Though we had shore power, the timer did not work so we had another cold start to the day as I studies navigation books and then worked on the boat whilst the girls went shopping, replacing an engine mounting nut, checking oil levels before we set of for the Waveney Inn (Burgh St Peter) for diesel and a pump out. The attendant and his father had never known a winter’s flood like last one with the shop under two feet of water for weeks. We cruised on to Brundall , moored at the shop and took the inflatable dinghy off to the pub and Daniel gave the girls exciting trips.
TV reception gave news of Gorbachev threatening to impose rule on Lithuania by intervention, Ulster "loyalists" protest against the visit of Republic of Ireland Prime Minister Charles Haughey to Belfast, the French have done a deal with the Libyan-backed Abu Nidal terrorists over the release and the worst floods for 40 years have hit Tasmania. 4,000 homes have been washed away and 52 people killed.
Though we now had shore power, the timer did not switch our heating on this morning for some reason. I was reading my navigation books both before and after breakfast and the subjects this time were buoys and lights. Then, whilst the girls went shopping, I worked on the boat for a couple of hours. I checked the oil levels and the engine outsides for fuel and oil leaks and then had to refit the nut to the starboard engine offside/rear mounting bolt which was a bit alarming. The lack of a grease gun meant that I had to leave the prop-shaft greasing until another time even though they say it is to be done every 10 hours running.
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We then set off for the Waveney Inn (Burgh St Peter) for attention to both diesel and pump-out tanks and had a nice sandwich lunch as we waited for attention. 20 gallons of diesel and both pump-out tanks emptied came to £40. I chatted to the attendant, born and brought up here like his father, a marsh-man, and he told me that he had never known anything like the height and extent of the floods this winter. The shop there had been under two feet of water for a couple of weeks. Then we went on a long cruise up the Yare to Brundall, mooring in the boat dyke alongside the riverside shop there. We got there quite late but still in time to look around the shop and get a few things. The place has not changed very much. Still the old chap badgers boats coming in and directs their mooring and the shop still displays excellent food, angling and boating goods all served with courtesy and friendliness. We took our inflatable dinghy along to the pub by Brooms for a meal around 5.30pm which we thoroughly enjoyed. Daniel enjoyed taking the girls for fast rides in the inflatable. The TV reception at the moorings was excellent for a change and it is very variable around the Norfolk Broads.
The news on the TV was of Gorbachev threatening to impose rule on Lithuania by intervention. There is a typically Irish row in Ulster as "loyalists" protest that the visit tomorrow of Charles Haughey is insensitive. It is the first visit by a Republic of Ireland Prime Minister to Belfast for 25 years. The French have done a deal with the Libyan-backed Abu Nidal terrorists over the release of the French citizens held hostage for over two years and this has put pressure on the UK government over Terry Waite and other British hostages. The worst floods for 40 years have hit Tasmania. 4,000 homes have been washed away and 52 people killed.