{"id":117,"date":"2016-09-06T03:26:17","date_gmt":"2016-09-06T03:26:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/21carter.cammeray.info\/site\/?p=117"},"modified":"2018-12-08T22:45:51","modified_gmt":"2018-12-08T22:45:51","slug":"2016-norfolk-broads","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/21carter.cammeray.info\/site\/2016\/09\/06\/2016-norfolk-broads\/","title":{"rendered":"2016 Norfolk Broads"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2>Coot Club Revisited<br><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<a data-flickr-embed=\"true\" data-header=\"true\" data-footer=\"true\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/161278951@N05\/albums\/72157702324473205\" title=\"2016 Norfolk Broads\"><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/farm2.staticflickr.com\/1939\/44539337084_61595edf66_z.jpg\" alt=\"2016 Norfolk Broads\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\"><\/a><script async=\"\" src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<p>6th&nbsp; &#8211; 9th September 2016 <br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-drop-cap\">Sailing can give enjoyment in so many different\nways. Some are called to challenge the oceans, others race against the clock,\nbut for me the fun has always been just being on the water. The seeds of my\nlove of messing about in boats were probably sown reading \u2018Swallows and\nAmazons\u2019 as a child. I recall enjoying the books of Arthur Ransome, many of\nwhich describe in some detail the fun children could have in boats in the\nEnglish weather. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But getting wet and cold on the water didn\u2019t appeal\nmuch to me. An interest in sailing didn\u2019t germinate till much later in life in\nthe warmer waters of Australia.&nbsp; My\nexperiences sailing on Pittwater under blue skies couldn\u2019t have been more\ndifferent than those of the Swallows drifting out into the North Sea in thick\nfog. But deep down we both shared the same love of simple adventures with happy\nendings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I formed a plan to go sailing in England and\nrevisit the scene of those childhood adventures. But which location should I\nchoose? The five <em>Swallows and Amazons<\/em> titles set in the Lake District\nwould leave me exposed to the elements in a small dinghy.&nbsp; The tidal mud flats of Suffolk and Essex\nlacked immediate appeal, besides <em>We didn\u2019t mean to go to sea<\/em> was not the\nsort of adventure I had in mind. In the end I settled on the Norfolk Broads,\nthe setting for the books <em>The Coot Club<\/em> and <em>The Big Six<\/em>.&nbsp; I wasn\u2019t sure I could recruit six adventurers\nand so my choice was narrowed down to one book.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In brief, the plot of <em>The Coot Club<\/em>\ninvolved:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2022&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Children\nprotecting the nest of a coot<sup>***<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2022&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; People\nlearning to sail<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2022&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; \u2018Hullabaloos\u2019\nbehaving badly on a motor cruiser<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2022&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Everything\nending happily<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And so it was that we found a coot, taught my\nfriend Dirk to sail, observed the antics of the motor cruisers, and most\nimportantly, stayed dry and happy!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>*** Coots are small water birds that are\nmembers of the Rallidae (rail) family. They have predominantly black plumage,\nand\u2014unlike many rails\u2014they are usually easy to see, often swimming in\nopen water. They are close relatives of the moorhen.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3>Day 1 \u2013 Upton to Ludham Bridge<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"582\" height=\"815\" src=\"http:\/\/21carter.cammeray.info\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/image001.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-119\" srcset=\"http:\/\/21carter.cammeray.info\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/image001.png 582w, http:\/\/21carter.cammeray.info\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/image001-214x300.png 214w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 582px) 100vw, 582px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The rain and grey skies that had\ncharacterised the weekend finally cleared as I drove from Leighton Buzzard to\nEast Anglia. Then the sun came out and it became almost uncomfortably humid. &nbsp;At lunch time Dirk and I rendezvoused at the\nEastwood Whelpton yard hidden away in the small Norfolk village of Upton. Actually\nI was somewhat late as I was held up waiting for an electricity pole to be\nremoved just a few metres away from Upton