Thursday 14th August 2008 - Day trip and fishing with Arabella and Harriet

The arrival of some sunny and warm weather provided the opportunity at short notice for a day trip on Lady Martina along the River Bure with my new friend Arabella and her daughter Harriet.
Lunch beckoned at the New Inn as we sat by the river to start with and the nearby maggot dispenser proved useful, as we needed the best bait for some fishing. However, the wasps made poor company, (despite some quickly-improvised wasp bottle wasp traps that killed a dozen of them) and we soon moved on to "The Galley" for an excellent coffee and provisions for our meal later.

We then left Horning and cruised upstream to Salhouse Broad where we first picked up some ice creams from the Ice Cream Boat and then moored up to try some fishing and sunbathing.

The sunnier spells created the odd bikini opportunity but this August summer month has been a mixture of cool breezes and showers and we were lucky to get some warm sun before the inevitable rain arrived.With the covers up, we cruised back in good spirits despite the unfortunate acquisition of some unwelcome substances, which were a product of a short shore excursion. Once the source of the unfortunate smell had been tracked down, the combination of a bucket of river water and the convenience of "gel" sandals soon remedied that whilst we were underway!I did not think that my guests noticed too much that I was making way slowly to time our arrival back at Ropes Hill Dyke to coincide with the return of the warm sun.Later on, as the weather cleared again, the most successful fishing was to be had right off my own moorings and a succession of roach sacrificed themselves to Harriet's rod and float-fished midwater maggots as a fitting climax to the sporting side of the day. It was my task to act as fishing coach as a nice barbeque and salad was prepared for us on the balcony courtesy of my honoured guest chef.

It was sad to have to finish a splendid day, but an evening Salsa dancing class beckoned for me and my guests had plans for the weekend, but the rods were put away with the promise of further opportunity before too long.Being on extended shore leave and hosting regular visits from friends here in Norfolk has been a very pleasant change to the non-stop cruising around Europe in recent years. This has easily become a pleasure rather than a frustration as the house, boat and barbeque set had been sadly under-utilised until this summer.

9th August 2008; Horning Salsa party, BBQ and boat trip

Thirty five guests joined me aboard Lady Martina in two sessions for a trip out of Ropes Hill Dyke and along the River Bure on the Norfolk Broads. Pictures 1. Lady Martina on Horning
Reach passing trip boat "Southern Comfort". 2. Skipper David Broad dancing with Gosia and, of course, watching the helmsman closely!
The route followed was along the Bure and past the village of Horning and then back upstream and into Blackhorse (or Hoveton Little) Broad so that they could see what a "real" Norfolk Broad was. (ie a large lake formed by medievel peat digging rather than a tall guy with little hair)
The party theme was Salsa music and dancing and the happy revellers were dancing on the cabin roof, for'd and aft decks under the watchful and sober eye of myself. ( I had to say that because of my new Broads Authority responsibilities!)
















Once back at Heronshaw, the BBQ and party proper got under way and those present declared that was arguably the best party they had been to in a long while.

Fathers Day family trip

Fathers Day Boat Trip

(Right) "Who Pressed that Button?"

Sunday June 15th 2008

Everybody slept very well in the house and boat and we all took turns through the Heronshaw bathroom as I dispensed hot drinks and then made the breakfast. We first served the children with cereal and toast in the kitchen/diner and then distracted them with TV again as the adults ate. It was a splendid breakfast of cereals and toast again and everybody was satisfied. I then opened my nice cards and presents which included some butter fudge and tickets to the NCFC vs Spurs football friendly at Carrow Road. Once we had all got prepared, I took them all on a boat trip on Lady Martina, first going upstream to look around Blackhorse Broad and then on to Salhouse to buy ices from the Ice Cream Boat; and then downstream to moor up at the Ferry Inn, where I treated everyone to lunch at the buffet there. It had been very nice going on that boat trip in this way and everybody enjoyed it immensely.

(left) Daniel and James relaxing

By mid-afternoon, Debbie and Della had to get off to their partners and Daniel drove Julie and the children off home.

Grandson James at home on

"Lady Martina" see http://www.ladymartinacom/

South Dock to Horning

This was a truly successful day and a wonderful achievement to be starting out in a London Dock and then finishing off by arriving at Horning, right next to my house without stopping or being delayed at any point. Della was a great help as my crew so that it was a good team effort. Despite the very early start and late finish, she enjoyed the experience immensely and did not mind getting up so early but then took the opportunity to have naps en route to get some sleep. I managed quite well, but was obviously very tired at the end having not had any rest at all for I had to stay vigilant throughout in view of the inexperience of my crew. The weather was raining off and on all day but light drizzle such that there was hardly any wind and the sea was from slight to glass-like with smooth being the norm. I got us locked out at 3.30am and dawn was delayed in the gloom but, though dark to start with and misty at times, visibility was never an issue and the boat ran well. There was vibration, which made cruising above ten knots impossible, but we were early enough and had a good plan and feedback on progress to know how fast to go to arrive at Great Yarmouth on time and I was actually able to slow down as we approached Lowestoft to save fuel and wear and tear. I even called them to say that we could make the Haven Bridge for 4.00pm, so they could bring the time forward t then if it suited. They then referred to the bridge lift on the VHF as the 4.00pm/4.15pm opening and managed to organise communications with the other vessels accordingly.

