vanessan

You would probably stand a good chance of getting a mooring at Ludham Bridge and then getting a taxi to/from Horning. Just a thought.

Unfortunately there are competent sailors who clearly feel the need to prove their skills to mobo helms and turn as close to a vessel as they possibly can. I remember being moored at Thurne Mouth (those were the days!) when a couple of guys seemed to decide they would try and scare us by continually tacking up and down and turning as close to our hull as they could. I have faith in the sailing community so was not unduly bothered but the smirks and grins made their intentions somewhat evident. Rather a silly game that could have gone wrong.

If private boat (sail and motor) owners can debate regs in such depth, it is not surprising there is so much confusion particularly for newbies!

Cantley is also undergoing repairs, section by section. They were working on it 3 weeks ago at least and still seem to have a lot to do. I know all these works have to be scheduled etc but July seems a rather bad time for moorings to be out of commission.

Just shows how easy it is to get caught out, hope you're not too badly injured. That is a very popular spot for fishing but even so I'm surprised at the depth there. Did you manage to sort the engine problem?

I think they must be. The agreed length was 40 metres and that is approximately what there will be.

When we passed the old Boundary Farm moorings last Thursday, the BA seemed to be putting the final touches to the new moorings there. Only a short length compared to what there used to be at Thurne Mouth and Boundary Farm but something is better than nothing I guess. Two of Richardson's finest and they will be full I reckon. I did see something somewhere about the possibility of additional pontoon moorings there, that would certainly be the answer.

Wow, that's fighting talk!!

I'm not normally a massive fan of holiday videos but I have to say how much I enjoyed this one. A very relaxing style and the use of music was not intrusive as it sometimes is. Your film would put some of the so-called travel programmes to shame, it has just the right content to entice people to give boating and the Broads a try. Well done. If John and Robin got together to produce a promotional video, it could be quite an awesome production!

That's good to know. We had a new BSSC earlier this year but no handout so maybe not all examiners hand them out as a matter of course. Mind you, he might have noticed we had an alarm anyway so he would have been preaching to the converted!

I guess the job of proof-reader no longer exists!

I couldn't agree more and I do admire someone who showers their dogs in the morning.

Trev's advice above seems perfectly sensible to me. Just a thought - all persons new to boating should be handed a leaflet about the NBN, advised to read as much content as they can possibly absorb and then join in and ask any questions. These leaflets could be handed out by the BA when new boats are tolled and by all hire companies.

I'm not sure you can teach someone common sense, either it's there or it's not! I know very little about science, chemistry etc and much of what I now know about carbon monoxide has come from the recent sad tales of death from poisoning in boats and even more information from this forum. I have been boating on the Broads for 35 years but it has taken me this long to accept there is something I can do to protect me and my family on our boat. Sad or what?! I have read about people drowning, mostly due to the fact that LJs were not being worn. But I can't remember ever hearing of a death from electric shock on a boat. I don't doubt there have been but it seems co poisoning and drowning are very quick to make news headlines. I couldn't agree more with what B2P says re the nanny state we are racing headlong into. My point I suppose is that boating is a leisure activity that some go into with little knowledge of the pitfalls and dangers. If education is the answer, rather than legislation, then maybe BSS examiners should be handing out advisory leaflets so at least the message is out there.

I think where alarms are concerned there is always the risk of false alarms, house alarms are a prime example. I do think systems generally are more reliable, technology has improved so much. I understand your views MM and the points you are trying to get across, as I hope you try and understand mine. I'm not sure you will get an answer as to what to do when things go wrong though, when technology does play up even the experts can sometimes be flummoxed! I seem to remember reading fairly recently that compulsory co alarms are unlikely to ever form part of the BSSC although I can't remember why. I'm not sure I quite understand your comment about 'legislating to remove/neutralise boating's biggest killer, something else will take its place'. It is a fact that people have died through co poisoning, here on the Broads and elsewhere too. Education is necessary, legislation - well we can argue that until those proverbial cows come home. I reckon most sensible boat owners will by now have a co alarm on their boat and we know some of the hire companies have installed them too. So maybe we are part of the way there.

I understand what you are saying MM but I reckon there may be many private boaters who think themselves immune to the perils of co. You are a long standing boat owner but there will be some new owners who could possibly benefit from co alarms being included in the BSSC. I know rules and regulations often upset people, most of us get frustrated by some beaurocratic nonsense along the way. But if something is put in place that can save lives, that can only be good - in my view.

A baptism of Jayfire I think! Everything else will be so straightforward from now on you will run the risk of becoming blasé. Do keep the write-ups coming.

We have one of the Fireangel on board, I am glad to see they are well recommended. I know it has been discussed whether or not these alarms should become part of the BSS but surely it would be a sensible thing?

Learning on those London roads should serve you well Robin. You should find other UK roads a breeze! I love driving, even more so since I became a member of the Institute of Advanced Motorists. That course gave me more confidence and really taught me what to look for on our busy roads. Good luck with the lessons Robin, hope you manage to find a good driving school. Excellent advice from MM above, lots of good drivers pass the second time around!

I have now had the same reply from the BA as kfurbank and it is a sad situation. It can surely be only a matter of time before the rest of the moorings go the same way. Double mooring at Burgh Castle has got to be a bad idea with the fast tides, IMO at anyway, so it will probably be a non-starter. Shame, I love the Burgh Castle area and all it has to offer. On second thoughts, maybe it is just the excuse I need to stop off at the Fisherman's and have a break from cooking. Assuming there is a space of course!

What a lovely photo of the goldfinch. We go over the Postwick Viaduct on our way to our boat, we always look over to see if there are any boats on the river. When we go under, I look to see if there are any cars!

Therefore a good reason to contact them for an update.

I contacted the Authority for clarification on this in early 2014 shortly after the caution signs appeared. Dredging was due to take place but it never has to my knowledge. I have sent an email asking for an update now part of these moorings have been closed and hope to hear soon. It is almost as if the Authority is looking for an excuse to close Burgh Castle moorings completely!

There were always menus in a box at the end (beginning??) of the moorings down Fleet Dyke, they were not there 2 weeks ago.

One of the shops we always used to use was the Post Office and general store at Somerleyton. Over the last 2/3 years it has changed completely and no longer sells the useful food and others items so needed by boaters, not even newspapers now. Apparently all the locals have their newspapers delivered so not needed in the store. Times have changed. I was chatting to the guy in the Womack shop a few weeks ago about papers, milk, bread etc. It is difficult for them to stock those items as they found so much was going to waste and that I can understand. The trouble is that once private boaters know what a shop stocks and what it doesn't, they will make sure to buy what they need when/where they can.