I have had a wonderful weekend in the Walton Backwaters.

It did not start out very well though.

No crew wanted to play this week-end.

The son had been coming but pulled out at the last minute.

To late to sort anyone else.

Got on board mid-afternoon and got sorted.

Decided to motor up-river to put a charge in the batteries.

Got up to the moorings below Waldringfield and turned back.

Just then there was a strange noise from the engine and the engine alarm went off.

Shut it down and dived below to look.

Fan belt had shredded it self.

There was a light breeze blowing up river and the tide was just beginning to flood.

Using the genoa I managed to pick up an empty mooring at the second attempt.

I thought I had a spare fan belt in stock.

I was wrong!

I also thought that I had an emergency fan belt.

I then remembered that we had used it and broken it at the end of last season on the Range Rover on our way back from the Norfolk Broads.

I had left the dinghy and outboard on our mooring.

Nothing for it but to sail back to the mooring.

Slow going.

Tide getting stronger against me and a light wind.

It was tacking all the way which can be quite wareing when single handed.

Getting past The Rocks was hard work as there was quite a wind shadow.

It took 2 hours to get to the mooring that was just 2 miles down river.

Having got back to the mooring I shot of into Ipswich hoping that Halfords or somewhere would be open late.

No luck.

Up early and back to Ipswich and visited a car dealership who could not help but told me of  a parts factor who would be able to.

Back on board by 10:00 fan belt fixed and off the mooring at 10:45, only about an hour later than me original plan.

Nice broad reach down the coast to the Pye End buoy ans then close hauled up the Walton Channel.

I found the good ship Morgana at anchor off Stone point and went along side to exchange pleasantries and receive a very welcome drink.

I also off loaded 2 large bags of firewood I had brought along as my contribution the the evening beach fire.

I then went on up stream and picked up an vacant mooring.

The afternoon and evening was spent on the beach with a great group of folk from the YBW.com forums.

Every one had some sort of Pirate dress.

Back on broad late evening for a quite night with the prospect of a dinghy trip round Horsey Island in the morning

The morning dawned some what damp.

Headed back down to the anchorage with the intent of going along side Morgana again.

Two other forum members had beaten me to it.

I was then invited to go along side Ty Dewi .

A large motorsailer.

Her crew where in the last stages of preparing to cross the Atlantic and spend the winter in the Caribbean followed by a trip though the Panama canal and up the west coast of the USA to a new home in Canada.

I was given a lovely Breakfast.

There was then a group discussion to abandon the dinghy trip due to the damp and head for home.

Left at about 11:30.

Back on the mooring at 14:15

Mileage for the trip 32.4

Mileage for thr season 455.6