TheQ

Hello All, We are coming up to Regatta season, so for the non sailers among us I thought I’d let you know what’s going on where, and how to avoid / pass through / watch… There is normal sailing going on at some club on the broads every day, but the numbers aren’t like a full regatta.. Should you get involved with an incident at any of the events, you need to make a note of the sail Number or broads registration number or boat name, preferably all three, plus date and time. Any clubs officials can’t do anything, without knowing who to contact. Getting a message some weeks after the event, talking of a white coloured boat with white coloured sails is impossible to resolve.. You either then have to go to the club Immediately or Email / phone an address on their website. As soon as possible. (Clubs display a Secretary’s club Email address / phone number or Commodores details normally).

yep that section of road from the Masonic hall down is beginning to feels like a ploughed field..

The EDP announced the hole in the Wroxham road would be filled and complete yesterday... It isn't.... the lights are still there and the new tarmac has a distinct dip in it..

Three or 4 years ago three repeater transmitters were put in Horning. One I believe is up near the recreation ground, One I know is on the back of the sailing club control box, can't remember where they put the third.

Last week northerlys, High water in the broads This week, A few days of southerly wind and High air pressure has pushed the water levels down in the North Sea, so all the water has drained away. With that low approaching and the wind switching round again, expect the water levels to rebound, and I wouldn't be surprised if there is a fish kill.

I've passed on your remarks to someone in Hickling SC, to be passed to their Authorities.

Last time I sailed over the top of Scotland we ended up in Blyth, as we ran out of time, We had been planning to reach Grimsby. We got stuck in Stonehaven as a storm went over .. Round the top is rough waters even in calm weather it says on the charts.. On the Broads Broads tax for your boat will be just under £400 a year (they don't do monthly) You Would also require a 4 year Broads safety test. you are looking maybe £300, but it's variable and I can't find a current list price. Mooring's even at 3ft 9 inches you are pushing it, At Horning sailing club I'm not sure we have any moorings that could guarantee that. Especially this weekend where we had very low water.. though all that would happen is your keel would sink into the mud.. 3ft 9in would be OK on the Northern Rivers but not on all Broads... this link takes You to the Broads Hydrographic Survey. https://www.broads-authority.gov.uk/boating/navigating-the-broads/water-depths A quick look at a general map of the broads online should place the individual sections of the survey. Moorings Live aboard Marina moorings are like hens teeth, very few and far between, the public moorings are free but are 24 hour only, Though I believe they are generous and allow 48 hours in the winter. None of the Bridges I know of, would help you lower a mast, due to traffic over / under the bridge and tidal flow.. Most of the Broadland rivers are tidal ranging from maybe 6mph in Great Yarmouth down two 2mph incoming at Horning which is 19 miles inland by river.. There are a few laundrettes scattered around , Wroxham has one and Stalham, there will be others. A diesel heater would probably be best, for some reason small gas bottles seem to be in short supply at the moment, and you already have diesel onboard. there are plenty of boatyards that supply diesel. This Link to the Norfolk Broads Sailing Association site will give you much more information. http://www.thegreenbook.org.uk/ click on the words Green book on the left, then you see the index, then click on the page you are interested in and it will take you there. A fridge or freezer would require some running the engine regularly to charge batteries, you don't have enough available area on a sailing Yacht for sufficient solar panels alone.

Like the dinghy I saw named "This Way Down" It was painted on the bottom of the hull inside and out, and on the stern with an arrow pointing to the bottom of the boat.

I can confirm further details for our club open day which is now almost a full show, as we have a guest layout, and two commercial stalls. And the club second hand stall. £3 to enter, 10:30-16:00, 6 operational layouts 4 under construction , postcode for your navigator NR12 9DE. A picture of where it is, the entrance is where it says poppy centre.

Our rivers are the cleanest they've been in over a hundred years. That's why all the broads are clogging up with weed, and the river edges are getting lined with Water Lilies. Unfortunately I do think there will be an accident some time, drunken driver or inexperienced driver of a hire boat verses a near invisible commuting swimmer. Note I didn't say helm... The old Blake's swimming photos would normally be at a broad with moored boats, yes there is a danger of incoming boats. But not as likely as those that have taken to swimming down rivers.

