teadaemon

Currently I work in a boatyard, but if I can sort out a few things (like PI insurance), then I'm hoping to move into marine surveying. Edited to add: I have just about been able to buy a boat and run it for at least a year (hopefully longer), but it's only a 17' yacht, and I did spend literally months waiting for the right boat to come up at the right price - I've since spent more than I paid for the boat on tolls, insurance and a year's mooring. If it got too much to run, then I may consider downsizing to something that I can keep on a trailer in a boatyard and launch when required, as that'd drop the annual running costs by more than 50%, but I'd only do that if I really had to.

I suspect Clive may know more than me, but equally I'd suggest that the only way to be sure is to start taking the deck apart (from whichever side you decide to work from), and have a look. Incidentally, if you work from the top you should be able to cut panels of the top laminate out and lift them off whole - if you were careful and cut around the moulded non-slip, then it might be possible to conceal the joins when they're laminated back into place with non-slip deck paint (done properly it can look pretty good, and it's far easier than a cosmetically-perfect gelcoat repair, or working from the underside). The problem with my was that the plywood stringers glassed to the underside of the foredeck were completely waterlogged, rotten, and disintegrating. Going from the top down wasn't a sensible option, but replacing them with PU foam (whatever's inside the stringer contributes far less strength than the glass that gets laminated over it, so I went for something that wouldn't rot) and glassing them all into place was a hellish job that I have no wish to repeat.

That's fast work Clive, but I suppose if you've got three people who do that job day-in, day-out, then they're going to be quicker (and probably better) than those of us who have to turn our hand to it less regularly. I also agree that bodging things back together is not an option - I've seen plenty of quick repairs done with filler (on various boats, hire and private), and they don't tend to last more than a couple of months or one collision before they begin to fall apart. Nice to see I was right about the cause of the damage too, although it wasn't that hard to work out that they must have hit something very solid with a corner a couple of feet above water level, which narrows down the possibilities considerably.

Bill, I doubt they have spare hull mouldings or part mouldings lying around waiting (I stand to be corrected, but if they do it's only going to be fleets the size of Richos where that'd be at all practical). In this case, if I were specifying the repair, I'd be happy for them to grind back the edges of the (admittedly quite wide) crack (preferably on the inside if access is possible), get all the bits lined up, and then stick it back together with plenty of glass and epoxy (after that, when the flap is secure again, I'd start sounding around the ends of the crack for delamination, especially where the flap was acting as a hinge, then grind out and repair all of that). If there was just a big hole with nothing to glue back into place, if the moulds are available then a patch can be made and laminated into place, or a mould of the relevant area might be able to be made from a sister vessel (although that's potentially a very big job), or some sort of temporary mould created so that a patch can be laminated in-situ. Whilst this sort of repair job is definitely not one I'd want to have to deal with in the context of a booked-out hire boat (whatever method is chosen, it's going to take a few days), finding a solution to problems like this is the kind of challenge that makes working with boats interesting. There's a lot of job satisfaction in working out how to do it and then successfully executing your plan. Oh, from the location of the damage, and the size and nature of the hole, if I had to bet money on it I'd go for them having rammed the corner of a quayheading at reasonably high speed.

I don't want to put a downer on things but for Broads boats there are at least three options for a cored deck - foam, end grain balsa, or chipboard . If it is the latter, then it's only a matter of time before one spongy section becomes a whole spongy deck. Although working from above makes it more difficult to finish off cosmetically, it's a lot easier to do the actual work, and a lot easier to make sure you get a good bond between all of the various layers. I'd strongly recommend going from the top down rather than working from the underside (I didn't have an option on my , and now have some overalls that stand up on their own, plus lots of drips of epoxy down the sides of my v-berth (that will get covered when I finish fitting out the interior).

