Leaving Daniel ill on the boat, I took the family by taxi to the Pleasure Beach amusement park where the girls thoroughly enjoyed themselves. The heavens then opened and we had to beat a hasty retreat back to the boat by taxi and I cast off without assistance in a full spring ebb tide with the flow running at 4/5knots as we traversed the Haven and Bure Bridges with the mast and canopy down, getting soaking wet. We cruised on to South Walsham Broad and dropped the mud-weight on what by this time had become a calm evening.
This morning, Di went shopping again and I sat and finished updating my charts. We made a bed for Daniel in the girls' cabin so as not to affect the saloon. Then, once Diana returned, all of except Daniel went to the market centre for morning drinks and then by taxi to the Pleasure Beach amusement park where the girls thoroughly enjoyed themselves. The forecast was for rain and the heavens then opened and we had to beat a hasty retreat back to the boat by taxi. The river was by now in a full spring ebb tide and the flow must have been running at 4/5knots as we attempted to cast off. I tried to handle all of the activities myself to start with but then had to get Diana to come outside and help in the wet.
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To add insult to injury, the harbourmaster's assistant drove up in his van and called me over to stop me tying up temporarily to the handrails which was very helpful of him! Once we got away safely in the pouring rain with the hood etc down, we made very little way punching against the tide but gradually passed the Haven Bridge and used the boat's power to cross the current and get under the two main Yarmouth bridges as well before we could raise the mast and cover again. By this time, both of us and the bridge were soaking wet and we regretted not taking up the carpet there. I was glad that I had bought a new windscreen wiper blade, however, after breaking the other one the day before. Diana continued at the helm as I mopped out the bridge and we then cruised a long way upriver until ending up at South Walsham Broad where we dropped the mud-weight on what by this time had become a calm evening. I was then able to dry the boat off with the mop and at least it had received a good wash! We spent a restful evening there, watching the TV as I got out my newly updated charts and used them to work out a course from Great Yarmouth to the Wash for my practical course next month. What a day!