Today we started lazily if I’m honest, the Skipper began with attempting to steal a TE20 tractor from the boatyard & in a fit of benevolance we offered the crew of a ‘Leander’ to moor alongside us so they could access the freshwater hose.
It was quite strange really to compare the 2, considering that ‘Corsair’ came from the same yard – they really are completely different!
Our C&H ‘sister’; freshly re-watered.
(This was years before I understood the role A.L. Braithwaite had with the clippers – versus the reality of Alfred Yaxley from Belaugh, the postwar foreman of Chumley&Hawke who did however build ‘Corsair’ with Tim Whelpton, albeit with an extra plank)
Anyway, in a strange reversal of our now familiar daily routine, we took all reefs out – bunged the big jib on (!) & set full rig after 4 days!! We soon departed & headed for a wild-mooring opposite St. Benet’s abbey to perform housework. (Binky cleaned the cabin windows)
Enjoying full-rig, we set off again & navigated onto South Walsham Broad where we sailed well into the inner broad, circumnavigated the island & spotted RCC S/N70 ‘Don’ at mudweight. Coming out of Fleet Dyke, we engaged in some informal racing with a Devon yawl, with Mr Jalil proving himself quite competitive (surprising)
S/N70 ‘Don’ & assembled fleet!
HB was spotted on the St Benet’s moorings, where Theo promptly (and quite literally) jumped ship. The prospect of a warm & dry berth proving too tempting for his weak-willed traitorous ways!
Despite this treachery Binky & I enjoyed the gentle tack upto Ranworth, where to be fair ‘HB’ did tow us onto Malthouse broad, where we mudweighted close to the wherry ‘Albion’ where we then all unwisely leapt into a tiny dinghy for the passage to the Maltsers P.H.
The tack to Ranworth.
(At this point, a certain Judas displayed all the grace of a baby rhino on acid to get in/out of the said dinghy, nearly tipping us all in!)
After a reasonably boozy lunch, we motored upriver to the surprisingly expensive Salhouse Broad for the night. D is cooking, only tomorrow will tell if we survive…
Ouch. Today was a painful start. An inadvisable quantity of beer at the ‘Fur & Feathers’ and the existing head injury made me jaded. I was not alone – the crew made similar noises… but we couldn’t remember the Morris Dancers, so win some, lose some!
As a priority, we quanted out of our mooring spot, to escape what was possibly the most noisy inboard engine in the world! (Curse those hire-boats, which run engines incessantly for hot showers in the morning).
We motored ‘briskly’ to Wroxham, and resorted to ‘hair of the dog’ on the way, as a restorative. (It was 9:30am!)
Evidently we’d not learnt our lesson, at Wroxham we victualled 24 Strongbow, 1 bottle of red & a bottle of Vodka. We had however nabbed a nifty mooring outside a little coffee shop, and basked in the sun a while…
After some Latte & Teacakes (also restorative) we did set sail in the direction of Ranworth.
This proved the most enjoyable sail of the week thus far. We soared across Wroxham Broad where we saw ‘Chatterbox’ – a gorgeous lugsail dinghy built in 1900, and reputed to be the prototype of the Norfolk ‘Dumpling’ class. We also saw wherries ‘Ardea’ & ‘Solace’. It was starting to feel like a holiday!
The record must also state that at this point, Petty Officer Jalil (and he is Petty!) suffered life-threatening injuries. It was ‘touch and go’ for abit until emergency ice cream was administered. (!)
A whistle-stop tour of Salhouse saw us admiring a Brooke motor launch, ‘Viking’. Very rakish.
As the afternoon progress, the wind dropped, even to the extent that a reef was shaken out, although when sailing through Horning Street the passing showers did force several crew members to retire to the cabin.
Approximately 5 1/2 hours after we left Wroxham, we quanted across Ranworth Broad and moored in pole position (for the Maltsters P.H.) Tomorrow I understand that an expedition to the top of the campanile is planned.
Goodnight.
Our route
Quanting – again!
Day 5.
Ah. Rain. Good, we’d only have 3 days of that so far. We sheltered under the awning waiting for the rain to ease. Presently it did, and we enjoyed a climb to the top of the church tower (St. Helens), admiring both the view and the mobile signal!
Upon our descent, the skipper exercised his judgement and delayed everyone until 11:02am, thus avoiding the deafening from the bells! (clever chap that Skipper).
St Helens
Up and up!
The bells
Spot ‘Corsair’
Spot the skipper
Tat from the gift shop duly purchased, we had a furry spider and a Fox finger puppet aboard, as we set-sail with full rig for the first time 5 days sailing! A gentle drift was interspersed with a quick spot of lumber-jacking with the gaff on unsuspecting trees, and a whistling competition on South Walsham Broad – to rustle up a breeze.
(It was whistle blowing, but that soon turned very nasty amongst the crew!)
Our day’s sailing finished with a Wagnarian scene, where we sailed through crackling lightening and rumbling thunder.
The highlight of the day was without question the surprise we had when we moored opposite Whelpton’s yard at Upton. Conversation with Tim Whelpton revealed that he could recognise ‘Corsair’, as in 1951 with careful supervision from Alfred Yaxley (Chumley & Hawke foreman) – Tim had BUILT HER. I was stood next to the man who’d built my boat.
He even asked me to retrieve a bunk drawer, before upturning it and showing his signature on it, from 1951!!!! It was a humbling experience, and I was stunned at our fortune. We hadn’t planned it, I didn’t know Tim had worked for C&H. Sometimes these things just happen. Wow.
Tim W – her builder
Clipper Vi
Now, after more Thunder and Lightening – we are sitting in the White Horse at Upton, having started the evening off with a Vodka (or 12) back at the boat (!). Theo has managed to rouse the Pub Piano into life, and is playing Scott Joplin. It lived in a lean-to, had not been tuned in a lifetime and a dozen mute keys. He’s good though.
Theo plays.
As yet, there are no major panics about our planned racing tomorrow at a local regatta.
A Broadsman 