After Daniel’s friend Gary had joined us aboard, and we all used the Oulton Broad facilities, we set off by bus to Lowestoft for a while. We then returned to the boat and cruised to Great Yarmouth and through the Haven Bridge to moor at High Tide/Slack Water by using Channel 12 to join the craft allowed under.
The boys set off to explore and I took the girls for a walk and then to Joyland as Di was unwell. Sailing yacht Phan Khu came alongside to moor for the night. King Hussein flies to Washington to try to mediate in US/Iraq confrontation.
We woke up to find that the arrangements had worked out all right with Gary in the Saloon three-quarter birth and he had also actually managed to sleep as a bonus. We all walked across to have baths and showers at the Yacht Station at 8.00am, just after they opened, and Diana managed to use the washing machine there as well. Debbie went out to get some milk and so we could all had breakfast on board. There then followed a bit of a rush to get cleared up and out to catch the bus to Lowestoft. We just made it on time but need not have bothered as the intended bus did not turn up at all! I followed the advice of a local and we crossed the road and caught the open-top bus from the bus-stop opposite which made for a nice journey anyway.
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On arrival, we had morning drinks at an upstairs cafe in the shopping precinct and then went our own ways to meet up for midday at the McDonalds for lunch. I used the time to go to the admiralty agents for some new charts of The Wash and then to the chandlers to buy a manual bilge pump. We had the same bus problems in getting back to the boat and ended up on the open-topped bus again. We cast off from Oulton Broad, sorry to leave the place, but we had much else to explore. They are nice and comfortable moorings there with the facilities of electricity and showers and so convenient for the sea. On another occasion we will come down from Yarmouth and then lock inland to explore the southern broads from that direction, whilst being within reach of the sea in our dinghies.
Our passage was a quick one to Great Yarmouth where we managed to get through the Haven Bridge at high tide by using Channel 12 to join the craft allowed under the Haven Bridge at the same time. This was a very good example of the VHF radio use so as to arrive at the High Tide/Slack Water time. Tea on the boat after which the boys went off to explore and I took the girls for a walk to the sea front. I enjoyed a plate of cockles on the pier as usual and then allowed the girls to have fun in Joyland. Di had a bit of a turn then, coming over a bit shivery and flushed with her eyesight impaired which was a worry. We were back at dusk in time for me to put up the canopy and I stayed up until mid-night but the boys had still not arrived back. At this late hour, sailing yacht Phan Khu came alongside to moor for the night. King Hussein flies to Washington to try to mediate in US/Iraq confrontation.