Sunlit Horizon 2 - 'Lads Week' 2012 - Day nine

Having met my mother the previous night and spending the evening in the Ferry Inn, we awoke to find most of our neighbours had departed – clearly having to be back to their respective boatyards for the 9:00am hand back on a Saturday.

After an easy start to the day we headed off for Wroxham, and because so many of the previous weeks hirers had now returned their boats the rivers were at peace, very little boats about and with the autumn light and leaves going through their usual spectacular change before the fall, it was a real treat that greeted us.  I was actually surprised how at the beginning of the week only a few of the trees had begun to shed their leaves and now with every breath of wind more fell and the greens had changed to yellows, oranges, deep reds and everything between.  

On arrival in Wroxham we again moored at MC Marine Leisure – by the Café and wandered off to Roy’s where because of the smoke damaged stock from their recent small fire, meant my mother got a bargain for under a fiver on a top which originally was £40.00!  It was not even singed or smokey smelling lol.  


We then had a look about the place, looked in estate agent windows wishing we had the spare £800,000 for this lovely waterside property, and decided we did have enough for fish & chips – so opted for Grays Fish & Chip shop (the ‘new’ one) and it was nice, but I wonder why they always have to keep the doors open even on cool windy days, and why the restaurant area has to be accessed by only one door.  Still the food was what counted and that was cooked very well, a light crisp batter and freshly fired chips.

We then had a look the other side of the bridge, it was deserted for nothing was getting under the bridge, the fleet of day boats all but forgotten – but of note was the fact the owner had put up on a blackboard a refined price shaving off £6 an hour from the usual rate to attract custom – it clearly was doing about as good as a stone does at floating.  I do wonder why so many locals don’t take up the opportunity of exploring their own area by river – or maybe they just all own their own boats.

So back to the boat and it was time to depart and say good by to Wroxham for another year, then along the Bure and headed up to Wroxham Broad, which while nice seems to lack in anything particularly that stands out – it is a Broad I have often gone on, but another I have never stopped on the mud weight.  This small observations leave me wondering why...

Back on the  main river a little way along we entered Salhouse for a brief look and stop.  This is a lovely broad, but I confess to having never moored on the spit or stern moorings – perhaps due to the cost and fact I prefer to be more alone than in a line of others.  After leaving Salhouse we headed up towards Horning and then decided as we were ‘Broad Hoping’ to go and have a look at Hoveton Little Broad (which is not that little when you are on it) and gosh this is a secluded and lovely place.  Between Easter Sunday and 31st October each year it is open, and should you afloat during this period you really do need to stop here - even just for a bite to eat and coffee swinging on the mud weight.  You will leave with a sense of calmness that will last the day.  

On to Horning and past the village, the Ferry Inn and the dykes that lead off to private moorings and boatyards alike.  I do find this stretch of river another favourite, there seems lots to see not just on the water and then when past you are once again into the tranquil river scape.

Our destination was the River Ant, so after stopping at Ludham Bridge for a top up of water we wanted to find a ‘wild mooring’ and I knew just the one, sadly when we found it another boat had literally just nabbed it.  Some of the other nicer ones were also taken – you see by now many of the new hirers had come down from Richardson’s at Stalham and were taking up all the best spots.  Then around the next bend a perfect (if more muddy) mooring presented itself, about turn and came in for a perfect mooring – only to now find the Rhonde anchors had slipped between the two gas bottles and now a right faff about was under way getting them out, in so doing the boat had slipped from the side of the bank and to anyone passing must have thought ‘aww bless first time hirers trying to moor for the first time’.

I brought the boat in again, this time getting off and made our ropes fast – the bow to a tree our stern to the Rhonde anchor.  Once the engine was off it was silent, though a few late chances came thru just before dusk – they would never make Ludham but perhaps How Hill moorings.  Below is a picture of the amazing sunset that then happened.

A lovely end to a lovely day – until we found the fridge had packed up and all the ice box had defrosted covering everything in water, and the food my mother had brought was spoilt.  Making use of the bread bin as out outside larder we could at least make do – on closer examination it appeared the compressor had gone, it would start for a second, make a funny noise then stop. Oh well nothing we could do and were not going to let a fridge ruin the evening.