Staithe. When I pulled in, Dirk had\nalready unloaded his gear into our yacht, <em>Fair\nWind<\/em>, including his sleep apnoea machine and a car battery to power it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The owners and staff at Eastwood Whelpton\nwere very welcoming \u2013 they even found an Australian flag for us to fly on the\ntopping lift. We sat around chatting and drinking coffee in the office before\nheading to the boat for a very relaxed briefing. The Colvic Salty Dog 27 was a\nveritable old lady but in excellent condition, particularly considering it was\nthe end of the season. Below decks she had every convenience, including a galley\nwith grill and oven, a head with a hot shower, and most importantly comfortable\nberths. All she lacked down below was head room. The hot water heater was gas\npowered which meant we didn\u2019t have to run the engine in the morning to get hot\nwater \u2013 a nice idea! The only inclusion unfamiliar to a Sydney sailor was finding\na gas fire on the bulkhead \u2013 but as the weather was mild we didn\u2019t need to use\nit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<table class=\"wp-block-table\"><tbody><tr><td>\n    \n    Above the deck\n    there were a few surprises, not least the ability to lower the mast (to\n    pass under bridges).&nbsp; This was a\n    novel concept so we carefully read about it in the boat\u2019s instruction\n    folder. Unfortunately we didn\u2019t get past step 2 which called for a crew\n    member to stand by the tabernacle. We were left with visions of a curtain\n    blowing in the breeze to reveal the holy book and wondering where to find\n    it on a 27\u2019 yacht.<br>\n    &nbsp;When it was time for our briefing we\n    made sure that we practiced dropping the mast and putting it back up again.\n    Dirk worked the winch on the foredeck, whilst I stood by the mast (at the\n    tabernacle) encouraging the shrouds and sheets to drop inside the boat and\n    then lift without getting tangled.\n    \n    <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\n\n\n\n<p><br>\nWhen we had asked all the questions we could think of about the boat and our\nproposed route, we started the engine and slowly set off down the narrow Upton\nDyke to the River Bure. Turning up river we hoisted the sails, and with the\nwind behind us made steady progress. The Bure winds through flat marshland with\nonly the wind pumps and church towers standing out as landmarks.&nbsp; The other instantly noticeable feature of the\nwetlands was the number of water birds we saw.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<table class=\"wp-block-table\"><tbody><tr><td>\n    \n    Dykes,\n    Broads and Staithes\n    Unlike the\n    rivers Bure, Ant and Thurne the dykes and broads are man-made. The\n    enterprising residents of St Benet\u2019s Abbey dug out peat during the Middle\n    Ages to sell as fuel for cooking and heating. When the area flooded in the\n    14<sup>th<\/sup> century dykes were cut allowing boats to reach the villages\n    from the river (for trade). Staithes (wharves) were provided along the\n    dykes and rivers for barges to moor.\n    Dykes are\n    usually narrow, straight, and dredged, broads are wide, irregularly shaped\n    and often shallow, and staithes are generally packed with motor cruisers.\n    \n    <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\n\n\n\n<p>Going up the River Ant took us to Ludham\nBridge. Well before the bridge we turned into the wind and tied off on the bank\nto lower the mast. The fully lowered mast rested on a crutch at the back of the\ncockpit and overhung the stern by about 5 metres. The pennant at the top of the\nmast then conveniently doubled up as an \u2018overhanging load\u2019 warning flag. As we\ncast-off and turned to pass under Ludham bridge the mast took a wide sweep over\nthe top path (luckily no one was about) and took a side-swipe at several bushes.\nAlerted to the way the lowered mast amplified the action of the helm we lined\nup for the bridge well in advance and passed through easily with plenty of head\nroom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After re-masting in the reserved area upstream\nof the bridge we walked the yacht a bit upstream where we could moor for the\nnight. There was a never a dull moment watching the boat traffic pass through\nthe bridge. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<table class=\"wp-block-table\"><tbody><tr><td>\n    \n    Most of the\n    holiday charter boats were 45ft motorised bathtubs with a helming position\n    well forward and an inboard engine. The lack of skill of the skippers only\n    amplified the difficulty of manoeuvring the boats in wind and tide. Sitting\n    well forward with their car steering wheel most skippers seemed to be quite\n    unaware of how the stern would swing. So when they failed to line up to\n    pass under the bridge they would try and correct their course only to bash\n    the stern alternately against one side and then the other.