[Ideas on boat hire]

Hi JM, I would love to go a bit earlier, but leave etc restrictions mean we have to leave it to the last knockings.

I have thought of the houseboat option as well especially as we will have our own dinghy. Do you know if there is a slip way there? 

    

Whispering Reeds have the houseboats and a slipway.

I dry berth there and launch from their slip - nice people and quite easy going.

Regards.

Mark.

[Horsey]

Thanks for the info and it seems a must now.

Howard - does that mean that if I'm approaching from the north (left to right on that photo) I turn left after the yellow bollard?

Damage from other boats in tight spaces also worries me after some of the sights I've seen recently.

[Horsey]

My boat is only 18.5ft and having an outboard makes it fairly easy to steer in reverse.

Mark.

[Horsey]

Hello all.

I might be making mountains out of mole hills here - so excuse my ignorance if that is the case.

The wife and I would like to visit Horsey at some point next season but I find the entrance from Hickling Broad a little confusing. There seems to be posts all over the place and no clear way through. I'm paranoid about going the wrong side and grounding.

Can anyone advise on this and also is there plenty of mooring up there?

Thanks and regards.

Mark.

[Fender P.S.I.]

Thanks Alan.

Just out of interest - whereabouts in sheffield are you?

I live at Woodseats

Regards,

Mark.

[Fender P.S.I.]

Size 2 - 560mm x 150mm dia.

[Fender P.S.I.]

Hi there.

Can anyone tell me what the optimum pressure is for inflatable fenders?

Regards.

Mark.

[Coolant]

Yes, the steady stream is the genuine pilot hole which is a norm for outboards, being the "telltale" that shows the coolant is flowing through ok, (because the main coolant outlet is below water level, so not visible).

 

This secondary stream from another hole could just be splashing inside the plastic outer casing exiting through that other hole.

Or, it could be a failed gasket or crack in the water jacket, though that would normally be bad enough to make the motor run roughly as well.

The only way to be certain is to either remove the outer casing and run the engine, or perhaps try to look down into that part of the casing with the hood off, with the engine running. You might then see the real source of the additional flow.

Thanks Strowager.

The motor runs ok but is slightly rough and vibrates a little. 

One thing I did notice was when I start it up after it's been stood for a while the stream under the cowl puts a slight film of what looks like oil on top of the water but quickly dissipates then clears up. 

As you rightly say this could be a crack or blown gasket which could also explain the spitting.

All a little worrying but now the season's over I've got all winter to investigate.

[Coolant]

If that's the pilot hole on your outboard then it should have a continuous flow when the engine is running, even when the engine is just ticking over.

You've said that the engine expels coolant at a good healthy rate though, do you mean from the centre of the prop boss or from "another" pilot hole ?

 

It does have a steady stream from another hole underneath where the cowl sits and this flows out at an angle of around 30 degrees to the motor straight back into the water. As far as I've seen this is the norm for all outboards.

However, water also spits out of the hole indicated on the photo at higher revs but this isn't a steady stream like the other one.

Could it be an overflow or worst - a fault!

Regards.

Mark.

[Coolant]

Hi.

I have a 9.9 Yamaha a stroke engine which runs fine and expels coolant at a good healthy rate.

One thing i have noticed about the coolant is that at higher revs it also spits out from the hole indicated on the photo.

Perhaps one of you could tell me if this is normal?

Thanks and regards.

Mark.

[Peacock house]

Between the bridges at Potter there is some free moorings and a grassed area with picnic benches - a nice place to moor if you can get under the bridge.

The wife and I were there on Saturday moored opposite a nice house with peacocks in the garden. I was fishing off the boat and her indoors was spending our hard earned cash at Lathams on stuff neither of us needed.

All was great. The weather was nice, the fish were biting - sometimes! - and I was stood on the stern of my pride and joy.

The swans were a bit of a pain but kept away when they saw my inquisitive Jack Russell.

Two of the swans had angel wing which is a deformed joint and causes the wing to stick out the side. They can't fly and are doomed to die if left outside over the colder months. It's a sorry sight to see and could be caused by too much white bread in their diets - you can read about it on various websites. If this is true then people need to be aware so they can choose to feed them alternatives.

Anyways, whilst I thinking about these swans and watching my float an old man came out of the garden where the peacocks were and headed towards the old bridge carrying a black sack full of white bread. He emptied half of it in the river next to the bridge and then walked back towards me and emptied the rest a foot away from my stern which attracted every bird in the area. There was only me and one other boat on the moorings so I assume he did it out of spite as there was loads of free space well away from me. I said "excuse me. I'm fishing here" He replied "well you can fish some other time" and scurried back to his bolt hole.

