JennyMorgan

I only answered!

Cobham.

We will be there!

I wish these folk well but I suspect that the market is infinestimatable. The boat looks dated, has limited use and is costly, especially when compared with a sit-on kayak.

Excellent read, about a tenner on e-bay, worth every penny.

We were moored up at Barnby for the night, the idea being to walk up to the the Swan for a meal, when a large holiday boat pulled up astern of us. Turned out to be a holiday crew of homely, friendly Yorkshire folk who took great sympathy on our perceived plight. Did we want to come aboard & watch their TV? How could we cook on a camping stove, did we want to come aboard for a hot meal? Did we want to come aboard for a hot shower? Such lovely people, seemingly a Yorkshire trait, but how could anyone actually, voluntarily camp on a boat? We felt humbled by their uninhibited kindness & concern but eventually they accepted our assurances that we were comfortable and there by choice. As we waddled off to the pub we left them enjoying their TV, each to their own but I suspect that my wife had unanimous sympathy from the kind ladies of Yorkshire! One of those chance meetings that make the Broads what they are, a melting pot of decent folk.

I really can subscribe to Spider's comments about the sheer enjoyment of blasting around under sail. Crossing Breydon enters another dimension if there is anything of a blow. I've crossed when it's been like a millpond but I've also arrived at the other end with my face caked in dried on salt from the spray. We sleep in some comfort using memory foam 'toppers' as mattresses. We could buy a purpose built cover but have found a backpacker's tent that fits over our cockpit to be ideal, or we can set it up on the bank. Considering that we could use a Broads River Cruiser the choice of a tent on a dinghy might seem strange but being able to lift our centre-plate and slide into a backwater, put up our tent and settle down for the night has a lot to recommend it.

I'm not but I always sleep with my head at the opening end and very often with the door open. Mind you, a fleece hat is useful. Nothing like waking up to a rising sun!

A good friend of mine died and his will was read at two-o'clock in the morning. None of the family turned up, just a few good friends. The estate was divided between those of us who did turn up. The family was not impressed. So yes, favour a funeral, you never know.

This is frustrating because I have seen a photo of those sheds before. Jamie Campbell could have the answer, Carol, do you have his address?

Here I'm moored with friends at Hickling. The boat moored ahead of me came over from Eire. This year we are all meeting up at the WRC.

A tent on a boat has a lot to recommend it for pottering around the Broads, something that I have enjoyed for years. Not sure that I would take it to the extremes of these fellows though: http://www.xtremedinghycruising.com/ Mind you, I'm not alone but for most folk all the comforts of home are a must, for me it's about escaping the trammels of home life. Go basic, you should try it. Camping boats are available, I believe, from both Martham and Hunters. You can go where others can't, and it needn't cost a fortune. Here I am moored for the night at Berney Arms, memorable for the all night warbling of the high volume bird-life.

Re accomodation, I'd consider a change of use on the shop/cafe area. The BA do seem more accommodating to commercial development than they used to be but anything at Berney will be a sensitive issue, understandably. I'm not sure that it is right to blame the BA in this instance, development really needs to be carefully considered, by all parties. If I were John then I would negotiate with the BA before rather than after purchase. It really has been a run-down site for far too many years, it needn't be but it has to be viable & I suspect that the BA accepts that simple fact of life.

Round the waist, yes, but lanyards can snag so not around the neck, for obvious reasons.

Keith, mooring is easy, accessing the land can be difficult. I'm no Chris Bonnington and for me it can be a struggle at low water.

John, quite right, it is a buyer's market. Better access at the moorings, floating jetties, £50,000.00? £100.00.00? Free moorings for the landlord? Backpacker style accommodation for reserve visitors? Not that I like the RSPB but perhaps talking to them might be worthwhile. MM is the right man, in my honest opinion, got to be a goer!

Re floating jetties at Yarmouth, that is down to the width of the river, just not wide enough to be practical, especially with access ramps. I understand that it has been considered by the BA but the cost of setting the river banks back enough to accept ramps would be huge.

Iain, Maurice is a 4X4 man so no probs there! Back to dogs, as much as I like dogs I do see problems. I think that there is an argument that the Nelson at Reedham lost out because of the resident, slobbering dog. That aside the Berney Arms is a small, intimate pub. I have been in there when owners have come in with large wet and muddy dogs, contact has been unavoidable. Didn't worry me, it did my wife. She was bitten by a dog as a child and has always been wary of dogs. Long time ago I had the Waveney at Burgh St Peters. We had a large, white Pyrenean Mountain Dog, as much for security as anything. Big, docile beast but good customers and friends did express their reservations which did surprise me.

Yes, it's for opening shackles rather than undoing nuts. Especially useful on sailing boats. Good ones have inbuilt bottle openers. See: http://www.accastillage-diffusion.com/publicmedia/formatted/528/89/fr/A80021.jpg;h=189,w=378.jpg http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MULTI-PURPOSE-SHACKLE-KEY-STAINLESS-STEEL-316-/350188684543?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_BoatEquipment_Accessories_SM&hash=item5188df44ff

Presumably swmbo de-cruds the toilet and scrapes and anti-fouls the boat's bottom? Only fair that you clean the windows.

I believe that Dave is quite right about who owns the moorings at Stracey. When asked to pay I refused, that was just before the Tapas Bar opened. My thought was that someone was pulling a fast one, or at least trying to. Not stopped since.

A shackle spanner, a sharp knife, bottle opener and a cork-screw.

I knew a pub down in Sussex that served only one dish, a really good, proper Ploughmans. People travelled miles! I know that I will make myself unpopular with this one but NO dogs. Arggghhhhhh!!!! But with good reason, many of your potential customers would be 'birders' and dogs and nature reserves don't generally mix well.

But was that at 6.00, Eric? I know John was keen to work the tides to their full advantage, sensible man, which meant an ungodly, early start when most folk would still be asleep when on holiday.

John, did you make your 6.00 start this morning? Looked a bit dark when I looked out of the window, before returning to bed and two hours more kip. Thought I'd get up early and give you a fly-by in my Drascombe, well, that was the intention! P.S. Thanks for the wine and the chat.