&nbsp; Another frequent source of amusement was\n    watching the cruisers do a \u201cU-turn\u201d when they realised there were no\n    moorings left near the bridge. Turning 90 degrees across the river they\n    would block navigation and have little room to manoeuvre. Neither\n    full-speed astern or full-speed ahead (the only throttle settings they\n    seemed to know) produced much rotation \u2013 and so they would oscillate back\n    and forth ramming the boats that were moored on each side.\n    \n    <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\n\n\n\n<p>When the passing entertainment died down\nfor the evening we walked a short distance up the road to The Dog Inn \u2013 home of\nthe Dwile Flonking World Championships (don\u2019t ask \u2013 just Google it!). After a\ntraditional pub meal washed down by local beer we were both ready to test the\nsleeping arrangements on <em>Fair Wind<\/em>. I\ntook the headroom challenged forward V-berth whilst Dirk took a saloon berth\nwith his CPAP machine and battery in the galley.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3>Day 2 \u2013 Ludham Bridge to Neatishead<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"600\" height=\"721\" src=\"http:\/\/21carter.cammeray.info\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/image008.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-120\" srcset=\"http:\/\/21carter.cammeray.info\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/image008.jpg 600w, http:\/\/21carter.cammeray.info\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/image008-250x300.jpg 250w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>We both slept well and woke refreshed ready\nfor the challenges of the day ahead. Dirk demonstrated great culinary dexterity\nby cooking an English breakfast in a galley where he couldn\u2019t stand up\nstraight! The morning was overcast and what little wind there was was from the\nSouth East.&nbsp; We pushed off and motored\ngently up the Ant with Dirk on the helm. There was plenty to look at as the\nriver wound its way towards How Hill and we were in no hurry. With the engine\nturning over gently and the tide and wind behind us <em>Fair Wind<\/em> travelled somewhat under the Broads speed limit of 4 \u2013 6\nm.p.h. This was of course far too slow for the majority of motorised bath tubs\nso we soon had a queue behind us and a succession of boats trying to overtake\nus on the winding river. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There was plenty of space on How Hill\nStaithe so we tied up and went for a walk up the hill. The tea rooms had closed\nfor the year, and the nature trail had a \u00a33 entry charge,\nso we opted instead for a look round Toad Hole Cottage and ice creams on a seat\nin the sunshine. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Back on the Staithe it was good to see an\nofficer from the Broads Authority with a speed gun flagging down speeding motor\ncruisers. Another yacht chartered from Eastwood Whelpton sailed slowly past,\ncertainly not speeding, so we decided we had better join them and sail up to\nBarton Broad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Helped by the tide we drifted slowly up the\nAnt. Of course going slowly meant that we saw a lot of detail that would have\nbeen lost to the impatient cruisers powering past. Dirk armed with binoculars\nand a telephoto lens added many new birds to his photographic record. At each\nbend we would have to set the sails for the changed wind, and look for patches\nof breeze on the water. The sailing was so unexciting we opted to have lunch on\nthe move rather than dropping the sails and tying up to a staithe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<table class=\"wp-block-table\"><tbody><tr><td>\n    \n    We were now\n    travelling so slowly that everyone had to overtake us. To the motorised\n    bath tubs we were essentially a stationary obstruction. At the start I kept\n    as far as possible to the starboard side of the river, so was surprised\n    when boats chose to squeeze through and overtake us on the right. Then I\n    realised they were avoiding the boom which was hanging a long way out to\n    port!\n    &nbsp;\n    The accepted\n    convention on the Broads is that the master of a vessel under sail indicates\n    to motor boats the side they should pass on. Although pointing can often be\n    ambiguous and misinterpreted, on the Broads it is widely understood to mean\n    \u201cpass me on this side\u201d. By managing the traffic in this way we were able to\n    use more of river to take advantage of the wind or currents.\n    \n    <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\n\n\n\n<p>After meandering through the picture\npostcard village of Irstead the narrow river opened out into the open water of\nBarton Broad. The wind freshened and we had our first opportunity to sail\nwithout the constraints of a narrow river. Dirk learned how to handle the jib\nsheets, and I discovered how differently a boat sails when it doesn\u2019t have a\nkeel. Tacking in particular required a lot of skill (that we didn\u2019t have) to\navoid overshooting and ending up heading downwind. