JanetAnne

It's implications may be far worse than we realise. If there are less hire boats there is 'less demand' for navigation and that will easily be argued to providing less moorings and so on. I am aware of one yard that is currently facing huge rent rises, probably enough to tip the balance for them. And, in the meantime, the Thurne Lion is proposed to be closed down and sold off at the end of the season. Now there is another facility and, more importantly, moorings to be lost. We need hirers and hire boats desperately. The Broads will die without them

I will have a Mondeo estate there which you are very welcome to the use of if it helps? The keys are normally in it! May even be able to supply a driver if necessary?

Not especially if you consider I will do over 1200 miles this week alone. Belt failures are not always the cause but sometimes the result. Old Vauxhall water pumps were driven off the timing belt and were weak. Ford tensioners can come undone because the slight whip in the belt as it wears vibrates the tensioner. If we all expect to average one mechanical break down every 100.000 miles driven mine will come round every couple of years whereas some will have 10 years before they are calling the RAC!

And you haven't even begun to mention fouled HPCR injectors at over £200 a piece let alone coding them into the ecu's. Don't forget that we have moved away from mechanical injection totally now. And we have personally had three belts fail Strow. All were well within their service life and two were genuine Ford belts! To be fair though, we do some horrendous mileages some weeks.

Alove? Above!

It's belt driven and, should it fail, because the valves are straight rather than angled in the head, it will snap the camshaft above into three parts and destroy the carrier's. Replacement heads are easily available though...

Agreed. Strowager is right, most parts are still very easy to get for the BMC. And no timing belts so no hand grenade moments like the Ford.

Keep the BMC's.... they are almost bomb proof. However, that 1800 is not a bad choice. We have one attached to an Enfield stern drive and its quiet enough and a reliable old thing. I believe ASAP also carry marinisation parts for them

Doug may need a hand, though, if he has Nipper under control, you could always launch that lovely Royal Tudor and follow him to Beccles... And yes Iain is right, good to see you back

You've been away? Thought it had been quiet...

Or something more radical like dredging?

I hope you will be back in ready for Beccles? It's only 10 weeks away you know...

7mph! They don't even let the ski boats do that these days... lol

She is Rippling Light (S391) one of the Glistening Light Class. Enlarged the piccy and whilst I cant read the name I could see there are two 'p's within the top line.

Almost Vaughan. She is more likely a Glistening Light. The rear window is too far forward to be a Highlight. Its a Moorhen to the port side of Delight X..

What a cracking piece of film. Thank you Carol, loved it!

Romany is hopefully still afloat. She was launched about 18 months ago after extensive work and I believe she is now residing on her owners plot opposite Brundall Bay Marina where they intended to finish her. She was booked to attend Beccles Wooden Broads Cruiser show last year but cancelled. I'll drop them a text and see how she is progressing

But will there be a row of camera laden twitchers across from the entrance of the wet shed to see Robin not only leave the nest but checking on any additional or forgotten plumage accompanying him?

Someone say chocolate?

Rather than epoxy, has anyone with experience of it had problems with or thoughts on 2k (2 pack) varnish at all? I guess its the usual story of fine till the surface gets damaged and damp gets behind it forcing the rest to flake and fail - just like the laquer on bonnets of cars!

Epoxy will stick to new untreated wood beautifully and using the method Robin suggests will result in a steering wheel to die for! But.... (you knew there was a but didn't you) epoxy will not bond properly to old varnish, flaky varnish, paint, dirty wood, some woods with either naturaly occuring oil or resin in them or applied oil or wax on them. It will also not bond to wood that had been stained. It will stick to the workshop floor no matter how dirty it is... We use West a lot, mainly for glueing, and have experimented with it over brand new wood with stain on it with a view to varnishing etc. However, if the natural colour of your wood is right then its well worth considering. We will be doing our oak rubbing strakes in West as they dont need a woodstain.

Drive faster chap. We will distract Mr Wildfuzz with pictures of wood turnings for you! And welcome Mr Boatyman sir from me too. There are lots of us here in Herts (Buntingford for me), that's why they had to sort that old A11 out, it was starting to show a groove!

I dunno... he's changed direction on this so many times now anyone would think he's on board a saily

Perfect! Discrete, understated, blends in well and comes in health and safety yellow. Yup, that'll do it

Is this not the same two launches that were sold through Broadshaven early last year? That linked BA press release says 2014 at the bottom...