The year was 1997. The boat was hired from Eastwood Whelpton Boatyard on The Norfolk Broads. It was a modern sailing yacht called Fair Wind, a 27ft Bermudan Sloop and onboard was the Captain(me), 1st Officer (Nicki) and our two young Bilge Rats as sail trimmers. We didn't really know what we were doing at first, but there was plenty of enthusiasm to learn.Below is the verbatim text of the Captains handwritten log scribbled into a notebook each day as we cruised along.
"What could possibly go wrong"
Day 1 Cast off from Eastwood Whelpton Boatyard at 3.15pm in Fair Wind, our 27ft Bermudan rigged sloop. She was quite new, very sleek and well equipped. Had boatyard owners son Tim on-board to show us the ropes, so we immediately put up the Mainsail and Jib. Started tacking up-wind on the River Bure – about 100 feet wide. A baptism of fire introduction to sailing or what!! Ran aground on a Port tack – stuck solid in the mud bank. Tim attempted to push us off with the boat hook – poor boy fell overboard – crew wanted to laugh but managed to restrain themselves. Dropped a rather sodden Tim off at the top of Upton Dyke and commenced cruising/motoring up river for approx. 1 hour. Turned to Port into Womack Water and moored up for the night at special yacht berths. Beautiful spot surrounded by marshlands and countryside. Captain and crew wandered up to the Kings Arms at Ludham for much deserved pint of ale and fish and chips. We had survived our first spell on the water. Day 2 Set off motoring up the River Thurne at 9.45am having taken on supplies from village shop. After 45 mins saw sign “Low Bridge”, so moored up and lowered the mast using the winch. Cast off and manoeuvred to the middle of the water ready to go under the centre arch of Potter Heigham old bridge – height 6’- 8”. Thought it was all going swimmingly well until someone shouted that our “A-Frame was still up", giving us a height of 9’- 6”. Disaster was averted and we passed under A–Frame down, this time feeling a little embarrassed. Put mast back up and motored on to Horsey Mere – a large expanse of open water. Raised Mainsail and Jib and embarked on our first bit of real sailing. Fantastic ! In light winds we sailed up and down wind, tacking like real experts. In the space of 1 hour we really had the hang of things – very satisfying. Moored up mid afternoon in a small creek and set off for the beach – a brisk 1 ½ mile trek. Emily-Jane paddled, James dived in, Captain and Galley Maid lay on the sand reflecting on our fine performance under sail. Barbecue for supper – a few glasses of Australian Chardonnay and a peaceful night was had by all. Day 3 Woke up to a problem. Water tank empty. Gasping for a coffee we set off at 8 am to Marathon Ferry Boatyard to fill up. At 9am we began the long cruise down the River Thurne and up the River Ant to Barton Broad – sailing and motor sailing along the way depending on the wind conditions. Arrived 2.30pm having seen some picturesque countryside and riverside mansions. After bacon butties for lunch Galley Maid went below for a siesta (the white wine had taken its toll). Captain and young crew raised the canvas and once again demonstrated some fine sailing and first class tacking. Emily-Jane and James handled the Jib ropes through the 180 degree turns as if they’d been sailing all their lives. We’ve all been well and truly bitten by the sailing bug now. Motored up Kiln Dyke to an exclusive little mooring around a small green in the middle of glorious countryside. Had dinner at the Barton Angler Country Inn. A fine meal was washed down with a pint or two of Murphy’s. This is the life. Day 4 Every day had been a scorcher so far and today looked as if it was going to be the same. The children were desperate for a swim by now. Unfortunately, the Broads water is rather polluted and unsuitable for swimming. Made the decision to motor all the way down to Great Yarmouth – about seven hours away, to get to the leisure centre pool. Set off at 10.30am and pottered down stream, occasionally motor sailing without incident, lowering the mast twice on the way for low bridges. Arrived Great Yarmouth at 5.15pm at the worst possible time vis-à-vis the tide. Water was rushing downstream like a rapid and we were moving very quickly with it. A low bridge, which we had registered on the map, was now only 200yds away – had no choice but to turn 180 degrees facing into the rushing water. Luckily I spotted a small gap between the moored boats – with motor on full throttle we just managed to creep up-stream