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When the wind started to ease we dropped\nthe sails and motored up Line Kiln Dyke towards Neatishead. At first the dyke\nwas wide, but past the crowded Gay\u2019s Staithe it became very narrow with\noverhanging trees. We pressed on in the hope that the restricted clearance\nwould deter the larger cruisers and we would find somewhere to moor for the\nnight. With no chance of turning round we were committed and it was a great\nrelief when we passed the entrance to Neatishead Staithe and a friendly voice\ncalled out \u201cThere\u2019s a spot for you\u201d. And there was, the last space, a 30\u2019 gap\nbetween two motor cruisers and a chance for me to show off our skills in handling\na yacht with an audience watching! When we put the yacht astern one of the observers\nremarked \u201cOh you are going the old fashioned way\u201d! Then with the stern nicely\ntucked in behind the bow of a cruiser Dirk calmly stepped off the boat and\npulled us in alongside. An approach we both felt proud of! <\/p>\n\n\n\n<table class=\"wp-block-table\"><tbody><tr><td>\n    \n    Approaching\n    Neatishead along the dyke we encountered a most unexpected problem. As the\n    dyke narrowed it passed through heavily wooded wetland. Suddenly we slowed\n    down in a shower of leaves to discover that the mast had collided with an\n    overhanging branch! The boat was littered with debris \u2013 including a green\n    caterpillar found in the galley. After that encounter we kept an eye on the\n    top of the mast and avoided any other aerial obstructions.&nbsp; \n    \n    <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\n\n\n\n<p>The boats on Neatishead Staithe were a\nfriendly community and they made us most welcome. There was a rumour that the\nWhite Horse, a brew pub with a good reputation for food, was fully booked for\ndinner. Dirk went off into the village to investigate whilst I filled the water\ntank. On his return Dirk confirmed that we couldn\u2019t have a pub meal, but he had\nvisited the village shop to buy pies and potatoes as an alternative. We\ninstalled the table in the cockpit and had our meal. After it got dark we\nheaded to the pub to sample their brews and avail ourselves of their Wi-Fi\ninternet access.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3>Day 3 Neatishead to Horning \n \n \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n \n \n \n\n \n<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"570\" height=\"919\" src=\"http:\/\/21carter.cammeray.info\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/image015.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-121\" srcset=\"http:\/\/21carter.cammeray.info\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/image015.jpg 570w, http:\/\/21carter.cammeray.info\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/image015-186x300.jpg 186w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 570px) 100vw, 570px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The next morning was bright, sunny, and much\nbetter for photography. Most of the other boats on the staithe made an early\nstart (though I have no idea what the hurry could be) but we sat eating our\nbreakfast in the sun. Our first task for the day was to ensure that a pub meal\nwould be waiting for us that evening. Dirk phoned the New Inn in Horning and\narranged a dinner reservation and a mooring spot on the pub\u2019s private staithe.\nWith a destination assured we could set off for the day (keeping a good eye out\nfor overhanging trees of course).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There was little wind in these sheltered\nwaters so we motored, retracing our route back across Barton Broad. As we\napproached Irstead we passed an old wooden cruiser, much like the one hired by\nthe \u2018Hullabaloos\u2019 in the Coot Club followed by a traditional Broads design\nyacht being propelled by a quant pole in the dead calm. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At Ludham Bridge it was time once again to\npractice lowering the mast. Others looked on whilst we prepared to go under the\nbridge; luckily all went according to plan. There was a lot of motor cruiser\ntraffic passing under the bridge so we had to wait and choose a suitable moment\nto cast off.&nbsp; It was some distance the\nother side of the bridge before we found a mooring space large enough for our \u2018extended\nyacht\u2019. There were no bollards on the bank to tie up to, so we dived into the\nlocker and retrieved the two rond anchors. \n \n \n\n \n \n  \n  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<table class=\"wp-block-table\"><tbody><tr><td>\n    \n    Rond anchors are\n    anchors with only a single fluke (and a single purpose). All boats on the\n    Broads carry rond anchors so they can tie up against a riverbank or\n    \u2018rond\u2019.&nbsp; After a dry summer it was\n    difficult to set the anchor so some additional \u2018encouragement\u2019 was needed\n    to fully bury the fluke in the grass.