JennyMorgan

Everything is already in place with the term 'A member of the National Parks Family', the expense is in departing from the truth.

Dr Phallus I presume? Okay, puerile humour and maybe a spot of light-heartedness is out of place on what really is a deadly serious topic. We are talking about the possibility of serious obfuscation in regard to the use of funds on one hand and on the other what really amounts to an abuse of position. I am not privy to the putterings behind locked doors but I would ask who is the driving force behind the BNP lie? Then I would ask who's behind the erection, if I dare use the term, of the BNP notices at local railway stations? I can only guess but I'm pretty damned sure I could get it in one, the answer is glaringly obvious!

As Andy has said the Authority is duty bound to do its book work at the sharp end but there is no doubt that there is intentional confusion and manipulation at the top end, obfuscation is an oft used term. This has lead to justifiable confusion and distrust along the rhond, there is no doubt that raids have been made on tolls money. That money is being wasted on these pointless signs must mean that there is spare money in the kitty, money that could be better spent.

In defence of the humble clove hitch it is a hitch, not a knot, that can be tied in seconds and that can be useful.

The traditional knot being the Mungle! See The Art of Coarse Sailing. We hired a canal barge on the Oxford Canal a few years ago & she had hooks, spikes and rhond anchors supplied and we did other folk using them. Re speed of insertion, the twist and push technique, done efficiently is very fast, and quiet!

Angel of the North, Knight of the Broads, an aristocratic erection, ho ho ho! Perhaps I shouldn't laugh but there some amusing options out there! I genuinely wish that the Doctor really did deserve immortality.

Still public money that could be better spent. I too doubt that it will be coming directly out of navigation/tolls revenue but it is still coming out of Authority income, half of which comes from tolls.

Shock & horror, no Guinness to wash down the sea-food with then? The lack of continental fizz-pop I can only applaud though!

Regretfully not one that I am familiar with. I do know one about a man who only had one 'at anchor day signal' but as far as I'm aware Griff carries one and one in reserve.

Re plonker pike anglers I was sailing along the nav channel on Horsey Mere and picked up an angler's tackle at which I promptly went about so hopefully his tackle would disengage with my keel, which it did. Did he thank me, did he hack, just demanded why was sailing along the side of the Mere when I had all the Broad to sail upon? Well, red rag to a bull but keep calm says me to myself! For a kick off this is the deeper water and the recognised navigation channel, secondly feeding fish are unlikely to be here, they are much more likely to be over there, indicating the far bank onto which both sun and wind were facing, plus it's the North bank, and that was where I was expecting you to be. You have the whole Mere to fish in, why fish here? End of conversation but as I sailed away I noticed him hauling his mudweights in!

Consider, Andy, that lines are blurred in regard to the overlap of accounts. Also consider that about half our toll now goes towards Authority 'overheads' so whilst tolls might not directly pay for this latest 'deceit' there can be no doubt that the frivolous expenditure on this personal vanity project can only come about because there is money elsewhere in the system to take up the slack. Solar lighting atop the Breydon posts, unnecessary to some of us of course (!), would be a positive safety measure whilst this 'I'm the CEO of a National Park' fiasco serves no practical purpose other than to bolster a misaligned, personal 'vision'. Just my opinion of course but getting on with the things that really matter would be a positive step in the right direction. How can anyone claim that the Broads is going to be a better and safer place to be by wasting money on these entirely pointless signs, especially as they further promote a lie?

Wherries never had navigation lights, just the white 'badge' on their snouts. No, it's not just there for decoration, it served a practical purpose.

Very tiddly, Griff, I'm told that you have even had your two 'at anchor' day signals/shapes made out of polished stainless!!

Having used both, especially on tidal waters, I know which I would and wouldn't trust! As for hammers, why? Place the point down on the ground, palm of one hand on the 'corner' so to speak, place the other hand by the ring that you tie the string to. Push down with your palm whilst waggling the end with the ring from one side to the other with the other hand. Rhond anchor goes in a like a red hot needle into chocolate! Hammers or mallets are just so lubberish!

