vanessan

Here is an email I received from the BA on 15 March having paid my toll and received the plaques in the post: Dear Toll Payer I am writing to advise you of an issue that a very small number of toll payers have experienced with their new plaques. We have had reports from two boat owners that the ink from their plaques has run onto their vessels following heavy rain and this has been backed up by our own tests. Our supplier, who has produced toll plaques to this specification for 20 years with no previous ink stability issues, is investigating the cause and testing possible solutions for the plaques already sent out. In the meantime we would advise you not to fix your toll plaque on your vessel while investigations are ongoing but instead to keep it on board ready should it need to be produced. If you have already fixed your plaques our advice is that you should remove them. If you have experienced any colour run please contact the Tolls team at tolls@broads-authority.gov.uk or on 01603 756080 so we can establish the scale of the issue. We apologise for the inconvenience but please be reassured we are doing everything we can to resolve the issue and will keep you updated. It is just as well the problem occurred before the season got under way as there could have been quite a few disgruntled boat owners!

JM - the Somerleyton box stands back a bit from the mooring posts if my memory serves me correctly so hopefully wouldn't be used to rope to. Would be useful to tie the dog to though to stop it wandering off!! I wonder if enough money is donated to make emptying them regularly worthwhile??

Alan I am not talking about Womack staithe, I am referring to the Womack Dyke moorings. The box appeared there early last year I think, it is just as you meet the footpath to walk inland.

I got to page 11 and had counted the NP words 10 times, I gave up then! (There are 2 on the front cover!)

These 'charity boxes' started appearing a while ago, there is one at Somerleyton and another at Womack Dyke moorings. I'm sure I have seen others as well. I wonder how many toll payers donate anything??? Many hoses are removed through the winter months but they should start reappearing soon, especially as Easter is almost upon us.

Sounds a smart idea but supposing you don't have midship cleats?.........

Also meant to add that, with all the mod cons Robin would have on a boat, he wouldn't fork out for a useful window dryer!

I have used mine at all sorts of funny angles without too much problem, certainly not had water pouring out again. I think the Karcher is one of those items that, once you have tried it on boat windows that suffer badly from condensation, you really don't want to go back to using cloths etc.

Our Karcher came with 2 interchangeable heads, I think it was a 'special' deal. The smaller of the 2 is definitely the right size for most boat windows I would think.

We have a Karcher for the boat, it is absolutely fantastic for condensation and after a shower too. Charges from the mains or via the inverter when travelling, only takes about 30 minutes to charge. I certainly wouldn't want to be without it now and have to go back to wringing out a cloth or chammy.

Broadsword - the moorings opposite the Ferry are no longer leased by theBA and all of the others are not BA operated moorings. They are ideal places though.

Not a very inviting scene today but someone has the right idea at the hotel.

Thank you guys, that explains it for me.

I seem to remember drinking S & P back in the 80s and 90s - would that be right?

But at least we can pretend it's nice 'cos it's spring!

I'm with Gracie on this one, I quite like the sound of boat engines - at the right time. I remember a story I read a couple of years back about 2 boats travelling together. They had moored at Ranworth and the boat parties returned to their boats from the Malsters around 10pm I believe. One party started their boat engine and then joined the party on the second boat for a couple of hours, returning to shut off the engine and retire to bed! Now that is definitely anti- social and I don't know if anything was said at the time. I do wonder how many folk would shy away from confrontation as it can so often turn nasty. I think on the Broads most people would tackle the problem as, in the main, we are a sociable lot but there is always the exception. I too have heard a boat's heating running during the summer months, even on a sunny, warmish spring day! That reminds me, only 3 more weeks and the clocks go forward - whooooopeee!

//Please Rascal, don't think I don't take you seriously. It is another question of "horses for courses". If these are the needs of modern boating, for the boating public, then more suitable moorings should be available for this. Comes back to the BA again, doesn't it?\\ I couldn't agree more. Trouble is, if it comes back to the BA, it comes back to our tolls which would need a huge hike to provide these moorings.

We hired a number of times from Anchorcraft at Acle, a great boatyard where we were always well looked after. We still see 2 of their boats out and about now, in private hands of course. Herbert Woods had our business a number of times and we now own a boat that once, way back, belonged to the Woods stable. Royalls were brilliant and still are I believe. I always look at boats similar to those we hired to see if they are the ones and now in private hands. The very first boat we hired was from R Smith at Brundall. We travelled most of the network in the 9 days we were on board and got totally hooked! ( Know the feeling?) About 5 days out, something happened below decks and we noticed we had started taking on water. In those days it was a manual bilge pump and we had to pump away until the owners arrived to sort the problem. When they got there, the water was about an inch from the floorboards. We had managed to struggle to Southgates at Horning luckily and repairs were done within a few hours. On our way again although I did keep checking regularly to make sure no more water was comimg in! That was our Broads baptism!

Iain - a google search tells me that the Scottish Executive provided funding between 2003 and 2006 for 20 mph limits outside all schools. An example of Scotland being ahead of the game and one England should be following I think.

I fully agree with MM re speed limits outside schools. In South Australia they have a reduced limit on roads passing schools 'when children present' and that seems to work extremely well. In Strowager's words, fate and circumstances conspire. If they can, by golly they will too!

Wildfuzz - to a large extent the public can benefit from driver training by undertaking an advanced driving course with the Institute of Advanced Motorists. Their courses are based on police driving and I know from experience that pretty well EVERY driver will have something that needs correcting. Own up now, how many of us can sometimes drive from a to b and not remember what happened during that trip? Minds wander all too easily and that's when road traffic signs get missed, particularly speed limit signs it seems. Learning how to observe the road correctly and try and anticipate what other road users are going to do would help to make us all better drivers. It can sometimes, for one reason or another, be easy to slip over the speed limit, I'm sure we have all done it. But a quick glance at the speedo will tell you that correction is needed, it doesn't need to be a fixation. I think I can understand what Speedtriple was getting at but cannot agree about the child in the road scenario. These things do happen and that's where observation and anticipation come in, particularly in built-up areas. I believe the majority of drivers who had an unfortunate incident involving a child, would feel desperately guilty - even if well within the speed limit. Driving is not as much fun as it used to be, that's for sure!

Gracie -

Some of us like Wherry!

I was beginning to think I was reading the 'home from home' thread! Having hired boats for almost 30 years before buying, I really can't remember having to run an engine whilst at a mooring. As a hirer, I could never get enough of being on the move so I guess the batteries were regularly topped up during the day. Now retired and able to enjoy river life at a real slow pace, sometimes the batteries need a little help and that's where the leccy posts really come in handy (if you can get near one that is ). Having had a further reply from the BA, it is obvious that all the Authority had in mind was to remind boaters that running engines at moorings could be an offence. They reckon there was insufficient space to say anything else in the Broadsheet Newsletter although the words 'to the annoyance of others' would hardly have taken up much more space. Suffice to say, I think we do not have to worry too much or change our ways as most of us understand the necessity for engine running or the annoyance it can create.