JawsOrca

Having been stuck aboard for however many weeks its been now, I would happily swap! We have put on a bit on a light show though.. I would kill for my canoe/kayak on a quiet river though!

Wow.. I was just thinking it would be nice to see some more pictures at this time.. Perhaps others who are local there could go out and take some pictures (Obviously within reason and safely). We had a wander down by the river here in the week and it was soo strange to see the river here quite, normally you will always see a boat out playing. Those local also please feed the wildfowl.. I dread to think how hungry they must be. :(

https://www.change.org/p/uk-parliament-make-a-nhs-day-once-a-year

I'd thought I'd pop an update. (Just spotted your update there @grendel, excellent work buddy!) Updates have been coming from my mate Simon on the crowdfunding though.. Firstly a massive thanks to the NBN'ers who have donated I certainly recognise some names on there so excellent thanks so so much). Another massive thanks and he knows I can' thank him enough is NBN'er @psychicsurveyor who has been keeping my personal finances feed via generous donations from the Gillingham Round Table (crowdfunding money doesn' t come to then and this isn't cheap now!) so a massive thanks again and to Barry of course. So I sadly only have 2 printers here as I'm aboard and can't push my marina supply however I'm getting about 60 masks daily out the door, however my friend Simon who I helped get going has set up a 20 machine print farm over in surrey and is really right in the middle of the fight and is getting throwing visors out (He's burning through hundreds of pounds daily), there's 4 or 5 other people with more printers joining daily.. Initial estimates are that as a group we are surpassing 5000 visors created with a good 5000 in the making for the next week or so, so it's looking like we will certainly surpass 10000 visors .. Some places our masks have helped: Doctors in Stalham, care homes and workers in southend (Don't worry I know 3 teams across Essex, suffolk, and Norfolk all helping there), Childresn Critical care unit in Barts hopital :( , Londons nightingale hospital, numerous COVID wards across, Kent, Surrey, Hampshire even down in southampton. Numerous care homes, key workers, transport workers, shops, charities again across the home counties. We've received words of support from many many people, we've been on the radio and in the press (Well Simon was, i told them where to stick it) We've had words of thanks from local councillors and MP's and have really have been a pop up key service here in the southeast and it's not over but thankfully demand is dropping as the NHS is now getting supplies but I doubt any of us will stop printing until the very last person needs or wants a visor. I'm not one to beg for money and our crowd funding is doing well but the costs are pretty scary (A weeks order for raw plastic was placed on thursday and was over £1.5k!) , if you can support or share please do: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/covid-19-visors#start. There are many other groups like us we are by no means special but it seems we are doing well to get these right where they are needed quickly and hopefully helped. If anything though, please support our NHS, please STAYHOME.

Done..

https://www.facebook.com/SalhouseBroad/ Whilst it maybe owned by cators, it's not hard to go lots of money to zero and it may be run as a business and thus still needs to earn it's own living otherwise a plug is easily pulled..

Salhouse Broad are asking for donations: It looks like they are doing a competition, i popped a fiver in as no doubt we would have stopped there by now. Taken from facebook. As we can't offer camping, canoe hire or moorings at the moment Salhouse Broad is more reliant than ever on your donations to keep the site safe, the bins emptied, the walkways maintained and most importantly open. If you DONATE £5 in April, we will draw out a name at random on May 1st and that person will receive £100 of vouchers to spend on canoe hire, camping or moorings (valid until the end of the 2021 season). The voucher will be non-transferable and will have no cash alternative. PLEASE DONATE AND SHARE https://www.salhousebroad.org.uk/store/p11/Donation_£5.html?fbclid=IwAR1IZ3oPhckFeSKajIwcp0t93lr9ZOyjoe0K8GFoVd2KhVQzrrEphVuft3E

Thank you sir, at around 30p a mask every little helps and even if one life is saved then its well worth it clearly.

