Barton Turf and The Broads: 2011

Wednesday 21 September

Arrived at Barton Turf. DD moored alongside yard. Weather fine. Slept aboard.

Dabbling Duck resplendent in new paint and varnish.

Lunchtime at the Staithe

Thursday 23 September

Took her for a spin under engine, which started easily, along towards Neatishead. Moored on DD's new mooring at outer end of marina. Automatic bilge pump fitted and not doing much, which is good news. 12v socket handy for charging phone + camera. Saves the faff of plugging into shore power for such tiny load. Small p.v. panel fitted to forehatch at remarkable expense seems to keep battery charged even though the dynamo regulator has to be changed. Boatyard bills are right up there with plumbers and garages. Still, no pockets in shrouds.

Friday 24 September

Went out under engine to Gay's Staithe, then rigged sails. Yard had modified forestay, which prevents self-furling jib mechanism from working (groan). Mainsail set wrong and thankfully nobody witnessed my close shave with a channel-marker post while on deck trying to sort it. I have to re-learn sailing for this vintage stuff ! Had a pleasant sail home under jib, realising that Barton Broad really is a lovely place.

Re-built Stuart Turner beneath the cockpit floor. One cylinder, big flywheel and the new Dynastart.

Saturday 25 September

To Cantley by car, to see the start of a classic sailing boat race, where 60+ Herbert Woods boats are promised. These are the classic Broads yachts - not all the same design, but delightul. They are still being built. Brilliant sunshine and blue sky. Should be some Kodak Moments.

Some of the traditional yachts have tops'ls - to catch breeze above the trees.

Another Herbert Woods - built classic

The river is quite wide here, with an old pub, "the Reedcutter" behind a flood embankment. The marker on the wall shows one flood in 2004 reached 20 feet above the ground floor- must have been 6 feet above upstairs bedroom floor level. A big day with lots of people . Decent pub with what looked like nice food too. Almost sorry I packed a picnic.

After a long walk through the RSPB reserve along the dyke, moved to watch the boats negotiate the swing bridge next to the "Ship" pub at Reedham.

As the boats are timed from their choice of start time - calculated by each skipper to benefit from tides, it was impossible to know who was doing best, but the ones who had to tack around for ten minutes when the bridge closed for two trains to rumble across, must have been less than happy ! Some very capable skippers avoided each other in a confined space with great skill. Some wonderful boats including very stylish new ones which must have cost much gold. Better than donating it to the banking "industry", though, so they can buy yachts.

flood marker on "The Reedcutter"

The race takes some 6-8 hours, so I shall read the results in the paper.

Noticed a poster for an evening at the Barton House Railway in aid of the Nancy Oldfield Trust (based on Barton Broad and teaches disabled and disadvantaged people to sail). Well, boats and railways works for me, so I turned up at the staithe in Wroxham at seven pm. Two electric boats ferried a steady stream of punters to a dock around half a mile away, all lit with oil lamps and candles. A really charming collection of small (full-size) railway buildings - ticket offices, a real working signal box, plus various miniature stations and two passenger-hauling railways. One 7.25" and one 3.5", with steram and electric traction on both. The entire riverside end of a very substantial garden (and a fine house) with bridges over the dock, a barbecue, tea-room and loads of outside tables was lit by railway oil lamps, which, on a perfect, still, warm late summer evening was magic.

There were several interesting boats in a covered dock, including a wherry and it seems the owner of the house has set up a trust to ensure their survival. The entire railway system was operated by volunteers - many of them young, which was remarkable. This year's charity which gets the proceeds from the organisation is the Nancy Oldfield Trust - of which more anon. A cracking evening out, all for £3 including train ride and water taxi. The nice thing was the number of families there - possibly because it was so affordable - visitors and volunteers, I even won two jars of posh jam in the tombola.

Tomorrow is the "Green Boat Show", where I shall again arrive by electric water taxi. I look forward to much greenwash, and some interesting boats.

