New OGA members Dave and Sarah bring us a report from this weekend event, 6 – 7 September 2025, aboard the Wherry ‘Albion’ sailing in company on the Norfolk Broads. ‘Albion’ was built near Lowestoft in 1898. She was used to carry loads to the shallow upper reaches of the rivers on the Norfolk Broads. Today, as the oldest trading wherry afloat, her cargo was 12 old (and not so old) gaffers, a skipper and four crew.
The morning briefing took place on the bank of the river Bure at 0945 following a hearty breakfast of sausage baps. The sail was raised at 1000 and we headed in a North Westerly direction at a speed of 2.9 knots and a tide pushing us up the river. We passed the entrance to the River Ant and St Benet’s Abbey with a flotilla of hire boats in awe of the majestic ‘Albion’ as she sailed effortlessly along. We headed up river until 1100 and then dropped sail to turn fully around. This passage was into wind at times and the massive sail on ‘Albion’ flapped and jostled to find the wind she required – directional power assistance was given by the tender and its outboard. Everyone on board had the opportunity to take the helm whilst the rest of the OGA’s drank tea in the sunshine and caught up with each other on recent sailing adventures. We stopped for lunch on South Walsham Broad at 1230. 15 assorted OGA dinghies drew alongside allowing skipper and helms to enjoy a marvellous array of homemade food and cakes together with those aboard ‘Albion’.
After lunch we returned along the Bure, finding ourselves in the middle of an East Coast Cruising Club race. Several gaff rigged Broads cruisers with a vast spread of canvas tacking round the 90 degree bend and heeling far over was quite a sight. As one old gaffer observed, the openness of the landscape allows being gafg rigged to be ‘normal’! The crew and the skipper did an excellent job of directing the plastic hire boats to pass us safely (although there were still a few tight moments), and the passengers got to assist in a bit of boat handling when the last manoeuvre to turn round resulted in a ‘quant overboard’ and recovery.
The wind was stronger on Sunday, with forecast gusts up to 30 kts, so several small boat crews elected to take a trip on ‘Albion’. There was a morning cruise (starting with bacon butties this time) up the Bure to Malthouse Broad, then returning to base for passenger change over at lunch and the same trip in the afternoon. ‘Albion’ was heavily reefed, and made frequent gybes on the outward journey, which the passengers prepared for by lying on the deck to avoid the heavy sail. Passengers were able to winch the mainsail up, learn about the chain adjustments needed to allow for the gaff angle adjustment when reefed, and to inspect the sail construction, which was new this year.
Due to the wind strength the passengers were only allowed to assist with steering on the motor assisted upwind legs this time, and even then the steering was very heavy. On the last trip of the day ‘Albion’ once again found herself in the middle of a race, this time requiring the leading race yacht to perform some extremely well handled short tacks between ‘Albion’ and the bank, to go on to win the race.
Many thanks to the skippers and crews for their excellent work, and for allowing the enthusiastic gaffers to ask lots of boaty questions and join in as much as possible (health and safety and insurance permitting).
Report: new members Rainbow Dave and Sarah
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