Brinks Omega - Day Seven

Today normally would not be the day I would have to return the boat but because of work commitments I would not be spending tonight on the boat and so had to return it to the yard Sunday afternoon.

I am not sure if it was because of this, but the whole day had a air of slowness about it, I did not get up too early and having packed everything away pretty much the night before meant there was just a few items to be put in my suitcase - this meant I used the final day to conduct the review of the boat so it would be shown 'as is' not with all my belongings about as I walked through the interior.  With that done it was time to leave Womack Island - it was getting on for the afternoon now.

Wouldn't you know it that today, my last day was the warmest and most sunny of them all -  it was on days like this I missed not having a boat ether with an outside helm or a sliding roof as you felt rather trapped inside when all this wonderful sunshine was going on outside.  Down the Thurne I travelled and despite the warmth and sun, it was still March and very few other boaters were about which for a Sunday really surprised me.

It was not too long and was approaching Fleet Dyke on the River Bure, I took a left and slowly travelled up noticing how many more trodden down areas of Reed there are on the port bank where people are using this area for informal moorings - and indeed how last October when with 'Lads Week' we had spent a night there, the fishing at the time was very poor due to a salt surge but it appears this is a very good place to fish from otherwise - and quiet.

I turned the boat around and came back down towards the Bure, the blue sky and ruins of St Benet's looked too good not to stop off and have a look round and take some video - however it was coming into moor (or rather getting off the boat) I realised just how high the water was.  We had not had rain, but for the last couple of days there was a breeze that had got ever stiffer and more constant - I can only presume it was helping hold up the tide and thus the water levels were now a lot higher than had been just the previous day.

I walked along the moorings, apart from a couple of boats deserted.  It  is times like this when there are so many hundreds if not thousands of boats north and south on the Broads tied up at their berths and with the weather so fine in the lead up to the weekend why I thought would you not be flocking to your boats to take advantage of some rare March warmth and sunshine.  Still, it meant for us lucky ones on the water moorings were plentiful and the going was quiet.

St Benet's looked splendid in the sunshine, and I was surprised when I was last hear (in October 2013) much of the site was bare earth and now it was grassed over - there was easy access to all areas and despite the new look of the improvements you can tell in time they will weather and blend in making this important Broadland  moment a quiet place for reflection and somewhere for many a visitor to stop off at in the future.

Time to get underway again, and things got a little busy at Horning with the sailing club preparing for a race but once around the bend in the river outside the Swan, it was back to a very quiet river.  What I call the 'Salhouse Hills' came into view and it would be just around the next bend that the entrance to the Broad would be upon us - so I popped in did a circuit and popped back out again, it is a lovely place Salhouse almost a little oasis tucked away off the main river.

I then moored at the moorings just on the river side of Wroxham Broad and found something out.  If you want peace during the day, don't moor here.  It was not even the summer, but it was almost constant the day boaters coming along - you would hear their small engines, their wash first then the talking and shouting and often would come along in pairs towards horning one moment, away from it the next and each time they seemed to want to pass close to the boat and it would rock in their wake.  I imagined how this mooring would be in the season with many hire and private boats added to the mix so while surely a good mooring in the evening, in the afternoon not one you would fine still and quiet.

The action did not bother me as I was busy with the clean down in and out of the boat, and it was whilst mopping the decks that 'Readyabout' came past on their Broom 29 - Broadland Dream.  It is moments like this that make being a member of this forum all the more special, because had I not have been a member and had they not we would never have met previously -  but from talking around the fire at Salhouse the previous year you do meet and connect with people.  They carried on with their cruise and I looked to the time and wondering when I should make a move for the boatyard and would I find a space?

It is not far to Barnes Brinkcraft, and of course being a Sunday their offices were closed - being out of season also meant their yard appeared full.  I had prepared myself for the fact I could well have to double more, after all their boat had to be back 'home' and then I spied a place, next to Ladymore on the far edge of their moorings - it was an easy mooring but how on earth do I get myself and luggage round to the roadway from this mooring hmm I thought when I noticed another mooring over the way on the backside of the river front moorings they have.  I eyed it up, standing on the foredeck when I heard 'go on give it a go' from above - had God finally spoken, no it was a couple on the balcony of one of the apartments that Barnes Brinkcraft have for hire.

Great, no pressure then I thought so took the boat and was impressed with myself getting in to the space, without a bow thrusters and using my propeller wash to at the stern to move the bow of Aries to the side and I slotted in perfectly.  Sorted - and so a final addition to the Blog, and then it was time at around 215 minutes to four in t e afternoon to head off into Wroxham, for some food. My train would be leaving just before 6:30pm from the station and was dreading the Sunday trip back complete with closures to the mainline meaning a hellish journey awaited - but the right here and now there was still warmth in the air, and I had enjoyed a great week afloat and as I was preparing to say goodbye, I was relishing the time I could return again.