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2009 Cruising the East Coast and the Norfolk Broads			15 April to 20 April
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Berney Arms to Brundall via Somerleyton, Beccles, Rockford St Mary and Brammerton Common
Wednesday 15 April Thursday 16 April Friday 17 April Saturday 18 April Sunday 19 April Monday 20 April	Berney Arms to Somerleyton   Somerleyton to Beccles     Beccles to Rockford St Mary     Rockford St Mary to Brundall   Brundall   Brundall and then Home     returns to top of this page
Wednesday 15 April - Berney Arms to Somerleyton
We were woken early by the sound of revving engine and what seemed like an anchor chain being run through a windlass. Peering out of the window we could see a hire boat by the name of Mustang, broad side across the river firmly wedging itself into the muddy bank on the opposite side of the river, rear end first. Very strange I thought, but not much I can do about it in my jim-jams. After we got up we saw a small work boat pull the hire boat off the mud but leave it tethered by its grapnel to the bank. We guessed engine failure or something like it. Presently a Broads Inspection launch arrived with little blue light flashing to clear a path through the morning rush hour traffic (?). Hire boat company personnel were now standing on the quay side too. With some difficulty against a strong wind and current, the hire boat was then herded to the quay side and safety, much to everyone’s relief. The skipper of the hire craft had been faced with a horrendous situation – one of the cables operating the forward reverse selection on the gearbox had broken just as they left, leaving him with just reverse or reverse whatever he did with either of the control stations. The sound of the anchor chain had in fact been grating gears! It’s hard to imagine what you would do in a similar situation in a strong ebb tide, strong winds and no forward gear! I thought he did pretty well to get tied to the bank rather than drift off down to Great Yarmouth or into some luckless moored boat like us! After all the excitement was over we set off back up the Yare towards Reedham and then headed South for Somerleyton where we spent the rest of the day. While gazing at the passing hire boats Mike spotted one with a sign on the back saying – “bow thruster assisted whirlpool bath luxury for four”. Is this some special combined unit fitted to hire boats? The mind boggles at the possibilities! In the afternoon we walked along the river to the Herringfleet Wind Pump where a couple of men were working on repairing the wooden gear teeth in readiness for the open week-end on 10 May. Apparently this is the last working wind pump in the country but due to the recession, funds are running out to keep it going, and so its future is uncertain.			Broads Authority launch to the rescue. Herding the hire boat to the quay side - in reverse! Herringfleet Windpump
Thursday 16 April – Somerleyton to Beccles
Departure from Somerleyton Staithe was timed so that we would fit under the railway swing bridge and so avoid having to request swinging it. They really don’t make it easy. There is a bridge gauge at the Staithe itself so Mike was able to inspect it from a distance of six feet at which distance it was possible to see through the mud and slime that there was adequate clearance. Reedham bridge is equipped with nice new gauges which are still clean and have a clearer numbering scheme. Hopefully Somerleyton will get new ones too fairly soon. Either way someone needs to clean them regularly; I wonder who is responsible – Network Rail or the Broads Authority? We had a lovely warm sunny trip to Beccles Yacht Station, where we moored up opposite the marina that used to be occupied by the now defunct Aston Boats. There were just three other visiting boats besides us, and surprisingly no Harbour Master on duty for the whole day.			Typical dirty bridge clearance gauge
Friday 17 April – Beccles to Rockford St Mary
Careful consultation of the tide tables for the return trip, had determined that a departure time of 09:00 would ensure that we would fit under both Somerleyton and Reedham swing bridges with plenty of clearance. Just before we were due to leave, Mike went to the harbour master’s office to pay for the night’s mooring and the regular HM was back on duty. He was not a happy bunny because no-one had been sent to relieve him yesterday, the place was becoming a shambles due to lack of funding from Waveney District Council, and he is retiring in two weeks time yet no-one has been appointed to whom he can hand over! I don’t see why funding should be such a problem as the Yacht Station must be generating a tidy profit from the hundred or so permanent moorings – at least £40,000 per annum, not to mention the takings from visitors moorings which must be getting on for £15,000 to £20,000 in a good year at the hefty rates charged. I expect us boaters are funding some loss making PC scheme or quango within the District Council. It’s a shame that the Broads Authority haven’t taken over the responsibility for running the Yacht Station as they seem to have a much more positive approach to the management of their assets, and already have an information centre in the same building as the HM’s office. We eventually departed at 09:10 and had a good run, passing through the two bridges on schedule. The day became progressively more sunny, but with a piercingly cold wind. As we approached Cantley we could see a big crane just starting to hoist the new wooden top we had observed on the outward trip, onto its renovated brick tower, Hardley Drainage Mill. We missed the actual lowering onto the top as it was out of sight by then. By lunchtime we were tied up alongside at Rockland St Mary, and warming up inside. This is the first time we have used the Broads electricity points. Their primary purpose is for charging up electric boats, but leisure craft can use them too. There was just 12p's worth of juice left on the meter so Mike inserted one of the cards we had bought last week and the meter duly recorded its presence - we now had £1.12 worth to go at. How long would it last? In the afternoon we went for a lovely walk to Surlingham and back via the Ted Ellis Nature Reserve (to be visited properly tomorrow morning) – one of the walks in the excellent Norfolk County Council brochure on the Wherryman’s Way. After that we dropped into the New Inn for some Adnams and watched on television the local news showing the final lowering of the top of the windmill onto its base – but no shots of Starry Night going by! A check of the electricity meter on the way back to the boat showed that boiling the kettle twice had hardly dented the pot, so the water heater was switched on too to see what effect it would have!			River scene along the Waveney Hardley Drainage Pump about to get a new top Lots of fussing about prior to the big lift - we found ourselves watching the best bit on TV in the local pub at Rockford!
Saturday 18 April - Rockford St Mary to Brundall
After breakfast another check on the electricity meter revealed that we had used only 50pence worth so far  - water heating, kettle, electric lights and battery charging, so we now have a good idea of the pricing. We headed off for the Ted Ellis Nature Reserve and walked all round the various trails. We had the place to ourselves and it was very pretty and tranquil. But as the name implies, the nature is very reserved - we saw hardly anything! After lunch we set off down the dyke and through the pretty Rockland Broad to rejoin the Yare. According to the depth sounder, in places we had just 100mm under the keel and in others huge holes over 5m deep.  Within the first fifteen minutes we had seen more varieties of wildlife than on the whole walk round the nature reserve! Once on the Yare we cruised slowly upstream, through Brundall and on to Brammerton Common in the bright sunshine but still that piercing brisk Northerly wind. We stopped here for a couple of hours to relax and watch the world go by, before heading back to Brundall and our home mooring.			Contemplating the view in the Ted Ellis Nature Reserve Rockland Staithe
Sunday 19 April - Brundall
Another lovely sunny day. A few boat jobs in the morning then we headed off for The Olde Saddlery at Neatishead where they do an ace carvery on a Sunday at a very reasonable price. Mike had nine different vegetables on his plate! We were not let down! After that we went to Blickling Hall National Trust property and then returned to Starry Night.			The impressive facade of Blickling Hall
Monday 20 April - Brundall and then Home
In the morning we nipped into Norwich to Panks Auto to collect the bits and pieces to extend the heater exhaust so that the routing was less tight and with a decent swan neck at the skin fitting. The parts were duly installed without too much fuss and it all looks much better, After cleaning up we departed for home, on the way stopping off at Ely to visit the Cathedral and to have our dinner.
Updated 21 April 2009 Copyright © 2009 Mike Hawkridge