Mouldy

It’s a relatively small hole in the water, so not so much money required to fill it!

Normally go to a chandlers to get my wallet cleaned out!

Most of the overseas package holiday operators that are advertising on TV currently are offering various incentives, including discounts, lounge access and free child places. If the possibility of some warm sunshine wasn’t enough to spend your holiday cash abroad, all of these ‘little’ extras will probably help. I’m getting frequent emails with special offers from Dolphin Holidays and Parkdean for breaks in the UK. Clearly, Hoseasons aren’t alone in their attempts to encourage you to book with them.

I think that a lot of banks etc. offer packages including breakdown cover. Until recently, we were paying over £200 per year for an enhanced account with NatWest which included travel insurance (with exclusions), basic mobile phone insurance and basic car breakdown cover with Green Flag. We've recently bought new phones and found they were cheaper to buy direct from Apple, with AppleCare and get separate SIM deals from EE, rather than buying the phones with an airtime deal from the same provider. We had very comprehensive RAC cover anyway, including personal membership, in or on any vehicle (including my motorcycle) and onward travel, so have reverted to a standard bank account. I’ve been with the RAC for many years, over 30 now and until my last experience, had always found them to be excellent. However, I had an issue during the pandemic to which they were very slow to respond. I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt, but if their service is lacking, should I need to call them out again, I will move to another provider. I’ve read good things about a company called GEM, so they’re in line to be tried should the need arise. https://www.motoringassist.com

I’m not criticising the landowner. As long as the moorings are well maintained, I’m more than likely going to use them. What will annoy me is broken mooring posts and quay heading that could damage my gel coat. My point is that due to the BA’s unwillingness to talk objectively to the landowner with a view to achieving a mutually acceptable settlement, we have lost moorings that were paid for from our tolls and which we will now have to pay additional money to use. I still believe that the BA will be watching this with interest, as well as other landowners who may feel that this scenario will be more beneficial to them too, when current leases expire.

I’m fairly certain that the BA’s lease on the moorings at Horning Staithe is ending soon and I seem to recall that the Parish Council was trying to pursue a means to get more visitors to the Staithe during the day to increase the footfall and potential business for the local traders. You don’t need a crystal ball to work out what’s likely to happen there, do you? Stern on daytime moorings for dayboats with a solar powered ticket machine, similar to what we have in car parks, maybe and another mooring lost for the toll paying Broads boating community? That’ll fulfil the requirement for more visitors and greater footfall.

I haven’t made a comment about the cost, other than to suggest that the BA may try to use it as an indicator for attempting to introduce charges at other sites, based on occupancy at Langley. It’s no secret that our Blessed Authority are pleading poverty and wanted a toll increase of circa 2% more than has been agreed and are applying to the Government for extra funding, allegedly to support navigation. My understanding is that they’re still trying to introduce charges at Reedham, too. Having a mooring on the southern rivers, I could well be interested in using the moorings and trust that they will be policed to ensure that, having paid for a space, I can moor, that the moorings will be maintained and the grass trimmed to a reasonable height and not become substantially overgrown. I’ve moored at Hardley Mill and paying £10 to moor at Langley is really no different, other than there being no electric available.

Here we go again! I have no doubt that some people will pay to moor there. It’s certainly one of my favourite spots on the southern rivers, but my point remains that I can’t help wondering whether the Blessed Authority will use this as a guide to the boating public’s willingness to pay mooring fees at other locations to the ones that are already chargeable. I’m guessing that payment to moor will be made in advance, so I trust that the moorings will be monitored to ensure that other boats and anglers do not occupy too much space and prevent use by those who have paid.

£10 for the first night. I wouldn’t think that too many people (other than constant cruisers) would want to stay for a second or more, especially holiday makers who will want to see as much as possible during their break.

I may be being cynical, but I can’t help thinking that the Blessed Authority will be watching the popularity of these moorings with interest. If folk don’t mind stumping up £10 a night here, how long will it be before charges are imposed at BA ones, other than where they already exist?

