JennyMorgan

When it rains in Spain . . . . . . . . well, Ibiza and the Hippy Market in particular, it can really rain! The gut was British, but then I hardly need to tell you that!

Strikes me that Americans are even more inclined to write off damaged boats than we are in the UK. I have a good friend who buys US write-off sports cruisers, ships them back to the UK, tarts them up and re-sells, very often needing to do very little work to them. Hurricane season can be rich pickings!

Have been there several times over the last few years. Hollocks really does not help himself, the site is a shambles. If he really wants to provide accommodation then tart up the numerous rooms within the building itself. I suspect that flooding might be an issue otherwise something on the lines of the Waveney River Centre could be a way forward. It could be so many things, a wedding or conference centre for example, like the Ivy Farm at Oulton Broad. Whatever, it needs both imagination and QUALITY.

Just watched a film on Netflix called Contagion. Filmed before Covid 19, remarkably prophetic! Had my jab this morning, massive queue, felt threatened by that. That aside, it was a doddle. Had a very slight headache for twenty minutes or so and a slight temperature for half an hour when I got home. All in all, on a scale of 1 to 10, possibly .05, of no consequence whatsoever. My wife had a sensation in her arm for a while and is sore where the needle went in, that's it. I've pressed all around where the needle went in & no soreness or sensation whatsoever. Big non event really but glad that it's done.

Not a problem!

Nah, us oldies love 'boom-boom' music and copious shots!

It can be, with a headwind it can also be tedious!

I wonder why she is for sale? Perhaps this is a clue! https://www.skdocks.co.uk/media/1588/skdmarinatarriff2021_digital2_final.pdf

Indeed it was. Interestingly she, like Albion, was Suffolk built so surely both are Suffolk rather than Norfolk Wherries? (Beaten to it by Marshman on that one!!)

There used to be a well known wherry based in France, for many years home to several 'ladies of the night'. She's back in Norfolk now, don't know if she ever took any bridges out. Apparently she only carried a port-hand light.

I suspect that her mooring location might well be influencing her price.

She's been for sale for a long time, been mentioned on the forum before. London prices, nah! https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Snowgoose-Motor-Yacht-Landamores-37-Cruiser-Houseboat-or-leisure-cruiser/224346132440?hash=item343c124fd8:g:i3wAAOSw1g1fTMhP

In truth I think that there advantages and disadvantages with both materials. Greater rigidity needs to be built into a GRP hull than a wood one and whilst the integrity of the whole remains in place then there will be great strength. By and large wood will take more punishment than a glass one. GRP is a bit like a chicken egg, whilst the integrity of the shell remains intact then there is remarkable strength. GRP doesn't tend to like localised stress or impact.

The pungent aroma of creosote, Rentokil & woodworm killer hung like a cloud across Broadland back in the day! Wasn't very successful though!

I was only a kid back then but already helping out the family business by helping to deliver groceries to the boatyards. Dad had become involved with Fowlers boatyard and Jimmy Hoseason was a family friend and I roamed the various yards collecting returnable bottles and even had a barrow with which to deliver hirer's luggage to and from the yards and railway station. I note that Somari was based at Pegg Marine, another yard in Lowestoft Harbour. Peggs had some, by the standards of the day, very smart boats. Peggs, like Fletchers and Orient Cruisers, was dependent on the Lock at Oulton Broad. I don't remember there being anything but co-operation from the yards actually on the Broad, we were all in it together. The ill feeling that I mentioned related to the one boat operators, of which there were several, operators that were seen as trying to muscle in on the success/industry created and maintained by the 'establishment'.

Interesting, lovely too! Back then Bradbeers/Red Whale acted for a number of Broads boat owners, many of whom were unacceptable to Blakes or Hoseasons for various reasons. "Somari," which was hired by H.E. Woolmer, was a smart boat but the owner didn't operate from a yard thus couldn't partake in the reciprocal mooring agreement that the bigger businesses operated. Because several of these one or two boat independents didn't have the expense of moorings or a yard to maintain their charges tended to be lower than those from Blakes or Hoseasons, inevitably that lead to ill feelings and often Bradbeers customers were refused moorings or help if they broke down. Unfortunate for the customers and difficult for me as the Bradbeers were long time family friends whilst at that time we were with Blakes and were also friends with our neighboring yards. Oulton Broad Yacht Station, at that time, allowed several owners to turn their boats around from there. A tricky one as 'Fletchers' had their yard in Lowestoft Harbour and then brought their boats through the Lock for the hirers to pick up from the yacht station, difficult because the people at Fletchers were well liked but I suppose that they were regarded as bona fide thus acceptable. When the Lock wall collapsed Fletchers were cut off from the Broads and their fleet had to make the journey by sea, via Gt Yarmouth. A number of us joined their staff either for the trip or to helm one of their boats. Good old days! The Broads was political, even back then!

Old habits die hard!

Perhaps you could recycle it all!

Robin of woody Kingfisher fame has rescued some desperately sad looking synthetic boats that he's successfully brought back from the dark side. One man's write off might be another man treasure!

The poor old B*tch is back up for sale. The site is easily big enough for 8 nice sized houses.

Back to bins, or the lack of locally: https://www.facebook.com/eastsuffolkcouncil/photos/a.900840443305414/3934895226566572/

Regretfully my moorings are small, ideal for my purposes but impractical for more than two boats. However, if people are happy to mudweight then we could run a ferry service. Better taking over the Yacht Station!

When my number four had her 18th birthday we had 79 tents in the garden for the weekend. Just a thought, three months holiday letting, all very primitive though.

Local, on line news has been full of it, collections have been cancelled and no definite pick-ups announced. It's been blamed on the ice on side roads as only primary routes are being salted and cleared. https://www.becclesandbungayjournal.co.uk/news/local-council/some-norfolk-bin-collections-still-suspended-7317224

What also happened last summer was that some folk took holidays that they would not normally take, seemingly any holiday was better than no holiday. That might be good in the short term but I can also see subsequently disgruntled customers saying 'no, never again'. Whatever happens this year it will not be back to normal, indeed normality might be a year or two away. Plans, what plans?