I know Robert Paul deals with the moorings on behalf of Hall Farm, but I don't know who controls Ant Staithe, it may be him or it may be somebody else. I wasn't aware of the old Horning Staithe, the moorings at Horning Church Staithe that I'm thinking of are in the dyke next to the small public staithe, accessible by a rather rough footpath that IIRC goes through the churchyard. The last time I was down that way I was going out to check on a solo hirer who'd phoned us up to say he was ill and then hadn't made it back to the yard as arranged, so I didn't bother with any signs, as my main concern was checking that he was safe and didn't need urgent medical attention.

Ant Staithe is still there - it's the stretch of bank between Ludham bridge and the Hall Farm moorings (the boundary is the fence with the gate in it), but I don't know who controls those moorings, if they're no longer leased to LBBS then they'd probably know who to contact. There's also moorings at Horning Church Staithe - I'd guess the church would be the obvious first point of contact. Having said that, I'm on the waiting list for a parish mooring at Womack Staithe, but at number 29 on the waiting list I'm not expecting to get a mooring for a very long time, and I suspect that any Horning parish moorings might have a similar waiting list. Your best bet for cheap moorings in Horning is probably to join the sailing club and go on to their waiting list, though I don't know how long it is. What sort of sailing boat do you have? I've just got my Express (17' LOA) back into commission, and spent Sunday moving her from Horning to Hickling, to take up her new mooring at the Pleasure Boat.

The majority of hirers, new or experienced seem perfectly happy to go through the handover procedure. A lot of it is taken up with all of the boat's systems (water, electricity, gas, where to find all the switches and what they do, etc), which most people have a vested interest in having explained to them. I actually find that most people who've been boating before downplay their experience - the ones with an armful of RYA qualifications or 30 years experience are generally the ones who pay attention and ask intelligent questions. When it comes to the river trial, I have been known to remind impatient skippers that I won't get off the boat until I've seen evidence that they're capable of adequately controlling it. If somebody is experienced and knows what they're doing, generally I can tell fairly quickly. Everyone gets a meaningful river trial, including mooring up (and I do emphasise mooring up into the wind (or tide if it's strong), organising your crew, having a lookout (particularly on the forward-steer boats), etc, etc). If they need more, then they get it. In a worst-case scenario, on a few occasions people have had to come back to the yard and we've sent somebody out with them the next morning, preferably nice and early when the rivers are quieter and hopefully less challenging. In my experience, most accidents involving hire boats are not the result of recklessness and over-confidence, they're the result of people panicking or freezing because they don't know what to do and/or don't have confidence in their own ability to handle the boat. I spend more time on river trials reassuring people that what they're doing is right and that they've got the boat under control than I do telling them to slow down or pay attention. One thing I really try to get across is being aware of what's going on, keeping a good all-around lookout, and trying to anticipate what's going to be happening in the next few minutes, rather than allowing situations to creep up unnoticed until the last second. That way, my hirers are hopefully less likely to find themselves in situations where they might panic.

I can assure you that the yards do know about it, and do tell hirers. Whether said hirers choose to take a blind bit of notice is another matter - some do, and some don't. I am pleased to say that all the Freedom boats I saw out appeared to be handling the traffic reasonably well and with sufficient confidence (although I'd question the wisdom of Song of Freedom's decision to head through pretty much the entire fleet spread either side of the start line, he was managing ok, helped by having a very easy to handle boat). Hopefully that wasn't just luck and it's because our handovers are up to scratch.

I wouldn't like to second-guess the race committee, but if it was thought that the clash of dates would prove to be a particular problem, they may decide to move the date of the race by a week to avoid such a clash. IIRC, this has been done at least once before.

Cover for racing risks is normally an option for yacht insurance - on mine it added about £10 per year to the premium (although to get it I also had to opt for cover up to 12 miles offshore rather than just inland waterways, so that will also have added to the price). As most of the smaller boats are used more for racing than cruising, often policies tailored to them include racing risks by default.

