JennyMorgan

Just to prove that the Waveney has more to it than just reeds!

Lovely day yesterday so my wife and I decided to take all your advice and go South, to the Waveney River Centre for a pint and a meal. We pootled up river in our dory at next to no speed, it was that sort of evening. Apart from a couple of Clive's finest we had the river to ourselves.

Talking of rescue boats I once roared off to the rescue of a boat that I thought was on fire. Dark humour really and a bit sad. Clouds of what I thought was smoke and the crew of the dayboat were all waving their arms in the air. Turned out that they were trying to spread the ashes of a dearly departed. Only problem was that they were throwing them over the windward side, against the wind, and it was windy, and all the ashes were being blown back at them. To add to the indignity they were all, as you would expect, dressed in black, only the black was fast turning grey! I quickly backed off with a hasty apology, trying not to smile to much!

Have just had a blast across Oulton Broad, at all of 5 mph but in a low freeboard dory, wind lifting the spray, force 5 gusting 6, it was quite exhilarating, as well as being damp! Enjoying the elements is all part of boating, not just the spray but also the sun. Surely electronics that can't survive a bit of spray should have no place on a boat? G & Ts should be drunk before being drowned! Each to their own but when we had a motor cruiser it was always cover down unless the rain was absolutely bucketing down. Go with Alan on this one.

John, you highlight, in a delightful way, why we need to devour our new hobby and its environment. As kids we all did things that we shouldn't really have done, and learned as we did it. But people who buy big toys, sports cruiser being an example, owe it to themselves, as well as other users, to embrace the detail that surrounds it. The information is there, for those who want it.

But how long will it be open? Here's another thing I'm going to ask you lot to do. The Berney Arms is open at the moment but there is a Planning Application in to the Broads Authority to change it to a dwelling. This would mean the loss of another pub on the Broads. Have a look at this Planning Application and if you feel able to write to the Broads Authority objecting to it, please do. http://planning.broads-authority.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=summary&keyVal=NOW1V5TBFKK00

That is the real spirit of Broads boating.

Should be going to Specsavers springs to mind! Imagine the advert, small white cruiser high and dry, its owner placidly enjoying a cuppa, surveying the mud and reeds around him, if only I'd turned that bl##dy headlight off

I couldn't believe it, well, I could, it was very well lit! Just packing up from a few hours roaching when what I thought must be a very large boat came onto Oulton Broad with three headlights on, and it was only nine thirty! In the picture you can see two of them, the third is masked by the dredger. In reality it was only about thirty foot long and the glare of the headlights completely masked out its nav lights. Please, folks, you don't need headlights on a boat, you have eyes that can cope remarkably well, if you allow them to. Please read the navigation byelaws, headlights are offensive to other users, their use might well also be an offence. Sailing boats manage without them, so why not motor boats?

Sound advice is that. If there is one pot then there will be others nearby.

Great, went fishing!! Just that I have more sympathy for fishermen and their traditional livelihood than I do for people who don't look where they are going, grrrr

Two points, one off topic! Why, on such a wonderfully sunny day, do so many MAFI's leave their canopies up? Seconly the bloke cut himself free, destroying someone else's property. Pity he didn't look where he was going in the first place. Hopefully the fisherman will identify the boat & send him the bill.

Thanks and comment from the originator of the petition: Peter, thanks for putting the petition link on the http://l.facebook.com/l/IAQEIRJcLAQFelkrvLq8jCuJM07MGHHpOwCq8WU_8ghdaGg/Norfolkbroads.net forum and please pass on thanks to all who have signed it. As far as I can determine, the http://l.facebook.com/l/-AQGG265bAQHWB5L0Ybww4cR3fsroDHaFdOl7QoIcs9acjw/change.orgpetitions don't have a lower limit of signatures. It would be great if we could get 500K but I'm not convinced that it's a requirement. The fox hunting recent petition got just over 500K signatures and the national press got interested so obviously it's good to have that landmark number. Realistically I think the number of people who will respond to our petition compared to the fox hunting one will be small but if it's enough to get even the local Press interested we've achieved something.

Pater! John, how old do you think that I am? Have p.m'd you with a suggested Google search.

https://www.change.org/p/secretary-of-state-for-culture-media-and-sport-the-rt-hon-john-wittingdale-mp-we-demand-that-the-heritage-lottery-fund-require-that-hoveton-great-broad-norfolk-be-reopened-to-full-public-access-from-the-river-as-a-pre-condition-of-any-public-contribu?recruiter=164058099&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink&sharecordion_display=pm_email_cards Please help and please pass it on, thanks in anticipation.

From Phez Smythe at Berney Arms Drink Waxwing from Green Jack Brewery, food till 9 everyday. Come and use it! Opened today! Good luck, see you during the summer. Good excuse to come South, free moorings!

Quite!

That's what I like to see, a firm hand . . . . . . . . . . . . . for moderators!!

I for one, and I suspect many other locals, won't be going to Broadshaven if Sid does take it over. Long memories . . . . . . . . . . .

Wonder what was going through her mind? Competition time, keep Iain on his toes? 'Almost worth the indignity of sitting here, being rescued by young men in rubber suits'. 'Wait 'till I get him home . . . . . . . . '

Don't think that I should want to pay Tosh's fuel bill!

If Sid does take over then I suppose we can expect a vast plethora of notices telling us what we can't do!

Phew, relief, no more saucy, double entendres!

I see Mrs Bucket sat there aboard the RNLI lifeboat, or did one of the crew take their mum along for the ride, what with it being a sunny day?

Iain, you could be entering even deeper water by that comment . . . . . .