Chapter IX: Womack Broad

[Picture: Decorative drop capital] Being tired of fishing, we had a swim, and then dinner; and, late in the afternoon, we hoisted sail, to a stiff breeze, Wynne and the man in the cutter, and I in the lateener. They ran away from me so quickly, however, that I could not stop them at the entrance to Womack {91} Broad, as I had intended, and was obliged to go in chase of them up to Heigham Bridges. The round, bluff bows of my old lateener, designed to support the heavy mast, which raked forward over them, made such a hollow in the water, and raised such a big wave, that sailing very fast was impossible. As it was, the nose of the boat sank so that it seemed as if she must run under, a fate not uncommon with lateeners, when running before a stiff breeze. It was this peculiarity of theirs, combined with the large foreyard, more than twice the length of the boat which caused the rig to fall into disuse. For turning to windward, however, they are uncommonly handy, and easily managed single-handed. The Thurne is a fairly wide stream, with deep water, so that you can tack close up to the banks. It is four miles from the mouth of the Thurne to Heigham Bridges, and the cutter was there ten minutes before me.

[Picture: Drainage Mill--River Thurne]

"I say, Wynne, I wanted you to stop at that dyke, half way up, but I could not make you hear me. There is a charming little Broad there, called Womack Broad, and a picture ready composed, so bring your paint-box, and we will beat back in the lateen."

We reached the dyke in half an hour, tacking in that narrow channel with great celerity.

[Picture: The River Thurne]

"This boat turns more quickly than the cutter, I think; at all events, there is less trouble in managing her," said Wynne. "Do you know that I think a fine-bowed lugger, with main and mizen rig, would be a handy boat for these waters."

"Some of the old lateeners have been turned into luggers, and sail very well. Here is the dyke, nearly a mile long, and fringed with ferns and flowers, reeds and bulrushes, iris and forget-me-nots."

"Here comes a wherry. What shall we do? There is no room to pass."

"We must go to windward of her, or her sail will take the mast out of us. Here is a place made wide to admit of wherries passing, and we can hold on here until she gets by. There, that was a tight fit."

The boat sailor must be very careful to keep to windward of the wherries in narrow waters, as their huge gaffs and sails take up a great deal of room, and if they catch your mast, they may carry it away, or capsize you. It is still more important not to get across the bows of a wherry, as she would get the best of the encounter, and a small yacht very much the worst of it. It is not often that accidents happen through any collision, but occasionally the crew of a row-boat get bewildered and row across the bows of a wherry, sailing fast, and a day of pleasure is turned into mourning. A special Providence seems to watch over amateur boat-sailors, and it is marvellous to see how they come unharmed out of predicaments which seem most serious. The wherries are sailed remarkably well, and you can generally rely on their carefulness, so that you may sail your yacht rigidly according to the rule of the road. One thing should be remembered, the wherry's sailing is a matter of business, and the yachtsman's is a matter of pleasure only; therefore, it is well to give way to a wherry, if there is any doubt on the point, and not hamper her unnecessarily.

The dyke we were then sailing down is about a mile long, leading westward to Womack Broad, which was once a nice sheet of water, but is very rapidly growing up, each year seeing an accretion to the growth of spongy marsh, and an additional layer of mud on the bottom. At present, the channel is navigable for wherries, which ply to Ludham village, at the further end of it.

On the right-hand side, as we entered the Broad, is a bit of an old-world picture: a boat-builder's shed, large and old, and of picturesque construction, stands on the margin, amid low bushes and under the shade of mighty trees. Beneath it is a large boat, of an age and type unknown, and a wherry sleepily awaiting repair. Behind the boat-house is a barn, whose high-thatched roof is shaded by the branches of a cherry tree. By the side of the boat-shed is a dyke, where sundry small craft are ensconced. Behind all, and peeping out of a garden run wild, are low, thatched cottages, and scattered about, among the tall grasses, are trunks of trees, curved "knees" of oak, suitable for boat-building, and broken-up boats and punts. On the still water in front is moored a floating eel-fisher's hut, and all around is the sense of the repose of the past. The former busy life has left its emblems resting in acquiescence with the fate which contracts the sphere of their usefulness, day by day, and year by year, as the vegetation slowly, but surely, drives out the water. That dense growth of reeds lies upon a skim of soil which would not bear the weight of a dog, and now undulates with the movement of the water, but in three years' time it may bear the weight of a man.

An old man who lives near there, grumbles because the artists come and paint his cottage and broad, and take away pounds' worth of sketches, and never think of sending him a picture in acknowledgment.

It was a lotos lake to us that afternoon. Wynne painted, and I fished, and we sailed back to Heigham Bridges by moonlight.

[Picture: Gudgeon] Womack Broad is not shown upon some maps and charts, but those who are susceptible to a lovely scene should not pass it by.

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