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Mouldy
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Posts posted by Mouldy
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5 minutes ago, YnysMon said:
Glad to hear you made it to Dilham!
Moorings are full here! Four boats in total.
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3 minutes ago, TFrench89 said:
I know I'm not the most popular of contributors to this forum... But i believe we need to introduce younger people to the beautiful Broads.
Been there, done that. We used to bring our son on The Broads from when he was about six until he was seventeen in 2005, when going on holiday with his parents didn’t earn him street cred.
He didn’t accompany us again until 2014, when he came with us and his then girlfriend. They came with us for another three years, until his girlfriend became his wife and was too pregnant to have a boating holiday.
We bought into the Moonlight Shadow syndicate in 2018 and then bought our own boat in 2019, but retained a 4% share in MS, primarily so our son and his family can still enjoy a Broads boating holiday at a cost somewhat less than hiring a boat themselves
Now working and with a family of his own, he fully understands why we were (and still are) so passionate about the area and how relaxing a boating holiday can be.
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11 minutes ago, kpnut said:
That’s a shame Malcolm as I was there the night before (at least I think it was that night, I’ve got do muddled with the days!) and managed by taking the lines ‘inwards’ rather than ‘outwards’. Then just took a line from the other stern corner to a far post. I expect all boat designs and configurations are different.
Maybe we’ll spot each other cruising along tomorrow morning. I’ve got to be back at Stalham for about 1pm or so.There was a barge moored at the end furthest from the new boat shed and the top of the quay heading has broken away at the boat shed end, taking with it the mooring ring, making the two ‘straightest’ bits unusable. We tried to moor in the middle, but the curve of the moorings left the bow sticking out too far for my liking.
It worked out okay though. St Benets was fairly full, but we had a peaceful night until the Richardson’s Rush started around 07:00 this morning, by which time we were up anyway.
We’re currently moored at Dilham, so we may we’ll see you in the morning!
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Friday 14th April
The wife finished work at lunchtime, so we had a little extra time to finish packing up the last of our bits and pieces and squeeze them all into the boot of my car. We’ve been so used to having our own boat equipped with everything we need, that trying to remember to pick up all we need for a week on Moonlight Shadow is something of a challenge.
We left home just after 15:00 and arrived in Horning about 16:10. There’d been a serious accident on the A47, so we’d lost a little time in diverting round it. I checked with the yard foreman at HPC, to ensure that the turnaround checks had been completed and was pleased to hear that they had, so we made our way to the mooring and unloaded contents of the car boot onto the boat.
With a few of our possessions safely stowed away, we cast off and made our way out of the marina. There were only two boats moored at Cockshoot Dyke, but we had plenty of time so headed for the church moorings, only to find that some of the quay heading had been torn off along with the mooring rings. Unable to secure the boat to make getting on and off the boat easy, especially for the dog, we moved on and found a suitable spot at at St Benets.
We’d just finished tying up the boat when it started to rain, a few spots at first, which quickly became much heavier. With the rest of our things put away, I fixed a problem with the cable connecting power from the instrument panel to the canopy, providing power for the saloon lighting. We had our dinner and watched TV for a while, retiring to bed at about 22:00. I fell asleep to the sound of rain beating on the roof, trying to work out a plan for our week on the northern rivers and hoping that the weather would improve.
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1 hour ago, NeilB said:
Now, I’ve been visiting the Broads for 50 years and have lived here nearly a year. But I have never had a Heron approach me like this before, he, (or she), even stood on the boat and never moved while I took the photo.
Must be satisfying to know that you can still pull a long legged bird even now, though Neil!
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3 hours ago, CeePee1952 said:
At my age, I tend to pee more than normal after quaffing a few jars and once the tap is opened that's the trend for the rest of the night
Chris
Oh, I know that feeling!
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9 minutes ago, floydraser said:
Anyone fancy the job in January? I was happy in the air conditioned drawing office thanks.
Goes with the territory, surely. You know what you’re doing when to take the job. It’s no good accepting a job at a sewage works if you don’t like the smell, so it follows that if your job entails working in inclement weather, you just get on with it.
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15 minutes ago, Vaughan said:
Which, unless I have missed something, had nothing at all to do with alcohol.
Statistics have proved that alcohol related accidents, over several decades on the Broads, have consisted of people staggering out of the pub in the dark and falling in the river. Again, nothing to do with driving a boat.
Nothing missed Vaughan, but as you state alcohol related incidents on The Broads are due to people falling in the river having over imbibed. There is clearly the potential for folk on a boat being too drunk to negotiate the gap between boat and quay heading to fall in.
There can be no doubt that alcohol numbs the senses and gives some people the idea that they have ‘super powers.’
