Albion 2008

Having had our Health and Safety talk and been kitted out with life jackets, we climbed aboard the Albion. First of all we had to get out of the narrow channel where Albion is berthed. Traditionally this was done by quanting. (For a description see Dick's first try in Coot Club - pages 183-185.) John Benford bravely took up the challenge, and unlike Dick, made an excellent job of it! However, quanting a wherry is no easy task, and the crew soon showed us how they propel the wherry along narrow stretches these days, by a dinghy tied to the stern with a powerful outboard motor!

Once into the wider River Thurne the sail was raised. This was a job for two strong people turning a handle each, either side of the winch. When she caught the wind she really sailed beautifully! Of course, being The Broads there was never a dull moment! Plenty of unsuspecting motor cruisers came round a bend in the river to be confronted by a wherry in full sail! Most of them obeyed the instructions given them by the wherry crew, but one "hullabaloo"
only just took avoiding action in time after the trainee crew member found he had a much louder voice than he ever imagined!

There was plenty of time to take in the beautiful Broadland scenery and wildlife. We passed old windmills, and the picturesque St.Benet's Abbey. We saw coots and great crested grebes and herons just as in Coot Club days. Some of the sailors amongst us took a turn on the tiller of the graceful old lady.

We reached the mouth of the River Thurne and sailed on up the River Bure heading for Ranworth. However, we were sailing so well that the crew decided to go a bit further, and we sailed as far as Cockshoot before turning round and heading back through Ranworth Dam into Malthouse Broad and Ranworth for lunch.

We anchored for lunch using another method familiar to the Coots. Two mudweights were dropped out - one fore and one aft. We enjoyed a leisurely lunch on deck in the sunshine. Three people opted to go ashore with one of the crew in the dinghy to explore Ranworth. Those of us who stayed on board were treated to a demonstration of the mast being lowered. Amazing - a mast with such a large circumference - yet it came down, and went up again - without so much as a squeak - not even from the operator - so smoothly did the counterbalance weight do the work! Then we helped to take a reef in the huge sail. Easy enough with lots of us at anchor on a calm day! I wonder though, what it would be like in stormy conditions in a hurry on your own! The wherrys were of course, sailed by only a skipper and a mate. (Again see Coot Club).

After lunch we set sail again to retrace our passage back to Ludham. It did seem that we passed far more sailing boats on the way back. Beautiful, graceful wooden boats with the typical Broads gaff rig.

We had one small mishap on the way back which was not as serious as we at first feared. The dinghy started charging about, and a crew member got into her to put things right. He somehow got his fingers trapped between the dinghy and the wherry - OUCH! He had a good first aid kit and I splinted one finger to the next - just in case he'd done more damage than we knew. However, a cup of tea and a piece of Ann's excellent fruit cake (thank you Ann), saved the day!

After this we continued "under power" with the dinghy pushing us the rest of the way back to Womack Water for about 5pm. We posed for a group photograph on Albion before disembarking.
(I was pleased to check that the injured finger was no longer numb and fully workable before we departed!)

A fantastic day was had by all, and we gave our grateful thanks to the wherry crew.

NB. I am currently re-reading Coot Club for the umpteenth time - and some of the details have "come alive" since this trip! For instance the little stern cabin with its stove where Port and Starboard peeled the potatoes! Also some of the sailing technicalities are making more sense!

Susan Harper.