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

Geldstone Locks moorings are lovely, but I dare say very popular in the summer months with boats and we all had to be up early and underway by 8am to reach Beccles old bridge close to low water to get under.  Today was going to be mainly spent at the wheel, as our overnight mooring was to be the Bridge Inn at Acle.

After leaving the moorings in reverse and turning I followed Jewel of Light 3 – only we went a bit wrong and took the wrong fork in the river, an about turn had to be made and then returned back to where we should have been going with much chastisement from the others.  I had taken the opportunity before leaving the moorings to also lower the canopy and screen on Sunlit Horizon, but knew once under the old bridge at Beccles I’d have to prance about raising the screen and then be a Mercat again on the winder to raise the canopy.  I was getting fed up with these low bridges and everything needing to be taken down and raised again.

It was a lovely clear morning, a little chilly in the breeze but Beccles soon came into view

and there was plenty of room to get under the bridge.  Once through and the faffing about with the canopy was done it was then onward in convey to Oulton Broad.  I’ve only been to Oulton Broad by land before so this would be a first to arrive by boat.  I can’t really comment on the journey there, it was nice enough but at the same time I was still missing the fact on the northern rivers places are closer together and you can fit several things in a day, whereas on the southern rivers it is more a case of making for somewhere and that being the object of the days cruise.

The average holiday maker may not want to go from Geldstone to Oulton Broad and then to Acle, and I knew this would mean many hours at the helm – but being prepared for such meant I had all I needed around me, from drinks and snacks to music and by the time we arrived in Oulton Broad I was feeling perky but peckish.  

The mooring stern on at the Yacht Station was the only time in the trip I almost cocked it all up and needed a second attempt to avoid Jewel of Light 2’s dinghy which having already moored was now on her bow.  Once all the boats were moored some of the other crews went to use the showers that are at the Yacht Station – while others still went for supplies and  I prepared a breakfast for myself and tidied up the boat.  

Not long after this was done and some had got their fishing rods out, Griff announced for those interested we could go and have a look at MTB 102 (you can learn more and help with her restoration at www.mtb102.com ) which had lead the historic boats section on the Thames Pageant to mark the Queens Diamond Jubilee. This would certainly be a treat and so several of us followed and found her the ‘salt water’ side of the lock in the marina, which had such a feel of being by the sea with old masts on racks and old boats waiting rescue sat happily next to pristine yachts that cost a fortune.  There amongst this was MTB 102 herself.  

Richard who owns and leads the efforts to keep her in working order through donations and sponsorship from business arrived and answered our questions letting us look inside this amazing craft – Griff also gave a brief history of her role and past and I along with others were surprised to see she was made entirely of wood and not steel.  Brave men who worked on her in the war without any armour plating!

After the tour and walk back to the boats it was not long before it was time to depart, and dead on 2pm we did just that.  The rain began to fall a little and I feared the next few hours would be dull and wet – but as we left Oulton Broad so the rain stopped and so began our long cruise to Acle.

It had been planned to make use of the tides which would mean we would be pushed along towards Breydon Water and – so it was envisaged would then mean as we entered the River Bure would be hardly running against us.  We past a few other boats on our way to Breydon but it was otherwise uneventful until the radio came to life to tell us we should rendezvous on Breydon Water for a ‘photo call’ where all four boats would come together 4 abreast and photos could be had of each other.

As it happens trying to get everyone to slow down, come alongside, have photos taken and so on was one of the most trying exercises of the trip but we managed it for all of 20 seconds before someone shouted ‘on your marks’ and lads being lads were off again at full speed.  Broad Ambition be it a tick over or full throttle always looks graceful, where as the Jewel of Light class looked like pigs pushing a great bow wave and you see just how a good designed hull can aid in so many ways.

It was all going well – perhaps too well, going with the tide Sunlit Horizon got up to 9MPH on GPS and it dawned on me that perhaps we would be hitting an ebb tide still when we entered the River Bure – but I had faith in our navigation expert all would be ok, however our ‘navigation expert’ had not calculated for the difference between what Yarmouth slack water would be and that at Gorleston (there is about an hour between the two) so as it happened we entered the River Bure as it was at full ebb – but had we not of done so, we of course equally would not have been able to have made Acle that evening – so whilst perhaps a small error, it was nothing to write home about – so I am writing about it here instead.

You can see the video of what then happened, taking us all by surprise was the sheer power of the current as it flowed out of the River Bure and especially through the two bridges at Yarmouth.  Sunlit Horizon went from going with the tide at 9 MPH to almost coming to a halt and going backwards as I went under Acle New Road Bridge.  At that point I stopped filming and radioed ‘I may be going backwards soon’ and concentrated on keeping the boat on a straight course.  Had anything happened such as a engine problem at that moment, and the boat had gone side on to the current, it would have shot back down towards Breydon at about 5 MPH and surly have hit a post broadside on and result thereof would not bear thinking about.  

From that worry to suddenly moving forward again at all of 2 MPH must have taken about 10-15 seconds but felt like forever.  2 MPH was fine by me and resumed filming not only could you see the current, you could hear it rushing past the boat as it lapped at the banks on either side.  It was rather exciting but equally I knew it was going to be one hell of a boring slog up to Acle and would we make it by sunset?

Broad Ambition and Jewel of Light 2 headed off in front of me and soon I was alone, Jewel of Light 3 behind me but out of sight just as the other two ahead was.  The time ticked by and all the time battling against the current meaning making only 4 MPH against it.  The engine had been going at high revs now for several hours and I was aware the temperature was creeping up past 95 degrees then 100, 105 and so would back off and wait for it to drop back down to 90 and then throttle up and repeat this over the course of the next few hours. Eventually arrived at Acle at 5:40pm – with sunset at 5:57pm (though not dark until about 6:15pm) it was a close run thing.  I had been at the helm pretty much since 8am with a couple of hours break at Oulton Broad so I was pleased to stretch my legs.

It was quiz night for us all at the Bridge Inn, and would also be my last night ‘with the lads’ as I was off to do my own thing and then meet with my mother, so as a thanks for all they had done from helping with ropes, cooking and merriment all round bought everyone a round of drinks – and then promptly lost the quiz.  It truly had been a great few days, taking in a lot of places and sights and experiences too – whilst it was twinged with sadness to leave  all these fine chaps behind, it was also good to think I still had 7 days afloat to come – some alone and some touring the rivers with my mother and getting her confidence back up as far as being around boats went since her fall in March.