Sunday 26 September

Ah, sunny again with blue skies ! I have fund how to sleep comfortably in Dabbling Duck's rather small cabin - answer: don't sit up quickly ! The roof of the cabin is very low over part of the bunks ! After the constant rain in Cumbria for four weeks, warm days and dry weather really is a treat

The Green Boat Show was a pleasant event - several boats with electric auxilliary motors, a pedal canoe, a diesel/electric hybrid hire craft, a brass band, food stalls and various sales stands. A nice thirty minute ride each way in the electric taxi went through Wroxham Broad to Salhouse Broad was part of the ticket. The grot of Wroxham soon gives way to beautiful countryside. There are a few decent new buildings there, but much of the tat probably pre-dates planning as we know it. Wroxham would probably benefit from a large satellite falling on it. Whether the planners could do better the second time round is, I suppose, always in doubt.

Monday 27 September

Dawned wet, but warm.

To Norwich via Park+Ride. Called at "the Forum" by MIchael Hopkins Associates - the people who designed an excellent scheme for Chester which was cancelled by the visually dead incoming Tory administration a few years back. A lovely public space. Chester could have used a bit of that quality. It will end up with cheap tat, I fear.

Inside The Forum

Norwich interesting, but hard for pedestrians away from the pedestrianised Lanes. The cathedral Refectory, again by Hopkins, is a lovely design, which sits serenely within the cathedral complex - all wood and glass.

Refectory entrance

I thought the Cathedral's herb garden particularly good. You can wander around and sniff a great variety of plants.

Cathedral herb garden

Tuesday 28 September

Crew #4 arrived at lunchtime. After food, his help was indispensable in sorting out forestay (4-handed job). We went for a sail in a gentle breeze under a clear blue sky - shades and sunhats essential. 25C.

Supper at the pub in Neatished and crew#4 departed for London. The local B+B demanded £55 (in cash !) For an indifferent bed for the night which Crew#4 rightly declined. Rip-off Britain....I just hope that Travelodge sends him bust.

Wednesday 29 September

Another perfect sunny day with a nice breeze. Dabbling Duck went really well all morning, keeping up with some much newer racier craft. Lots of people out sailing, as well as the usual line of big plastic hired motor boats (very comfortable) crossing the Broad. They are pretty good at keeping clear, although some understandably are baffled by what must seem the very strange and unpredictable movements of sailing boats.

Packing up for home this afternoon, but hoiping to make one more visit to Norfolk before The Duck is craned out for winter storage in November. Have booked Crew# 1's sofa for the way back north.

The skies are good in Norfolk - mostly because there is nothing to obstruct them ! If you don't know the area, there is a lot to see - it's pretty flat, but full of interest.

Dusk At Barton Turf

The Museum of the Broads, at Stalham Staithe, proved to be a delightful place. Privately owned and staffed by volunteers, it has a really well presented collection of boats, displays and historical stuff. Everything has a story and it was easy to lose half a day there. I particularly liked the preserved hull of a sailing boat which was so fast that others refused to enter any race against it !

The Museum operates hourly trips on the 105 year-old coal-fired steam launch "Falcon", which ran beautifully, following the River Ant as far as Barton Turf.

Steam Launch "Falcon"

On the River Ant

Engine maker's plaque on the "Falcon".

"Too fast to race"

Dates are a little hazy, but a quick trip to the coast at Sea Palling on a windy, bright day ( only 6 miles from Barton turf) was great. Nobody for miles.

The beach at Sea Palling

Later, we happened upon Horsey Mere and Pump - an historic site owned by the National Trust. Fascinating history and a beautiful place - all reeds and quite wild.

From the reeds across Horsey Mere

Horsey Mere

The wind Pump now

The pump lifted water from surrounding land up into the channel and thence into the Mere

The pump in the 50s (?) with reed-cutters at work

Gears at the head of the pump

So, that's about it for the season. A lot of fuss and expense for a few days out, but all set for next season, all being well. The boat is in good shape and will be craned out for winter storage under cover in November.

It has been good getting to know Norfolk a bit - the wide open spaces are good to walk in and the Broads are a lot more fun than I expected.

There is a lot to explore and enjoy and I look forward to 2012 for cycling and sailing around the area.

What a pity it's so far away..........................