and across our starboard side into the space. The boat was being twisted and turned by the sheer force of the swirling tidal flow, but after a few bumps and bangs against other boats we managed to tuck ourselves in. A kindly chap on holiday from London caught our forward rope for us and tied us up. This was a god-send due to the fact we were eleven feet below the key-side. Lord knows what we would have done if he hadn’t been there. That evening we caught a taxi into the centre of the lively seaside resort of Great Yarmouth. Flashing lights, amusement arcades and fish and chip shops seemed to dominate the place, but the young crew loved it. Spent the evening wandering around with a wet backside after taking James on the giant water roller - coaster, amongst other rides at the Pleasure Beach. Had a meal and returned to the boat at 11pm, which was by now only 2 feet from the key-side. Competent rope tying had ensured that the boat could rise and fall with the tide without problem. Day 5 All went to the indoor swimming pool for a swim and hot shower – heaven. Shower onboard was OK, but a little cramped. Took on supplies from local Tesco’s and prepared to set off at 12.30pm on the high tide. Disaster struck ! Mainsail had a small tear in it when we picked up the boat. As it was raised there was an awful shredding sound. The tear was now 3ft long.
We were on our way back to the North Broads and luckily we had to pass close to our boatyard. When we called in at approx 4pm they were most obliging, having realised that they should not have let the boat go with the sail torn. With a brand new Mainsail – put on in only 20 minutes – we set off again heading for the same mooring as our first night – approx. 2 hours away in light winds – tremendous views. Nicola on the tiller, James on the Port Jib rope, Emily-Jane on the starboard Jib rope, me on the mainsail and calling the orders. Excellent crew all round and a great bit of sailing. Tied up for the night at 6.30pm and lit the barbecue. Had curried chicken, Cajun pork ribs, Chinese style turkey steaks, all washed down with a rather nice Rioja. I think we may have become sailing snobs – we were disparaging about motor cruisers and the “throttle jockeys” who drive them. Hatches closed. A peaceful night. Day 6 Arose 7am to yet another glorious day. Motored up to Potter Heigham bridge, took on supplies from the local supermarket before lowering the mast and navigated under the bridge without hitch. Wind started to blow up, so headed for new territory – Hickling Broad – what looks like a large open area of water suitable for good sailing. Arrived Hickling Broad under full sail in blustery conditions at 12pm to find that only a small channel up the middle was navigable – left and right marshes, very shallow. Crew was complaining about lack of rations, so skipper let loose anchor just left of the main channel and retired to the galley. 12.45pm skipper re-surfaced with a magnificent array of culinary delights in the form of the Great British Brunch. Bacon, egg, sausage, beans, mushrooms and tomato, all either fried or grilled to perfection. Mutiny averted – crew well satisfied. The obligatory bottle of crisp white wine caused the skipper much drowsiness, so he took to his bunk for a nap. Skipper rose much refreshed mid afternoon ready for a few hours solid sailing. Wind blowing hard directly up Hickling Broad channel making long reach sailing difficult. Made the decision to run for Horsey Mare. Raised anchor – full throttle forward – nothing ! We were stuck on a mud bank. Skipper hailed to a passing workboat, who promptly towed us off without problem. Nice chap departed by wishing us a happy holiday. On to Horsey Mare. Wind had by now died down, so decided to cross Horsey – up creek to bag last overnight mooring space. Spent the evening sipping wine chatting to next boat along – locals who imparted interesting knowledge of the area. Also talked us over their 1902 traditional broads sailboat, which had been beautifully restored at great expense. A restful night on Fair Wind. Day 7 Awoke 6.30am to something we hadn’t seen since we set sail – Rain ! Skipper excitedly brought out Cag in a Bag – an ingenious waterproof cagoule that folds into 4” square bag. Went for long walk in rain across nature reserve – returned dry as a bone - £14.99 well spent. Weather quickly cleared up and sunshine returned. Motored down to Potter Heigham once again for last few supplies (two bottles of wine – cheese pasties and Danish pastries) then returned to Horsey mare