This section describes the cruises that started with preparing Lady Martina for the cruising season by getting her from Horning via Reedham to Brundall and then down to Yarmouth, via Reedham again, and then out to sea and along to Lowestoft for the first sea voyage of the season in controlled circumstances. Then from Lowestoft and across the North Sea to IJmuiden where we overnighted in the industrial town of Beverwijk before proceeding along the canal to Amsterdam, where we chose Sixhaven marina to leave Lady Martina for the week whilst we flew back to England and returned by car with our dog Max
This first section describes the cruises that started with preparing Lady Martina for the cruising season by getting her from Horning via Reedham to Brundall. There, her annual servicing and some other repairs were completed by Brooms Services on time and to a good standard ready for further action. Modifications completed by Brooms included work on the life-raft cradle and upgrades supervised by myself centred on the electronic navigation, for which a new state-of-the-art solid state navigation computer (with no fan or moving parts) was installed as a bulkhead fitting to replace the bungee-supported laptops that have adorned the Saloon shelf until now! http://www.ladymartina.com/cruise-logs/2016/horning-to-brundall/brundall-lowestoft-3
The second phase involved the cruise down to Yarmouth, via Reedham again, and then out to sea and along to Lowestoft for the first sea voyage of the season in controlled circumstances. By now everything was proved to be working and familiar to skipper and crew alike apart from the old Navman fuel monitor and rev-counter instrument, which had proved to be faulty after the winter. Its function was well duplicated by the multiple systems on board Lady Martina and so is no great loss but a look out will be kept for any modern engine-monitoring instrumentation that could be applied to older style Volvo power units http://www.ladymartina.com/cruise-logs/2016/horning-to-brundall/brundall-lowestoft-2
The third part of this phase of 2016 activity was to cruise Lady Martina out of Lowestoft and across the North Sea to IJmuiden where we opted to lock through into the canal and turn off into a side-canal for the first night; choosing the industrial town of Beverwijk where they were just completing the construction of some new visitor's moorings where Lady Martina was the very first vessel to moor and stay for the night; attracting the attention of the Town Council who came to see the outcome of their investment come to fruition! http://www.ladymartina.com/cruise-logs/2016/horning-to-brundall/lowestoft-ijmuiden4
The last short leg was from Beverwijk along the canal to Amsterdam, where we chose Sixhaven marina to leave Lady Martina for the week whilst we flew back to England and returned by car with our dog Max. At €175 for the week, this was €25 cheaper than the normal choice of the modern Amsterdam Marina, and had also more charm and character as well as being closer to the centre by ferry. Sixhaven has also had its own makeover with its automatic ticketing and new mooring pontoons, which give much more protection to other boats these days. http://www.ladymartina.com/cruise-logs/2016/horning-to-brundall/lowestoft-ijmuiden4-2
