CaptainJoshie

Hugh Crane in Acle, on the road out toward South Walsham. They sell a range of cleaners and other products. I use Ubik2000 to do most cleaning, great on headlining, fenders and white grip/paintwork. For the hull it's Transwash 20, the BA Rangers use it on the patrol launches, spray on leave for 5 minutes wash off and the jobs done! They also sell toilet Blue called BD505 in 5 litre bottles quite cheaply. They will also supply small samples to try, this is how we found Ubik2000 when we wanted to clean headlining, they suggested Ubik2000 gave us a sample to try and it really was great. It is also food safe so we now use it everywhere and save a fortune on shop bought products. John.

Hi John can I suggest you have a look at:- www.trainingafloat.com The chap that runs it, another John (Wheeler), bought our Bounty 30 'Dawn Princess' off us awhile back. You will see he does the VHF Course still and at a good price £110, as this includes the RYA license (£60)!!!! The courses are run at either Dilham on the Broads or Overstrand which is up on the North Norfolk coast about 12 miles from Dilham. I've got to make time to do the course as the RYA won't accept my PPL radio license, which strikes me as illogical as on my test for it I had to talk and relay a mayday call to a sail boat which was on fire! Hope this helps. John

The EU should get its beak out of OUR rules!! We give in to all the daft legislation that the EU comes out with, we need to take back control of our own government. That's what we elect MP's for, not some EU bureaucrats! We lost our cheap Red Diesel, let's dump the EU. When we were asked years ago wether we should join, it was the common market, not the common government of Europe. Rant over! Sorry

Hi Iain You'd like him even more now. Blown hot air heating throughout (Wallas unit is so very quiet), electric flush head, guess it was a 'Thunder Box' when you hire him. Lovely interior and exterior woodwork. Most important the Perkins 4107 (34bhp) has been replaced with a 60bhp Ford 2.5 litre diesel !! which makes his bow really rise and the GPS come up with some naughty numbers. Do you have any other photo's of him from when you hired him? Would love to see the changes both inside and out. John.

Yes indeed when Iain hired Ritaline there was a 'floppy top' which would give an airdraft of 6' 6" or there abouts dependent on cabin top fittings. However from information we have gleaned, when the tried to sell the Skippers on they proved unpopular with buyers as you wouldn't want a floppy top at sea so some where converted to hard tops and sold like and as well as the Broom 30. Braveheart is slightly different in that he was done for use on the Thames and to get under some of the lowest bridge at the Oxford end he has a low hardtop and an airdraft of 7' 8" with the big solar panel I have fitted!!! But as others have commented older boats have that extra character. Braveheart looks like a real boat to us, the navy blue hull helps there of course, I have seen Orion close up and though finished differently still has a similar layout which suits us just fine, we looked at Broom 30's before we bought Braveheart and didn't like the layout as much. Also the 8' 6" airdraft as we more north of Ludham Bridge . anyway have a great holiday on Orion. Brooms are great boats and R.M Martins designed a great hull for it, cuts through the water really well so watch your speed, we can easily break the speed limits but the GPS means I don't , John

Hi All I have now completed the work of fitting a holding tank onto our boat. So we no longer have need for the Porta Potti we have been using. It has done a very convenient job while we couldn't use the other loo

Soundings I live in Stalham, near the Junior School/Police Station so am a local and love the area . I've worked in computers for years as an engineer (hardware and peripherals), service and data cabling manager and support person (software), so I do understand computers, but still don't trust them cynic that I am . Loads of people don't understand them and are not helped by the complex ways in which almost every application is different to use and even different across different platforms (types) of phone, tablet or laptop for the same application!. Having worked with computers for so long (back to the late 70's !!) I know how flaky they can be. Look how many time of late the banking systems have screwed up payments etc. No, invest in people (staff) in branches to make access easier for all, wishful thinking I know, after all the managers only seem to care about their big bonuses. As for mobile phone signals I'm on 3 Network, no signal in Stalham and the wife is on Vodafone again no signal, we both have iPhones 4s and 5s !! Coverage is pretty poor across Norfolk and you can't rely on it for everyday use. If I was in Norwich or London I could rely on the Mobile networks, but here no. Perhaps we could get up to date with boating on the Norfolk Broads and only allow 'virtual cruising' on computer, no need to actually go to the place just do it on screen or view just webcams. That by the way is very much 'tongue on cheek' , I love my boat to much for that. John.

Hi I bank mostly with Nat-West and use the Stalham branch a lot. We are going to get a 'Mobile bank' visiting us to provide a service, wow! Looks like the upper management don't live in the real world but as a real world user of the Stalham branch it will make a heck of a difference to me. This might be fine in a city to close, due to lack of use, the odd branch but in rural locations this is madness with the nearest bank now miles away! Lots of older customers simply don't use computers at all. Mobile banking with 'Contact less' and Apple pay would be OK but remember this is Norfolk where's there's NO mobile phone signal , in Stalham, Horning and many other places you don't have one give me strenght, if and when we do get mobile signals are the banks et al going to provide the old and technophobic adequate training and kit to use?? Do I trust online banking? No I don't, yes I'll check my account online, but like to be face to face with a bank person who knows me by name and can help me. It's going to be more important as I get older, or the money my end up under the mattress . Hard luck to tourists, they will have to bring money with them or use Tesco, god help us if the Stalham Post Office closes in the future. John.

Alan, Good idea I'll do the same, but include the odd privateers that do it too. Wish I has a speed gun to use when moored up as well. We could do with more Rangers, off their boats on the bankside, with speed guns at moorings to catch the speeders. We got well rocked about on the Ant last week. This year the behaviour does seem to have slipped way down, but I have no idea why? John.

