senator

Maybe completely wrong on this but I believe the standard has been updated to allow other standards to fit in with RCD directive markings on new boats. "All hose used in the fuel system must be fire resistant to at least 21/2 minutes, as specified in the internationally agreed marine fuel hose Standard (BS EN ISO 7840), although there are hoses available with superior fire resisting qualities (e.g. BS ISO 15540). Both of these hoses will also meet the current requirement for reinforcement and wall thickness". from the BSS documentation. Ian

Hi Steve, We fitted a Propex blown air gas system to White Lady which works brilliantly in a small boat, easy to install and relativley cheap at around £500 all in, we are petrol the same as you and didn't fancy fitting a diesel tank for the more traditional types but wanted heating for the evening so the engine option was out. Ian

Kieth, Have no more trips planned till New Year and am now asking myself why. Fantastic pics, wish I was there, hopefully a bigger boat by next winter will allow us to share in the off season broads, white lady gets a little cramped down below if the weather turns nasty. Ian

Roger, This one had me in pain from laughter last time I read it and it is just as good the second time round, keep it comming. I think it is the total familiouraity that the whole ordeal brings, it just sounds so much more fun the way you tell it. Ian

Isn't that the same for the sailys on the broads too though? Ian

Mine has an RM69 pump type sea toilet with a complete new seal set on, water leaks away in about 30 seconds. doesn't seem right to me as it makes it immensly inefficient at dealing with things that really ought to dealt with by a loo. Ian

Don't know many of those flappy blanket things that will top 8 knots steve, plenty of them offshore though, is all about being in the right place at the right time. Ian

Prisma was up for sale last year as well when they were asking around 50k for it. Jonny is dead right with the fit out, virtually everything is stripped out as far as boating bits are concerned. Apparently it started life on the Thames before making it onto the Broads, North always seemed a strange choice for a boat with 11' plus airdraft, would have been better suited to the south. Engine If I remember rightly is 5.7 litre ford mermaid normally aspirated diesel and was fully rebuilt 2 years ago, it is heavily restricted and with the restrictor off will rev to over 3500 RPM. Nice boat but even the combing is missing around the flybridge, no nav gear or lights, no shore power and a fair few badly done patches where bits have been ripped off in the past. Ian

Can't say where Brian but it looks like BA are a little behind with their dredging and weed clearance Had heard a rumour that someone high in the RSPB had been appointed to the navigation committee, looks like it may be true Ian

Great story so far Sue, good to see all enjoyed the meet and would have loved to be there, as it was we stayed south for the week which made Ranworth mid week a little to awkward to fit in. Sure there will be a fair few meets next year and am looking forward to meeting everyone then. Ian

Hi Baz, Prices for lifting are charged by the foot but if you work on around £80 out and £80 back in you wont be far out, also most yards will jet wash the hull as it comes out and charge you around £35 for this. As for sleeping on the boat I really hadn't given that much thought and I have the same issue living in Birmingham and comming up for a few weekends to do some work but I can't see it being a problem. You will be charged a fee for chocking and hard standing so allow another £35 for putting some sticks under and about another £35 per week while it is out of the water. Above costs are a rough average based on a 27' boat but they will give you an idea. Ian

May be completely wrong here but on passing by Pacific the other week there was one of the old swancraft 26' sportscruiser styled boats moored outside, would not be suprised to see it in the fleet for next year, I have a liking for this yard and it would be great if they are doing well enough to be expanding the fleet. Ian

With the Northern broads over crowded in peek weeks and the Southern broads virtually deserted then a link somewhere around Wroxham - Norwich would be the perfect solution allowing for a circular tour of the Broads, how realistic this is I have not got a clue but I am sure there are a thousand and one problems to overcome. Hire boat numbers have reduced from something like 4000 at their peak to now just over 700 so if the bridges where altered the extra traffic above potter, Wroxham and Beccles would, I think will be less than was there when most of the hire fleet passed under these bridges, personally I would like to see the low bridges modified but then how many 12' wide boats use the narrow beam canals, can't see the traditionalist being too happy about ripping out all the locks to let bigger boats through, tradition does play a large part in the attraction of tourists to an area in the first place so its importance should not be under rated. Waterside living is the current trend and if I could afford it I would jump at the chance, provided the building was flood friendly. With pressure increasing to use brown field sites for housing the developers can hide these ultra exclusive appartments in with the goverments wish to see protection of the countryside and the provision of affordable urban living, although how the ideals and actuals equate I really have no idea. Modern shoreside toilets and showers would I am sure be the choice of most hirers over the cramped facilities offered on the boat, more importantly with private ownership growing and smaller boats becomming the norm these are the sort of things, along with shore power etc. that make an owner choose the broads over another waterway, or even to become an owner at all. A link to the easten river network would do wonders to encourage visiting craft and although this could be a 2 way thing which way would you bet on most of the boats going. Was very encouraged on our trip around the south this week to find a number of stores open late and what a store that Rockland St Mary post office is, for those that hav'nt yet discovered it then all I can say is it should be painted blue and have police telephone written in a band round the top. I know it is difficult for traditional village stores to staff to open longer hours and the owners are entitled to a life but it is what the visitor expects to find these days and solutions need to be found before the little shops are all swept away. Family Friendly is not something that sits well in the UK and I don't think it is any worse in Norfolk than elsewhere but at home familys either jump in the car and go to the nearest family friendly place or don't go out at all, these are a lot harder to do on a boat and with boating offering such a supurb family holiday it would be nice if more places reflected this and catered for the family. One thing though, if by some miracle the new cuts do get built, please, please put a few bends in them, a 20 mile Haddisco cut is more than anyone could take. Ian

