Broad Ambition - The River Blogs - Part 5



It was Wednesday when talking to my dad I decided to put it to him “shall we go up to the boat this weekend?” – his eyes lit up and back came the reply “that would be lovely.” 

And so it was that we would go to Norfolk after I’d finished work on the Friday.  As it turned out most of the office seemed to have deserted me, so by 3:30pm I did the same and left the office. I thought this would be an ideal time to depart – missing the rush hour, but of course I had not taken account of my father’s need to pack – Forum, this is a man who takes packing as an art form for first he must do a list (even if he is only to be away for one night) and then he must select the most suitable sized case out of many nestled like Russian Dolls within each other. 

By 5:30pm he had compiled his list, packed and ticked each item off but forgot he needed to bring a duvet cover, slip and pillow case – this would mean either crushing them into the case, putting them in another bag or the third most frustrating option – unpack and move up to a medium sized wheeled case to accommodate everything neatly.  The third option was chosen. 

Just before 7:00pm we set off for Norfolk heading out of London on the A10 avoiding the M11 but getting thoroughly stuck in a jam just outside Edmonton clearly shown on my phones mapping software was there before we left home (the M11 running freely).  45 minutes later we were moving again with a frustrated Rascal in the passenger seat. 

Our next issue was around Postwick some roadwork’s causing us a great deal of bother trying to figure out just where the hell the A47 had gone to and expecting to head out in the direction of Acle to ‘swing up’ to Stalham from the right (so to speak) but taking directional misunderstanding to levels past that which James May can, my dad ignored my advice to use my sat nav and stuck with the cars own system – which often after extended use will crash (the DVD player in the boot that runs the mapping software throws a fit). 


Eventually we arrived at Richardson’s Marina in Stalham getting on towards 11:00pm. I got set to preparing the boat and notice the water tanks were on empty – but the water hose had been double threaded by a kind fellow owner some boats down from us and so much messing about was had with an adjustable wrench to get the hose off and attached to a water point near Broad Ambition. 
I then had to make my dad’s bed, unpack his things, put the food and drink in the fridge and give a briefing about the boat, safety and that ‘my word was gospel’ when we left the shed since we would be embarking on a night nav to Barton Broad. 
 
With water tanks filled and with he and I ready for the off we used head torches to move about the decks (handy present after all – thanks mum) and manually bring Broad Ambition out of her birth.  Once she was straight I could then motor out and into the most amazing scene – crystal clear skies, a full ‘super moon’ and before us a true silver river reflecting the moonlight, it was getting on for Midnight. 

My dad on the other hand somehow got his head torch tangled trying to get it off, turned it on and looking at me with it asking “but how do I get the bloody thing off my head” blinded me in the process.
We cruised down the Ant now in a tense silence. 

My dad wanted to have a go so with me by the wheel he took over, he was doing really well – so much so I popped out to try and take a photo of the moon, but without a tripod it was hopeless and blurred.  I told him to look out for what would appear to be a ‘dead end’ with trees and turn left (to turn right would head towards Wayford) and very much earlier than I anticipated he duly said “he is the left hand turn” and duly began to turn to port, I immediately was worried just how narrow the river had got with the reeds seemingly very close to us on both sides.  I took the wheel and put Broad Ambitions powerful spot light on for a few seconds whereupon I knew exactly where we were – the cut that leads to Sutton Broad from the ‘Stalham Arm’ of the River Ant.  Not good at all and so we needed to turn right at the end to get us back on course. 

It soon became obvious (for still unknown reasons) my dad was most uncomfortable at the idea of mud-weighting on Barton Broad.  Try Paddy’s Lane he said, looking at the map with the use of the ‘red light’ (bicycle LED tail lights I had rigged up in the wheelhouse) and so I pointed Broad Ambitions bow towards the moorings and from the moonlight and light from Cox’s Boatyards flood lights could see the moorings were full.  Even if there had been a space, the fact it was now getting on for 1:00am I certainly did not want to be trying to moor up in a tight space between boats whose crews were sleeping. 

Having backed out to the main river we once again were underway just the short distance to the Barton Broad – my dad was once more looking and asking “how about Irstead?” NO, dad we are stopping here now give me a hand to look out for the channel marker posts... We went to the left as you enter the Broad, and noticed several boats ‘at anchor’ and I worked out our swing on the line and that we would avoid anyone else and the channel marker posts too. Engine and all systems off I put the anchor light on – while not a requirement to have such on the Broads, should we mudweight on a Broad over night it is to be used.   

I left him with a rum and I sat out in the aft well, the Broad was still – no wind and you could see Swans and Ducks doing there nocturnal thing, silhouettes of the other boats in the moonlight made you almost have to pinch yourself to know this was real and I was part of the scene.  My first ever mooring overnight on a Broad and it was just perfect.

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