I was in the race this year (crewing on Perfect Lady 9, SN 399), and we managed to do very well, starting at 12:05 and finishing at 00:36 for a total elapsed time of 12 hours and 31 minutes before handicapping. The wind was certainly not strong enough that abandoning the race was a serious possibility, although I did notice that after a couple of hours most of those boats that could put a reef in had done so (including us). Swearing at other boats (whether racers or not, sail or motor) is out of order, and if you remember which boat it is (sail number or name) then letting Horning Sailing Club know is a good idea. The Three Rivers Race is invitational and they do state in the race briefing that competitors are required to show courtesy to other river users, on pain of potentially not being invited back again. I didn't see any punches being thrown, but that's definitely behaviour that will not be tolerated. I also didn't witness any serious (resulting in visible damage or injuries) collisions between competitors and private or hire boats, although I don't doubt there were some. The vast majority of collisions I saw were between competitors, or with the bank (or similar unyielding objects - there's only one winner of Norfolk Punt vs. moored up Princess Katherine, and a very, very loud crunch). In previous years I've been handing over hire boats and day boats in Horning on the weekend of the race, and I'm always very clear that they'll have a lot more fun if they keep out of the way of the racers (I normally send them up above Ludham Bridge for the Saturday if they ask for suggestions). One hire cruiser did ask us what do as they came around the corner heading downstream and saw 100 boats waiting on the bank or tacking up towards the start line. My skipper gave a friendly suggestion that going back and mudweighting on the Broad for an hour would have given them a nice clear run down the river behind all the yachts, but they decided to carry on regardless (I think they got through without too much trouble, although probably a lot more stressed than if they'd followed our advice).

I'd suggest that the chances of getting planning permission to run a hire boat operation from that house on Horsefen Rd are pretty close to zero. IIRC, the Broads Authority are planning to find a tenant for their base next to Hunter's Fleet, but I'm not sure that's particularly suitable for a hire yard (basin is too small and not enough parking, though it does have a very nice shed and a boat lift).

How would bump sensors be able to tell the difference between nudging a quayheading and bumping into another boat? Where will I (and others doing my job) find the time to go around plugging every boat into a computer, downloading and interpreting all of that data, in addition to all of the other jobs that need doing to get the boats ready to go out again? Given that most hirers are perfectly capable of taking a boat out for a week or two without causing any damage to anyone or anything, is this really a sensible and proportionate response, or just a solution in need of a problem?

Welcome to the forums (and the Broads). As far as I'm aware, there aren't any hire boats available from Great Yarmouth itself. There are moorings available (though as it's somewhere I tend to pass through without waiting for longer than a tide, others would probably be better to answer questions about which of them is best). Wherever you hire a boat from, you will need to return it to the same place at the end of your holiday. You will be able to leave your car(s) at the hire base, though most charge for parking. Wherever you start from, in a week you could (if you wanted to) see most of the Broads. This will depend on how much time you want to spend on the boat and how much doing other things. How much diesel you use in a week depends on several factors (how efficient the engine of your boat is, how much you use it, whether you plan your travels to be with the tide or not, how much you use the central heating if fitted). Yards generally take a fuel deposit (at Freedom last year it was £75 for a week) and then settle up one way or the other when the boat returns. I've filled up the same boat after a week's hire and it used 40 litres one week and 160 litres another week, so it can vary a lot. Expect to pay similar prices to road diesel, even though the boat is actually filled with red (it's complicated to explain the details, but basically the duty has to be paid at similar rates to road diesel). For the size of party you have, you basically have a choice between boats that steer from the front and are on a single level, or boats with a cetnre cockpit, each has advantages and disadvantages. (Forward steer generally have more inside accommodation and are easier to get around inside, centre cockpit can be better if the weather is good and have better visibility from the helm. Personally I'd prefer a centre cockpit, but that's mainly a matter of personal choice.) I'm somewhat biassed (as I spent last season working for them) but you could do worse than take a look at Freedom - Fair Freedom or Rambling Freedom would both be large enough for your party. Failing that, there are plenty of other yards to choose from (Richardson's or Herbert Woods being two of the large ones that spring to mind). I know I haven't covered all of your questions, but hopefully that should be enough to get you started.

Fixed and swinging.

Not wishing to get involved in this particular discussion (as even if I currently had a boat it would be a long way from Somerleyton), but I do notice that Network Rail have now fixed whatever it was that was preventing the bridge from opening.