Keep repeating the lie and even the liar will start to believe it.

Trouble with chart-plotters, and probably track plotters too, is that they are in themselves a light source. The same can be said for the Beta Light on my compass but I rarely use that on the Broads! Regarding open water cruising on the Broads, unless tacking a yacht I would remain in line with the posts, or the bank, navigating from one post to the next. As for how far away can a light be seen, many years ago I taught survival training and navigation in relation to boating and one topic was just how far away could a lit match be seen? On a clear night up to a mile and a quarter! The reason for that was to help assess just how far offshore one was, at a time when at least two thirds of the population smoked. 'Oh look, someone has just lit up, ready about!'

Perhaps some bright manufacturer will develop low intensity headlights for boats approaching their moorings, just an ambient glow so to speak! I have a dread of the Broads Authority installing street lighting along the river bank, along with double yellow lines, all in the name of safety. I enjoy walking at night, I always have a torch in my pocket, just in case, bit like boating!

I have no great wish to either cross swords, or to disagree with you for that matter, but honestly, at the slow speeds on the Broads, if you can't manage without a spot light then I would question whether you should be leaving your moorings at night, but that is for you to judge. I really don't mean to be brutal but you shouldn't need more than a handy torch, just in case. It is a question of safety, massively so and not just yours either. Interestingly the Navigation byelaws are quite clear in regard to the use of bright and confusing lights. You never see wild animals with headlights, why do we humans feel that we can't manage too?

Just a thought, slow down at night, that makes a huge difference as to what you can see !

To be brutally honest I feel strongly about this subject and whilst we all have to learn, even I had to, I really do think that if people feel the need to have the headlights on their boat constantly turned on then quite simply they need to gain more experience before casting off in the first place. Branden, re that spotlight being turned on you at Oulton Broad, I just wonder, out of exasperation if I just might have been tempted, you never know!

I suppose I've got to admit to that being sound advice but so far I have not come to grief, yet. Those old Norfolk boys knew a thing or two when they spaced out the posts on Breydon. Even on the darkest night as you leave one post astern the next one will loom into view. The tops, even at high tide, can be picked up against the darkness, weird. Under sail you can sometimes hear the tide swirling past a post, all quite eary, but everything helps, even the old eighth sense.

Alan, if I had my way I would have spotlights absolutely banned on the Broads, I really would. The hazard is more to other people, an indiscriminate spotlight will ruin the night sight of anyone caught by the blessed thing, If you have a problem with the windscreen then either lower it, stand up and look over the top or post a crew member on the cabin top to give directions, simple! I watched in horror a sports cruiser go past last summer, the lights off its dashboard alone were pretty impressive but it was Blackpool Illuminations all round, an anti social menace to everyone else out on the water! A few years ago Griff & I took BA from his boathouse down to Horning for the Three Rivers, Griff graciously allowed me the wheel. Pitch dark but absolutely no problem, apart from some of the security lights blasting off as we approached Horning. At no time did I feel the need to hit the spot light button. We slipped under Ludham a treat, at no point did either of us resort to a spot light, there just wasn't a need. Griff's set up is spot-on for night navigation, we had the cockpit sides and windscreen in place but the cockpit was dark so no reflections, I really enjoyed that trip, jokes included!

Thanks for sharing that with us, Robin. Just be aware that Dad left behind a pretty darned good tribute to himself, you.

Funny that you should say that! Apparently it's been suggested to the BA that it looks into solar powered lights on Breydon. That aside, to stay in channel on Breydon at night I have found that my eyes are perfectly adequate for the task. It never fails to amaze me just how efficient eyes are at night, provided some inconsiderate so and so doesn't point a blessed spot light at me.

Re Billy Brighton building Albion as a carvel hull, it's on record that Billy built several carvel built coal barges for use in Lowestoft harbour for bunkering steam drifters. Those were about the same size as a wherry, one of which is still afloat and called Jester. Jester is seen in this photograph at Oulton Broad: