A very successful cruise from Oulton Broad in calm seas and a breeze from the west, collecting 50 gals of diesel before dropping through Mutford Lock and steaming via Lowestoft and the North Sea, under the Haven Bridge to Great Yarmouth.
Collecting Daniel at The Town Hall Quay and mooring at the Yacht Station, walking Sam and enjoying lunch at The Pizza hut, we then cruised upstream via Stokesby to moor at Acle for the night
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I had worked until quite late last night checking the boat's vital fluids and making sure that everything was in order for the day's voyage and then we woke up at 6.00am by prior arrangement. First my wash and shave and then out with the dog again. He was pleased with this walk, as it took him past a few dogs as well as gave him exercise and freedom from the boat. I made radio contact with the day-boat operator on channel six to arrange a fill of 50gals of diesel at 80p per gallon and then made more urgent radio contact with the Mutford Lock harbourmasters about getting through in time for the 9.30am Lowestoft Harbour bridge lift.
Our fuel bunkerage and the friendliness of the day-boat man had made us a little late and an intended lock-mate did not arrive. Then through the lock and off into the tidal zone, Diana and Debbie acting as crew and me combining the helm with the task of securing everything and packing things away as we moved off towards the harbour entrance. The weather was calm and the breeze from the west as we steamed out to sea. The autopilot worked well and took much of the work out of the cruise as I worked the plotters and instrumentation.
The only problem came with one of the buoys being moved but we reconnected with our planned route further on. Radio contact with Lowestoft on Channel 14 and then Great Yarmouth on 12 to get the various permissions we needed as we moved in and out. The entrance to Yarmouth was tricky as usual with a strong ebb tide from the broads colliding with that of the open sea. Once through all this we motored upstream and, had just got the mast and aerial down and were preparing to go under The Haven Bridge when we spotted Daniel at the Town Quay.
Once we had pulled in and picked him up, he was very pleased to see us and seemingly disappointed that we had not taken up his offer of helping to crew for the sea trip. We moved round to the Yacht Station above the bridges and then, after Debbie had helped by waking Sam and I had secured the boat for leaving it, we walked into Yarmouth for lunch at The Pizza Hut. Goodbye to Daniel and then, after a further rest for the ebb tide to moderate, we cruised off up river to seek a mooring at Stokesby.
The weather had been kind to us today; milder of late and staying dry despite the westerly wind, and it stayed that way as we cruised upstream. Alas, there were no proper moorings at Stokesby but I nosed the boat in on the other side of the river for us to exercise Sam and have our tea. The girls had a nice walk with the dog along the river bank and I followed them and saw where the old ferry path joined up with the bank opposite Stokesby. Onward upstream again and this time moored at the end of Acle Staithe, below the bridge and in a nice quiet spot for the night. Diana and I took the dog this time along the way to Acle town centre but found it a strangely laid-out and characterless place now it is by-passed. To bed tired after the day’s efforts.