We had planned to return home after the Oulton Broad rendezvous but when we woke up on Tuesday morning to a settled anti-cyclone and warm, sunny weather we had a rethink. We could carry on with our work aboard and incorporate some leisurely Broads cruising and sightseeing into the week. So it was two days later before we managed to depart the moorings at Oulton, having fitted in a bike ride to Somerleyton Hall as well as a visit to the Norfolk and Suffolk Yacht Club to make use of their wifi. We made the short cruise upriver to the moorings upstream of Somerleyton swing bridge, grateful that we were able to make a smooth passage through this often troublesome obstacle. We only had to move one hire boat to find ourselves a nice mooring and had fortuously arrived just in time for lunch in the popular Duke's Head. With their good reputation for real Suffolk food (as well as real Suffolk ale) this is a must-visit hostelry on these rivers.

From here we had another energetic cycle to the third in the trilogy of Somerleyton estate businesses, the Fritton Lake & Country Park. An ideal place to take the kids for a summer afternoon out, Fritton is a themed lakeside park with boat trips, pony rides, giant board games and falconry displays to intersperse between tea and ice-cream stops. Back at the moorings we enjoyed a beautifully quiet Broads evening, with only the singing from the neighbouring yacht club cruise-in-company to shatter the peace. The free Broads Authority and pub moorings demand a different style of cruising, with daily short hops along the waterways and sometimes obligatory meals out to justify the space. This was the case at the Reedham Ferry where moorings are free to diners.

It was no hardship to stop here for lunch the next day as the talented chef serves up a great selection of home cooked dishes with his 'nearly famous' Fish Stew being a particular highlight. It was while enjoying lunch here that we came to realise that not only were BOC friends Ian & Paula on Balai due to arrive later that afternoon, but that they would be joined by Bernie & Linda on Sea Lord and John and Margery on Marjon before the day was out. It made an ideal opportunity for an impromptu BOC get-together and a typically convivial evening was enjoyed by all.

It was on to Brundall next where we rendezvous'ed with Peachments to replace our ailing domestic batteries, as well as to secure the assistance of Broom engineers to repair our leaky heat exchanger, before returning to Horning for a winter rest.

Cruising Statistics

Distance: 16 nm

Total to date: 2302 nm

Avg Speed: 4 knots

Duration: 5 hours

Diesel: 14 litres

Mooring: Free

Electricity: N/A

Water: N/A