The Places We Have Been - Part 3 2011

2011 promised to be our most adventurous season of cruising we have had with Naughty-Cal and it didn’t let us down. Planning the years cruising took up most of the winter months, much longer than anticipated, and it was with a final flurry of work and odd jobs that we finally made Naughty-Cal ready for her first holiday, on the evening before our departure.

The first holiday of the year was a warm up cruise during Easter Week, in the company of Devocean and Boundarys Vice, upstream on the River Trent to Nottingham. A lazy week spent checking out the boats after their quite winter rest, in readiness for the adventures later in the year. All of the boats performed well, the weather was kind to us and barring a little beach incident heading back downstream on the tidal Trent, proved all of the boats to be in fine fettle and the crews all in tune with their craft, even when the going got tough and things didn’t go according to plan.

Naughty-Cal on her Trent Beach

The next trip was another cruise in company, this time to Wells next the Sea in the company of our good friends onboard Devocean and a couple of other novice crews, new to the sea. This was another great trip and a great chance to check that Naughty-Cal and Devocean were running well in time for the big adventure of 2011 and that we, the crew, were ready to face the sea again. Wells as always was stunning and treated us well with the weather despite a slightly choppy outbound crossing it soon perked up and the sun shone treating us to the best that this town has to offer. Another great week spent in one of our now favourite seaside towns.

Early morning start from Wells.

The last trip of 2011 was by far the best and by far our most enjoyable yet with Naughty-Cal. A long awaited two week trip to the Norfolk Broads. We were blessed with blue skies, flat seas and great weather on the outbound leg of the trip, treating us to stunning scenery and a great entry to the Broads. Our week on the Broads was uneventful and greatly enjoyable, all the places we remembered from our hire boat days still as welcoming and pretty as ever. All too soon it was time to head for home and under blue skies we had a stunning run back up the coast towards Wells next the Sea, and a great afternoon spent at anchor in Blakeney bay, awaiting our tide. Unfortunately this is where the weather broke giving us a rough few days in Wells and a decidedly rough passage home. But we live to tell the tale and will no doubt do the same next year. If anything this homeward journey taught us more about Naughty-Cal than any other trip we have faced so far. She proved to be one hell of a tough little boat, despite being faced with conditions well beyond her design criteria she held her own and got us home safely.

Naughty-Cal moored at Neatishead Staithe

With all of our major holidays completed for this year it is time for us to start looking ahead to 2012. A year that promises to be full of firsts and full of adventure and will hopefully build on our gaining confidence at sea. With the winter months ahead we will have plenty of time to plan our year and continue to modify Naughty-Cal to suit our ever growing cruising needs. It will also give us a chance to give Naughty-Cal some well earned TLC as a big thank you for the past twelve months for she has guided us safely through yet another successful year, thanks Cal.