for an afternoon of sailing. Light blustery winds gave skipper and crew a good few hours of fun sailing. By now experience was showing as Fair Wind glided and turned gracefully in all directions around the water. Thoughts of the great Sicilian crossing were in our minds. Late afternoon decided to head for new unchartered waters to spend last evening at a village hostelry. Travelled through Heigham Sound up River Thurne and across Martham North Broad to village of West Somerton. Water here was absolutely crystal clear, but as we inched our way up a narrow creek to the mooring site, noticed we were the only boat there. Skipper felt uncomfortable to be in such a totally remote area alone, so after a quick recce of local pub – not that special – decided to set off again on the long cruise back to our faithful mooring at Ludham – 1 ½ hours away. Spliced the mainbrace on-route to calm certain crew member, which seemed to do the trick. Arrived Ludham Marina just as sun was going down – mindful that boats are not allowed on the water after sunset. Calamity ! no mooring spaces available – would we get well deserved supper at the Kings Arms after all ?? Circled marina twice and spotted a small gap between two large cruisers one of whom offered to move over a touch. Nipped in stern first much to the relief of tired crew – thoughts of a hearty meal on our last night lifted everyone’s spirits. Showered and spruced up - wandered down to the nearby pub to what turned out to be an excellent meal in the restaurant. Skipper and Galley Maid rejoiced with Cajun spiced grilled Red Snapper. Joked about how we felt we had been abroad for a week, given the hot weather and the lack of contact with English speaking natives – no offence to the good people of Norfolk, although their accent is a little strange to us. Well wined and dined – a restful night for skipper and crew. Day 8 Awoke 6.30am to the sound of the “throttle jockeys” around us playing their tunes anxious to get underway. Today is Saturday - the day when most people have to return their boats – usually by 9am – although in our case 10am. Fair Wind was only an hour away from East Whelpton Boatyard - a short hop down the River Thurne. With a relaxed atmosphere onboard we set off at 8.15am with skipper at the helm once again sporting the bright yellow cagoule due to the intermittent drizzling rain. Crew began getting things packed and ship shape below. As the boat neared Upton Dyke the skipper suddenly released the Jib sail in order to catch a final glimpse of the majestic white sail and once more feel the power of the wind heel the boat over and drive us onwards. There was a mood of slight sadness aboard as the last few moments of sailing were enjoyed in silence. Slipped gently down to the boatyard at 9.15am and after much manoeuvring tied up amongst the 20 or so other boats that had just arrived as well. Packed our bags, cleaned the boat and loaded the car ready for the 5 hour journey home. Skipper spent the last few moments at the boatyard with one of the old boatmen who worked there saying that I had coined the phrase “throttle jockeys” to describe the drivers of motor cruisers. He roared with laughter, fully appreciating the joke. It means, for the purpose of good log-keeping, that there is a certain type of person, who drives a certain type of Broads cruiser, who only knows two types of throttle position – full forward and full reverse. Needless to say, these macho men create a great deal of noise, followed by, more often than not, total mayhem around them. Sailors, however, bring grace and style to the waterways of the Norfolk Broads. We were indeed becoming sailing snobs and long may it continue. Fair Wind, her sails and her 10hp Volvo inboard diesel engine has carried us over may fun filled miles during the past 8 days. Skipper and crew will savour long happy memories of what we hope will be the first of many sailing holidays.
AND SO IT BEGAN
This first sailing experience was the catalyst for our future nautical adventures. Flotilla holidays in the Mediterranean were the next step. Then we bought an old boat and sailed around the Solent for a while. Finally, we had Comino built and ended up leaving our careers to poodle off from Portugal to Greece as part-time sea gypsies. This blog tells the story.
You can still hire Fair Wind from the same boatyard and I have a secret little plan to do just that one of these days. It'll be over 25 years since the last time we sailed her and I can't wait to be re-united......watch this space!