I've handed out 110 visors myself today alone, including the covid wards at dartford hospital (Yup that have no visors currently), several care homes, teachers still teaching key worker or those vunerable, pharmacies, my mate in surrey has handed out 200 in 24 hours, to hospitals there. Some people are close to tears receiving these, including my pharmacy here. It really seems these will make a difference. If you can support us please do (we don't get the crowdfunding until the end which I think is a months time so we are having to do this all ourselves but please still help to support as means we just wont stop - Maybe thats what credit cards are really for ey!. I guess there's also an increased risk in us all catching by delivering and meeting people but kinda worth it). https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/covid-19-visors/

All, this has gone nuts, I've joined forces with friends (Even our grendal), I've lost count how many printers we have as a group now, but we are printing hundreds and hundreds of these a day and they are going everwhere (even up to stalham :) ).. Please though it's time we need (and more printers) if you can dig a little deap to help the effort and potentially really help our NHS please do: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/covid-19-visors/ It's not just us though worldwide pretty much every 3D printer is printing and we are making hundreads of thousands of these. (Admin feel free to delete although I assure you this is only to help with materials, if we don't use all the funds it will be donated probably someway into the NHS). Thanks.

I walked to the marina office (to get post) 300 yards, only the 2nd time I've been off the boat in a month (Can't shift a cough).. Thought I was in a horror movie so ran back to the boat, drew the curtains and will just stay here for another couple of weeks.. sod being outside!

Sorry we don't get south that much but the working wind slat things gave it away :)

The one near cantly ;)

If you aren't norfolk based and can help. Please contact your local NHS trust they will want these. If you get no where contact me and you can help with the contacts I and others have.

Random hope here. If there are any 3D printer owners lurking and can help printing some URGENTLY required face shields for the Norfolk and Norwich.. Please Please can you contact the Covid Cell via nnuh switchboard 01603 286286 tomorrow morning from 8 am many many thanks. Model is here: https://3dverkstan.se/protective-visor/protective-visor-print-guide/ This is the plastic - https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=plastic+binding+covers&ref=choice_dp_b Please offer FOC. Please don't delay. I would offer but I'm not in norfolk and printing for local trusts at present.

Looks like the BSC has been temporally suspended. https://www.boatsafetyscheme.org/about-us/news-and-press-releases/news-releases/nr20-001-covid-19-bss-temporary-suspension/?fbclid=IwAR1V3z4FJXCNqA-muMooVf63MIOZkDWW1_fxZpbJG0a_ByGL9NAgIeLU6uk

Ian your daughters a Hero.. I hope her and her colleagues working selfishly heard and feel the love back.

All, don't forget 8pm tonight. I'll be sounding Autonomy's (our Broom's) quad airhorns here too, if you are on a boat please make as much as noise as possible! Lets be heard and show our appreciation :)

@FreedomBoatingHols Andy that's tough reading and I've everything crossed that we will all make it through this. Can I recommend though that you contact your MP, I've actually been messaging mine here a little over a few things and she's (well her staff) have been really good at replying. I do believe that the government is doing all it can to help but they can only help if they know what it's like on the ground and by going direct gets it straight under their noses. I watched the PM's questions for the first time ever and many MP's were referring to such contact. You may not get help immediately but I'm sure you will. Good luck Andy et al.

Orca's tolls have been paid too, thankfully I accrue the funds throughout the year so everythings paid this year but its then a potential problem for me next year and I'm pleased to pay it and offer my little bit of financial help to the broads... Yup I probably could have spent wiser on toilet roll but it's the BA's money. Can I kind of suggest that we don't overly waste the BA's time at the moment, yes I fully agree and understand that they should be challenged and held to account, but it's an unprecedented moment in time, everyones minds are probably elsewhere. I highly doubt they are going to prosecute anyone at the moment and will do all they can to help/support/turn a blind eye on an individual basis. Hopefully it's all over soon and I'm sure many of us will soon forget about and carry on with life like nothing happened.

I suspect part of risk not only applies to the risk of the virus, but the risk of requiring medical assistance, If (not saying that you may) fall in and need an ambulance then you are taking resource away from the NHS. Thus walking etc is lower risk of needing help.

Pop's I know this is tough, but any money is better than none, before today I would have said that on monday I would have been told bye bye too.. Take what they can give then once it's over you can look elsewhere.. Don't leave of your own accord though.

You may end up getting paid now, Government is paying 80% of salaries for the next three months at least. I'd call you boss. But for goodness sake stay at home.

All just a helpful link, can I suggest if you feel like your head is spinning at present take a read of this. Some of my level headed friends are going nuts at present. Please take a read, some good tips and may help you focus on here and now (I spotted the BBC have taken parts of that but don't look there look here). https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/publications/looking-after-your-mental-health-during-coronavirus-outbreak It maybe nice if admin can turn off comments maybe and perhaps maybe try pin up somewhere too.

That is some top photoshop work!