JennyMorgan

The problem I have with Whitham's varnish is that it appears to be porous. I'm an experienced boat painter so I'm confident that I apply varnish in a right and proper manner. A, Whithams doesn't seem to last as well as the Epiphanes that I have used in the past. B, timber that I have varnished with Whithams, eight coats, has within a season developed small black spots on the timber. Epiphanes, probably misspelled, far outlasts Whithams thus justifying the not inconsiderable price difference. I use Whithams for internal work and quite like the subdued gloss.

That's a very fair comment. However I do know Colin well enough to know that he takes great pride in his boats and that he is normally, but apparently not always, naturally courteous and approachable. Hopefully the boat was as you wanted and expected.

EEC regulations have now purged most of the nasties from any anti-fouling paints that us Broads boaters are likely to meet. Was a time when TBT was available, until the dire effects that it had on the environment were realised. Today's Broads anti-fouling paints tend to be sacrificial, meaning that there is not much for crud to stick to as the surface washes or scrubs easily. I find that one application lasts me for two seasons. By the way I use Whitham Paint's gloss & antifouling, great price and great quality, just avoid their varnishes though. http://www.withamgroup.co.uk/woco/marine-and-anti-fouling-paints/ I can understand hire yards leaving their boats un-coated. Lets be honest, their boats are often stored afloat and to slip, pressure clean, tape up and anti-foul a boat takes time and money. Not doing so releases staff for more profitable jobs, like building boats. Since their boats are in use all summer weed growth is unlikely, unlike private boats that lay at their moorings for weeks, even months on end. The worst that they'll suffer from is probably a build up of dirt & lime-scale. If a lack of anti-fouling should up the fuel consumption then so what, the yard sells more fuel, bonus. Is it really necessary? Probably not. In the case of private boats weed growth can harbour living nasties and then transfer them to other waters, from North to South for example. I can feel by the way my boat handles as to whether I either need to scrub or repaint the bottom, it does make a difference. Modern Broads anti-foulings are pretty inert but cleaning is made far easier, I can easily scrub my boat's bottom even when she's afloat thus saving the cost of slipping. Having a boat anti-fouled is expensive and whether it's worth it with a grp boat is open to debate. Is it really necessary, I don't know, but I choose to do it. I have tried gloss painting the boot-topping but that hasn't been a great success. New builds often have a boot-topping incorporated in the gel-coat, problem solved. A clean boat does look nice, does use less fuel, does sail better, my choice!

Thanks for explaining that, Robin. Don't know what I would have done in the same situation but your comments reinforce my thoughts that both ladders and mooring posts are often poorly placed. Indeed I sometimes wonder at the thought patterns of those installing such things.

I've known Colin for years and am surprised at the charges of unfriendliness, indeed I would have thought it would have taken quite a lot of aggro to upset him. I'm not looking to hire but if I was then Silverline would be my first port of call.

Tape over cracks is no bad thing as it keeps the 'wound' dry until it's convenient to repair. The downside is that what is a temporary fix can become permanent. I would like to think that had Royalls kept their boats then a proper job would have been made of it.

Boys & their toys! Great fun, I'm sure.

http://www.edp24.co.uk/news/environment/floods_expected_in_southwold_and_blythburgh_and_flood_alerts_widened_for_north_and_east_norfolk_and_suffolk_coastal_communities_in_brancaster_burnham_market_wells_next_the_sea_blakeney_bacton_great_yarmouth_gorleston_lowestoft_and_southwold_1_4844466 We have also had some very low tides recently but it is almost a full moon, just depends on the wind strength and direction I reckon. Will have to wait & see but it's worth checking mooring ropes and fenders.

Only wish he'd come up with something new occasionally Reckon that he got most of his stuff from the Wilfred Pickles joke book for boys!

Maybe the town but not the inhabitants, unless they are YH born & bred!

Vaughan, not just Range Rovers. Matthew is partial to a bit of speed! Your business history back then reflects mine, dire times and I have never forgiven our political masters for that and never will.

Re Lowestoft being a hole, the author of the Rubaiyat of Kyam, something Fitzgerald, a resident of Lowestoft, wrote disparaging comments about his home town. Benjamin Britten, the composer, lived next door to my mother, he too was far less than complimentary about Lowestoft and couldn't wait to move out. Another author, although a foreigner from Norfolk, apparently loved Oulton Broad but detested Lowestoft, that was George Borrow. Since their time nothing whatsoever has got any better, especially the traffic! P.S. I'm not sure that Borrow didn't have a point! As for Great Yarmouth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ask Poppy, he famously has lots of jokes about it!

Dustbins?

Think that it was Ardea that went to Royals whilst Solace went to Burgh Castle.

500 boats, couple of hundred pounds of anti-fouling each & that is nothing to do with money? I reckon an interesting discussion is on the way! So why do we bother anti-fouling private boats? I don't think that any of us were knocking yards that succeed. It was the pleading of poverty when blatantly there was none to plead.

Exceedingly Exactly! I well remember being told that boats would no longer be antifouled, the claim being that it was for environmental reasons, the Authority was suitably impressed, as I'm sure were the accountants.

Amen to that, Keith. When I see the wheels parked outside some of the yard's offices then I know that their bosses are far from struggling!

As far as the tolls are concerned, and the multiplier in particular, I though that the industry had come pretty close to telling the BA what they wished to pay as it was, with the rest of us picking up the tab! Are Barnes throwing money away? Matthew is a pretty sharp businessman, doesn't miss many tricks. He's just bought nine good boats, bought room to expand his hire fleet or to provide private moorings, blocked any competitors from opening up next door, I doubt that he sees this move in any way as a waste.

I for one wish the Royall's well in their retirement, The Broads will be a poorer place for their going but it is a positive and obvious move for Barnes. Always enjoyed their blogs, often an eye-opener as to how some customers behave!

In my honest opinion the Broads is great for people with active minds, positive attitudes and who like their own company.

Out of curiosity I typed in the question 'is the Broads Boring?' on Google and this immediately came up: https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowUserReviews-g186342-d208513-r296018712-The_Broads-Norwich_Norfolk_East_Anglia_England.html For me, if I were to have taken that at its face value, then I would have missed so much. I have always maintained that Broads holidays are boating holidays, something of an adventure, and that boats are boats, not floating hotel rooms.

So the Broads are boring, it says so in the EDP. Well, a very wise old lady once told me that only boring people find things to be boring and she was absolutely right. I can honestly say that in 70 years on the Broads I don't recollect ever being bored, even when boating along Oulton Dyke for the thousandth time! http://www.lowestoftjournal.co.uk/news/whenever_i_m_on_the_norfolk_coast_and_it_s_a_bit_grim_i_console_myself_with_remembering_that_at_least_i_m_not_in_yarmouth_1_4842784

Ooh err, Polly's hully edicaerted, us loocle inbreds wun't evan unnerstan tha quwessiuns

http://www.eveningnews24.co.uk/views/why_was_the_thorpe_green_tree_felled_1_4841711 Why indeed?

http://www.edp24.co.uk/news/annual_service_is_held_to_bless_the_water_at_sutton_staithe_1_4840809