I’m not necessarily advocating a ‘plate piled high’ is my idea of the ultimate dining experience, but by the same token I do like more than two (small) lettuce leaves and a microscopic piece of fish or meat to be provided for a disproportionate amount of money, even if it has been artistically arranged on a plate, with a tiny jug of fancy jus. The thing is, we are all individuals and all like different things. What suits some won’t suit others. I do like the carvery at The Kings Arms, because I can add what I want to my plate and leave feeling satisfied. I never have had much of a capacity for beer - any more than a couple of pints and visits to the loo through the night become far too frequent and disturb my sleep. What makes a good meal for me is honest food that doesn’t appear to have come from the Brakes Bros catalogue and been chucked in a microwave, a decent atmosphere and something that is sensibly priced. Fortunately, there are a few pubs on The Broads that satisfy those criteria for me and they’re the one where I’ll choose to spend my pension.

Perhaps that’s where lines get crossed. We’re talking about pubs that potentially serve food and you’ve used the term ‘restaurant’ to describe The Waters Edge.

At last! A (relatively) warm, sunny day. Had the boat not been in Paul’s shed receiving some attention to a couple of leaky windows and a couple of gel coat repairs, it would have been a great day to be afloat. I didn't want to waste a dry day, albeit a bit chilly early on, so decided to get some of the accumulated crud of my car, especially as it’s going for service on Tuesday - I can feel a pain in the wallet developing already. Washed, quick wax applied and vacuumed, all ready for the inevitable rain, or deposits from the local crow population!

Don’t think I can afford to look at the menu tbh. Not sure they’re dog friendly either. I’d rather go to somewhere where I’m welcomed regardless, like The Ferry House!

I don’t think they won a lot of friends during the pandemic with the way cancellations were dealt with, or that’s the impression I got from reading so many instances of less than adequate customer care on social media. We always used to book our next Broads holiday direct with Summercraft, but Sue used to phone Hoseasons to make the booking and told them what to invoice. Not many folk used to argue with Sue! I personally haven’t booked anything through Hoseasons since 2017 and frankly have no wish to now. They’re a very different company to the one set up by James Hoseason as my last experience was not ideal, when they disputed an advertised discount and tried not to honour it.

I was thinking of these ones: https://youtu.be/F0BfcdPKw8E?si=Xm3T0wLlUFxssqpr

Which one? Alan or Steve? 😉

Ah, okay. We actually follow Helen on MS, starting on the evening of 29th March.

Where are you hiring from, Simon?

The Broads in general were much quieter than previous years last year. But the loss of the Siverline fleet obviously impacted river traffic down south, especially with tales of dire consequences of crossing Breydon that seem to proliferate on social media. I also believe that our views had been skewed by the inflated visitor numbers following the pandemic, combined with the effects of the ongoing financial situation, which did make last year look particularly bereft.

So, what’s new?

Helen! Go on, liberate a few pounds and treat yourself to a go in Xscape! I’ll make the journey from Norfolk to watch! 😉 I can’t really say too much though. Never been on skis in my life!

Humph! If I live to be 75, I’ll be grateful to still be able to walk, never mind ski! 🤦‍♂️

Life jackets aren’t fixed to the boat, so aren’t part of the BSS. If you have self inflating ones, they should be of adequate size to hold up your weight, fit correctly and ideally have a crotch strap, although some don’t. There is a ‘use by’ date on the gas canister (similar to those used in a soda siphon) that inflates the jacket when either immersed or the ‘ripcord’ is pulled. If the life jacket hasn’t been deployed, yet the canister is out of date, it and the actuator should be replaced. The jackets aren’t (as far as I know) dated, but should be replaced if damaged, but are repack-able if deployed, with a replacement gas canister and actuator. Ours are Seago branded, although others are available.

I wouldn’t wild moor on The Yare. As for The Chet, it’s too bloody narrow for most of its length and getting narrower as time passes. I’ve certainly noticed a difference over the past six years. In some places now, I doubt two craft could safely pass, the channel has become so narrow. We usually moor at Pyes Mill. We tried Chedgrave Common once, but a group of teenagers arrived with a picnic (largely alcoholic) and started having a party, accompanied by some loud music, so being grumpy old farts, we moved on! Personally, the traffic is so light on the southern rivers now that none of the BA moorings get really busy for the majority of the time, with one or two notable exceptions, those being Reedham and Bramerton when the Brundall Navy set sail.