Broads Rally - 19th to 21st September 2014

Having been to the Norfolk Broads with Tra Bhui in 2013, we were keen to visit again in 2014 as it would be not only another opportunity to sail this year, but a chance to see a bit more of this beautiful area.  

Attending the Broads Rally meant an 800 mile round trip for us. Towing a boat 800 miles for a two day rally may not be everyone’s idea of fun therefore to allow us the maximum time at the Rally, I set off on the Thursday afternoon (after voting in the Scottish Independence Poll) and Kathleen who was working on the Thursday and who falls into the camp of people who would not choose to sit in a car for 800 miles flew down to Norwich on the Friday morning. As the Rally was under an hour from Norwich Airport we could arrive early and make the most of the Friday there.

Friday 19^th September

This year the Rally was to be based at the Waveney River Center which is a holiday center on the River Waveney  a few miles inland from Lowestoft. The approach to the Waveney River Center is via some pretty narrow single track roads with relatively few passing places, but fortunately we did not meet anyone coming from the other direction.

Arriving at the Center in the early afternoon we immediately set about getting Tra Bhui in the water in order that we could get the cockpit tent set up and ourselves organised which would in turn allow us time to go and explore the surrounding area during the afternoon.

The River Center has an easily accessible slipway next to the basin where we would be mooring. After checking in with reception, buying our 48 hr. license for the Broads and paying our launching fee we parked Tra Bhui at the top of the slipway in order to rig her and get her into the water. What is usually a quick and simple operation became a minor epic.  

Determined to overcome the minor furling problem with the genoa which is caused by the forestay having been incorrectly supplied without a separate trace for the jib up haul, I ended up raising and lowering the mast three times as I tried a number of minor variations and configurations of blocks to solve the problem. The trial and error way of rigging was worth it in the end as the furling worked perfectly when we used it. 

Break Back Trailer

It was a rather reluctant Tra Bhui that slid from her trailer into the River Waveney once we had at last finished rigging her. Normally she runs freely off her trailer but this time a good bit of shoving was required – something to entertain our fellow ralliers who by now were starting to arrive. 

With Tra Bhui afloat and the cockpit tent erected I took the crew to the nearby pub for a very belated lunch only to find that they had stopped serving food 2 hrs. earlier! Boy was I a popular skipper by then!!!

Tent up - time to go and explore

After a quick cup of tea and some peanuts in the Waveney Arms we set out to explore the immediate area. The Waveney River Center sits pretty much on it’s own miles from anywhere with only a few houses and a church nearby. The church was a very interesting building with a square Ziggurat inspired stepped tower and a mixture of brick and flint stone walls.

After a pleasant walk south westwards along a country lane (England) /  single track road (Scotland) called Straith Road (so it is not a lane after all!) which heads nowhere in particular but is part of a network of lanes criss crossing the countryside we headed back to Tra Bhui. After trying out the marina’s showers which are shared with the adjacent campsite we retired to the Waveney Inn for dinner.

Saturday 20^th September

The calm of Saturday morning

After waking to a windless morning we set off in a generally west direction with the aim of “sailing” to the market town some 7 miles away. By mid-morning a light breeze could be felt but it gave anything but a constant wind and with every tree along the river appearing to effect it direction it offered challenging sailing conditions. This resulted in Tra Bhui doing far more motor sailing than sailing as each time the wind dropped or swung round a bit, the river current tended to cause the boat to “ferry glide” towards one of the river banks.

Drifting towards Beccles

The Gig is probably not the Drascombe best suited to the narrow stretches of water that form the Broads. With it’s long keel it does not turn as quickly as other boats in the range and it’s slightly deeper draft discourages one to venture too near the reed lined sides. When heading upwind on the Broads, the ability to short tack is vital to make any meaningful progress. Unfortunately this is not the Gigs strong point and gives me an excuse however spurious for not sailing when heading upwind in light winds.

Tied up at Beccles

Arriving at Beccles at lunch time we tied Tra Bhui up to a convenient  wharf where the other Drascombes that had arrived before us were already alongside.

While most appeared to be happy to eat  lunch on board, we set off to explore Beccles and to find a coffee shop.

The townscape of Beccles is dominated by the detached sixteenth-century bell tower of St Michael's church. Like the main body of the church, the tower is Gothic in style and is just under 100ft tall. The tower is not attached to the church and at the wrong end of the church as the correct end would be too close to a large cliff.

Other than the church tower there are a number of old building around the town center which adds a bit of character to the town. We found a pretty decent café for lunch before having a wander around the town.

Our sail back to Waveney offered a little more sailing   but still the outboard was needed to ensure we got back before dark.

Rally Dinner

The Rally Dinner was  held in the Waveney Inn which is part of the River Center. I think a good meal and an enjoyable time was had by all those who attended. After a few post meal drinks we retired to Tra Bhui for the night.

Miles sailed (motored) - 14 miles

Sunday 21^st September

To allow Kathleen to catch her flight home from Norwich we planned to be off the water, packed up and on the road by 14.00hrs. As most of the Rally participants had lengthy distances to travel and also wanted away sharp, our planned trip would be a shorter one to Oulton Broad which is just under 2.5 miles from the River Center.

Under way on the River Waveney

Oulton Broad is an expanse of water and marsh which forms part of the network of man-made bodies which form the Broads. The Broads themselves are believed to be the remnants of medieval peat cutting. To the east Oulton Broad is linked by a lock to Lake Lothing which passes through the center of Lowestoft and opens into the North Sea. To the west it is linked by Oulton Dyke to the River Waveney.

Oulton Broad is the most southern area of open water in the Broads system, and is a busy tourist and sporting center. It is one of the few broads that has adjacent residential areas, with houses to the north and flats to the east. The north side of the Broad is one of the most expensive residential areas in Lowestoft and includes large detached houses with lake frontages.

While the eastern and north shores of the Broad are built up, the west and south-west are quiet and natural.

After the calm of Saturday by Sunday the wind had risen with a vengeance and shortly after turning eastwards from the river Waveney we were running down wind on Oulton Broad at up to 4 knots under Genoa alone. With the Broads speed limit of 5 Knots and having had been stopped for speeding by the Broads Authorities the year before we had no need or desire to raise the main or even let the mizzen out!

"Racing" Daisy II back to Waveney

Arriving at the mouth of the Broad we lost the wind behind a group of trees so a short distance under motor was required. Just as we began to clear the trees the motor suddenly cut out and we drifted quietly into the reeds which line the river. Having checked the fuel system and supply to the engine, I reckoned the problem was electrical, but having loaded my tool box along with our camping and cooking stuff into the car to speed our departure when we got back I had no means of investigating the problem any further.

Preparing ourselves for a tow, I noticed that the engine cut off switch under the remote controls had been kicked to the off position. It just shows that the simple and obvious things should be the first things to check!

Satturday - red / Sunday - yellow

Back under power we made a circuit of Oulton Broad before motoring into a strengthening wind as we headed back to the River Center.

Packing up after the Rally

Hauling Tra Bhui out was less problematic than launching her and soon we were de-rigged and packed to go. With some time in hand we lunched at the Waveney Inn before saying our farewells and heading off to Norwich Airport.

After dropping Kathleen at Norwich Airport just before 3pm I headed northwards by road arriving home just before 11pm

Miles sailed / motored - 5 miles