Polly

Welcome! Nice boat but missing sails?

A very happy birthday to you!

Oh very bad Katie

I could single hand Rondonay, Brilliant is more of an ask and I wouldn't single hand her. We were four up on Bootlegger last week, Team Brilliant, and that was so relaxing as we know what everyone is happy working on.

Sad when you could have a flappy thing.

I just kick them back over while laying out the mooring lines, and both sides on account of it being the Broads with passing traffic.

Are you cross because Timbo is the man on the Clapham Omnibus?

We lift ours

Interesting story Wyndham! I agree, we would never pass a boat in difficulty either.

Sorry to read this Richard, hope it does set itself-and soon. Thoughts and prayers going your way for the best quality of life possible.

At the flood the tide fairly hosses upstream, I have paddled a boat up there on the 3RR , it was going past the boat like a flipping train about four inches from where I was kneeling!

Wow scary.

We wave. I haven't noticed a big drop off in response, just one snooty privateer saily. I agree with Simon, little excited children are the most rewarding wavers. Mudweighting on South Walsham Broad, good choice!

My first bridge was Ludham in a boat called Ladybird. She wasn't a Broads saily and we were on day 3 of being sailies ourselves. Our instructor suggested dropping the mast at Ant Mouth as it was busy and the dismasting area likely full.So we set off up the Ant for the very first time with about 15 ft of mast and rigging hanging off the back. Yes it was busy, no we couldn't reverse, just peachy! I was helming. As we got to the bridge, right to the bridge, another boat arrived on the other side and showed every intention of pressing on through. I throttled back, sounded the horn and when there was no response put both palms up and shouted 'Back, back, back,'. That got it, so back in fwd and through we went, thank goodness the tide wasn't flooding upstream!

Because it was there?

We took Bootlegger through PHB last week, with the pilot, Whelptons request that.. The tides were a bit awkward for Pilot hours but just OK. We usually go through alone on Brilliant.

Ours were midland fishing pubs and the car park pop was Vimto.

It's a shame they had to do so though. Frankly the money-grabbing sensation mongers are sickening.

For your prep school penance, I suggest you try again...and then go on to the other 31! They are impeccably researched books and the character development and literary style are both exemplary!

Chris! Not a Patrick OBrian reader???

You forgot the rescue dog was called William, Geoff?

The channel at Hickling was absolutely clear.

Thanks so much Katie and Steve, as usual I was rubbish at remembering to take pictures so these are doubly welcome.

Weed meant no trip up to West Somerton last week, boatyard requested we didn't take Bootlegger there. We planned to go to Horsey, but were advised against it by a skipper moored in Candle Dyke, so assumed it was worse than we expected. Shame, because both would have been on the itinerary otherwise.

We were moored side on at Cockshoot and about to depart. The boat astern had its rear door open, everyone seated fwd with canopy open. I asked them to close their rear door as we set off to avoid fumes drifting into the boat. Of short duration and not really a danger but still unpleasant for them on a quiet mooring.