Logs and Shanties

Got up, got washed (baby wipes!) put on 6 layers of clothing as taken off last night, Abi's drawer would not open. Abi pushed, pulled, pushed, pulled, to no avail. Rebecca pushed, pulled, pushed, pulled, to no avail. Rachel pushed, pulled, pushed, pulled to no avail. Bunk was dismantled. Abi knelt in Jenny's drawer and hammered own drawer open with aid of handy shoe. Missing purse revealed in bilges- bonus!

Morning delightfully uneventful until...

When finishing QT we were approached by two distressed Helens pleading for assistance, Fat Lady was aground. "Where?" we asked. Next to the sign that says shallow no entry, they replied. In a heroic rescue attempt we motored over at full speed, and sent the now nervous Helens into the dinghy with a towline. Once secured we went full steam ahead, Fat Lady went full steam astern, nothing. Fat lady rocked at the shrouds. The mast sections shook independently. Better stop that. Luke delegated to radioing Commies (Skipper merely physics graduate but can't work out how to use it). Radioed to Commy Neil. No reply. Radioed to Commy Clare. No reply. Rescue attempt aborted. Sailed to Hickling and enjoyed peaceful lunch.

We had tasty cheese on toast deliciously cooked by Skipper and mate. Luke came back from shop with a teletubbies windmill, which got promptly attached to the gaff. All was going well until the departure. Skipper about to give orders for leaving bank. Suddenly spots dinghy moored to bank. Is that dingy ours she asks. Nobody knows everybody else has left. Luke tries to radio Commies. Radio waves were blocked by Clare singing. ~~~~Impression of Clare singing~~~~ Luke: "Clare Im being serious for once!!" Clare finally stops singing. ~~~~another impression~~~~ but did not know whether dingy was ours. Made executive decision to take it anyway. Motored to windward bank and set sail. Jenny wobbling around on bowsprit noticed tangled jib sheet. Too late to do anything about it. Confusion ensued. Then Abi leapt to stern deck to fend off cruiser. "My hat" she cried as boom came over and mainsheet knocked it off. Not a good moment to stop. Sent mate in newly acquired dingy on hat rescue mission, while we tacked off onto the broad, Phew good thing we had that dingy. Continued tacking out onto the broad no problem. Now all we have to do is retrieve the mate. Dingy headed out from Staithe. Bure Classic attempted to head back to the staithe. Sheeted right out, pulled tiller, boat failed to bear away. Hmm the wind has got up again. Could do with a reef in, now is not the time! Finally managed bear away and get close to mate. We'll lie to you row to us. Ok shouts John. Oars jump out of rowlocks. Oh dear. Mate drifts back towards staithe. Bure Classic reaches repeatedly across the Channel attempting to pick up the mate up at regular intervals. Luke crouching on stern deck ready to take mates painter, repeatedly beaten around the face by mainsheet. Sudden cry from Luke: my knees bleeding, Skipper: can you wait 5 minutes? Luke I need a plaster. Skipper: ok come in then now can you wait 5 minutes? Abi deployed to stern deck. Repeatedly beaten around the head with mainsheet. Finally managed to catch painter of dinghy. Skipper: just take a turn around the ring and hold onto it. I need to tack out of here fast. Attempted to tack no response water definitely shallow to leeward. OK get the mate out of the dingy quick we need to reverse out. Engine full steam astern. Bure Classic slowly, slowly began to reverse towards Channel PHEW! Abi: so did you get the hat? John: The man on the bank was watching it for us he said it sank ages before I got there. Another cry of pain from Luke: "The boom hit me on the head OW!"

With the mate back onboard the sails were safely stowed and our wounded soldier was finally allowed to tend to his injuries. The mate motored across the broad as we put a reef in. Jenny filled with enthusiasm was delighted to show to Skipper, her perfect reef knots tied around the boom. So those came out again and the reef was finally completed in Heigham Sound. Oh said the mate the engine key has fallen out. The engine still seemed to be chugging happily. Skipper picked up the bent key wondered whether it would still work and what would happen if she pulled the ignition key out whilst driving her car at 70 mph down the motorway. Our adventures finally over, we sailed in style up Meadow Dyke and right into the Dyke at Horsey. A perfect end to an eventful day.

I started my day by inviting myself onto Delphy-good start!!! Most of morning was taken up with making Betty happy and making her have various adventures around the boat. First of all she was put on the helm with me, Jenny, to take Delphy out of mooring, Betty was still in her sleeping bag, impressive!! Her next stunt was when Chris tied her a nice little harness (an alpine butterfly and a couple of bowlines) and sent her up the mast on the burgee halyard. After a few tacks and pictures we took her down. Betty's next adventure took her to the end of the boom with no harness on this time but safe in the hands of Dave. Anyway enough of Betty's adventures. Now as a visitor on Delphy, I was expecting a nice time. Instead I was serenaded by the barber shop quartet and was made to make tea for people. As I don't drink tea myself, this took quite a while because I didn't know what to do. After this we had a quietish morning and moored up for lunch. I'm sure that other people will explain what went on at lunchtime so I shan't waste your time saying what happened now. Well in the afternoon we started with the serenading again, it was great! Then we hit a problem, Richard, likes shallow water! Then we had a few games of "Scoop that Poop!!" after we used the quantpole to help us off the shallow water! Dave won and I lost (but I was the first to attempt it, and I was laughing rather hard). Anyway we had a nice sail on Barton broad in the afternoon.

(the rest of the day's events were recorded as by Chris Witham)