Anyone for Applejack? incorporating 'Adventures of Applejack' ®

[GeeW]

Here goes with my first image post.......

Hull lining completed.

[Tim Gardner]

Well done!

[tmw]

The lining looks really nice!  I'd love to get something similar for my boat, one day.

[GeeW]

And the decision is .............

Option 1, The Norfolk Broads. Probably only have time for the northern rivers ie the bit above Great Yarmouth

http://www.tournorfolk.co.uk/maps/norfolkbroads.jpg

We will be launching at Martham, and I will do a report/blog once we get back.

Gordon

[GeeW]

Well we went, managed quite a lot of sailing, nothing really bad happened and it only rained for about one day total, but spread over 2 days if that make sense??
We received several very positive comments on our little boats looks and generally had a really good time.
I will be posting some video as well as images over the next couple of days...so stay tuned (please very nicely!)

Image below taken by the Admiral, having been put ashore on a staithe on Horsey Mere for the sole purpose of getting a couple of half decent images of our boat...
<well that's what I told her  (c;  >

[GeeW]

After launching at Martham Boatyard we sailed though Candle Dyke and up into Heigham Sound until we found a bit of staithe to our liking and spent some time stowing all the gear, food etc. After supper had been consumed we sat in the cockpit slowly acclimatising to the whole silence and big sky of the place with only wind rustling the reeds and birdsong to listen to. Soooo relaxing.
It was a nice quiet night although the temperature dropped rather more than we had anticipated so the HWB's and N° 2 kettle were bought into action.



The following morning whilst breakfast was being tidied away a very nice Hunter 'L' class broads boat was ghosting up the Sound and made a fine sight. Most of the Hunter boats were constructed in the 1930's. Even today none of the Hunter boats sports electricity or any form of mechanised propulsion...if there is little or no wind you either sail it or quant it...sailing being the preferred method unless pub closing time is likely to be an issue, and assuming you are successful you will have worked up a fine thirst by the time you arrive!






Talking of which, one should always be seen to be imbibing the local brew, which was just as well as they are just about my favourite ales.

[GeeW]

I am struggling a bit with my video editing software so the vid may take a little longer to produce, in the meanwhile a couple of stills culled from the clips. All three taken on Horsey using my GoPro2 on a selfie-stick...hence the distortion,








More later.....

[GeeW]

The next stop on our tour was Hickling Broad, which is the largest of the broads. The staithe at the far end is very picturesque and very typical as the staithe has a pub at the end of it all ready to receive hungry and thirsty sailors. In the 1700 and 1800s these staithes were like the modern distribution centres, all the villages requirements came and left by the broads freighters known as Wherry's.
The 'Albion' is the sole surviving boat that was built as a trader. The image below was grabbed from the t'internet as an illustration



I digress......
Hickling Staithe, with "Pleasure Boat" pub.



and looking the other way, a fine boat in view!  (c:

[GeeW]

A couple of local boats working their way across Hickling Broad.

[MHardy]

GeeW,

Sounds and looks like a great adventure. Your photos/location made me think of a book I read this summer, "The Unlikely Voyage of Jack De Crow", a great read for small boat sailors.

[GeeW]

The 'Jack de Crow' book is on this winters reading list for me.

Anyway back to my yarn!
Next day we had a nice sail across Hickling Boad , back through Heigham Sound, Candle Dyke and then turned to starboard on to the River Thurne. By then all the sunshine had evaporated and some inclement weather seemed imminent. Slate grey clouds wall to wall. Short tacking down the Thurne the rain started, we were up to about 120 tacks by the time we went alongside just up from the infamous Potter Heigham bridge. This stone bridge has been knocking bits of passing boats for the last 700 years and is a replacement for the one that did the same trick to boats for the previous 300 years before that!
The modern steel bridge is a mere youngster at just over 40 years old and will be long gone before the old bridge needs another rebuild. Luckily the CP-16 fits easily through and we were let to pass without incident.

