Enjoying our trip in The Paxton Princess
Enjoying our trip in The Paxton Princess

After a cold night, a windy day followed which developed into gales later, but the sun shone ad the boat soon warmed up at Burgh Castle. With everything folded down, we cleared St Olaves bridge as the tide was high with still 9 inches to spare, but then Somerleyton Swing Bridge opened to let us pass and we cruised on to Oulton Broad and moored up at the Yacht Station and shopped in the chandlery before visiting MacDonalds for tea. We all watched Perry Mason on the TV and then Diana's Hospital drama and Daniel actually achieved a couple of hours studying today

 A cold night and windy day and gales later on. The sun shone, however, and the boat warmed up at Burgh Castle moorings in consequence. Di did a little shopping with Debbie and I mopped the boat. We set off upstream and had to fold everything down for St Olaves bridge as the tide was high. We still had 9 inches to spare with the gauge on 8ft 6ins which is encouraging for the Great Ouse. Onwards and relieved and fascinated to see Somerleyton Swing Bridge opening to let us pass.

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We cruised on to Oulton Broad and moored up at the Yacht Station, wondering how to connect to the shore-mains to re-charge our batteries. Ashore to a lunch of burghers and then some time shopping at Oulton Broad when I bought an auto-light lifebuoy from Jeckles and fitted it to the boat with the weather still very cold and hurting our fingers as we did it. We borrowed a plug from somebody standing in for the harbourmaster and were set for the night. In the afternoon, we went into Lowestoft by bus and did some shopping before going to MacDonalds for tea. I bought a few electrical goodies and then spent the evening back at the boat re-wiring the radio wires which were in quite a mess. We all watched Perry Mason on the TV and then Diana'a Hospital drama series about the goings-on of a casualty department. Daniel actually achieved a couple of hours studying today and we were all quite late to bed.