JennyMorgan

I always knew them as 'dead babies', only I don't remember what they were? Dumplings perhaps?

Wind assisted friendly individual? In regard to MAFI & DAFI it might be that the F and the I have an alternative meaning, especially during the Three Rivers or Yare Navigation races. By the way, why is a submarine a boat and not a ship?

You might be!!

Yis bor, tha hully is!

The one that stuck in my mind, even to this day, was 'hen-tit', breast of chicken, for some odd reason that one always amused me.

Maybe that was how I was seen by the young matelot but on principle I refused point-blank to adopt a washed out, battered Breton cap and baggy pink trousers as was seemingly regulation dress amongst SA's at the time, plus I was employed as a full time yachtsman so the Saturday bit didn't apply and anyway, Saturday was my day off.

He might have done, long time ago now, just a bit of banter I suppose. I suspect that even in the RN the toilet was still 'the heads' whilst the thing that you sat upon was 'the turd strangler' and the kitchen was stiil 'the galley'.

My experience of the Navy was that terminology was used that was most likely to be understood by deck crews, many of whom had no maritime tradition or upbringing. Indeed there was some resistance to such tradition. On one instance I was aboard HMS Lowestoft and without any thought I used a term like 'starboard, aft quarter', certainly wasn't affectation or pretension, just rolled off the tongue so to speak. A young matelot accompanying our group burst out laughing and went into immediate micky taking mode before profusely apologizing for his indiscretion. He explained that on deck there was a resistance to tradition and culture which he personally regretted but that was how it was. Me, I saw the funny side of it and for the rest of the day really laid it on thick. For what it's worth I've always taken an interest in traditional marine culture, I suppose I grew up with it. Terminology is something that develops as life passes us by. My father always referred to Port & Starboard as Larboard & Starboard, I suppose because his dad and grand-dad had used that terminology. There is obviously a chance of confusion between larboard & starboard thus I suppose that port & starboard became the norm. We are a maritime nation with what I suppose can be considered an etiquette as much as a tradition. Flag etiquette is an example, woe betide anyone who wears (flies) a red ensign on the bow (front) of a boat or a Union flag from the stern (blunt end). I think that is rather nice to 'get it right' although at the end of the day does it really matter?

Only one rope of a boat and that is the bell rope. Other than that a halyard pulls a sail up whilst a sheet pulls one in!

Very true, we mustn't forget the social and political emancipation of women either. Now that was a real game changer, for us blokes in particular !!

Or even probably plastic or resin.

Old boats are generally cheap boats which inevitably attracts the less affluent amongst us and there lies the problem. People can afford to buy old boats but can they afford to own them? There is no doubt that old boats can become expensive. Interesting times ahead. Incidentally, if I were buying a boat then I wouldn't do it now. Late Autumn/Winter would be good!

Social distancing?

Rarely suggests that you have dragged! What can I say? Just curious, what do they have on the wherries?

Chris from North Norfolk recently posted a picture of a block and tackle that he used to lift a mudweight, well worth checking out. You could also have a single and a double block, piece of cake!

I am sure that some do but many of the boats are built and rigged with one purpose in mind, racing.

The Lion at Thurne is fighting back! https://www.greatyarmouthmercury.co.uk/news/business/the-lion-at-thurne-hosts-dining-greenhouses-1-6659792

I doubt it, it's all about supply and demand. At the moment there is a glut of private boats, all effectively held to ransom over .mooring charges, easy money. However, if the private fleet goes into decline then the boot might be on the other foot! On the other hand I can see an increase in the hirefleets as people realize that the agro of boat ownership is reduced by hiring. Syndication, I suspect will stay about static, might possibly even decline as people, like in this pandemic, are paying their full share but are unable to use their allocation and unable to pick and choose their preferred holiday dates, at least that is how I see it. A number of the very BIG boats are owned by works based syndicates and businesses, might we not see a reduction there as businesses seek to reduce their costs? Just a gut feeling at the moment but time will tell. What I would like to see is an increase in small boat ownership but the Broads is now geared up to big boats, maybe that will change, I hope so,

Boat prices, in my opinion, have long been artificially high, driven by commission paid salespeople. Now prices might be driven by people keen to offload what have become their liabilities, their pleasure over taken by costs and reduced commitment. Boat prices on older sailing boats in particular have definitely dropped, both on the Broads and around the coast. I suspect that the same will soon happen with motor boats and subsequently moorings. Inevitably there will be winners and losers. When your boat becomes a ball and chain then it is time to let it go.

I carry a 20 and a 10 on my Drascombe. I do have a windlass on the fore-deck! The 20 is reserved for a blow. I always regarded the old guideline of two pounds per foot of length, plus a little, about right.

If I can manage one then I am sure that any fit youngster can. Perhaps I should modify my advice to one heavy weight, just in case, and a more manageable 20kg one for the wimps!

I would, if she were mine, carry 6 'sausage' fend-offs with landyards at both ends & two large round ones to go under the forward flare. Go for black or blue, white shows every mark. I would go for four 30ft mooring lines, once again blue or black. I know that there are those that will disagree but I would have neither loops nor back-splices on the mooring lines, such things can and do jam when you want to pull them through a mooring ring. Also if you use a loop to fasten the line to your boat then it makes it impossible to cast off from the boat in the event of towing or being caught on a falling tide. Bowlines and round turns and two half-hitches is the answer. You might need to cast off when there is a load on your lines. As for auto life-jackets, I'd rather have a modern, closed cell foam job, they work when you need them to and they suffer neglect far better that auto. I would also carry a mobile phone, UHF is handy but not that necessary. I would also carry one long and one short boathook. Manual pump and a bucket can be very handy! A 30kg mudweight, two can be handy. Four rhond anchors can also be usefull, some folk also carry a mallet to bash them in but in a lifetime I have never needed a mallet, darn things only chew up the metal which can then cut your hands. A bucket with a rope on it is useful when you are cleaning the decks, as is a deck-scrub. A whistle is always handy, even if you never use it. I also carry a 'fisherman's' anchor, ideal for lobbing into the reeds if you need to lay alongside in emergency. A spare tin and bottle opener is good as is a spare of water. You won't be the first person to forget to top up the water-tank and having none to drink on a hot day can be horrible. I also carry spare cloths just in case I need a change of should I fall in.

In fact I believe that it was your father who alerted mine to the likelihood of unwarranted authority. Desmond Truman was another consultee that I remember as being quite concerned.

When my father was involved with the Countryside Commission in formulating the Broads Authority he and other consultees were critical of the use of the word Authority in the title, fearing that authority would eventually go to the head of the new body. Time has shown that their concerns were well founded., regretfully.

I had to go to Asda last night to collect some medication for my wife. The place was deserted so I had a wander around and spied some good looking, perfectly marbled stakes amazingly at under three quid each plus a very acceptable desert and a salad plus I did some good chips, plus a decent Red from Naked Wines. Two of us drank and eat very well for around £12.00 each, very acceptable and had we gone to a pub I suspect it would have cost us at least £30.00 each for a comparable meal. I suspect that pubs are going to have to fight very hard to win their public back.