Distant Horizon 2 - Day Seven

 

I am not sure about others, but for me the last day of a boating holiday is always one of reflection – where it all began, how the boat which is now your familiar home was once unfamiliar and new. It is also a time for taking things at a slower pace – as it was today.

I woke and after getting read began to do the more tedious of things just so it was out of the way – packing my case and checking I had not left anything in one of the many shelves and drawers this boat has.  After that it was time to depart Womack Dyke and I headed down the river Thurne to where it joins the Bure.  The Broads Authority ‘Thurne Mouth’ moorings were free, the wind was kindly blowing towards the bank so I knew mooring here would be easy – and it was a mooring I had not stopped at previously.  

Once there I remembered why I much prefer overnight moorings on the quieter, narrow rivers – for here on the exposed Bure the wavelets were hitting the bow of the boat and creating the usual racket ‘splash splash splash’ on the hull – I thought how annoying this would be should you be moored here for any period of time.  But it was a light breakfast and time to watch the world go by instead.


I had absolutely no idea what to do or where to go today so decided upon a bit of a meander about the rivers.  First it was down to Acle, a quick look in at Horizon Craft – they had space in their basin so at least I knew where I would be mooring tonight, under the Bridge an onwards down to Stokesby – where I moored again and went for a walk about the place and generally took the scene in, watching passing boats and so on.  You can tell that today was one of those days where you can just spend the time doing very little and yet feeling very happy with doing that at the same time.

Back to the boat it was time to depart – I headed back towards Acle, this time back to the Thurne mouth, where I turned left and headed towards St. Benet’s – I’d wanted to stop off here again since I had found it so nice a place in March.  Since the moorings were busier and I could see people about the ruins I decided not – this place for me I think will be viewed another year in the winter when the place is quiet and you only have the bird song and sound of the wind – one can then reflect and ‘be’ without distraction.

I turned the boat just off the main river at the head of Fleet Dyke and then as I headed back along the Bure, the wind returned – it had never really been still all week and made filming anything always a challenge. I had made the decision that today I would not film very much at all, this was time for me to take in and see and not worry about recording it for the ‘Captain’s Blog’.  But you see that meant for an odd feeling, I actually felt guilty.   At the last check my videos had been seen over 47,000 times and about 6,000 people a month come and see them – a diehard following always comment on them and let it be known they are keen for more – or what they wish to see.  That is actually no bad thing, but it means when the camera stays in its case  a short and not very interesting video comes as a result you tend to feel as if you let those avid followers down a tad.

I continued down the Bure and decided despite the time being early in the afternoon to head to base – I could moor up put the last of my things away and tidy up and clean then head off to the Bridge Inn.  I took it slow and when I arrived Sparking Horizon had the same idea as I – so I let them go in and moor and then followed in and moored at the far end of the basin.  The wind had really got up, the sky was looking anything but nice and I knew I’d had the best of the weather all week! Since I was there I had a look at some of the other boats that were moored up – Prisma Horizon, while a good looking ‘boaters boat’ seemed very hard going to get up to and down from the fly bridge and like Far Horizon would not pass under anything but Acle Bridge.  
After getting everything sorted I headed off to the Bridge Inn and had a lovely meal and some lovely Aspalls Cider – which because is so refreshing and tasty is easy to have rather a lot of and then remember it is alcoholic after all  - I think I’ll  have a nice sleep tonight then.  Back to the boat and settle in for the night - but I would not have such a peaceful night as I thought.  I woke up not only to the sound of the rain beating heavily over the boat, but to this terrible growing and squeaking sound which resonated through the boat and was coming from the aft end.  

I knew exactly what it was, and there was nothing for it – I was going to have to get up and go out in the rain to put it right.  You see Distant Horizon 2 has a ladder at the stern which is great for getting on and off of the boat when moored stern on, but unlike in previous seasons where I had seen a fender on the ladder – it was this time bare.  So here I am in the wind and rain on the quayside untying one of the stern fenders and putting it on the ladder – it must have taken me but a couple of minutes – but upon getting back onboard i was soaked! Well if I smoked it would have been a ‘Hamlet moment’ but instead I sighed towelled my hair as dry as one could be bothered changed my top and got back into bed.  

The next morning after fuelling one of the chaps at the yard drove me in the minibus to Acle Station and it was during this moment your heart sinks, good by Broads and before long I would be back in the big city.  Distant Horizon 2 is a cracking boat, very good value for money and well equipped with a super cooker – quality crockery, utensils, glasses and pots and pans for those who cook.  You have comfortable berths, plenty of storage and then from the outside helm wonder views over the marshes.  If you want a duel steer boat and don’t want to pay the earth but do want a good looking boat, this would be for you.