\n    \n     \n      \n      \n       \n      \n      \n      \n      \n       \n      \n      \n      \n      \n       \n      \n      \n     \n    \n    &nbsp;\n    \n    <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\n\n\n\n<p>Downstream of the bridge there appeared to\nbe a bit more wind and slack water so we hoisted the sails. A close reach took\nus down to the junction with the Bure where we turned to port. At the ruins of St\nBenet\u2019s Abbey we left the river and followed the Fleet Dyke towards the South\nWalsham Broads. The start of the dyke is a cut-off river bend in the Bure and\nis not straight. Within a short distance we found ourselves heading directly\ninto the wind. The dyke was very narrow, and our attempts to tack up wind were\na dismal failure. After ending up jammed into the reed bank we dropped the\nsails (and our expectations) and resorted to the motor. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<table class=\"wp-block-table\"><tbody><tr><td>\n    \n    Boyed by our\n    success sailing down wind we turned into Fleet Dyke quite unprepared for\n    the challenge of beating upwind in a winding narrow channel. We started close\n    hauled but that soon led us into the port bank so we tacked just as we had\n    practiced the day before on Barton Broad. With only a fin keel we were\n    blown sideways and before we could get enough speed to point up we reached\n    the far bank. The dyke was just 3 boat lengths wide! On our first attempt\n    we ended up sailing back towards the Bure. We tried again and this time\n    ended up with the bow wedged into the reeds. This was not our greatest\n    sailing moment in the holiday \u2013 but luckily there was no passing traffic to\n    observe our folly!\n    \n    <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\n\n\n\n<p>Fleet Dyke opened out into the outer South\nWalsham Broad where we planned to have lunch. There are no public moorings on\nthis broad so we joined a few other boats and anchored in the middle using our\nmud brick. Unfortunately this gave us little or no protection from the wind and\nthe engine was needed at times to stop the boat dragging.\n \n \n  \n  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<table class=\"wp-block-table\"><tbody><tr><td>\n    \n    The water in\n    the broads is shallow but the bottom is sticky mud, so boats carry an\n    anchor suited to the conditions. The mud brick is a heavy weight that when\n    dropped buries itself in the mud. The skill is in choosing how\n    energetically to drop it, because if it buries itself in too far it can be\n    difficult to retrieve. When set correctly, on a short rope, it provides\n    enough resistance to hold a boat. Dirk found out the hard way that when the\n    anchor is lifted the brick and rope are covered in mud. Luckily he had a\n    spare set of shorts and we had a shower! When we came to use the mud anchor\n    again at Ranworth Adrian was more cautious and rinsed the brick before\n    bringing it on board.\n    \n     \n      \n      \n       \n      \n      \n      \n      \n       \n      \n      \n      \n      \n       \n      \n      \n     \n    \n    (left\n    centre) Dirk demonstrates how to bring mud on board! <br>\n    (right) Adrian learns from his misfortune and demonstrates how to clean the\n    brick!\n    \n    <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\n\n\n\n<p>Leaving the Broad the freshening wind was\nnow behind us, so we unfurled the jib. It was relaxing, but our progress was so\nslow that we had to start the engine before we reached the Bure.&nbsp;&nbsp; We then motored upstream to Horning.\nAlthough we were helped by the flood tide it still took us over an hour with\nendless bends on a busy river. As we neared the New Inn we could see motor\ncruisers moored stern on to the staithe. A man standing on the first cruiser\nhailed us as we passed, and after ascertaining we were indeed <em>Fair Wind,<\/em> directed us to our reserved\nmooring in the pub\u2019s dyke. We went a short distance upstream then turned into\nthe tide and carefully pointed the yacht into the narrow dyke entrance. The\npublican was there to help us tie up and made some very complimentary remarks\nto Dirk about our approach. Since we found ourselves moored in the middle of a\nbeer garden Dirk headed into the bar and brought out a couple of drinks! <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After having showers (keeping the window curtains well closed!) we headed to the bar and enjoyed a well cooked meal washed down with local beers. Luckily the beer garden was empty after dark and so we weren\u2019t troubled by the noise of drunken revelers when we eventually headed to bed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3>Day 4 \u2013 Horning to Thurne<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"718\" height=\"305\" src=\"http:\/\/21carter.cammeray.info\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/image026.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-122\" srcset=\"http:\/\/21carter.cammeray.info\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/image026.jpg 718w, http:\/\/21carter.cammeray.info\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/image026-300x127.