Nic Compton
HUSTLER, a two-berth, 24′4″ LOA yacht built by Percy Hunter in 1936, sails out of the channel leading from Hunter’s Yard to the River Thurne on the Norfolk Broads, England. The extensive network of conserved waterways has been a destination for generations of sailors.
“Stop! Don’t go! Please don’t leave us! I do not have a clue what I’m doing!”
Those were my thoughts as the Rev. Neville Khambatta stepped off our boat onto a dory driven by his wife, Val, and headed back to shore, abandoning us to our fate. We had barely had 10 minutes’ training when I suddenly found myself in charge of a 29' 2" wooden boat with a huge gaff mainsail, navigating a narrow river while dodging a steady stream of traffic. The wind was blowing Force 4–5 (11 to 21 knots), a perfect sailor’s breeze if you know what you’re doing but downright terrifying if you’re new to a boat and sailing in a confined setting. For the first time in ages, I felt truly like a fish out of water.
It was the Easter holidays, and my wife, Anna, and I had decided to head to Norfolk on the East Coast of England, on the other side of the country from our home in Devon, for a change of scenery. Nearby was the vast network of marshes, reed beds (see sidebar, page 30), and inland waterways known as the Norfolk Broads. It’s been a popular sailing area since the early 1800s and holds a special place in the British sailing psyche: a place where families and Sea Scouts can charter small- to medium-sized boats for sailing or motoring without fear of meeting any big waves. It’s also famous for its big skies, bucolic scenery, and abundant wildlife.