SPRING CRUISE TO COLTISHALL

 

A CRUISE FOR FORGETTING - TO REMEMBER ALWAYS

(A personal log)

 

                        Photo: Lesley Everett

 

Monday, 25th April

 

Look at weekend forecast. It is dire - cold, wet and windy. Think we might forget about going on the boat.

 

Tuesday, 26th April

 

Forecast even worse! Venture to suggest to Mrs Crew that we don’t cruise this weekend but she reminds me that we are organising the event and that we have to go. Wait (and secretly hope) for lots of ‘phone calls of cancellation. EACC let me down for they are made of sterner stuff.

 

Wednesday, 27th April

 

Stiff upper lip comes into play. Frantic search for thermals, hot water bottles and rum.

 

Thursday, 28th April

 

Oh hell! Have you seen the forecast? Are we mad? Mrs Crew gets into baking mode so I know there is no escape.

 

Friday, 29th April

 

Mrs Crew still baking. No escape now. Pack car. Crikey! Will the boat float? Leave the house at 1330. Return to house 1340 having forgotten my ‘phone. Leave house 1345. Halfway to Hunter’s Yard remember that I have forgotten my shoes! Not going back for them. No one will notice.

Reach Hunter’s Yard to find half a hurricane blowing and it’s a cold, cold wind. At least it will be quieter later and there is only Brunette and possibly Pippinjack for company. Amaryllis has appeared and we help Paul & Jane warp her round to a more sheltered spot. Then we move Pippinjack. Brunette decides that a more sheltered spot would be preferable and then the fun begins. Eventually 8 of us manage to move her to the desired spot but she does not escape unscathed. Time for tea and cake. Mr Thirza joins us.

At 1800 we open the bar and Mr & Mrs Skipper arrive! The Pixies pop round and the Skipper & crew of Mossy arrive. Sandpiper, having wisely sheltered the worst of the wind round at Womack Island, manage to get in alongside us. Then Cordy arrives, along with Sally. Finally, when we are all thinking about bed, Mischief comes in. The yard is full - very full and very, very cold. I wake once in the night and, although I am snug, my ear is definitely frostbitten.

 

Saturday, 30th April

 

Awake early with the sun streaming in through the canvas. It is the most beautiful morning, although all of the car windscreens are frozen and there is a bright frost on the boardwalk.

Get away at 1000 and sail against wind and tide up to St Benet’s where, fortunately, there is mooring for us all. Meet a Waif on our way up. Give folk who are interested a guided tour of the site but it is the first tour of the season and I forget the most important bit, especially for sailors.

Lunch at St B’s and then a sail to Salhouse. We motor to get ahead and be ready to help with moorings. Asked for moorings at the far end of the Broad but given moorings at the near end but, as both are muddy and gritty, it doesn’t make much difference; besides, we are nearer the pub! Sally has forgotten the keys to remove his engine. I am not the only one then. Our chief medical officer arrives in Moorhen to join the fleet. Slantendicular also arrives.Then realise I have forgotten our boat awning. I have left it behind at Hunter’s! Mrs Crew shakes her head in despair of me. Cakes and bubbly on the mooring. I leave them to it and Chris kindly drives me back to Ludham to pick up the awning. We get it on just as the rain begins to fall.

Invited to dine aboard Bishy. Formal candlelit dinner in the dining room. Very posh. We also see a new way to make garlic bread but not convinced it will catch on. Most of us walk up to the pub, pausing on the way to listen to a nightingale. The pub is warm, very warm and we are all reluctant to leave. Another cold night - very, very cold.

 

Sunday, 1st May

 

What a beautiful morning. Happy Birthday Jane. Walk to see the bluebells. Leave our moorings at 1000 and head off to Wroxham Broad. Slantendicular does things differently. (Well, we are in Norfolk.) The skipper departs but leaves his crew on shore! She is kindly rescued by Tom and travels in luxury aboard Moorhen. Moor at the top end of the Broad, by kind permission of Cally’s neighbour, Tim. We help folk in and reward them, after such a long passage, with a shot of painkiller - medium strength. Walk to Jo’s Wroxham Teashop. The bunting is out, the coffee is good and there is lots of cake. Mrs Cordy leaves and forgets her handbag. We do a mail train drop off in Wroxham for her and push on to Coltishall. Relieved. Plenty of mooring space and we all get in.

More cake. More bubbly. We wish Jane a Happy Birthday as we bask in the afternoon sun. Some folk tinker with their boats. This is greatly aided by further shots of painkiller.

To the pub for dinner where we were joined by the EA Car Club. 38 of sit down for a meal and others pop in for a drink. In total we number 45. We all get well fed with no one waiting for food. Amazing. One person got the wrong starter (my fault apparently) but kindly ate a latecomer’s starter and she went without.

Truly stunned when Nick says a few kind words and presents me with an early birthday present. It quite takes my breath away. Here is not the place to express gratitude. I might like my technology but I prefer to thank the old fashioned way, with paper and pen.

 

Monday, 2nd May

 

Woke to a grey but warm day and it had been amazingly warm overnight. 19 of us had booked in for breakfast but 21 of us enjoyed a full English. I had convinced one couple that they had booked when they hadn’t!

At the end of breakfast received a confession. Although they had pre-booked their meal AND received a paper slip confirming their order one hour before the meal, one nameless crew member had forgotten their order by the time that they reached the pub and she had been adamant that I was wrong. It is not just me losing my marbles!

Then, with a late afternoon forecast for rain, the fleet went their separate ways. Despite the dreadful forecasts the weather Gods had been kind to us.

 

Final thoughts

 

With my familial history I have always been determined to celebrate my 70th birthday in some style. Celebrations with my family were obviously in pride of place but I also wished to celebrate with all of our friends in EACC. You have started my celebrations off in spectacular fashion. Thank you for making this cruise so special.

Thank you too, to our youngest cruiserista. Pippa you were amazing, even if you did eat rather a lot of my favourite marmalade cake.

 

Roger.