Main PIcture: Mutford Lock, with Oulton Broad behind Crew: Kim Hollamby, Jake Kavanagh.
From: Oulton Broad, River Waveney, Suffolk.
To: Lowestoft Harbour, Suffolk
Port engine start hours: 491.5. Finish hours: 492.1. Hours run: 0.6.
Stbd engine start hours: 491.6. Finish hours: 492.6. Hours run: 1.0.
Log start: 5712.0nm. Log finish: 5714.1nm. Distance run: 2.1nm.
Navigation log (full commentary follows below)
Paid berth two nights inc electricity ‘18.20
0758: underway.
0800: into Mutford Lock. Pay fee ‘6.
0820: clear Mutford Lock and road/foot bridges. Alongside pontoon waiting for rail bridge.
0835: through rail bridge. Contact Lowestoft Hbr for lift bridge; told a lift at just after 0900.
0910: through lift bridge.
0918: alongside pontoon Royal Norfolk & Suffolk Yacht Club, Lowestoft.
Commentary
Kim Hollamby reports:
Oooh! Not nice, to wake up in a sudden panic realising that the alarm clock wasn’t set last night and wondering whether you’ve missed your scheduled appointment with Mutford Lock at 0800. Fortunately I quickly discovered we had two things in our favour – 14 minutes to get ready and the immediate proximity of the lock to our mooring.
It also helped that the keeper was particularly gentle in his dealings with us, cajoling us through the lock and its immediate foot and road lift bridges, then giving us a shout when we got too interested in making tea and failed to notice the rail bridge swinging. Mutford may still be suffering the last vestiges of a reputation generated many years ago of being run down, unhelpful and expensive, but the reality since the early 1990s has been very different. I was pleased that we managed to finally keep a promise of several years that we would see for ourselves just what is on offer these days.
Mutford railway swing bridge 
