JanetAnne

I think perhaps additional rails would be a better description. All hire boats are required to have hand holds, mostly rails but not exclusively, within easy reach but not exceeding 1m of all outside access areas before they pass hire boat BSS. More safety rails will help when on board but needing to climb over them when boarding or leaving the boat introduces a different risk.

'Uncle Mike' has the pennants. You'll find him in the committee list or just pm him

I'm not the one to ask. I am returning to the hire industry after a long absence so much has changed. For me, QAB has been a very expensive exercise, I need it for a single dayboat that is included in a holiday let. It's initially £490 for the assessment which, for Ricko's is the equivalent of about £2.00 a boat whereas, for me, it's £490 a boat! All my documentation is already reviewed by the BA including a personal face to face interview with the licencing officer (nice chap actually) and then it's all gone through again by QAB. By the time you have done gas safe, electric safety test, hire boat BSS, Stability tests, BA hire operators licence, British Marine QAB, 7 different risk assessments, your EAP, handover documents and dealt with insurance companies and toll offices etc etc you can understand why there are so many coming out of the industry and very few people interested in taking it up. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining. I am absolutely compliant and it certainly does increase confidence that we are doing it right. It's taken 18 months though. Anyone want to buy a dayboat....

There is quite an emphasis on handover procedures, relevant documentation and associated risk assessments. Then there are chunks that are almost taken straight from the hire BSS. They do, however, send an assessor round to evaluate everything as well. Something else. A number of insurance companies have either withdrawn or are going to withdraw from the Broads hire market.

We are already seeing the first consequences of this incident with the enforced introduction of the British Marine QAB scheme as a condition of the Broads Authority hire operators licence. Without the adoption of the QAB there was suggestion that all Broads cruiser hiring skippers would need to be qualified before taking a boat out.

And I have just witnessed a superb piece of helmsmanship at Oulton Broad. 45ft of Brinks flat top in the current very gusty crosswinds. Came into the yacht station, held station, chose his spot between two other boats, spun 90' and just nailed it! Yes, he did have a bow thruster but straight in first attempt and the yacht station is pretty full tonight with people taking shelter with this wind coming. I mention it here just incase they are members.

If the BA persue Griff and lose they also lose all their intended revenue from the site. They may consider that just taking the money from the majority is better than risking losing it from everyone. I suspect its possible Griff will receive some fairly strong correspondence but maybe nothing beyond that as it's too risky.

Surely the real issue here is the pumping of oils and fuels into the rivers. Agreed, it's not a safety issue for the boat itself but, whilst it's part of the BSS, at least someone is checking it!

I think us wooden boat owners get used to sleepless nights

Please can we refrain from encouraging Griff to drive topless....

Once the mooring lines burn through a burning boat soon makes its way off down river or closer to other boats and that's how these fires can be spread

Don't forget to factor in the 2:1 gearbox here....

He can't breathe out though

No crossing required Peter Egg, bacon, sausage, black pudding, beans mushrooms, toast, those Nogs know how to live!

Is that your bacon I can smell cooking?

I thought the date part of extinguishers had been revised. They now need to be in the green, of appropriate size for the vessel and be seen to be in good condition.

I was more refering to the flogas 'deposit' at £38.50 per 3.9 bottle if they still won't take the , now redundant, calor units.

I do wonder (hope) whether flogas may offer to take the calor bottles we are all getting stuffed with now calor have abandoned the majority of us who won't have their contracts to be able to hand bottles back at a greatly reduced value.

Not all the flogas 3.9 propane's have bigger bases so, if you can attend their depot, you may be able to select one that fits. If Flogas deliver you just get what's on the lorry. Their staff are really helpful though

Interesting. The picture is of a hull but the text states superstructure? What's it made of if it weighs 38 tons? If it's fibreglass, at 22m X 5m it would be getting on for 18 inches thick

Vaughan, dear chap, Could you please refrain from making the south sound so wonderfully attractive. Our infrastructure down here just can't cope with the hoards of curious boaters you will entice with such eloquent descriptions of the hidden treasures currently shared by the few this side of that cracken infested and highly dangerous Brendon Water

Whatever

Like I said, it's not a requirement on private vessels so your existing set up passes. However they do exist

My dinghy is 30 odd foot long....lol I do wonder though whether dinghy space will be seen as lost revenue and limited if these charges do come about

Do dinghy's not 'moor' then?