If there is a man with a JCB around it might be worth a backhander, Ian

Have found these ideal through the year for occasional fishing as I have been able to tip a few into a bait tin, put the lid back on the tin and store it in the fridge, the holes are so small that there is no chance of them getting out and the tin is cold enough that there is no maggoty odour wafting out over the food. Does anyone know if these machines are stocked year round (closed season excluded) and also maybe it would be usefull to have a list of where they are. I know there is one at WRC, one outside the general store at Loddon and one up by Lathams at Potter, anyone else seen any around? Ian

Mother and Father tried Last week and were defeated, have to admit we havn't given it a try but believe the clearance is supposed to be 8'6" how much clearance did you have when you went through Simon? Ian

I know it goes against Broads culture and it wasn't well recieved when I voiced it on another forum but my thread went something like "Why Do The Broads Close Early", people from Norfolk obviously are used to not being able to buy anything after 5pm but the holiday makers arn't. Was really refreshing to call at Stracey Arms Mill the other week, our first ever stop there, and find the shop open to serve the tourists after they had tied up for the night. Unfortunately untill a lot more stores wake up to the idea of beng open at a time their customers want or need them then second time visitors are going to run to Tescos every time they get a chance avoiding what happened last year when they could'nt get milk or bacon and eggs for breakfast. I personaly would rather wander to the local shop for the things I need for a cuppa and breakfast and am quite happy to pay a few pennys more for the privilage of not having to trapse to the suppermarket and work out the weeks shopping requirments before hand. Would prefer to do it when I moore up though rather than spend my cruising time looking for a shop. Ian

She was a boat we were going to hire before we bought our own, as to restricted cruising well we are 8'7 and have not got through, Ludham, Wroxham, Beccles or Potter this year, in fact we wont get through potter even if the broads are drained, shame because the upper Ant is lovely but if we can only get through Ludham occasionaly then we may as well have 10'3 and enjoy the space on the boat. Our next one will be a flybridge and we are not expecting to get board on the Broads. Ian

Bought our 240 volt TV with exactly that in mind as it is 12 volt through a transformer, then I found out that while the old CRT tellys are fine the new LCD jobbies are severly damaged by over voltage. No expert but have been told that the battery on your boat will put out up to 14.8 volts while charging but if it is in poor condition as low as 10.4 volts when at rest, the low voltage wont damage the telly it just wont work. Invertors give a 240 supply that the transformer can then regulate at 12 volts but they do waste some energy while doing so. There is a 12 volt regulator specialy made for the purpose which would allow you to do exactly what david says. http://www.amperordirect.com

Hi Keith, Assuming that your lesiure batterys are linked then a ++ -- fitting is fine, have you got a way of isolating the inverter as if left switched on it will continue to use power even if you have nothing pluged into it. Ian

We work on a gallon an hour Simon, is obviously better if you time your runs to go with the flow but have not seen better than 3.5 litres an hour, thats running with the tides at tickover. I did'nt think that was bad value but remembering it is petrol that averages at £5 an hour. Ian

Believe Simon is right, something to do with increased amperage with low voltage but if all you want to power is a TV, Freewiew and a DVD then you only need a 150w inverter, we do the same and elected to put in a 300w inverter to give a bit of spare. Fitting a small inverter is a simple DIY job and you can pick up something sufficiant from the likes of Maplins for under £50.00 If you want to power the vacumme and Microwave then you are going to need serious cables and lots more batterys. Ian

What a great post, Thanks David. Ian

we get about that on the rivers Brian, then again we normally only run on 1 engine apart from manouvering, as it is the same engine and resistance is minimal at 5 mph I suppose the figures would be similar. Ian

How do I find my safe un refueled Range, Tank is now 65 gallons so -20% = 52 gallons and cruising is 22-23 knots but I cant get figures, is there a reliable way of working out what my fuel burn will be at 3500 revs, max is given at 4400-4800 but have only managed 4300rpm according to the rev counters this gives 32-38 knots dependent on conditions. Previous owner said that he burned about 10 gallons per hour at cruising but that sounds a little light, the surveyor estimated it at more like 12-14 gallons per hour. Engines are 135hp 3 litre 4 cylinder petrol Mercruisers. I can get 4 x 20 litre jerry cans securly in the anchor locker so refuling on the go is possible but would'nt really fancy messing with petrol out at sea. Ian