stumpy

MM -Ours makes some noise but it's not obtrusive,it's got louder over the 6 years it's been in - the bearings may be on the way out. Never woken us at first light as it's usually drowned out by Kathy's snoring.

I'm sure someone in the blessed authority will take credit for Holkham beach soon though.

Paul - that's exactly the jobbie we fitted to No Worries after the first season - one sucking out of the hatch over the forward berth. It made things much more comfortable at night in summer and certainly cut down the condensation all year round. It was fun cutting the hole though, I swear the hatch was 3/8" thick - they built them to last in the 70s! ETA: It's still spinning merrily away six years on too - highly recommended.

Can you still get Izal bog roll? If so I have a comb and I'm not afraid to use it!

I was surprised trundling up the A140 on Monday to see a fair amount of snow on the sides of the road. As my grandad used to say "Thass a-waiting for more ter come bor"

Robin - shorepower at Broadsedge is £90 a year for the facility plus cards from David for power used. No idea of price per KW but our two tube heaters on thermo-plugs and a trickle charger used £18 odd from early November up to Monday last when I started de-winterising. Hope this helps.

Sweet craft Robin - we've been really happy at Broadsedge for 7 years now and we're sure your Mum will be too. Re. Upgrades, have you seen Lumishore lights?

We get about 5" at Broadsedge which was above Barton last time I looked.

Didn't the Rascal do a blog on her when he let the magic smoke out?

Kathy - who was a credit controller - calls this 'blokenomics' ,usually accompanied by 'the look' !

Our Bounty 27 holds well on a 15 kilo one - from the thickness of Hammerite I reckon its worked for 40-odd years.

Ricardo - I somehow think that should should read .........Yarmouth beer beer beer lol (I know they well deserved a few)

The grey jobbie in the third pic looks very much like one of the new rib-based Customs (oops Border Force) cutters - they don't come cheap!

Good point,well made Wussername. That's exactly what could happen on No Worries - Bounty 27. We've made it a chiselled in stone rule not to open the water fill until all blackwater operations are done and the deck has had a good sluice down. One thing that really grinds my gears is the dog walkers who stand proudly by while their pampered pooch cocks his leg on the nicely coiled hose! Words have been had on occasion!

Funny you should say that - when we were schlepping all over East Anglia and the Thames valley boat hunting the first step in our inspection was always Kathy trying the head for size and smell and only if that got the nod could I start on the less important stuff. The only exception was a Seamaster on props in Ely - we got within 15 feet of it, sniffed, looked at each other and went to the pub. It stunk! Holding tank,bilge and diesel were prominent!

First put into a boat by my old man - lugsail dinghy on Thorpeness Meare then graduated to crewing on a Dragonfly round the cans at Waldringfield just down from where Pastor was, discovered the Broads through the Sea Scouts on Valoma out of Thurne dyke - the rest is (50 years of) history.

Or even " Have you seen the size of that tub coming up by the grain quay?" "Yeah, bet it's full of gin-swilling, Tory-voting toffs, shall we decamp to the Dukes 'ead?"

I'm afraid the days of the chain of Coast Preventive Men and a Watcher near every pierhead are long gone, but fear not as anti-smuggling activities are now intelligence driven by desk jockeys. I could go on but not here.

I once (never again!!!) got taken out to a boxboat on the Sunk anchorage by one of the Harwich pilots - as C&E were paying we had a little play afterwards, they can't half hustle and,no, I wasn't allowed on the wheel!

Looks like the pilot boat has got fed up with following and has turned the wick up.

A mate lives on Cobholm (turn right at the Two Bears) , he says if anything big and slow goes through it can take up to half an hour to clear the gridlock.

Back to the Troll Cart - I'm often crèched there while the guv'nor lays waste to Regent Rd. I think it was the News of the World used to advertise with the line "All human life is here" - somehow seems appropriate!

Bravo Zulu all round!

Thurne Dyke had a cracking little shop - sold draught paraffin too!

Or you could paint the funnel grey and tell everyone she's a war canoe.