MY littleboat

Thanks Griff, it was a real pleasure to pop it together and a wonderful memory of a great weekend - it was as if BA spent more time at sea in those days than 'behind the lock' :)

Good day to you all, I have just been popping together a few Boating Memories and thought you may like this as it has some footage of the fabulous Broad Ambition that some may find particularly interesting. As always, I hope you enjoy

Truest statement I have ever read on here! once had a ranger telling me it was closed! I'd just re-entered Yarmouth from 2.5m waves in a force 7 and Breydon was nice and flat in comparison. I thanked him for his 'advice' accordingly and pointed out the 'closed' status was instigated for hire craft and that I was responsible for my own navigation thank you!!

Also, be careful for fuel purchased on the Broads, it is often just dyed road fuel and more prone to attracting moisture and bug, whereas dedicated marine fuel is FAME free without the horrid filter ruining and clogging bio diesel!

I think you will struggle with Haven Bridge - I'm pretty sure it is still not lifting and so taking a weekend trip down to Lowestoft and locking through Mutford would probably be the best plan A couple of points though: Although you need no formal training, it is almost impossible to operate without VHF, you will need it to hail bridges / locks / port authorities etc, so please make sure someone is correctly licensed onboard. Popping out from Lowestoft is going to be the safer option as, once past Haven Bridge at Yarmouth, there is nowhere except Town Hall Quay (Concrete walls) to get back to if things dont go according to to plan, whereas, nosing out of Lowestoft for a blast gives easy access back to the Royal Norfolk and Suffolk or the waiting pontoon on the Trawl Dock. Mutford lock charges each way unless the journeys are on the same day - in which case 24hrs PPR is required - Bascule Bridge lifts at fixed times and only requires a 20 mins booking - the journey from mutfod to Bascule is circa 25 mins - although there is a swing rail bridge immediately after the lock but has alot more draft than similar ones at Sommerleyton and Reedham. Enjoy your trip and please consider a course or taking someone / cruising in company prior to cruising as the Broads are very different to sea cruising. Lastly insurance - most broads / sea policies also require you to inform your insurance company of your plans.. crab and lobster pots adorn our coastline and can spoil your day very quickly and turn the RNLI into your best friend!

Some stunning photographs there - Southwold has always been a favourite place!

I thought I would copy this thread here also as it seems appropriate. We had a great time visiting the Deben recently! At the Beginning of June we decided that, instead of taking out usual Broads sabbatical, that we would instead, grab the weather window, and take a trip coastward and visit the River Deben. Please enjoy these and happy sea cruising for all of those that leave The Broads from time to time. https://youtu.be/SHZnUQFy1a8 - Part 1 Lowestoft to Woodbridge https://youtu.be/tXqIE9Vbejg - Part 2 Ramsholt https://youtu.be/VH1vYEu6Pdo - Part 3 - The Journey Home

I had no idea what the crane thing was for - I know someone drove into it a few years ago and it had to be rebuilt! I may drive down to Woodbridge and do a proper follow up vid of a couple of interesting feedback points I have read!

Ref Andy Seedhouse - yep the yard is still there although I am not sure if Andrew is running it himself now - I haven't seen him around for several years! I think he had a son who was also involved! In the den there is now a hair dressing kiosk with the junk all moved into a smaller space. However, he always made the promise that he would get someone on the water, in something, whatever their budget! Never ripped anyone off, and has always been a really positive company to deal with.

Ah we went back later and literally smashed every pub we could find lol!!! Although I will def look out for that one next time!!!

Hi there, I was approx HW-1 and had as little as 1.2m but generally 1.8-2m under my lowest point in the marked channel (So add 1m for true depth) - speaking with other locals it appears there is now an unofficial track heading straight for the martello tower. I've always found it better to enter about HW-1 so you still have a good visual aid as to where the sand bank is - at HW= it is all covered!!

