JennyMorgan

The cost of her going must already be quite considerable. I suspect that someone has some serious money to throw at her. She could end up looking quite tasty, hopefully!

That's promising!

Anywhere near Oulton Broad?

Perhaps some photos of what you find might help me/us advise you further. Is your boat on the Broads?

I thought that she was going back to Holland!

You could be right!

As for being scared of Breydon, a situation not helped, perhaps, by our attention being drawn to notices about safety measures that are taking place. Perhaps that, unavoidably and unintentionally, has helped strengthen the myth? Something of a can't win situation for the Authority. At one time crossing Breydon was a must, an adventure in the holiday itinerary. If you ran aground it would pretty soon become a family legend but for most of us its a remarkably straight forward event and well worth the effort.

Having been to Snowdon & The Peak District during normal times and witnessed the usual pedestrian congestion, akin to sale day at Primark, and then seen the pictures of last summers crowds on the coast, I can well understand the emerging concerns. The millions that normally go abroad are staying at home, crowds are inevitable! I was out in the garden yesterday and, without counting, I'm sure that two hundred plus walked, cycled or jogged along my footpath. In normal times I'd expect to see a dozen or so on a pleasant Sunday. Building a seasonal public transport infrastructure must surely be a consideration, lots of school buses available at peak times. The BA has worked hard at encouraging boats to come South with it's safety work on Breydon, not sure that that has worked but it is not for the lack of trying.

John, having re-read your original post I'm reminded that Rufus is in a care home. Was he put there by the local council? If he inherits the house then the council might then have a charge over the property in order to finance his care. Did your lady friend have a health visitor? It strikes me that you can and probably should leave all the aggro to the local welfare department, at least initially. In the meantime sit tight, it is your home for the time being at least.

John, just a thought, does Rufus have a carer / social worker or similar when he is at home? If so then they are the obvious next port of call. The Will will, or should tell you who the executors are. I'm not sure that you can take on these responsibilities without having first been appointed. A funeral plan may already exist, in a nutshell, having been there and done that with my wife's family. A sight of the will is probably crucial. If there is no will then the probate service will probably take over. Is there a pile of papers? Rent book, house deeds, bank statements, birth certificates and the like? Such things can all provide clues but the door might be closed to you if you have no legally agreed access to them. Without anything else the Will has to be top of the list followed closely by the death certificate. My local Registrar Office was a mine of information.

This particular Kent was advertised with BOTH wheel and tiller steering. Perhaps your boat is already suitably equipped, you just need to do some exploring in the bilges under and around the back end of the cockpit. https://www.topsail.co.uk/boat.php?refnum=2164#images

More thoughts, here is a photo of a Kent fitted with a tiller. It suggests to me that the present linkage to the wheel steering is under the floor thus you will need to extend the present stock in order that it extends above the cockpit sole/floor. A spot of engineering for that. The fitting itself looks pretty much bog standard, Classic Marine at Woodbridge could probably supply. The tiller itself could be DIY depending on skill level.

Are you thinking DIY? If you are then I'd start by looking at the head of the rudder stock. You might be lucky and find that the builders had allowed for an auxiliary tiller to be fitted in the event of problems with the wheel steering. In that event life should be easy! What will be required will all depend on what is presently at the top of rudder stock.

Good information here: https://www.gov.uk/after-a-death

Most 'Help the Aged', and indeed hospitals, have advice booklets on 'what to do next'. Are you an executor? No, then it's probably not your responsibility. Yes, then first job is to register the death. My local registrar was a real fund of information. Hopefully there is a Will but the first question is 'are you an executor'?

So Cantley has lost it one riverside public 'necessity' then, how inconvenient! Back to using the bog, provided it doesn't freeze up.

Good picture! Just a thought, following Brexit will she still be exported to the Netherlands?

A lack of interest or even understanding perhaps. Got to admit I don't always understand the wonderful world of caravanning afloat, or is it weekend cottages afloat? Whatever, it is a valid use of the Broads enjoyed by many thousands of folk who have no pretensions nor interest in emulating Joshua Slocum. Praise for the BA though, the need for casual moorings and the requirement for electricity is obviously well understood. Actually I don't think that motor boaters do to badly!

Brooms wouldn't be the only builder of dayboats on the Broads. If someone has a riverside property then a dayboat might make much more sense than a cruiser. I suspect that there is a market there. https://landamores.co.uk/project/mayfly-21/

Camping afloat, can't help feeling that it was all much more fun back then.

Time for a Motor Boater Alliance then?

Don't forget babies and pet dogs!

Please let us know if you go t*ts up as a result and which jab you had so we can ask for the other one!

We are not all rich let alone very rich but yes, you have a point. The demands on the toll payer, especially at the big boat end, are testament to that perception.