Hi Another annoyance, to me, happened yesterday on returning to our home moorings. Coming across Sutton Broad a boat was just ahead of us, so being kind I slowed up a bit to give him space for when he moored up. I was running at 3.4mph on the GPS. Half way across I thought he had enough space so popped back up to 4mph. Behind me had been a Ferry Marine hire boat which had followed me closely across. But not a hundred yards from the entrance to the moorings Dyke he darted out from behind and opened up to over take me into the moorings !!! I was still at 4mph, so to get in first he went well over that . I smile internally and thought 'You inconsiderate person' but hay ho. He did actually grab the last mooring space at the end and when we got to the turning space next to him, he grind as if to say up your's. I smiled sweetly as I made the turn into our mooring basin and our empty mooring spot. But had I been looking to moor on the staithe I'd have been very unhappy indeed. No place for such poor manners. Rant over. Back to being chilled . John.

Hi When we lived in Rackheath (north of Norwich) our local pub The Sole & Heel every year in June we had a 'Christmas night'. The place was fully decorated and we all exchanged Christmas presents, had Christmas dinner and party games! The looks and comments from tourist visitors were highly amusing, mostly around how nuts Norfolk people must be

Hi John and All Now moored at Dutch Tea Gardens Oulton Dyke for the night, all ready booked the moorings for tomorrow at Cantley with the Redcutters. Though there is a load of BA moorings anyway! Just been watching the powerboat racing on Oulton, via the webcam. Can't heard a thing at Dutch Tea Gardens

Hi Did try to OBYS by phone, no space till after Monday. I don't fancy being up against the concrete wall with our bathing platform. I phoned Beccles YS and we are now moored there for overnight, but it is going to be pretty tight as he has over 10 boats plus a large group of sailies coming in. Tomorrow a wild mooring somewhere between here an Cantley. But all the fun of boat, on a Bank Holidy. Could be worse, we could be in the mayhem they call the Northern Bank Holiday Broads

Hi Baitrunner No where fixed in stone, at Summerlyton for tonight, was going to Oulton but that's full with the Seamaster meet we've been told. So maybe Waveney River Centre for Saturday then back round towards Cantley for Monday. Then off to Norwich way. Crossing back North near the end of the week. A good long trip this time to shake down the boat for any problem, which at the moment, touch wood, seem to be few

Simples Use a Brave boat, called 'Braveheart'

Hi CaptinDread and John, I live in Stalham so if you wish to collect any item I'm around most of the time (retired yippee ) or I might be at the boat, moor at Sutton Staithe Boatyard. Windlass and Key are put to one side for you CaptinDread. I still have 15M shorepower leads, but only 3 left, the anchor is still available too. Not sure where you can put a phone number as yet on this Forum? So PM me and I'll reply with my phone number to arrange collections/delivery, simples. John.

Hi We used Beverly Transport to move 'Braveheart' from Lincoln down to the Broads. Really please with Doug's service, speed of doing the job and price . Highly recommended by us too. John.

Hi Robin Your experience has prompted me to fit one of these to our boat:- http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/301625827960?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT I stand on top of our 'engine room' so opening it while moving would be difficult, but if we had a fire I could with above squirt in a fire extinguisher and douse the fire without letting oxygen to feed it. I must now get a safe gaseous type fire extinguisher to use, a powder type would make to much mess. Just to add I have just fitted a 'Sterling Power ProSplit R Zero Loss' unit and Sterling advise fitting fuses to the charging cables to each battery. I in fact fitted resettable 300amp cutouts (3, as I have 3 banks of batteries) as I'm not a fan of high power fuses.

Hi CaptinDread It is your's if you want it, it is both the BWB/Canal Trust Padlock Key and the Lock Windlass @ £15.00 (for both, not each ). John.

Hi Baitrunner The messaging system won't let me reply to you as I've only got 46 post!!!! You could try another well known Forum, if you are also a member, where I've got 1,150 odd posts please. John.

Hi All the long cables now SOLD. Sealand Toilet SOLD. John.

Hi Baitrunner Yes, regular lead with male and female plugs. Only one left, which now has your name on it. Contact/message me to arrange collection/delivery, I live in Stalham and moor at Sutton Staithe. John.

Hi The 17 X T5 8W Fluorescent tubes and 4 x Lab-Craft CL9 12 volt single tube fluorescent Fittings are now SOLD. But the following are still for sale. 1 x 20lb (9Kg) Plough Anchor. It was on our new boat, a 30 foot Broom. 1 x Canal lock key/windlass. Aslo 2 x Long (approx 25M) @ £20.00 each 3 x Short (approx 15M) @ £15.00 each All 2.5mm sq cable and in good condition, mix of Yellow Arctic and Orange cables. I also have some brand new Male Plugs @ £3.00 each again surplus to requirements. 1 x Sealand Traveller 'Dump through' Toilet, as fitted to Bounty's Safari's etc. Clean and working OK, was our spare to swap out if the other needed servicing. @ £20.00

Hi I have some shore power cables surplus to requirements. 2 x Long (approx 25M) @ £20.00 each 3 x Short (approx 15M) @ £15.00 each All 2.5mm sq cable and in good condition, mix of Yellow Arctic and Orange cables. I also have some brand new Male Plugs @ £3.00 each again surplus to requirements. John.

Wussername You naughty person Don't you know your 'Branding' The Broads National Magical Waterways Bye Laws and Statutory Regulations Abridged 2015 Should read:- The Broads National PARK Magical Waterways Bye Laws and Statutory Regulations Abridged 2015 . John.