At the Beginning of June we decided that, instead of taking out usual Broads sabbatical, that we would instead, grab the weather window, and take a trip coastward and visit the River Deben. Please enjoy these and happy sea cruising for all of those that leave The Broads from time to time.

And INCREDIBLY dangerous - it is never an option, get stuck, no one can get to you and the tide turns - not even a consideration!

A bit like the RNLI rescuing the RNLI at the Deben Bar - however, it was more of a plan A hadn't worked and Plan B is on standby and time is running on and so lets move to Plan C or D - That is all part of working around the JESIP wheel!

Very serious question and point you raise here and one that has definitely kept me pondering....are the Broads deep enough that your giraffe needs a life jacket, or will it have the neck to stick two hoof-fingers up and be able to nonchalantly just wade out?

Pot Belly Pigs on Boats - Better than a cow #Alanpartridge

I am going to share a few thoughts and quell a few speculators and also defenders. I do know the full facts, although I cannot share them but suffice to say, that emergency responders are required to act and respond when requested to by members of the public and when the public pass information that dictates a response is required, it is not questioned, and nor should it, especially when risk assessed alongside poor weather conditions / high wind forecasts etc. Even though someone may be deemed as being 'safe for now' they cannot be safely assessed on a mud flat.... and so a rescue decision was taken at a Tactical and Strategic (Old Money = Silver and Gold) command level. Yes it is expensive but cost is never a consideration until after an event. I am just thankful that there are many professionals and volunteers on our doorsteps willing to render aid and this was one of far-too-many incidents, diligently responded to by those agencies in just a few short days. Holiday makers and some private owners, stray outside the posts on Breydon, When it was under the control of the old Port of Gt Yarmouth, now Peel, it fell under COLREGS and skippers may have faced consequences for failing to maintain a proper lookout, nowadays, that is a remote if non-existent possibility. Hire companies have never had less of an onus to ensure hirers understand that they have legal 'master' duties and sell the idea that they are doing little more than renting an 'easy to drive car,' and the modern world has removed the sense of danger - hence children are often seen bouncing around on the fronts of craft across Breydon without any form of buoyancy aids, chairs and picnic tables fly off (Whoever thought that was a good idea plonking them on the roof), and vessel skippers make poor navigational and handling choices. In Ireland and the EU, before you hire you need to undertake a CEVNI (Rules of the Road) and a competency test = here the handover has been replaced by a 'contactless handover' - in some cases amounting to little more than 'Have you watched the video links we sent you' and off you go.. Having spent many thousands of pounds being promised a 'safe' and 'easy' holiday and not being told that engines stop when ingesting gallons of mud and that 'there really isn't any water outside of those posts' = Is it really hirers faults that they become frightened and fearful when things go very badly wrong? Maybe there is need for change, but with an outdated hire/holiday model that is self-policing, maybe we should be asking them and the Authority the question why? well away from those who found themselves, sadly, in this situation - whether it was their fault or otherwise! As a last note - I have been boating my entire life, I am a competent navigator, worked commercially when I was younger and have a boat festooned with Nav and GPS equipment - how strange that I too often find myself off the beaten track far too often! Stay safe and let's all have a safe 2022!

So we have been really impressed with using a lightweight dinghy over the last season and as ours was was a tad small, we went shopping for something slightly larger. We now have a Waveline lightweight 2.7 and are really impressed with it ll round!

So, I know we now have a new youtube section, however for continuity, here are the three parts of our out of the water makeover from 2022

Since posting this, we now know so much more about the new variant, it is nowhere near as severe as any other (Although can be problematic as always with other illnesses) However, the govt have taken the decision to stop testing and offering free kits - therefore, we are moving into the 'Living with Covid' era where we all make personal choices going forward. Oddly my son works for a national distribution company and they have informed staff they are expected to work even if they have covid now or risk being offboarded! I do dearly hope you are all recovering and are feeling fit and well for the summer!