A&E !

I certainly had not intended to post a blog as quickly as this but, with time to kill in Lowestoft while one of the crew is in A&E in Great Yarmouth, it seemed a good idea.

Our ‘lay day’ in Woolverstone on the river Orwell, enabled us to tackle some of the various outstanding jobs that seem to accumulate with yachts, particularly when they are as complicated as Hejira.

I was enormously pleased, which is a bit strange, to find the pipe onto the saloon AC sea water pump leaking with the jubilee clip not in place but slipped down the pipe. When the clip was tightened onto the connection, the saloon AC ran seamlessly. A silly fundamental error by the refit engineer has caused such major implications, water in the bilge and a nonfunctioning AC system – first world problems I guess, but, for me, it all needs to work properly!

Our passage to Lowestoft was straightforward, if a bit of a slog with the wind mostly directly from behind but we made good time.

On our arrival into the Royal Norfolk and Suffolk Yacht Club Marina, there was no space on the visitors pontoon with boats rafted, and those smaller than Hejira. There was a ‘stink pot’ moored in the middle of what would have been two berths and a very helpful fellow Southerly sailor raised the owner and they moved it so that there was just enough room for Hejira.

You might conclude that I have a urinal fixation after featuring the incredible Victorian bank in Rothsay but these in the RNSYC are also a fine example.

Unfortunately, David had been quietly suffering a lot of pain which was quite evident from the way he was moving around. We made up a larger bed for him in the saloon but, in the morning, his discomfort was such that he made a 111-phone call and was advised to attend A&E. The nearest being in Great Yarmouth, we dispatched him in a taxi, hoping that everything was treatable with drugs and we could still make our overnight passage to Den Helder in Holland tonight.

Richard writes:

What goes on tour, stays on tour. Except, of course, when a story is too good not to pass on! But beware, this is not for the squeamish!

Whilst in Woolverstone, our skipper visited the on shore facilities and returned, looking a little sheepish. A couple of pints of the local brew, Southwold Bitter, finally loosened tongue and he admitted that on completing his business, he discovered that there was no loo paper. Now, any normal person would shuffle out to the adjoining cubicle, as soon as the coast was clear. But, Nick, being Nick, recalled a conversation with some, obviously very strange, fellow who described how it was his preference to flush and, using the flow of water and his hand, cleans the offending area. You can guess the rest!!!  (No pictures)