Wednesday 24th April 1963: Laid up at Oulton Broad Yacht Station

Wind: South East Light to moderate. Force 2-3
Foggy and cold

The crew roused at 10.00hrs and went to have a really good wash (and in the case of the Captain and Mate, a really good shave) in the washrooms at the Yacht Station. Both Yarmouth and Oulton Broad Yacht Stations provide this facility free to visiting yachtsmen. It must be admitted that a really good wash in a lot of really hot water makes all the difference to the morale (not to mention the look) of a crew! The Captain and the Mate attempted to take the Ship’s Dog for a walk in Nicholas Everett Park which flanks the Broad but, as usual, the dog took command and proceeded to take the Captain and Mate for a more than brisk walk as he set off after every water fowl which ventured into his line of vision. After breakfast at 11.00hrs the entire ship’s company went into Lowestoft by bus. The first visit was to the fish docks where there was a hive of activity as the catch was swung ashore, gutted and packed in ice. Some of the fish seemed extremely large and not a bit like the plaice and herring one is accustomed to finding in an inland fish shop.

Most of the trawlers in the main basin seemed to be modern steel built ships, although there was one wooden old-timer, the Ada Kerby.

Strangely enough the air was not pervaded with what one usually thinks of as a fishy smell - this seems to be reserved for fish shops inland - but by a wonderful salty smell, the smell of fresh fish as opposed to the fish we get from shops which could be anything from three days old to three months if it has been in a deep freeze. In the smaller basin were the tiny offshore fishing boats, some of them hardly more than sixteen feet long, but each with its Lowestoft registration number (LT) and a businesslike air.

Just by the entrance to the fish dock was a really old fashioned ships chandler stocking oilskins, sou’westers, fish baskets and really warm fishermans’ sweaters, gloves and socks. The Bottlewasher bought a sweater and the Captain and Mate bought tough woollen working gloves at 1/6d a pair. The crew than went for a walk round Lowestoft and had a fresh fish and chip lunch. The Ship’s Dog was then taken to a butcher’s shop to choose his supper. This important mission having been accomplished the Mate and Cook went off on a window shopping expedition - for the Cook’s benefit - while the Captain, Bottlewasher and Dog went down to the seafront - for the Dog’s benefit. The high winds of the past few days had built up quite a sea and the thunder of the breakers and the spray were not at all to the Ship’s Dog’s liking and he urgently requested that he be taken elsewhere, where he could enjoy all the new and fascinating smells uninterrupted by all this water which seemed to have gone completely mad. The crew reassembled at 15.30hrs for tea, coffee and Horlicks in a cafe near the sea front. The Mate and Cook decided to go to the pictures - to see ‘Rififi’ - while the Captain, Bottlewasher and Dog returned to Vagabond, collecting supplies on the way.

Sailing boats moored on Oulton Broad

Having stowed the stores away the Captain and Bottlewasher went and had a look at Lake Lothing, a tidal lake which joins Broadland to the sea via large locks. Of course this has not always been so - until 1831 Lake Lothing was a fresh water lake. Then a lock was built between Oulton Broad and Lake Lothing and the Lake was also permanently joined to Lowestoft Harbour. Suckling, in his ‘History of Suffolk’ writes: ‘. . . on Friday the third of June in that year . . . the Ruby, a beautiful yacht of fifty-one tons burthen and drawing nine feet of water entered the lake from the sea under full sail with colours flying. Some of the circumstances attending the junction of salt and fresh waters in the first instance were remarkable. The salt water entered with a strong undercurrent, the fresh water running out to sea at the same time on the surface. The fresh water of the lake raised to the top and an immense quantity of yeast-like scum rose to the surface. There was a clearly defined line where the salt water and fresh water met and upon this line salt water might have been taken up in one hand and fresh water in the other. Lake Lothing was thickly studded with the bodies of pike, carp, perch, bream, roach and dace, many of which were carried out to sea and cast upon the beaches. A pike was cought near the sea end of the lake and a whole herring was found in its stomach . . .’ Today of course, Lake Lothing is nothing more than a narrow salt water inlet, packed with shipping and small craft, its water usually covered with scum, orange peel, herring swill and all the flotsam and jetsam of a tidal harbour. It is nevertheless still a fascinating place. The crew re-assembled at the Yacht Station - by the time the Mate and Cook returned from Lowestoft supper was ready and was eaten by 20.45hrs. The fog, which had persisted to some extent all day, thickened as darkness fell and everyone was in bed and asleep by 22.30hrs.