2 Days as Pirates!

So off we went cruising up the Waverney towards Breydon water. There was a feeling of freedom and calm as we passed the swishing reeds and felt the quiet. We can do this, we want this freedom to take our floating home to new places, to explore and pretend we are pirates of the Broads!

At Breydon water we took a sharp turn into the Yare and eyed up the expansive moorings at Berney Arms Mill. Past it’s days of glory, the pub is rundown and shut. Few stop there although the mill is lovely and it is a wild and natural place popular with walkers. We wanted to practice our mooring technique here, and it couldn’t have been easier. I had devised my own rope plan carefully and expected it to be more difficult, so it was a pleasant surprise that it all happened so smoothly! Zeeshan hides under the sofa when the engine goes on, (still traumatised by a huge bow wave on the sea journey) only emerging with a stretch once we are safely berthed. He looks out from the doorway and hops out with no qualms to explore the banks for small creatures.

You meet interesting people when you travel like this. Along came a wild looking man with his wild child and a ferret to say hello. Clearly local river dwellers who recognise their own. A friendly welcome with a touch of local history thrown in. The ferret was too much for Zeeshan who had never met such a precocious creature before. When we moved further on we got chatting to a couple walking along who were enthralled with Hoogtij and our lifestyle, so much so we gave them a guided tour and encouraged them to follow their dreams.

Onward, firing up the engine and taking off the ropes we continued, heading past Reedham. We had the Reedham bridge to pass and knew our height should be fine. Passing under the bridge, people sitting outside The Ship watch and stare at you with interest. We were quite the spectacle so gave them all a royal wave. We sailed through busy Reedham full of hire boats, smile and wave, smile and wave. Appreciative looks for our beautiful ship, make all the hard work worthwhile. We finally get to have some fun on the water!

Our destination, the Reedham Ferry Inn moorings had but one boat sitting on it! Plenty of space for our big lady, woop woop! The mooring is shabby and broken in places but usable so we have no trouble sidling up gently and coming to a stop. The ropes go on easily and I hop off to adjust and fine tune the lines for our overnight stay. It is silent there except for the gentle sounds of the chain ferry pulling from one side of the river to the other. After a cloudy start the sun comes out as we step off the boat elated at our first day. Friends from Essex join us and after relaxation on deck in our new surroundings we head for the pub!

The first thing I notice when we go place to place is the quality of the light, such a subtle thing but so different everywhere, how it falls inside the boat. We wake to the mooing of cows. Zeeshan seems content and as excited as us to get outside and enjoy the scenery. For our second day we must go back the way we came and return to our home mooring. A quick trip this time but the feeling of wanting to go further is there…

Setting off for the return journey we turned the boat from the mooring using the tide once more to our advantage. We decided to experiment on the way back, feeling much more confident with ourselves and Hoogtij. Past Reedham and up the Yare we thought we would try a full turn in the river by Polkey Mill. The river was wide enough we thought, nothing was coming in either direction so Phil started to swing the lady about. I was keeping an eye on the stern which is a long way from the helm for Phil to see. We do have a camera there too which is a help. Our mistake was that the tide was low so the river somewhat more shallow. The turn was not quite central in the river and the stern swung too close to the shallows of the river bank…… Grounded! The fast outgoing tide wasn’t helping and combined with the shallow water we decided to abort that manoeuvre. We learn more from mistakes than anything else, so it was important for us to learn this lesson.

The next experiment was an attempt at mooring with tide behind us. You’re not supposed to do it, it’s incredibly difficult, we knew all that but wanted to know what it felt like for ourselves. We were by Berney Arms mill, plenty of space if it all went wrong, thought we would have a play… So Phil guided the lady in as slowly as he could and I was prepared with a bow rope ready to throw. Curiously Hoogtij just followed the mooring at a strange angle. The thing about this place is that the mooring curves around a bend, it isn’t straight at all. We gave up the game after a while. The tide clearly was moving Hoogtij around the bend, making it impossible to nose towards the mooring enough to land a line without hitting it hard. Well it was fun trying!

Onward back to base! At Breydon water we saw cormorants hanging their wings out to dry. Flocks of geese on the mud flats making a cacophony of sound. Why is it that any return journey seems shorter than when you set out? The river is lined with swishing reeds and the outline of forest as we wind our way home.

The final challenge is to moor up perfectly in our precise position on the pontoon. Phil is slow and careful on the helm whilst I kick out the fenders, take to the bow with my first rope and watch the approach. Always be calm, never rush and wait for the right post to throw over, I tell myself. I threw the rope, catching the post, looped it around my cleat, fed the rope loosely, watching the stern come in, wait for it… tie off, stroll down to the next rope, secure and move on to the next until my 4 ropes are on and the lady is still. Phil emerged and questioned my judgement on our final position, nudge her forward then, I say!

Engine off! We’re back from pretending to be pirates of the Broads! We felt so happy with Hoogtij and ourselves, and couldn’t wait for our next longer jaunt on the river….