JennyMorgan

That aside, Loo, pike stocks are at an all time low on the Broads. It is not uncommon to see spinning rods on the roofs of boats belonging to 'new age mariners', now we have otters as well Eastern European anglers who's angling culture differs from the UK in general, plus the inevitable home grown numpties, UK pike stocks are under serious threat all round.

http://www.thebroadsblog.co.uk/2017/07/thorpe-island-episode-3.html Whatever Jame's personal motivation is for revealing the truth I don't know but all power to his key-board.

Just a thought, whilst people are prepared to pay there are those who are prepared to charge. However, without those charges would those moorings be provided? Where I do get a bit peeved is when the quay heading is provided out of the public purse, e.g. Stracey.

To discourage folk who just want a mooring for the night, even the weekend, then if I were in Rick's position I would charge a straight tenner, a fiver refundable against a minimum tenner spend in the pub. Perhaps sailing boats, especially those with two masts. because of their quaint charm and picturesque appearance, should be able to moor for free! Rick, PLEASE, please don't put that awful crushed concrete stuff down on the banks, it's cruel to boats!

A trip to the Broads is also not complete unless you visit the South Side! Definitely!

If I were visiting Norwich, & I often do, I would moor at Oulton Broad, for example, & travel there by train. The train journey will allow you to see both the Yare & the Waveney from a different perspective and is full of interest. Alternatively I would consider Cantley, excellent moorings and only a short walk to the station. Norwich itself is well worth a visit for shopaholics but personally I'd head, once again, for Elm Hill, the Cathedral area, the Castle Museum as well as the Market place for an on the hoof meal.

BA Rangers, in the past anyway, have gained RYA dayboat certificates, even Dr Packman has one although to what level I don't know. Insurance companies seem to be impressed by them and it is a qualification. In the past I applied for a job with Suffolk County Council as a sailing instructor, having worked as one for Sussex CC & the RYA itself. In that time I issued many 100's of RYA dayboat certificates yet I was turned down for not having my level three certificate. If I liked I could go on a course and do level one the first year and so on until I had level three. In effect someone, after only three years could teach others how to sail whilst with all my experience, at least with Suffolk CC, I couldn't, even though the RYA had employed me in the past as a senior coach and I even contributed to their syllabus.

Being hand reared it might need very little coaxing before it goes chasing birds.

I once watched an otter kill a duck, dismember it and take the body parts into its holt. A neighbour & I both had dove cotts that were well off the ground, both were raided by otters and all our doves killed. Where once there were hundreds of ducks and coots on Oulton Broad you will now be hard pushed to see either. Unfortunately it is in character for otters to kill, whether by raiding nests or attacking in open water. Seemingly not fazed by humans, I've had them swim alongside my boat for many hundreds of yards, seemingly performing for my amusement, the joy of a slow moving sailing boat! It's not the odd otter that is damaging the balance of nature, it is us humans, we re-released the blessed things! It seems that they know humans are not a threat and that fish & wildfowl make for good eating. I have found otter turds and fish bones in the forepeak of a boat moored to a buoy, presumably the otters are not afraid of climbing a mooring rope tied to a buoy and invading a boat! Much the same can be said of foxes, apart from activities that include swimming. I lost 16 chickens last winter, from a coop only yards from my back door. For the life of me I couldn't work out how the fox got into the run until the other day. I was walking up the garden and quite inadvertently cornered a young fox. In order to escape it actually ran up a six foot high wire netting fence and over the top. It must have done the same to get at my chickens.

The tide was also very high meaning that lack of air-draft at the bridges might have caused issues.

No more of a waste toll revenue, if it is, then the spurious BNP vanity project! Sorry, Marsh, couldn't resist!

Not short of rain on the Broads, not after last night! Re corroding cars, one good reason for not buying a 4X4 from a coastal address. First sign of salt water flooding & the boys will be out with their toys!

Ingenious but wow, the bend in that piece of timber with the winch on it! Is this the first step to fitting a mast & sail?

I have seen an otter take a duck but a swan is a big meal! Perhaps this video should be forwarded to the RSPCA lady.

Jonzo, I'll bring the sticky buns if you bring the ale, okay? We may not get to where we are going but we'll have a darn good time not arriving!

PM on its way.

I note that Sceptre is as described a fantastic racing yacht. Ummm, how many wins did she have during the 1958 America's Cup? Embarrassingly few if I remember rightly!

Many, many years ago I had the great privilege of sailing Evaine K2 down at Cowes. Don't think that I'd have been selected for the America's Cup though!

No doubt the Americans will now push for a rule change so that they can win next time! New Zealand deserved to win, great result.

Jean, just a few miles beyond Acle. I was glad of my sat-nav though, NR13 6DZ. I thought that I knew the back-ways and by-ways of the Broads pretty well but Fairhaven wasn't where I thought it was. My wife & I thought it a real gem, even though it's in Norfolk.

Can't cram all the best bits into Suffolk!

Regretfully sometimes anglers are to blame though, and I write that as a keen angler. Nevertheless in that RSPB hate campaign reality was often ignored or at least twisted. After many years as a keen RSPCS member I finally resigned over that.

We went there yesterday, for us the absolute & undeclared jewel in Broadland's crown. We thoroughly enjoyed walking the numerous paths through acres of water-garden. In our view not to be missed.

Hi Jeff, I remember that event well. Normally if a swan lands on the water during a race then the race is stopped. What can't always be managed is when a boat goes down the side of the Broad and frightens a swan so that it it scurries away from the boat and out in front of a race boat without warning. Whilst I accept that swans can and do dive in order to feed I fail to see how one would or could be caught in a propeller. Swans are pretty buoyant and are therefore unlikely to be drawn into a prop. Might it happen if a boat was reversing into a gap and the swan became trapped? Possible I suppose but I remain unconvinced. Unless someone comes forward who actually witnessed the even, or who was responsible, then we can only guess and my guess it that a prop was not the cause of the injuries. It is an unlikely scenario at best and my guess is that the RSPCA type is guessing as to the fate of the swan for whatever reason.

Clearly his daughter was a great judge of character!