SweetKingfisher1

This is for all of you like us who use the M25 Dartford Bridge / Tunnel. As you may be aware the toll booths are being replaced with a congestion charge. The date has been put back from October to November. At the moment you pay when you cross good old father Thames, but from November you will be required to pay before you cross or you can pay up to the night time of the day you have traveled. We have a Dart Tag it is a little unit we place on the car windscreen and is scanned once we are at the barrier. When our account is getting low I make a phone call and put some more money in to my account. We travel over a couple times a mouth, with this we only pay £1.33, with each crossing instead of £2 ( big deal I know ). So with the new system we can have an account and all we will need to do is give my car details, but not only mine I can put others onto my account like our daughter's car and if Alan want to, I could put his car also. Knowing Alan he would forget to pay . The web site for all details on this is: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/dart-charge. Once I hear from them regarding the date I will let you know. Regards Marina

Hello Baitrunner, i know for sure AlphaCraft do what we do and that is. Put containers of salt in each cabin and they leave all cushions on the boats. With putting salt in the cabins, they did not need replacing through the winter. Remember last winter was not too cold. Fingers crossed for this winter. [emoji16] Regards Marina [emoji311][emoji120]

Ok all you guys, heres a question for you . You are in a driving seat of your car and you are waiting at a red traffic and in the lane next to you a female / lady pulls up along by the side of you. What would you do? A) Take no notice and drive away normal when the light change to green. or Put your foot down to beat the female away from the lights. Next question: You are driving in the slow lane on a motorway and a female / lady is overtaking you. What would you do? A) Kept to your speed and just drive. or Put your foot down so you make it harder for her to overtake. The answer to both questions is ............. B. I know this happens, because men do both of these things to me + I win . Regards Marina

Hello Neil, a belated welcome from me and this is the best site to be on. For me this site has given me some good infor on things I was unsure about. If you need help or advise Ask on here . Regards Marina

Hello Mark, another belated hello to NBN . It is true this site is great for any form of information and ideas . Our boat is also based in Brundall and she is an Alpha 29 and called Sweet Kingfisher, so you may have seen her / us out on the river. Once again welcome. Regards Marina

Yes we had the same happen to us last Friday. The chains were showing on both sides of the ferry as it was going across, so we had to wait until the ferry had stopped to unload. I would like to tell everyone to take it easy around Reedham ferry and double check before you make your move to go past it. Regards Marina

Thanks all, when you have a boat what you can enjoy and relax on it makes a big different. Heres to all who are on the river at the moment relax and enjoy. [emoji311][emoji2]Marina

I am sorry to say the weekend was too relaxing, so no pictures were taken. After driving by car to Wroxham and lunch at Woodbastwick we headed to Brundall, stopped off to meet up with Paul and Jill on Alan's request. then to Sweet Kingfisher. Engine on and cast off, out on to the main river and head to Reedham for the night. The Ship at Reedham for diner, there was a private party, great diner. Saturday, we had a slow cruise down to Oulton Broad, it was a great journey. We stayed at O/B only for a couple of hours and lunch at The Waveney. Cast off again and this time we head for Loddon. We have left the boat at Maffett's for Graham to do more work on her. It was great just being out on the river. I was at peace, but back to work tomorrow in the city of London . We wait to hear from Graham to go and collect the boat and back on the river to Brundall. Fingers cross that all go's well for Graham. Kind regards Marina

Hi Polly, last winter was our first with this boat, so in each cabin we put a bowl of salt all else was taken out. This winter we have covers for all the windows so that should help, but lets hope it is not a bad winter. It's good in learning / hearing what others are doing to their boat for the winter. Regards Marina

Hi Frank, thats even better no Ikea and delivered to your door. Thanks for that I will check into ebay. Regards Marina

Hi SueH, so would you recommend them on re-upholstered? Regards Marina

Ok both Alan's, Marine bedding is the company I have looked at not cheap, but I do like the idea of IKEA under mat non slip mesh, two layers at a cheap as chips price. That sounds good, but I hate going into Ikea. I want to get out as soon as I walk in. Alan you love Ikea you could go for me . I have noticed some boats have put a cover all over their boat for the winter is that good or bad? Regards Marina

Hi Alan, I have look on line and the only sites for the dry mesh is the Marine sites, but if you could give me where I could get the mesh of 2.1 x 2.5 metres is £69 or there about, because I am unable to locate a site with it at that price. Regards Marina

Hi Iain, The 4th is May bank holiday. We will be at Horning for the 2015 Horning Boat Sales until sunday 3rd may. Then we will head back down south. Regards Marina

Well, so such much infor from you all and that is great. The cost for me to dry mesh in the cabins is over £200 and that is why I needed advise. Yes we are waiting for Graham ( Maffet ) to help repair the leak, which is where we have rubber going down the haul, so sweet kingfisher will be having a face lift. The rubbers will be taken off. What we did last winter was to put bowls of salt in each cabin and take all bedding / cushions home ( put them in young Alan's old bedroom ), but this year we have covers for all the windows, so that should help and yes we will leave all the windows open. I know dear Alan will help with the infor I don't understand. Thanks for all your advise. Regards Marina

I am thinking of getting Dry Mesh for under our cabin cushions and what I am wondering is it a good idea or a bad idea. Dear young Alan has told me what he thinks and of course it is not cheap. Because of the cost is it worth it? Regards Marina

I hope the guys from Richardson get to you early morning and enjoy Great Yarmouth. Regards Marina

Hello Shepster, welcome to the NBN. Sorry to say we do not fish, but you will always see people fishing in boats or from the bank between Langley dyke to Brundall. Regards Marina

Hello Janice, Last year we upgraded our Shetland 4+2, which we had made for our needs. We had had her for 4 years and once we had all our belongings in storage. I had felt I had lose a loved one. I cried and then we took her one last time on the Yare and around to Brooms for NBS sales and I cried again. She had got too small for our need and we upgraded to an Alpha29 . We have seen our old girl out there on the river. I /we love our Alpha 29 Sweet Kingfisher. Regards Marina

Yes Alan, mum is not happy. Please listen to what everyone is telling you. You should always protect your self. At least your eye better [emoji15].

Congratulations on your boat and yes you alway know when it is right for you. We did the same last year, our boat was the second boat we viewed out of seven boat . Enjoy her and good luck . Regards Marina

What would you all do if it happen to you. Well it did happen to us. Last May at The New Inn. We were there for the Horning Boat Sale and as we do we were moored at The New Inn from Friday to Sunday. Alan and Dave came on the Saturday. On the sunday morning the boat on our starboard left and then someone was trying to moor ( Gus was not around ) Alan was helping him, but then the guy from the boat next to us got on our boat and was trying to help that boat, but he made the matter worse. We ending up having a piece taken out of our boat all because he was telling the guy wrong. Regards Marina

Yes Thorpe St Andrew and Yare. You lot are too good for me, but it is a way of seeing the broads from the air. Regards Marina

It was Coltishall.

Last one for tonight. Marina