Up early (for us!!) and on the move to catch the tide up the river to Wareham. Coffee and toast on the go as we pass a few other early risers…although this doesn’t seem to include the scouts!

The harbour in this part is really beautiful (I’ve probably mentioned that before) and we potter gently and ever more warily across the mudflats…

… to the winding channel up to Wareham. By the time the river is really narrow, the paddle-boarders, canoeists and motor boaters are out in force and we have someone in the bows keeping a sharp watch round the bends.

We were hoping for a mooring on the quay next to the bridge, but unsurprisingly there is no space…

… and we pick our way back down stream, wondering about picking up a vacant mooring. We call the Redclyffe Yacht Club but they have no space and nor does Ridge Wharfe. Oh well. Wareham will just have to do without our vast reserves of spending money! Then the phone rings and it is Adrian from Redclyffe who says that he can squeeze us onto his own mooring for the night. He was very apologetic about saying no the first time, but it is heart-warming that someone would go to the trouble to make some space and to call us back. The club there is tremendously friendly (although the mooring is a bit of a squeeze for Heydays) and is a world away from the commercial marinas of Lymington and the rest of the south coast.

We trundle the 10 minutes up a hot and dusty path to Wareham in search of a little light lunch, but with dwindling hopes as we see the crowds on the quay and the pubs by the water. However… just a couple of streets back is the Horse and Groom who have seats in the shady garden, some lovely ales…and a little light lunch of roast dinner with all the trimmings. We have no will power. To top it all, the staff are amazingly friendly and welcoming. Another afternoon of dozing in the sun in what promises to be the last couple of days of the heat wave.