Sadly, the actions of the minority, often have consequences for the majority. It’s happened before and will happen again. Selfishness has largely replaced selflessness in our society. Insufficient thought is often given to others and the consequences that may follow.
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Slightly contentious post, given that another current thread references a fatal accident on the rivers. There is little doubt that over indulgence in falling over water could be extremely dangerous on a boat, even if not at the helm. Falling in when inebriated, in more tidal areas in particular, wouldn’t be good. It appears that some people’s ability to recognise their limits is sadly lacking, so enjoying a glass or two whilst onboard is probably okay.
The issues arise when those limits are exceeded and one person’s enjoyment affects many others. These days, one doesn’t have to look far to witness selfish or loutish behaviour in all aspects of our lives.
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The BA have closed comments on their Facebook page for this announcement. I can’t imagine why!
https://www.facebook.com/BroadsAuthority-
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I seem to recall that bank works were late at St Benet’s last year, causing a considerable length of the moorings there to be closed for the early part of ‘the season.’ Obviously, like Hardley Cross, no businesses were directly adversely affected, but it did deprive boaters of available moorings during what was a busy season.
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7 minutes ago, YnysMon said:
Given the BA normally try to do the bulk of quay heading renewal during the winter months, my guess is that this repair job wasn’t forecast. Maybe the quay heading got damaged? In other areas of the Broads the repair would probably have to wait, for instance there was an area of Hardley Cross moorings taped off for quite a while last year or the previous year. Given how popular the Ludham Bridge moorings are, I don’t suppose it would wash if they just taped off the dodgy section over the whole summer.
Lets just be glad they are fixing it.
I agree that the Ranworth charge is way out of order, but let’s not start BA bashing again at the least thing.
135 metres of quay heading is a lot to have become damaged over the winter, in my opinion obviously and the major difference between these moorings and Hardley Cross is the number of businesses that are near Ludham Bridge and dependent on seasonal visitor trade. The works in progress may cause the river to be too narrow and impact moorings on the opposite bank, further impacting potential trade.
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31 minutes ago, MauriceMynah said:
"I suppose they know what they’re doing!"
Oh that I could have such faith!
Difficult to express an opinion with one’s tongue firmly in one’s cheek on here! 😉
32 minutes ago, MauriceMynah said:It makes one wonder if Dr Packman actually wants the Broads to be a boating holiday destination.
I don’t think he does. He can achieve full NP status and the issue of replacing diesel engined boats will no longer be an issue.
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Just seen this on the Blessed Authority’s website. I suppose it couldn’t have been done over the winter, when hirefleets aren’t out and moorings aren’t at a premium. I suppose they know what they’re doing!
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14 minutes ago, NeilB said:
I know where she is!!
Stokesby?
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9 hours ago, NeilB said:
An arm or a leg?
Both and possibly a kidney! 😉
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1 hour ago, CambridgeCabby said:
Everytime I see a review of one of the “classic bathtubs” I can’t help but feel immense respect for the designer of what must have been at the time a very radical boat design and one which has not only lasted the test of time but has become the basis for every low airdraft Broads boat built since their inception.
I’m sure that someone will come along and tell me otherwise, but I believe that Wilds led the way with their Caribbean cruisers back in the sixties, although the Dawncraft DC30 must have been introduced a round the same time. It was certainly the start of a kind of revolution in Broads craft design.
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1 hour ago, FlyingFortress said:
Don't get a gas bill
I live in Norfolk 😭
I do and live in Norfolk too! Boy, has it gone up a lot? 😡
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1 hour ago, Vaughan said:
BBC Look East has just done a segment on the enquiry.
They reported that a family member told the court :
If we had been shown the emergency stop button, she wouldn't have died.
That is all the BBC had to say, in the space of less than 30 seconds.
Emergency stop button? I don’t think I’ve seen one of them In over fifty years of visiting The Broads.
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3 minutes ago, kpnut said:
You set me a good example Sam, so I’ll try my best.
Hmmmm! You only live once! That’s all I’m saying.
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Easter Weekend 2023 (Part 4)
So it was another chilly night and I had to get the heating on before returning to bed whilst things warmed up a bit again. I think it must be my age - I’m feeling the cold a bit more these days. The morning essentially followed the pattern of the previous two days - I worked on clearing the condensation with the help of a Karcher window vacuum and leather, whilst the wife took Harley for a walk. When she returned, we got ready to set off. I wanted to get to Somerleyton before the tide rose too much and we had to wait for the bridge to open again.
