Spring canoeing

Beautiful morning yesterday with SW breeze and sunshine. Paddled with Mike Sherwen from Billingford to Syleham. It was a good day, full of herons, buzzards and another day-flying barn owl. Fantastic.

About 0.43 on the gauge.

Winter at Weybread Weir. 0.38 on the gauge

Intermittent light sleet. Cold on the hands!

Weybread Weir from Petro Dobromylskyj on Vimeo.

On the marshes

Nice circular walk across the Haddiscoe Marshes a couple of days ago:

Having left the map at home I took a turn off on to the marsh one track too early so ended up on the wrong side of the dyke. Which meant a cautious step across a ligger:

And then a rather more cautious bum shuffle, feet first, over this ropey, tilted, slippery and very creaky plank into a bramble thicket to get back to the track proper!

The walk back, correctly located on a footpath, was much easier!

At the edge of the marsh was a lovely patch of feral woodland:

Even if it was rather damp under foot:

Canoe bathtime

Getting ready for some reinforcement panels inside and a coat of varnish all over. Spring is on the way!

Low water on the Blyth

Heading for the beach at Walberswick we stopped for a quick picture of the Blyth at low tide, looking east after scrambling over the dyke from the A12

And at Walberswick

Hoxne Weir with 0.37m on the gauge

A mild day in mid December for a paddle from Syleham up to the weir at Hoxne for the waterslide

Waterslide at Hoxne with 0.34m on the gauge from Petro Dobromylskyj on Vimeo.

Below Hoxne Weir there is 1/4 of a mile of little gravel riffles to the mill house. After this is is deeper and slower but soon you meet a killer of a low tree. A solid tree trunk right across the whole river, you could get under it at very low levels or over it at very high levels, but I've had to portage it at mid levels.

IT'S GONE!

Happy happy, thank you to who ever removed it. Environment Agency?????

Roaring Arch bridge again

Roaring Arch Bridge with 0.25m on the gauge. Less of a bump and scrape than last time, unfortunately no 'yak today...

Needham with just under 0.5m on the gauge at Billingford

Yesterday at Needham


Needham Weir from Petro Dobromylskyj on Vimeo.

River Waveney at Shotford, Needham and Syleham with just under 0.5m on the Billingford gauge

First flood of the Autumn, should have cleared the weed chokes:

Shotford Bridge  with the river full but only just over the banks in a few places

Looking down stream from the launch point steps

Needham Weir looking unpleasant but not too lethal

Syleham House in panorama

Syleham Back Channel as it approaches the road bridge to rejoin the main stream

Autumn at Shotford

Panorama of Shotford Bridge with 0.1m on the gauge

Roaring Arch Bridge in very low water

With 0.16m on the Billingford flow gauge the little weir at Roaring Arch Bridge is quite a dry bump and scrape:

Roaring Arch Bridge in low water conditions from Petro Dobromylskyj on Vimeo.

Bungay Loop last Summer

On the 5th of August I paddled the Bungay Loop with the children in Corfyn.

We launched at Roaring Arch Bridge, this is looking back upstream as we drifted down the gravel riffle:

Next it was under the A143 and back in to bright sunlight:

Then we paddled down to Bungay Sluice portage point round the Loop, mostly with me paddling and the children picnicking. Finally we walked back to collect the car through the town centre, via the cafe with the gluten free cakes.

Summer sunset from the garden

Just a sunset from last summer, 4th of August

Walberswick last Summer

Another day from last Summer, July 23rd this time. Crabbing, paddling and some swimming at Walbersick with Mike and Val.

Paddling Corfyn with the children, having forgotten to put their buoyancy aids on. Luckily we were probably only in three feet of water:

Mike had a turn:

Then over the sand dunes for a swim off of the beach. Tolerably warm:

Picnic at Stiffkey last Summer

A day from last Summer, 28th July, up at Stiffkey salt marshes on a neap tide. Corfyn unloaded from the car and waiting with the picnic and paddling gear on board:

The day started with crabbing on the bridge while we waited for friends to arrive:

All on board to paddle the short distance to the corner sandy picnic place just down creek:

Picnic time:

Paddling Corfyn on my own after the picnic:

Tony's turn:

A good time was had by all.

Corfyn on the upper tidal Blyth

Paddled from Blythburgh Bridge, launching by the A12, up to Blyford Bridge and back down. Upstream with the last of the flood tide against a brisk westerly breeze then back down with the ebb and a tail wind. Fantastic paddle, hot and sunny.

Launch point with the last of the flood tide still pouring up under the rather busy A12:

The first section was open with a decent fringe of reeds which kept some of the wind off and the last of the flood tide helped:

Working upstream the river became narrower, much more sheltered and somewhat obstructed. The flood had finished by now and the ebb just begun so it was safe to squeeze under. Lying down in the boat to do so!

Just emerging on the upstream side, looking back at the squeeze. This was HW on a 5.12m tide at Walberswick. Another 40cm and it would have needed a wait or a portage:

At HW the flow of the (very dry!) Blyth drops in to a foot or so of water rather than on to flat concrete:

The river above is quite different from the tidal section:

Looking downstream from under Blyford Bridge. Time to head back:

At times this upper section got quite narrow:

But there were lots of cattle for company: