Saturday 20th April 1963: Martham - Potter Heigham

2.5 miles
Wind: Easterly Force 7
Heavy Rain

The crew of the Vagabond assembled at Potter Heigham from various parts of England. The Captain and Mate went on to Martham to pick up Vagabond while the Cook remained in Potter Heigham buying provisions. At Martham the Captain and Mate were in difficulties as a full gale was blowing from the East and the rain was continuous. Vagabond was moored in a narrow dyke and to have enough room to hoist sail and get away from Martham without completely wrecking every other boat in sight she had to be dropped back down the dyke and into the main river (the Thurne). This was safely done and the Captain and Mate then got down to the business of reefing the mainsail and jib. Being a gaff rigged boat this was quite a ticklish procedure - the howling wind and driving rain were no help at all. After struggling for three quarters of an hour with wet rope and sodden canvas it was finally accomplished and the mainsail was hoisted. The Captain and Mate were just about to go below for shelter and a smoke when a loud twanging noise announced the fact that the forestay shackle had parted. There was panic all round (for the first of many times this week) and the mainsail was hurriedly lowered. A new shackle was eventually obtained from the boatyard, the forestay was secured and the mainsail re-hoisted. By this time all the poor Captain and Mate wanted to do was to get to Potter Heigham so the moorings were loosed and at 18.30 hrs (three and a half hours after taking over the boat) Vagabond set sail from Martham down the River Thurne to Potter Heigham which had by this time, to the sodden members of her crew, become a sort of Promised Land. This stretch of the Thurne runs North-East to South-West and so it was a broad reach all the way. This was fortunate as two and a half miles of tacking in the prevailing conditions would certainly have resulted in a Most Bloody Mutiny on the first night afloat.

Potter Heigham was reached at 18.50hrs and Vagabond was moored on the Eastern bank of the Thurne just above the railway bridge where she was abandoned by the saturated Captain and Mate who squelched into the village to find the remainder of the crew and some steaming hot tea. Potter Heigham, the centre of the Broads holiday ‘industry’ with its rather shanty town appearance is not the best introduction to the Broads, and the crew had hoped to find more peaceful moorings for their first night afloat, but further sailing was out of the question by this time, so bags were stowed, hot meals cooked and beds made ready for a good nights sleep.

Vagabond's mooring

 

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