soon as you put it away, the wildlife appears . The Marsh Harriers certainly like the Waveney and I think we saw more between Beccles and St Olaves in one morning than in a whole weekend on the Bure. They are obviously doing really well at the moment. The shots were at the extreme end of the 300mm zoom I have and are still not focussed sharp enough to blow up unfortunately. I need a lens like Pauls I reckon!