ChrisB

My thoughts will be with you and your family today Alan. Next Wednesday, the 19th marks the second anniversary of my own day such as yours today. May strength and peace be with you.

Thought that I would go the other way today, so headed south to Palling for a walk. Deserted except for the usual year round Surfers 20181211_110121.mp4 20181211_110121.mp4

The Camargue is trully a magical place, hard to take in that such wilderness is in France. Unfortunately the last time we visited it was too late in the year, early September and even though we had brought fine Scottish Midge nets to wear those huge Camague Mozzies were testing to say the least. They were driving the horses and bulls absolutely frantic.

Just spotted this articlein BBC science news. The cause appears to be warmed water rising from the ocean depths.

A lot of reed comes from The Danube Delta, most of which lies in Romania. It is the second biggest in Europe after the Volga but is considered to be the most pristine in Europe and one of the most in the World For comparison The Broads cover some 350 square Kilometres the Danube Delta is in excess of 4000 square Kilometres.

Waitrose normally stock it in their news/mag section. Lathams, Potter also stock it.

If it were water 1000 litres = 1 cubic metre = 1 Tonne So how much heavier than water is wet mud? I don't know but would guess it has an SG of approx 1.5. So my guess is 1 cubic metre of wet mud is around 1.5 tonne

Sometimes it is interesting to kick off an idea and see what other folk think.

I was picking up on Marshmans comment re nose to tail hire boats. By quiet read paddle, oar and sail. Impossible with the largest fleet based at Stalham but perhaps power could be restricted to main channels and the rest accessed by quiet vessels. With the vast amount of development planned for the area, private boat ownership is going to increase and I don't see how you can keep taking more and more boats onto a finite waterway without some imaginative planning.

Precisely Vaughan, which is why I have always thought having two pots of money is not sensible. If a job needs to be done, does it really matter if it comes from the left or right pocket. Expenditure must eventually be reported to the Comptroller & Auditor General even if that is via a third party Accountancy Practice.

But equally could not other interested parties have a right for, let us say quiet areas above the NTLs defined as : The entrance to Barton in the south Top of Candle Dyke Entrance to Martham Broad Last entrance to Wroxham Broad going up stream. I am purely playing Devils Advocate, looking at tourism in Norfolk as a whole boating is actually a long way off being the major player. I do share Marshmans view that there is a danger that The Broads could become too commercial and change for future generations if one lobby has it's way over the others.

Well you see I was thinking......but I stopped.......because I don't want to cause trouble...... But here we go!!!!!!..... Is there anywhere, Town, Country, National Park, Island, Anywhere..else in the UK....where outsiders, just because they spend a couple of bob on a mooring and have a pint in a pub or hire a boat have the arrogance to tell the populace of Norfolk in general and The Broads in particular the way the area should be run, be it roads, rivers or development. Or maybe it is an endemic failing in single interest discussion groups. Anyway it was just a thought and I am not prepared to get into a discussion.

I have just had a thought.

The first thing to consider when buying a boat for use on The Broads is " where do I want to go?" If the answer is everywhere then you will have to set a maximum airdraft and that will effect your choice. The second is how will I use it? Are you local? Or will you have to travel? So in effect your boat will be a second home. We deliberately bought a new small boat as we lived 20 mins from our mooring for two reasons, it could go everywhere and we had no intention of sleeping on it in inclement weather. We would typically spend 80 to 120 days afloat per annum but not spend more than 15 to 20 nights on board at the very most.

I hired an Alpha 29 Sportsbridge from Bridge Craft in Ely. It had a radiator heating system run off a super-thin boiler that was fitted over one of the "bedrooms" it was really excellent. I always liked the Sportsbridge version of the Alpha 29, but not good for the less mobile as the companionway was very steep and the canopy pretty heavy.

Very interesting, and being so close it is my intention to combine it with a "discovery cruise" of the Blackwater on a Thames Sailing Barge out of Maldon, either end June or mid July. It will make a very pleasant 3 night break for me. Thanks for your post.

Thanks, I will try to visit next summer.

Is that the RHS garden that specialises in plants for dry areas?

May I also add my sincere and heart felt condolences. My thoughts are with you Alan. Chris

Said a bit of a contradiction there. The reason I have an out of date Hamilton still is Judith bought it for me from the book stall at Ingworth Trosh. The main reason being she noticed that it was signed by Jamie Campbell.

Got out on the marsh at Blakeney today as tomorrow looks fowl again. Juno is back in her winter berth minus rigging so it must be the year for a refurb. Lion of Stiffkey is also up for the winter. Poor old girl needs a good going over and refit. I love the lines of Lion, unfortunately the light was not kind to me today but she has the most wonderful counter stern, rounded, the like of which was blamed for the destruction of the French Tunny Fleet but beautiful to the eye. If I was younger I would love to take her on.

I don't know, how would I know it just changed in my tables but I don't keep old tide tables. My 2001 Hamiltons says 6ft 9in. My method with Potter was always to cruise up and see how it fitted in the hole. Usually it was tight so I asked the Pilot, if he said it would go then I paid him to take it through.

Potter clearance was changed around 2010. It used to be quoted as 6ft 8in it then changed to 6ft 6in. It rather depends on their base of calculation if it is based on chart datum, normally lowest astronomical tide + a mean high tide in summer the calculation is no doubt correct. However chart datum is just a figure from which all depths and heights are calculated from, rarely seen in real life. Like all charts and almanacs the responsibility is The Skippers for safe passage. We all know how much atmospheric pressure plays in the North Sea! Bridge clearance heights are no more than a very rough guide.

No. I do have very powerful binoculars, 20X - 180X x 100. They are too powerful for hand use and you need a tripod. Actually they are in the conservatory to spot deer and watch a pair of Little Owls that nest in a hole in an Oak tree over the field. That latest photo was again taken on my Samsung phone. PS. As I don't drink alcohol, (not good when you are home alone) I tend to have a steady hand for my age in a morning!!!!!