For a welcome change, the weather looked far more promising. I grabbed a quick photo of Rambling Rosie, moored at Peto’s Marsh, looking very shiny in the morning sunshine before we cast off and headed back up Oulton Dyke. We were punching the incoming current, but making good headway. The river level looked lower that when we were travelling in the opposite direction a couple of days earlier and there was more than 10ft 6 ins clearance indicated when we arrived at the bridge, allowing us to slip through easily.
We continued along the New Cut and through Reedham, which looked quite busy with moored craft and past The Ferry Inn, which didn’t. It seems a shame that a pub that used to be so popular and busy, looks a little dilapidated and so quiet these days. Maybe it’ll pick up as we get more into the season.
Moving with the rising tide, we were soon at Hardley Cross moorings, where I wanted to stop, shower and then cook brunch. It had been a long time since I’d prepared a ‘proper’ breakfast on board, but it wasn’t long before we were tucking into bacon, sausages, mushrooms, tomatoes and scrambled eggs. We were both quite hungry, it was past eleven o’clock and it went down a treat. A couple more boats had moored in the meantime, one of the owners used to moor at Swancraft, but had sold his old boat and bought something larger, forcing him to moor elsewhere in Brundall. I had a chat with him and his family for a while before we cast off again, heading for our overnight destination.
Easter Sunday was also the wife’s birthday - not just any birthday, but a significant one. We were going to celebrate her becoming a sexagenarian with a meal at The Ferry House. Still being helped by the rising tide, we made good progress, arriving at the pub mid afternoon. On the way, I’d spotted a hawk flying, so I grabbed a few shots with my long telephoto lens. The bird was a bit too far away to be honest, but I’ve added a couple below.
Despite having booked a mooring, I couldn’t see our boat name displayed on a board and there wasn’t a lot of vacant spaces, but I found a spot to moor stern on and managed to execute the manoeuvre without making an idiot of myself. It was sunny, but quite chilly and I was surprised by the number of people sitting in the beer garden eating and drinking.
I went into the pub to buy a couple of drinks, which we had back on the boat whilst we waited for our table booking. When it was time, we made the short walk and went in. It was busy, just as it used to be pre Covid, which I was pleased to see. We found our table, I went to the bar for drinks and we’d soon chosen from the menu. Our starters arrived quickly, which we both enjoyed, but neither of us were prepared for the size of the steak that appeared for mains. I honestly thought I’d been cast on that program ‘Man V Food.’
It was good, though, but I couldn’t manage the chips, which was a pity as for once they were proper crisp, chunky ones. We had to pass on dessert - we were both full. I paid the bill and we walked up the lane, far enough for Harley to do what she needed to before returning to the boat. As usual, we watched TV for a while before retiring to bed around 22:00.
For the wife, her birthday had been quiet, but enjoyable nonetheless.
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Easter Weekend 2023 (Part 3)
We had a peaceful night, surprisingly so given how close the moorings are to the road. It had been another chilly one, so I got out of bed just long enough to flick the heating on, before returning for a lie in whilst the boat warmed up. I guess it was about 07:00 when we got up. Dressed, I set about the condensation whilst the wife took Harley for a walk. Sadly, arthritis has affected our poor dog and she’s no longer capable of long walks, so a wander around the green behind the moorings was enough for her.
We topped up with water before setting off and had a gentle chug down The Waveney. We passed about six or seven ‘gin palaces’ heading towards Beccles, which I suspected might have been the craft the spaces had been reserved for at the yacht station the previous afternoon. Deb went for a shower whilst we were on the move and we moored for a while at North Cove so I could shower too. It’s probably my favourite mooring on the river and for a while, we had it to ourselves, but were joined by a hire boat from Barnes a bit later.
I’d intended to moor at Oulton Broad overnight, so we set off again and turned down Oulton Dyke. As we approached the Tea Garden moorings, I could see that there was only one boat moored there. I was tempted to join Neil at Peto’s Marsh, but was well aware that he was with his children and would probably prefer to spend quality time with them than to talk to us, so we turned into the current and moored on the Tea Garden pontoons.
We had a quiet afternoon watching the comings and goings on the dyke, Deb did some cross stitch and I read. I also had to clean up the foredeck of Norfolk Lady, where a large dollop of Norfolk silt had been deposited with the mudweight when I pulled it up at Beccles.
It had been cool and cloudy all day, but as with the previous day, brightened up in the evening. Dinner was some Southern Fried chicken pieces, with sweetcorn and potato slices. A couple of glasses of wine helped it down and we had a quiet evening in front of the TV, catching up with something on the iPlayer, before retiring as usual around 22:00.
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Moonlight Shadow Tales
in Holiday Tales & Blogs
Posted
Two are Hampton Safaris, so let’s say three and a half!