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Quiet start to the day on a warm and bright morning in Salhouse Broad and then some sailing in the Blue Peter after no luck fishing and then on to Horning Ferry Marina where Di caught up with the washing, I played Daniel at a couple of games of pool as the girls found friends to play with. Then some better luck fishing before a family swim after which I hear news of Botham and Gatting saving the last Test and of the British and French governments at last sending minesweepers to the Gulf whist The City recover a little but trouble deepens in South Africa and forest fires devastate Rhodes Island in the drought as the rain now pours here!
I woke up first and put the kettle on and it was a warm and bright morning. A very quiet night in Salhouse Broad and I felt unable to start The Lady’s engine to charge the battery for fear of upsetting the tranquillity. I read Daniella and Della some stories to keep them happy, got Di a cup of coffee and then the family started reviving. It was mild enough to slide back the roof a little for our breakfast and the humid, balmy air got to us so that we rested this morning and lounged around with the cockpit roof back. No luck fishing from the boat and, with a breeze springing up, Daniel and I rigged the Blue Peter and we took turns sailing around Salhouse Broad.
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Awoken by water birds after a quiet night at Coltishall moorings and then in the way of Germans and Dutch for the water point as the girls find friends to play with before moving later on. A long walk exploring Coltishall and eventually to find ‘Brian’s Coffee House’ for Di after which we take off but soon experience an engine failure before I find the problem and fix it. Back to Wroxham, after lunch at The Rising Sun and on to Salhouse to moor by mud weight and put the children to bed and take the dinghy ashore for a walk round. A US-flagged tanker is holed and is taking in water from a mine explosion in the Gulf, 1/4m of black coal and gold miners strike for freedom in South Africa and the UK Stock Exchange makes a partial recovery
Awoke rather early at our Coltishall moorings. It was not other boats or people, but the noise of the water birds that woke me up. It was another chilly morning and misty, so that the boat heating was needed to combat the temperature and condensation. I put the kettle on and then gave the girls an orange squash each, as they woke up as well. Soon we were all awake and washed ready for breakfast and Daniel joined us from his boat as well. By this time, two cruisers were hovering beside us, queuing up for water from the hose.
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An early morning sail with Debbie on Wroxham Broad in The Blue Peter until the boat movements made the moorings uncomfortable and then back under Wroxham Bridge to moor and then walk to Wroxham Barns to see the craftsmen and have some lunch before the long walk back, just avoiding the arrival of more rain. We then moved further up the Bure to moor at The Anchor House, Coltishall, for the evening where I took Di to The Kings Head for dinner. The Gulf tankers are on the move with questionable levels of protection from the mines and the UK leads a diplomatic initiative to isolate Iran whilst Iranians demonstrate in London about the Mecca deaths and further bombings take place in Ulster.
The boat movements died down in late evening, but there were still some boats moving late into the evening with navigation lights. There were plenty of insects trapped in the cabins and so Di used insecticide to clear them away. Slept well enough and was the first to awake at 7.00am, getting up and dressed first thing before Diana stirred. Debbie was next awake and, after I had spent half hour fishing unsuccessfully, I took her onto the Blue Peter and for a session of sailing on Wroxham Broad. We rowed out and then set sail, but the breeze was very light from 7.30am to 8.00am. We still managed to get across the broad and back and saw the converted wherry, ‘Solstice’, moored to a buoy, before returning. Besides ‘The Albion’ wherry at Ludham Dyke, that seems in original condition, there appears to be a few converted ones around with their ‘telegraph pole’ masts and straight flags.
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A pleasant start to the day after a quiet and night but fine this morning for our swim at the Helska Leisure Centre and our walk into Horning village where we met The Bloom family from home who we had been trying to rendezvous with! Onward up the Bure afterwards and under Wroxham Bridge with our sliding roof back and some shopping at Roys and Norfolk Marine as we moored at the public moorings. Then back to the moorings on the Bure by Wroxham Broad and some unsuccessful fishing before sailing with Debbie in The Blue Peter until the breeze dropped and then settling down for the night
A good night at quiet moorings and then I was the first awake. It had been raining last night, but it was bright and sunny this morning, though the wind was still cool. I slipped into Diana’s bunk for the first time in a while and then got out to put on the kettle. Di got up and made the drinks and soon the girls were awake and joined us before breakfast. I stuck to wheat flakes and apple juice this morning and decided to forgo the toast and marmalade, as my weight had crept up. As Diana got the girls ready, I went for a little walk to see the boatyards and facilities close by. They were alive with boats and people, as the hire craft turned round today.