Friday 2nd
May.
White Rose,
Pandora 3, Fair lady and Pelican assembled at
Reedham Street
.
Evening spent
supporting local tradespersons, leading to a leisurely start to
Saturday.
I arrived at
White Rose in time for splendid breakfast and had pleasure of sailing to
Rockland
for very pleasant lunchtime. Group
made very welcome while pub prepared for their first birthday party.
Perhaps some continuity at this venue at last.
Sat pm, fleet
sails back on tide to Cantley. A
nice sail interspersed with the treasurer testing her predecessor’s quanting
ability !! Pleasant evening at Cantley where the initially booked table for 4
ended up at 10.
Eventually
joined by the commodore (shamed into attending by a barrage of text messages ??
) and the Duke family. The crew of
Pockets arrived in good form having enjoyed the flesh pots of
Norwich
and apparently an enormous takeaway. They were still able to ward off
dehydration before leaving the pub.
Sunday
Latish start
after another White Rose breakfast waiting for the tide with a GENTLE breeze.
Sail to
Brundall
Gardens
where the fickle wind, raging maritime thirst and lateness combined to persuade
the engine into use. The original
plan to go to Thorpe abandoned due to tide height at Thorpe bridge.
Party boat ( Pelican )
departed for Ribs of Beef with modest contingent on board, augmented by Pockets
people picked up at commissioner’s cut (again
off to the flesh pots of the big city.) Fleet joined by Avocet to give us 5
yachts + Pelican for the cruise.
Couple of
very good beers at R o B . Probably
would have been more, but company left when big screen showing of
Chelsea
v
Norwich
was imminent. It was mooted that we left rather than see grown men cry.
Back at
Surlingham Ferry, jolly meal in pub with highlight of birthday cake (Jean’s
carrot cake) for Christine’s birthday.
Sunday.
The secretary
left at “de tres bonne heure” to catch tide in
Yarmouth
. The rest of us
left at a respectable time to sail to Cantley.
By Coldham Hall the reef word had been uttered on White Rose but the
alternative proved to be “chug-chug” with coffee, biscuits and calvados for
elevenses. Beats reefing all ends
up. Avocet departed at Langley Dyke in order to brave the A14.
The remainder of the fleet returned to Reedham, with Pelican going on to
Burgh
Castle
. A splendid weekend cruise, with thanks to those who organised it and took part
in whatever capacity.
DHK