If you'd read a bit further on in that thread, you'd also have seen that Expilot (who is the one person on here who will know best about anything to do with going through that bridge) pointed out that due to a number of factors the time of low tide is not a critical factor in whether or not a boat will get under. Also, the OP in that thread was talking about the times for the week when they were planning to be on the Broads, as the time of low tide varies by about an hour every day, what was true for that week will not necessarily be for any other week in the season. The amount of water in the river system has far more of an effect on the clearance at Potter than whether it is high or low tide, and therefore available clearance mainly depends on the weather in the preceding days and weeks. It is therefore impossible to give a prediction months in advance as to whether or not a particular boat will get through, though one with an air draft of 6'10" will only be going through after a long spell of dry weather, and could easily be trapped above the bridge by a sudden downpour.

I strongly suspect that the floating restaurant has planning permission, which is where the problem lies with this abomination. I'm firmly of the opinion that it's not a boat, it's a shed built on top of a boat. Even if they put an engine in it (which isn't that hard, or at least wouldn't have been before they built the shed), I suspect it wouldn't be stable enough to move with any degree of safety. A pity really, as if they'd spent the money fitting out the flat barge it's resting on then they could have had a usable (although probably not very pretty) houseboat, and probably wouldn't have attracted the attention of the BA.

Small trailerable boats are fairly easy to sell, particularly if they've built pre-1998 and therefore don't have a Craft Identification Number or other reliable means of identification. My guess is that if she has been stolen then she's been put on a trailer and taken somewhere a fair distance from the Broads, either to sell or to use on another waterway.

Between 5 and 10 minutes to Womack Staithe, depending on how fast I walk.

Been a while since I posted in this forum (to be honest, I had a bit of a break from photography due to other things getting in the way of doing anything other than the usual family snapshots). Well, having finally come into a smallish amount of money (working part time in a boatyard is not a way to become rich), I decided to do something I've wanted to do for a very long time, which is buy a digital SLR. My Fuji Finepix s9600 has been a really good camera, and I'd thoroughly recommend one to anyone wanting a bridge camera, but it's done it's job and now I'm at the stage where I've learned enough that the camera is limiting what I can do more than I am. So, a bit of hunting around on eBay (and lots of trawling through reviews and photography forums), and in a couple of days I should have my new toy - a Pentax k200d (with battery grip, a couple of lenses, and various bits and pieces for a total of just over £250 inc P&P). It's the most expensive camera I've ever bought, but only by about £30 (the next most expensive was my first digital camera - a Fuji Finepix s1300 with a 1.3MP sensor and 3x optical zoom, bought in 2000). I'm looking forward to getting out and about and putting my new toy to the test (although I can see a larger camera bag being my next purchase, well unless I win the Zenit Photosniper I put a lowish bid on a few nights ago when I wasn't thinking very much - I've coveted one of those since I first saw the one a mate had at Uni).

Personally I prefer rhond anchors - I've never had a serious problem getting them in without the aid of a hammer, and when they're set properly (with the stock parallel to the ground) they're pretty secure and keep the mooring rope at ground level, reducing the trip hazard. I've used mooring pins on the canals, and found them far more annoying to deal with, especially as the hammer is essential (which generally requires three hands - one for the rope, one for the pin, and one to swing the hammer). Incidentally, I know of at least one hire company (Freedom) that supplies a lump hammer along with the rhond anchors for those that feel the need for one.

Very true, but also worth noting that for retrofitting double clips are only advisable if there is space to fit them - if the second clip is partially or totally off the end of the solid pipe then it will tend to pull the flexible pipe off the fitting. In that situation whilst it's preferable to replace the through-hull or seacock with one that is long enough to fit two clips, if it's not immediately possible then one clip is better than two.

Assuming you've won the lottery then I'd suggest that a heated wet shed might be the easiest way to do this (although certainly not cheap). Another way might be to build a boat around a radiothermal isotope generator with electric heating and propulsion, but I suspect the paperwork involved might be a problem, and they're quite expensive as well.