Brinks Belmore TC - Day Four

I found it a little harder to get out of my berth this morning, maybe it was as a result of the beer last night or just the very still and quiet mooring Bremerton Common offers.  It was strange waking up to a boat where I was the only occupant - but once up and got ready it was time for some cereal and coffee and a sit down to figure out where I may be going after all - I could not work it out.  Every idea I had seemed just 'ok' but not a winner. 

I thought the best bet was at least to get underway and head in the direction where I had come from - go to Reedham I thought there I could top up with water and make a back track to the likes of Loddon, or head off down the New Cut to the likes of Oulton Broad or even head down to Beccles.

I left the mooring at Bramerton and before long was back in to the swing of 'solo boating' having all my bits and pieces I needed within reach not to mention the fact I was not talking far more to the camera.  Now I had between three and four cameras going at some points during this day, the problem was I had not synced all the time and dates on them - this only proved itself so important now I have come to edit the footage which is in four different file prefixes and two different formats in no order.  It has been fun trying to get each clip in the right order to which they were recorded and I have had to scrap about 50 minutes of footage just to stop the episode of the Blog going on for too long.

I could not help but pay a flying visit to the beautiful Broad that is Rockland.  On a nice warm sunny day this is the sort of place that would make having a rowing dinghy just perfect - set off with some food and drink and just explore the shallower reaches and not give a damn about the time.

Next on the list of places that would be cruised past was Cantley and the vast sugar factory  I like its almost cathedral like scale on the landscape unashamedly showing off what it does with pipes and vats and chimneys - rather see this than a bunch of wind farm windmills on the landscape.

Once past this I always think Reedham is not so far away, but it actually is and takes longer to get there than I give credit for.  When I arrived it looked full - indeed Brinks Jazz appeared to be double moored but a closer look showed it was adopting the new mooring technique I have seen and be party to: a boat will come to a mooring, use you (as you are moored already) to scrap down the side of and help 'guide' them into the mooring.  There was a smallish mooring near the Rangers shed, but as I turned to go back to that so a huge space became available when Connoisseur class boats from Herbert Woods departed.  Bugger me I thought, and spun round and headed for it.

My heart began pumping fast - this would be the first solo mooring I had done on Belmore TC and there was a syndicate boat - Lightening dare I get this wrong, and added to the equation two cameras rolling capturing everything I did. Well it all went well the current doing most of the work for me and although I was a little over cautious making absolutely completely sure we were stationary and agaistn the quay before I got off the boat I was happy there was not a repeat of the side way quay kissing seen the previous day at Norwich and Bramerton.

It was a quick stop as things go, I had something to eat on the boat, filled the water tanks and after more procrastinating declared we would be heading to Oulton Broad.  Well we left the mooring and under the swing bridge, soon the New Cut was ahead and all was going well until I suddenly turned the wheel to the left and we were going to the Berney Arms moorings!

I decided I could moor here overnight catch the 8:00am tide and be back north for lunch.   A long story short I arrived with a strong ebbing current but would prefer to more on my left side - since that is where the wheel was and I could see what was going on compared to an 'offside mooring'.  I did an initial test moor using powerful engine and bow thrusters Belmore TC is blessed with just down from the actual Mill and away from anyone else - all went well and I was confident I could repeat the same with a boat behind and in front of me. 

I then did the same manoeuvre at the moorings just along from the pub and all went well - it might be 'breaking all the rules' but it was successfully completed and I was moored up (far better than when I attempted similar with Jewel of Light last year with an ebbing tide).  So there was I thinking I was going to be here all night, when boat after boat came thru crossing Breydon - what was going on, it was two hours plus before low water - i took a walk.  With the binoculars I found I could see the advance height marker for the bridges at Yarmouth as you enter Breydon from the river Yare - 9ft 3" and of course getting lower all the time.  Back to the boat decision - go for it, get under bridge and it a strong ebbing current all the way up the Bure or wait till tomorrow?  Urm.. Go for it!

There was a nice swell on Breydon, nothing to write home about but I am writing about it here instead, once on the open water proper throttle down and she got up to 10 M.P.H with the current getting stronger from behind - the boat came alive, steering light, responsive and gripping the water than I spied Breydon road bridge was lifted perhaps for some sea going flash stuff that had left Berney Arms prior to my arrival - possibly, but I could see something big coming up towards me in the  distance on the plane.

By the time it reached me, it was travelling at far less speed but none the less the wake it produced was good and I steered into it, and was surprised how the light small boat that Belmore TC is glided through it without a crash or bang and remained very stable throughout.  After the fun of this it was much the usual crossing down to the yellow post where some confusion with currents was to be normal, but a burst of power and we went through and were now back on course and well against the tide and so began the monumentally long slog up the Bure to Acle.

I'll cut to the chase arriving at Acle after a long day I was pleased to find space in Horizon Craft's yard - and yes for those of you watching the video I was a bit harsh on the poor girls gearbox but  I am sure she has been through far worse in her times and I was not crashing from full throttle forward to reverse.  Moored up it was time to put stuff away, get the annoying vinyl screen cover attached to the front windows and then...head off to the Bridge Inn for food  It was packed - but I was found a small table in the bar area and despite being so busy the service was great and the food was spot on I was full and it was a short walk back to the boat and being off the main river in the basin there was no lapping of the wavelets at the hull so a silent (apart from cars over the bridge) night was had.