If he hadn't have been so old I could have easily lost my temper.

Watch out for him if you're there. Not only is he potentially causing damage to the birds with his large amounts of bread, he clearly objects to boats and fishing.

Mark.

[Short visit toll]

I was summoned by a passing ranger in Horning but waved on when he saw my short visit number on the stern.

The thing that got me was he didn't get close enough to read the expiry date!!!

[Short visit toll]

Try putting a small tent up at the side of your boat - a ranger suddenly appears!!

[Short visit toll]

I wasn't aware that you can pay the rangers.

I like to be legal and above board but in a situation like this when I've already paid for double the time that I've used I wouldn't feel bad if I didn't see a ranger!!

[Short visit toll]

It's just a shame you can't pay by the day.

[Short visit toll]

Hi there.

I've had my boat on a dry berth since the beginning of August and so far I've launched it twice. Once for 5 nights and once for 2 nights 3 weeks later.

Up to now I've bought two short visit tolls at £27.60 each. Both for 7 days. So I've paid for 14 nights but only used 7.

I shall be launching the boat this weekend for one night only but will have to buy another £27.60s worth of toll.

I know it's not a great deal of money but in two weeks time I shall be using the boat for the last time this year for a week and another toll will be required. So that's 4 tolls in total for 28 days but only 15 days use!!

Do I just have to pay up and keep quiet or is there any way round it?

Perhaps someone with the same situation as me could confirm?

Thanks in advance.

Regards.

Mark.

[Propeller]

The propeller on my Yamaha 9.9hp 4 stroke outboard has seen better days and I'm looking to replace it.

It pushes my Norman 18.5ft and I know you can get different pitches and high thrust etc. but I don't know enough about them to make a decision.

Can anyone advise me on what I need?

Regards.
Mark.

[Broad Ambition - Underway on the H2O]

Hey Robin.

The wife and I passed you on Saturday on our way to Potter.

We were on our new to us Norman 18.5. I've just watched your video hoping to see us going past but that bit must have been edited out.

It's a lot to ask but if you noticed our boat when you were editing would you still have a clip? - the hull is blue half way up and our blue canopy was down.

Just a thought - keep up the good work.

Regards.

Mark.

[Petrol]

I have a 25ltr tank on a 18.5ft Norman with a 9.9hp 4 stroke.

We were there last week from Tuesday to Sunday and started with a full tank from the top of Hickling Broad as follows:-

Tues - Launched from Whispering Reeds, a run down Hickling Broad and back to boatyard.

Weds - Whispering Reeds to Potter Heigham.

Thurs - Potter to Ludham Bridge.

Fri - Ludham Bridge to Wroxham.

Sat - Wroxham to Potter and showing almost empty on gauge back at Potter. walked to petrol station for 5ltrs.

Sun - Potter to Whispering Reeds - approx 28ltrs in all.

Regards.

Mark.

[Petrol]

There's a petrol station a short walk from Potter but even a short walk with a 25ltr petrol tank on a hot day isn't much fun - did it last week!!

It'd be much nicer to pull into a boat yard and top up but I understand that most boats are diesel these days and boat yard don't carry petrol stocks.

I suppose the exercise will do me good!!

Regards.

Mark.

 

[Outboard vibration]

Hello all.

I have a fairly old 9.9hp 4 stroke Yamaha outboard which I used for the first time last week.

It pushes the boat along nicely but at mid range revs it vibrates - not overly so but enough to get annoying after a while. On the 4mph stretches the motor is quiet and vibrationless but on the 5 & 6mph stretches it vibrates the whole stern - enough to make your hands tingle!

I'm fairly sure it's not the prop as the vibration is identical in neutral.

Has anyone had experience with this engine and can suggest where the problem lies?

Any help would be most appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Regards.

Mark.

[Petrol]

Hi all.

Does anyone know if you can buy petrol riverside on the northern side?

Regards

Mark.

[Fenders]

Clove hitch is far better than a half bood, as half bloods dont hold to well on rope.

Do clove hitches work with eyes?

 

Mark.

[Fenders]

Thanks for the replies.

 

I'm tying them to eyes and was thinking about a half blood knot.

 

Regards.

Mark.

[Fenders]

Hi there.

 

Can anyone tell me how to tie fenders on?

 

Thanks and regards.

Mark.