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 718px) 100vw, 718px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The next morning the sun was out and the\nwind was blowing strongly from the South East. But before we could go sailing\nDirk wanted one last visit to the pub to sample their cooked breakfast. It was\nactually a very nice start to the day sitting inside out of the wind discussing\nour sailing plans. Wanting one more opportunity to sail on a broad we headed up\nthe Bure a short distance to Hoveton Little Broad. This expense of open water has\nno public wharves and no road access so it was quite quiet and a great place to\npractice. With the jib finally correctly trimmed it was easier to keep the boat\nunder control. Dirk graduated first to trimming the main sail, and then to\nhelming on broad reaches across the water. After an hour or so we both felt a\nsense of achievement that had been most lacking the previous day on Fleet Dyke.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With the wind blowing up the Bure we had no\noption but to motor for an hour and a half downstream. Our plan was to have a good\npub lunch in Ranworth to give us more flexibility in choosing a spot to moor\novernight. Ranworth Staithe on Malthouse Broad is very popular and all the boats\nhave to tie up stern to the bank. As we motored across the broad towards the\npub (and lunch) it was clear that moorings were &nbsp;very much at a premium; there was a queue of\nmotor cruisers waiting for someone to leave. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We had the advantage of having a lot\nsmaller (and more manoeuvrable) boat, and there was one small space by the\ndinghy dyke where we could squeeze in. A first attempt to line up and reverse\ninto the staithe was interrupted by bird spotting. Our second approach was\ngood, and with the mud brick deployed to stop the bow swinging out into the\ndyke we set off for lunch in the sunny beer garden of the Maltsters Inn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<table class=\"wp-block-table\"><tbody><tr><td>\n    \n    Our primary\n    objective of spotting a Coot turned out to be harder than first thought.\n    Maybe it was the time of year, or where we were looking;&nbsp; we spotted lots of birds, but none of\n    them were coots. Then one sprung up in the most unlikely place, not in a\n    nature reserve but moseying around the boats moored on Ranworth Staithe. Reverse\n    parking a boat is a tricky manoeuvre and just as we were set up to enter\n    the staithe, Dirk cried out \u201cLook over there\u201d. We stopped and drifted\n    whilst our coot swam towards us. Objective achieved!!\n    \n     \n      \n      \n       \n      \n      \n      \n      \n       \n      \n      \n     \n    \n    &nbsp;\n    \n    <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\n\n\n\n<p>After lunch we strolled up the country lane\nto Ranworth Church. For a small donation you can climb up the church tower and\nenjoy a panoramic view over the flat marshes for miles around. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<table class=\"wp-block-table\"><tbody><tr><td>\n    \n    The ascent of\n    Ranworth church tower started with a stone spiral staircase. This in turn led\n    to the belfry and a metal platform above the bells. I waited on a ladder\n    whilst Dirk went ahead to check out the tower roof&nbsp; as I\u2019m not very comfortable with heights.\n    Just at that point the church clock chimed two o\u2019clock.&nbsp; I rushed to try and get my fingers in my\n    ears as the sound in the belfry was deafening. It transpired that there was\n    a safety fence on the roof preventing visitors from getting too close to\n    the parapet so I was able to enjoy the district views.\n    \n     \n    \n    \n    <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\n\n\n\n<p>Back at\nthe boat there was now some spaces near the water hose. It was a chance to move\nround and fill up our tank for the last time. We pulled in next to a smart\nmotor cruiser (not chartered) and whilst the tank filled, I got talking to the\nowner about the antics of the charter bath tubs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<table class=\"wp-block-table\"><tbody><tr><td>\n    \n    Randworth\n    Staithe was a perfect place to observe the competence (or otherwise) of the\n    charter skippers. Whilst we were filling our water tank the bath tub on the\n    other side of the smart motor cruiser decided to leave. Knowing only how to\n    go full-speed ahead he powered his boat away from the jetty \u2013 to shouts\n    from the anxious owner next door of \u201cFend off please\u201d followed by \u201cDo you\n    know how to fend off?\u201d.&nbsp; The bathtub\n    caught the wind and started to head over towards the cruiser so the skipper\n    steered away blissfully unaware that this caused his stern to swing over\n    and hit the cruiser hard. \n    After\n    venting about the carelessness of charters the cruiser loosened his lines\n    and moved away from us to be next to his friends. This left a gap between\n    us and the cruiser.