The old bridge waiting it's chance for another victim


Published air draught is 6' 8", but because of the tide and standing water height the clearance was reduced to 5' 10". Down with the mast and through we went before rewarding ourselves with Cappuccinos and Danish pastries from a nearby Cafe. By then the rain had developed into steady light rain so I am sorry to say we motored on for the next mile until we reach Thurne Dyke, another dyke with a good pub at the end of it, in this case 'The Lion'. The rain eased just long enough for us to get snugly moored up and get the cockpit tent up before the light rain became a heavy downpour for the rest of the day and evening.

Get the tent up smartly time


I took some better images of our return through the bridge which I will post in sequence when we get that far if there's anyone left reading this thread by then?

[Bob23]

GeeW:
    You get my award for the best photos that I've seen in a long time. That award and about $2.00 will get you an American cup of coffee...with some change. Keep up the good work!
Bob23...on this side of the pond.

[GeeW]

Thanks for the kind words Bob23.
Anyway a bit of an intermission now as I have been struggling with my video editor and despite some splendidly uninhibited swearing I am making little to windward, so I have now posted a clip of sailing Meadow Dyke (the bit of water that connects Horsey Mere to Heigham Sound). You will be pleased to know that it is mercifully short so shouldn't spoil your whole evening!

You will of course notice that there isn't terribly much room to play with, changing your mind is not really an option.
A few notes on sailing on these narrow high sided dykes. Often the wind direction above reed level is anything up to 80° different from the wind direction at 2' above water level. More often it is about 45° different so the trick is to adjust the sails to make the most favourable bit work. When sheltered fully by trees you rely on the way your boat makes to get you to the next patch of wind. You often end up with the lower part of the sails aback and only the head of the sail drawing. When you don't get it quite right you end up joining the scenery...ie in the reeds.
You either relish this kind of tactical sailing or it irritates you. Me, I enjoy it...but you had probably guessed that already  (c:

https://youtu.be/Y3UPW9hD3CA

And whilst I am in the chair I have also posted a clip of sailing on Horsey Mere.....again thankfully short!

https://youtu.be/NssqHzN8uxo

[GeeW]

Following a rather wet night at Thurne Dyke the following morning dawned nice and bright......unlike me who had perhaps enjoyed just a little too much refreshment the previous evening...never mind that's what holidays are for!
As there was absolutely zero wind we motored the short distance and turned westwards onto the River Bure, by which time the wind had started to fill in so up went the sails and off went the iron tops'l. A lovely mornings beam reaching bought us to St. Benet's Abbey or rather what is left of it. Most of its newness has worn off over the last 1000 years. The religious men of the existing monastery were granted a charter in 1022 for the Abbey so the religious site wasn't a new build even then.
In about 1750 some local farmer decided to build a windmill using the remains of the main gatehouse as a good supporting wall. This forms the largest standing part of the Abbey, although the outline and parts of the Abbey wall are still very discernible, with bits of wall here and there to give you the scale of the place.

The main gatehouse (with mill) and the only standing section of the outer wall.





The Alter viewed from the transept, spot the sail in the background and notice how very flat the whole area is.


We had a nice relaxing wander around the ruins whilst discussing our plans for the remainder of the week. Our original plan was to carry on up the Bure and the Ant Rivers up to Barton Broad, however given that we had received permission to take the Admirals eldest grandson out for a daysail and that because of the very high water levels the stretch above Potter Heigham was almost devoid of power craft we decided to retrace our steps, and chance our luck through Potter bridge once again. So after a late lunch we set sail. A nice broad reach back to the Thurne followed by some serious short tacking that went on and on until we were back at Potter Heigham.

[GeeW]

This next image illustrates the problem for the 'stink-box drivers' (power cruiser helmsmen). ie big plastic power boat and small hole under the bridge!




Mast down in a good time and off we go.....on a light throttle



The bench seat and staithe to the right of the bridge are often used by holiday makers and locals alike as a "vultures gallery" with everyone waiting for a jolly good mishap to be enjoyed to the fullest! We were lucky, no one around and no mistakes made.

Video proof, you will of course note the bridge has just one or two scars from previous boats using this route?

https://youtu.be/apiZDlR4tWA


Once again we treated ourself to more coffee and Danish pastries after the mast had been re-erected.