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dnks34

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Posts posted by dnks34

  1. 41 minutes ago, SwanR said:

    When people talk on here about needing more electric posts at moorings, they do forget that a lot of hire boats won't have a lead available and can't use them.

    I thought some boats were advertised as shore hook up now or have I got it wrong?

  2. If a customer is going to go to the lengths required to bring iffy fuel with them or fill it up with cooking oil/water or such like to save a few quid at the end of the week are these the sort of folk you really ought to be letting your boat out to anyway!

    The problem with locked filler caps becomes clear when the fuel thieves come along in the winter.....not only lost fuel but a damaged deck! 

     

     

  3. Again on the subject of fuel, there was one yard I hired from who made clear on handover that their boat must not be filled up with fuel from any other yard or supplier claiming it would not be good quality and would damage their engine.  They were absolutely adamant of this. 

    Having bought fuel at many places on the broads with my own boat since and never once suffered any engine damage I can only think there was some other (likely financial) reason for this. 

    • Like 6
  4. 1 hour ago, NonTecky said:

    Ferry Marina have been doing 'all in' for a few years now, I have been using them for years (before they switched to all in) and on reflection I prefer the 'what you see is what you pay'...

    In my opinion if I was hiring I would rather pay for what I used.

    Fuel tanks are probably 200 - 250 ltrs in size on hire boats, maybe more.  If they are allowing a full tank in the price on each hire imagine how much they could inflate prices by and what a winner they are on when many hirers probably wont even use half the tank! 

    On the other hand I was never really keen on the dip stick and estimate method of fuel calculation either. 

    Id rather see a boat filled up on my return and it all squared up equally, we all know whats been reported/suggested over the years! 

    • Like 1
  5. Wow, 180ltrs is a massive amount of fuel to use in a week! 

    How far did you go......rotterdam and back?!

    Ranworth Breeze is fitted with a more powerful engine so likely to use more fuel than your standard hire cruiser engine especially if whizzing across Breydon! 

    • Like 1
  6. Regarding licencing and towing weights

    I have looked into this a number of times in the past and this is how I have interpreted the official information available.

    I passed my test in 1998 so do not have automatic right to a B + E (car and trailer) however,

    It reads that aslong as the MAMs of vehicle and trailer do not exceed a combined weight of 3500kg and the MAM weight of trailer does not exceed MAM of towing vehicle then on my B licence I can tow within those limits.

    This then means that in most cases a car for instance a Volvo V70 and a single axle 4/5berth caravan can easily be towed within those limits on a B licence.  

    Work that out!  

    Furthermore, I have a bus licence (D) yet cannot drive a 7.5ton box lorry/van.  A standard 49 or 57 seater coach is roughly 12.5ton empty, loaded with pax and lugguage it might come in just under/over 20ton.  Yet I cant drive a 7.5ton box van......stupid much??! (And that 7.5ton is MAM maximum authorised mass) 

     

  7. I dont know exactly what Arabella's airdraft is (i have tried to find out online) but with that design I'd have thought there will be times Somerleyton will need to open to pass through.  

    Whenever we go into Norwich we always seem to only just get under trowse with a few inches to spare, our boat is 8ft 6! 

    • Like 1
  8. Back in 2004 we hired Supermoore from Moores when she was still fairly new, im not sure what engine they had in her but when we took her across breydon she really was motoring! 

    Just recently we visited florida and I hired a car with a 5.3L V8, you dont need it but boy was it a fun drive!   

     

  9. The Shannon/Erne takes a degree of ability in order to navigate it safely.  If some folk cant even manage breydon without coming to grief imagine the trouble they could get themselves in to over there!  

    I still wouldnt feel comfortable sending those lacking in ability out with oars for the week let alone an 85hp engine! 

     

    • Like 1
  10. Oh i thought it was just being used as the example!

    ouch with a 229k price tag its going to take a good few seasons for that to earn its keep! 

    Was there not another company called Posh Boats who used to hire out a plush private spec vessel a few years back? If memory serves that ended up badly damaged after running aground on breydon didnt it?

  11. With the Ant theres a handy bridge in the way but what if a hirer of Moneypenny decides to ignore the restrictions and go up the Chet anyway, which in my opinion is more than likely going to happen.  Theres some very narrow areas on the chet and also in Chedgrave due to moored vessels. 

    Im all for progress and these nice boats but its some of the people put in charge of them that concern me! 

    • Like 2
  12. Its likely that in most retail environments your going to be on film anyway, employee and customer so to take that a step further is going to put employees backs up in my opinion. 

    I do think that any company feeling the need to use mystery shoppers will have fundamental management problems going on and any issues with staff are probably deeper than just those at the coal face.  

    A company can become obsessed with knowing exactly what its employees are getting up to at all times and in most cases it destroys moral and that negativity will get paid onward by the staff. 

    I have worked for a few companies who have done an excellent job of making a workplace miserable. 

    • Like 4
  13. Thanks for the infomation Alan. 

    I do accept the need for Network Rail to maintain the swing bridges (with a stick of dynamite each if I had my way) 

    But.....both closed at the same time, for almost 10 days.........Staff holidays possibly? Network Rail penny pinching (just speculation but how would anyone know!) 

    Any necessary closure should be kept to an absolute minimum. 

    I know its quiet at this time of year but some of us might still have had plans.

    • Like 1
  14. Aslong as you bring your ropes through the eyes on the posts and back to the boat (preferably to a river sided cleat) and put your mudweight down just incase you are paid a nocturnal visit by a Norwich numpty then you should be ok.  I would also not leave any valuables on display just so as not to invite any unwanted attention! Just good common sense precautions we all take in our every day lives. 

    Boats being untied in Norwich is thankfully a rare occurance, the last time we stayed overnight (last summer) it was a Thursday and we had no issues at all.  Yes its noisier with passers by and vehicles etc but its a city, its part of its charm.  The park on the opposite bank to the yacht station is lovely to walk through but beware they get locked at 8pm! Visit Cow Tower,  As has been said the walk up to Tombland via the Cathedral grounds is pleasant also. 

    Avoid mooring near to the Foundry Bridge or the bus stop, further up toward Bishopsbridge is better. 

    I didnt think I would sleep well at all in Norwich but the ambient light from the street lighting gives you a good impression of anyone moving nearby because of the shadows! Infact i slept like a baby and woke up in exactly the same place the next morning! 

    • Like 3
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