After an interesting night with the Dutchmen alongside and their shore access augmented by the transit across our decks of the Customs and Excise officers, we enjoyed Great Yarmouth seaside amusements with the snails in Joyland a particular pleasure for the girls.
We then cruised upstream under the Bure Bridges to moor at Stokesby where the antics of boat hirers were the next frustration. The weather is set to this cool pattern and we pity the holiday-makers.
We had a bit of a disturbed start to the night as the Dutchmen came back a bit drunk from the pub at 11.00pm, but then the night was quiet and calm so that we slept well. A bit better at our morning routine but the water was cold after some time passing since the engines were last run. Breakfast and then out to mop down the boat again. The Dutch shoes had also been supplemented by those of the Customs and Excise who kept passing and re-passing to get their forms properly filled in. We then got a taxi to take the girls to "Wally's Windmill" on the sea front before coming back ourselves to have coffee and do some shopping in the Market Gates shopping centre. I got some "clearview display pouches" for my boat folders and then some spare bulbs for the control panel.
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I managed to fit the latter before Diana came back to the boat and then we went by taxi again to collect the girls and take them off to lunch. The meal was quite poor and the service worse and so I left without getting my pudding. We gave the girls £3 and then another £1 so that they could have enough goes on Joyland which had not changed very much from last year. The weather was cold and dull again today but at least there was less rain to put up with. After Joyland, we walked back to the Paxton Princess and made ready to leave. The Dutchmen had moved along by prior arrangement and so we could get away all right. We were punching a 4 knot ebb tide as we went under the Haven bridge and then turned up under the Bure bridges and past the Yacht Station and Marina where the charges had gone up again this year. We cruised on with Diana and Debbie taking turns at the helm until we found a place to moor at Stokesby.
I was pleased with the mooring and with the manner of us finding it but that was soon dispelled as a boat hirer swiped the Jolly and detached it from alongside. later, another tried to get into a gap two-thirds his length and ended up with the husband in the water. What idiots we have to put up with on the Broads! This evening, we spent quietly on the boat, Diana reading and myself doing a few maintenance jobs - like re-fixing the cleat on the Jolly for example! I also edited the Paxton Princess Operating and Maintenance manuals, putting in all of documentation for the new items of equipment that we have added recently. Then I swotted up on the use of the Navstar equipment and updated the log and my journal for the day. The weather is set to this cool pattern and we pity the holiday-makers who have to put up with it for the rest of the week.