&nbsp; It wasn\u2019t long\n    before another power boat tried to move in, demonstrating in the process\n    superlative reversing skills. First he reversed back and at some speed hit\n    the cruiser. Then he had a second attempt, this time walloping us amid\n    ships sending us spinning away. There was a glamourous lady decorating the\n    power boat sipping something alcoholic \u2013 so I shouted out \u201cThat was great!\n    Do you have any more clever tricks\u201d? &nbsp;I\u2019m pleased to say she looked suitably\n    embarrassed.&nbsp; On their third attempt\n    (with some land based assistance) they succeeded in reaching the shore. \n    I\u2019d had\n    enough of watching these aquatic dodgems. We slipped our lines and let the\n    wind blow us quietly away from all the commotion. \n    \n    <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\n\n\n\n<p>We left\nRanworth and crossed the broad with the head sail up enjoying the quiet. But as\nwe entered the dyke the wind was shielded by the trees and we had to switch\nback to using the noisy engine. It was a long hard passage from the junction\nwith the River Ant to Thurn Mouth; it had been so much easier going in the\nreverse direction under sail on our first day. But then we had had the wind and\ntide behind us, now we had them both slowing us down. Passing through marshes\nthere was also much less too see \u2013 just following the winding river ahead and\nlooking for potential places to moor against the bank. As the wind was\nwhistling across the marshes we pressed on in the hope of finding somewhere\nwith more shelter to spend the night. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There was\nsome ambiguity about the provision of public moorings at Thurne so we turned up\nthe River Thurne for a short distance and investigated. It turned out that\nthere was plenty of space to tie up on Thurne Dyke with a nominal fee now\ncollected by the pub. The impressive Thurne Mill drainage pump on the banks of\nthe river at the end of the dyke is one of the few remaining mills in full\noperating order \u2013 part of the Wind Energy Museum which we unfortunately did not\nhave time to visit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For\ndinner we finished up some of the remaining food on the boat, then we walked to\nthe Lion Pub at the head of the dyke. This was quite a rough pub (Dirk\u2019s beer\nwas off) so we were glad we hadn\u2019t chosen to eat there. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3>Day 5 \u2013 Thurne to Upton<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>On our\nfinal day we only had a short distance to motor to reach Upton Dyke. As the\nroom to turn at the head of the dyke is limited we motored astern all the way\nfrom the river and so were able to tie up in the yard without any great fuss.\nSo little fuss in fact that we managed to get most of our gear unloaded before\nanyone from the yard came to talk to us. We said our farewells and then headed\nour separate ways. Within an hour it was pouring with rain just to emphasise\nhow lucky we had been with the weather!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Coot Club Revisited 6th&nbsp; &#8211; 9th September 2016 Sailing can give enjoyment in so many different ways. Some are called to challenge the oceans, others race against the clock, but for me the fun has always been just being on&#8230; <a class=\"tbreadmore\" href=\"http:\/\/21carter.cammeray.info\/site\/2016\/09\/06\/2016-norfolk-broads\/\"> Continue Reading&#8230;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":127,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[4],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/21carter.cammeray.info\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/117"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/21carter.cammeray.info\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/21carter.cammeray.info\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/21carter.cammeray.info\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/21carter.cammeray.info\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=117"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/21carter.cammeray.info\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/117\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":218,"href":"http:\/\/21carter.cammeray.info\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/117\/revisions\/218"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/21carter.cammeray.info\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/127"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/21carter.cammeray.info\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=117"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/21carter.cammeray.info\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=117"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/21carter.cammeray.info\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=117"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}