ChrisB

BBC IPLAYER. We are England Series:- Made in England ... Making waves Well worth watching, Documentary on Spirit Yachts in Ipswich.

There has been a big "Broads Type" hire industry around the lagoons and rivers in the Venice region for a long time. I am sure our French Correspondent can give a much better overview than me. My guess is ex-hire boat. Here is Le Boat Italia:-

Cars have not had carbs since the nineties, Andrew, the last were Isuzu in 95.

And good on gas.

It was not my 1st choice:- 1 was MX5 but I needed to open doors fully to get in and out. So could not put it in garage. 2 was Abarth 595 Cabriolet. Fab if you lived in Italy or Spain with smooth roads. Spine shattering on the A149 coast Road. Hence:-

Winterisation. No longer being a boat owner! Never the less the "Picnic Car" is now away until spring having been serviced and valeted and left with the hand brake off. I covered about 3000 miles this summer from north of Skegness to Flatford Mill all with the roof down.

Difficult, with that cover on, but lines are similar to the largest "Tideway" the 14 footer.

Moi aussi, 19 years since I was there. Time for a re-visit.

I am into my 16th year here in North Norfolk. The first ten years were wonderful and though The Broads were never like putting to sea for me we both enjoyed our mostly day boating. Soon I will have been widowed for 6 years and although it has brought many challenges (when you have been together for 50 years you never get over the loss) I would not return to Buckinghamshire, I still enjoy Norfolk. However, I am finding my land a little too large these days as we were mid 50s when we retired and Judith was a "Gardener" luckily at present I can afford help with it as downsizing and living in close proximity to others, something I have not done for 38 years frightens me.

You must remember that you are not talking a stand alone Freehouse fighting to survive. If it is part of the Broom Boats Group any losses will be written against their overall profit reducing taxation.

BBC Norfolk.

Inland Cruising:- The Shannon Erne Waterway, North to South, Belleek to Killaloe on-board something Dutch and Steel. Preferably with radiator heating! And a heated drying locker!

In the UK. The West Coast of Scotland aboard a classic Nicholson 38.

From Venice, down the east coast of the Adriatic to the Greek Islands onboard a new Beneteau Oceanis 54

I did of course mean Sedan Style.....age? Connection to English to American car description? Worrying, as it is getting worse!

One of my favourite inland boats, in this, the saloon style. I borrowed one on the RGO. Great accommodation, proper forward island bed. Very safe rear well. Could be a bit high for boarding for the less agile. I think it could make someone a really nice boat.

Not at all sure about a prop turning with an unmanned helm for the mooring. Leaving OK, if you should slip, boat leaves without you. Even at tick over props take no prisoners.

Salt or fresh makes no difference to Otters, prior to living in Norfolk all the Otters I had ever seen were coastal in Devon and the Western Isles.

It was the Autumnal Equinox last Friday so some of the years highest of tides are only to be expected. With river fresh water levels low and still warm the denser saline, colder water will travel further up stream below the fresh. With rising sea levels, I think we are seeing an environmental adjustment to what is after all an Estuarine Environment that is tidal for a long up stream. It is not just The Broadland Rivers, I am told salinity is rising in the freshwater pools along the coast road around Cley and Salthouse.

From the BA's Hydrographic Survey, I am struggling to find this " Hump " can anyone identify it?

The beauty, apart from safety, that is, of twin prop for me is one ahead and one astern, can it do that? My father's Fairey Huntsman going back to the 60s could spin in her own length and leave a crowded Poole Quay as if she had modern thrusters,

Most had moved on yesterday afternoon.

Being brought up in the Thames Valley everyone once knew that all our security printing was done at Harrisons in High Wycombe:-