Messing About in Boats

So when the stress and hassle of work and life get to you, it's always important to take advice from the great works of literature:

"There is nothing - absolutely nothing - half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats."
- Kenneth Graham Wind in the Willows

And so that's what we did:

Half-Term break this year found us heading out to the Norfolk Broads, Britain's largest protected wetland and the third largest series of inland waterways comprised of small dikes and rivers to sweeping expanses of open wetlands:

Always the traditionalists, we set off on our 1-week adventure aboard a 22-foot traditional wooden gaff-rigged sloop, Jenny:

Little Jenny was the perfect size (ok, perhaps we could have done with something a wee bit bigger... ;) for seeing the Norfolk sights, including the traditional thatched-roof homes complete with "boatways" (we're assuming there were driveways too, we just didn't see them!).

And all the fantastic wildlife the broads had to offer:

Australian Swan (European swans are white, and there were plenty of them!). This swan was part of a pair introduced to the broads as an ornamental species who have made a comfy home harassing human tourists for whatever junk-food they were willing to offer.

Crested Grebe (Kim loves these guys, particularly when they carry their young around on their backs!)

Egyptian Geese (also ornamental imports)

Little Turns, up from Africa for the breeding season.

Marsh Harriers swooping around over head.

And lots of other animals (including coots, moorhens, greylags and otters!!!) with lots of little babies paddling about!

One of the challenges of sailing the broads are negotiating the many low bridges crossing the rivers:

The above bridge was in Potter Heigham, an ancient Roman village famous for it's pottery. The low-flying medieval bridge we crossed under is famous for being the most difficult to navigate in all of the broads. Passing under it was fun, but we were particularly impressed with our ability to drop and raise our mast & rigging in under 20 minutes!

After a long day of sailing it was great to moor up in a quiet spot along the banks of the nature reserve, open a bottle of wine, pull out the binoculars and enjoy the chattering of wildlife all around us:

Quiet, restful and invigorating - it was the perfect break after a long and stressful year and a great reminder that:

For whatever we lose (like a you or a me)
it's always ourselves we find in the sea
-ee cummings