When cruising through the Harbour, I got Della to take the helm whilst I got the covers down and removed the flag staff and winch and then, once through the Haven bridge, I lowered the mast with all of its mounted equipment and adjusted the pulpit height gauge for windscreen level and headed for the Bure bridges.

It was a very low Spring tide low water and so I could easily get under the bridges but my main worry throughout was the depth of water under the bridges. With the ebb tide still fully running, I edged against it and could maintain very good way and control of the vessel and we emerged unscathed and ready to cruise up the Bure. By this time it was raining again and so, having got as much of the stuff off of the bridge and inside as possible, I stayed up there and let Della go inside as I cruised up to Acle. On this journey, depth was a continuous issue but we did not ground at all, even though just 1.3m showed on the one working echo sounder from time to time. I stopped at the defunct shop moorings just upstream of the Acle Bridge and moored up so that Della could help me put the bridge back together. I then cruised steadily up the Bure as we watched a film on the DVD. Ropes Hill Dyke was quite shallow and silty at the entrance past the sailing club as the water level was rather low but I managed to carry on without grounding and found my own dyke of sufficient depth to allow me into it bow first. By this time, it was 8.30pm and Della would have liked to be driven home, but I persuaded her to just collapse into bed and stay the night for rest and recuperation and this we did. I also had to put the boat to bed and we just had the Range Rover to hand and I was too tired to drive safely anyway. This ended an eventful and productive day and now I had the boat at home and need not keep travelling to it any more.

Brighton to London, missing out Ramsgate, on an epic trip

This was the perfect day for cruising – even better than the day before - and so I decided to set off before dawn and get a half hour’s start on the day. This was an inspired decision for it meant that I was cruising into the brightness of the dawn and had turned before we had to cope with the actual sun rising above the horizon. It was soon light enough to see and to turn off all of our navigation lights etc and so we could cruise along at out modest 9-10knots without problems. The cruise went very well but it turned into a long debate about where we should stop and how far we could get.

Ideally, David really wanted us to stop at Ramsgate where his son could pick him up by car and take him back to Southampton to collect his own car and take it home. This would then be in good time for his outing with his mother the following day. Unfortunately, with the weather set to deteriorate as the week progressed and with me out of time to get Lady Martina round to London, that proposal would be no good for me and it would be better to get the boat into London this day. It would all hinge on how much time the cruise would take and what our arrival time in London would be. We first thought that we could get in by 8.00pm but, what with the darkness and the Thames estuary tide fast running against us it would be more like 10.00pm before we would eventually get there. The other factor was that I could not bring the boat up the Thames the following morning for they had arranged a full closure of the Thames Barrier for this time.

Once we arrived at Tower Bridge, there appeared no room at the jetty and so we moored up on the fuel barge, having checked with the barge owners who had no objection. Though the water buses had finished there was a good number of restaurant barges plying their trade on the river after dark, serving Christmas dinners and hosting Christmas parties but at least they did not speed too much not make a large wash; the idea being to lull their clients with a pleasant cruise. I served David and I a couple of beers as we relaxed after an epic voyage before we called it a night and retired to our bunks. This had been a very good day and now all that I needed to do was to fill up with fuel in the morning and then to try and get into Limehouse in time for my C.A. Council Meeting.

Cruising from Southampton to Brighton with David Harrison

Tuesday December 11th 2007
The weather situation was even more in interesting to judge in the morning. The storm force winds and consequent swell had been slower to clear the Channel from the west and so the further and sooner we cruised east the more we would still find it a problem. In essence the shipping forecasts, that covered this wider area, and even the inshore forecasts, which were not very localised, would put off most sailors from
venturing out. However, I was armed with the very local forecasts and wind vectors reported by downloading the GRIB files and could see that close inshore and in the Solent area it would be calm and even sheltered as the winds had gone round to the north-west. Despite our best intentions to set off even earlier, it was just before 8.00am that we cast off as it took time to prepare the boat to leave in the absence of the specific knowledge and experience of Louise, my regular crew. We cruised out of the Itchen and along Southampton water and it soon became apparent that the vibrations from the props and shafts were a problem at high speeds and so we had to throttle back and settle for the much lower speed of 9-10knots. This immediately meant that any idea of cruising on to Ramsgate this afternoon was out of the question and we would have to thus settle for Brighton as our destination. Once we realised this, the rest of the journey was fairly straightforward and without undue pressure.

I let David handle the helm as I navigated and managed the boat’s systems and we arrived safely at Brighton black rock marina in early afternoon. I had used both Louise and Richard as shore-based plan reporting contacts and, having contacted them when we set out, I did the same upon arrival. This curtailment of the length of cruise today put our overall ambition of making London this week unlikely but we were pledged to carry on anyway. We got into Brighton around 2.00pm in the sunshine, though the day was quite cold. Much of the time spent washing off the boat and then getting all of the charts and electronics set up for the next leg the following day. By this time I had calculated that we would only manage to get to Limehouse if we did some cruising after dark and, because of the crab and lobster pots littering the coast as a hazard, the best place to do this was coming up the Thames where there were none allowed to be set. David Harrison was not keen to spend more that Tuesday on the boat, for he had an appointment in Bournemouth with his mother on the Wednesday trying to get her into the smart residential home. He went ashore and got some bread, ham, cheese and a few other chocolate biscuits and goodies for the cruise the next day and, whilst he was gone, I managed to get the rest of the boat ready for the day’s cruise ahead.

Distance: 55.5nm
Speed 10kn
Hours 5.5 hours
Fuel 158 litres
Leave 0730
Arrive 1300