JennyMorgan

Ricardo, you suggest that last night was not the Forum's finest hour because the debate was unbalanced and effectively resulted in bullying. Maybe, maybe not, obviously I don't agree because I felt that one visiting individual was out of order and, to be honest, the response was deserved. Enough said, that was yesterday, time to move on. Hopefully all behind us now, friends again.

Mr B, if I have over reacted then I apologise, however, I suggest that you read back over what you have written. I have a desperate need for my beauty sleep right now, good night and happy dreams.

Mark, I note that you have a bath plug on the foredeck!!

To be honest I think that you have insulted both Robin and Griff too but there we go, time for my hot chocolate and cosy up to the wife. Tomorrow is another day, hope to hear from you then.

Other than the uncalled for insult I have to agree with your comments.

Getting away with it was never an option. Having read Robin's blog it is clear that everything from stem to stern has been checked, sea conditions were bad but not incredibly so, the crew were capably lead. Mr B, I personally know both Robin and Griff, the inference that they are both caravaners afloat is, I think, an insult although I accept that that might not have been intentional. For me, enough said. I've enjoyed the alternative opinion and experience and thank Mr B for that. Robin accepted good advice from a man that he knows, not from a man that he doesn't, I don't have a problem with that.

In my days as an instructor it was offshore yacht master, not that that matters. I do not for one moment believe that Robin took unacceptable risks. He delegated much of the decision making to a man that I would trust with the life of myself and my family. The journey was clearly uncomfortable but nevertheless the boat was well maintained and more than capable of surviving what nature threw at her. Had she not been suitable for the task in hand then Griff would, I'm sure, have remained in harbour, run for harbour or hove too. In the event he was forced to throttle back, prudent, good seamanship by the man who was there. Robin clearly did not ignore good advice, obviously he took it from one well able to provide it, hence Independence is now cosily moored up in her intended berth.

Would have thought that the bigger yards could have called the tune, or changed to a more sympathetic insurer.

Mr B, I'm not convinced that it was Robin that put his crew into those conditions, I'd put it down to the force of circumstance. As for stabilisers, not everyone's choice. Granted that they can and do help in many conditions but not everyone enjoys the ride. I have no experience with the Trader on this one but I do onboard other boats. I would never say never, but I have sometimes found the motion of a stabilised boat in the short seas that we have on the East Coast to be unpleasant. Got to be a consideration though, but not one to be rushed into, in my opinion, something else to go wrong! What say others?.

What a shame, annoying too. With the advent of two separate parent families I'm quite sure that this new ruling, if it applies to all Broads yards, is going to prove a problem both for the yards and their potential customers. Why it should apply to the Broads and not the canals is a bit of a mystery too. Does anyone know if this ban is a Broads thing or just particular yards?

Shhhhhhhhhush!

Robin. a couple of 'walkie-talkies' will save you having to shout to each other, I kid you not! All that space, Classic FM or Radio 3 should help sort that.

Be interested in Mrs G's verdict! Eleven o'clock on a Sunday morning, where do you find the energy?

Thankfully I have never been seasick. I came down the Baltic once in what we were told by the ferry Captain was a force twelve. A Norwegian ferry, a smorgasbord was being laid out for the evening's festivities. One of the stewards made a snide comment to the effect that I would not be back to enjoy the offerings. Not being a lad to avoid a challenge involving food or drink I duly turned up on time, there was just the Captain, myself and one other steward confronted with an acre of fine food, that was some feast! When we landed all the ventilators had been turned on full blast and the smell of seasickness along the quay was overpowering, that did make me retch but since I was by then on dryland I wasn't actually seasick! My deepest sympathies go to anyone who suffers though.

Just had a rare look at the 'other side', so far no replies to the topic of the EDP's article, not even from the 'usual suspects'. Not sure that that has any great relevance to the subject but there we go. Perhaps there are no ladies and gentlemen there to discuss the matter!

No question that the Broads are far 'cleaner' than they used to be, a fact that is largely down to outside agencies. The water in my tap is very clean, to the extent that there are no foreign in it! All a question of balance. A good topic for open minded debate.

I'm not entirely unsympathetic to your way of thinking, John, but thankfully, and I say this with some sincerity, NWT is not the BA. The environment that we boat in and on is important. Many NWT members are also boating folk and are seemingly realistic and wise enough to work together. Left to the Authority then yes, I have my reservations. I think of conservationists such as Martin George, Ted Ellis and the previous BA CEO, Aitken Clark, all of which proved that both sides can work hand in hand for the very broad cathedral that is the Broads.

To be honest, John, it's old news, especially in regard to Hickling and the Trinity Broads. The Trinity is something of a mystery, apparently, because it is a source of drinking water for which the water is ideal, but weed growth is not considered sufficient for whatever reason, despite what the article says. Hickling, on the other hand, often has an unfortunate level of growth. I understand that, at last, Hickling's problem is down to a lack of flow, hence the previous reluctance to dredge being reversed, thankfully. Just annoying that the dredging is all being charged to the navigation account when clearly conservation benefits too and probably substantially so. Anyway, that's another issue. Good article, in my opinion, highlights the fact that there is still much to be learned about the Broads, that even after 25 years of the Authority there is still much to do. I suspect that in another 25 we shall still be learning. Fortunate that we have the NWT, wise bods with no heads buried in the sand, gets my , so long as weed cutting is allowed!

How right you are, some severe cases of 'my unmentionable is bigger than yours syndrome' over there hence I now rarely visit YBW.

Had a peep at the YBW forum, interesting reading to say the least. Robin has opened his heart out and regretfully it's clear that he didn't enjoy the experience. I'm guessing but it does appear that Robin has yet to learn to trust his boat. I am sure that he will do and in future will take bad weather in his stride, treating it as an adventure and revelling in the experience. Stay with it Robin and don't be rushed into buying stabilizers!

Regarding Brooms, as Marsh has suggested, the sale of land, hardly surprising, but are they not asset strippers? The world of big business, not one that I comprehend nor, in all honesty, have much admiration for. This one looks likes it's going to go sour and the investors are running scared. As for Hoveton, a qualty skills base, regretfully now dependent on the whims of the money men rather than their ability to produce outstanding products. Funny old world.

There is a historical apathy to leisure boating at Gt Yarmouth, at least in my opinion, thus what happened to Team Indy did not unduly surprise me. I see no harm in raising the issue, perhaps the authorities in general themselves will realise that leisure boating can provide an income stream, that it shouldn't just be seen as an inconvenience, in deed it should be catered for.

Should have been up on the fly-bridge in that chop!

I hadn't liked to suggest that but I have long thought along those lines! I turns up in me er hem humble Drascombe, lifts me starboard hand leg and lets rip, hawks over the side, drags me knuckles along the quay heading, demands a taxi to the DHS via Sports Direct, never fails, am received with open arms!

You could, or you use mooring poles to hold you away from the bank, just like gang planks, how it was done in years gone by.