The last two evenings have had traffic chaos heading into north Norfolk, with Acle closed, Wroxham road works delaying things, the Coltishall road had traffic jams beyond Crostwick.

Mariner are owned / made by Mercury who are owned by the Brunswick Corporation of Wisconsin in the USA.. The last British Outboard manufacturer was Seagull, who died in 1996, Sheridan marine, now own the make and can supply parts . https://www.britishseagull.com/

Modern hirecraft are caravans on water, hull shape is long down the list of design features. TV, House sized cookers, big fridges and freezers, ensuite bathrooms all come much higher up the list.

Boats at university to get a BSC , maybe they could teach the drivers how to helm a boat..

Now does that mean the works are finished 00:01 on the 1st or 23:59 on the first? cos that the day I want to use it next:

No there's nothing in the navigation regs about open water swimmers, I've seen them swimming through Horning , black wetsuit, black or blue rubber hat, towing, some feet behind them, a tiny fluorescent orange float... with a small six inch square flag on it..

At Horning the club drivers are reminded they can't speed except to an actual rescue, though some people need reminding more than once. One of the problems with them is at low speed they make so much wash, they appear to be going faster than they are. The other problem on a down river race the the competitors are faster than the motorboat speed limit at times, and you are supposed to stay within viewing distance to see if there is anyone in trouble..

Best place for breakfast on a Sunday? at the sailing club, sailing day... Best place for Breakfast During the week? At the sailing club.. It means it's regatta week, coming soon to a river near you..

hmm Home via Coltishall tonight then..

That's because safety boats are designed to plane at high speed when needed, when pottering around most of the time their hull shape is most inefficient.

Their Back!!! yep traffic lights in Wroxham, just up hill from the car park.. a few feet down from the last big hole they dug... Looks like part of the road collapsed...

Most punters wouldn't know which way was north or south even if you hit them in the face with a compass..

Yesterday a down river race From Woods Dyke to Thurne Lion Dyke. Woods Dyke was fun, Hire boats doing all sorts of strange things, though luckily, the chaos cleared just before the starts. The big broads cruisers had first start and just disappeared, their tall rigs picking up the wind above the trees. Five minutes later it was a combined keel boat and dinghy start, a White boat, 3 Rebels, several Yeoman, Blue Moon and a lonely Wayfarer. BM made a mid fleet start, and kept up well for the first half mile, then the taller rigs of the big keel boats started to tell and they pulled away, BM stayed with the Wayfarer for some time in a painfully slow race in light winds, once we got past the Horning water works the Wayfarer started to pull away, it is 7% faster on handicap.. Once finally clear of the trees at Ant mouth then BM started to sail better, this weeks modifications included two extra jib sheets to the tip of the jib club, pulling on these allowed a proper goosewing and much better down wind performance.. At Thurne mouth we turned right down to a buoy , rounded that and then tacked back to Thurne Dyke, BM was close enough to the finish to see the last Yeoman finish in the distance and the Wayfarer. After lunch the race back, the wind had got up by this time and pre race it was a bit entertaining. One Broads cruiser stuffed itself into the reeds as the safest place to go. Shortly after as BM proceeded towards Potter to avoid the Broads cruiser starting area. BM found herself between two bowsprits 3-4 foot each side.. Until the windward one tacked BM was trapped, First the leewards boats bowsprit hit the main sail of BM, as they tried to stay off the reeds, then as I steered up to avoid the reeds the outer Boats bowsprit hit BMs mainsail. Some how BM popped out from between the Bowsprits and when I looked back both Broads cruisers had stuffed themselves into the reeds. Shortly after they extracted themselves and all departed safely at the hooter. I put BM into the reeds myself, as I needed to do an adjustment to the rig which I couldn't reach from the seat.. On leaving it was discovered the new jib sheets meant I could goosewing the Jib against the wind and easily backed out of the reeds.. Five minutes later and it was BM's turn to start, no hassles BM made a very good start... First even, yep we were in the lead for about a hundred yards till the entire fleet swept past with their bigger rigs and sail areas.. When we reached the turning mark BM was about 100 yards behind, so then it was tacking up to Thurne Mouth and turn left up the Bure. Long tack, short tack most of the way. In the Strong clear winds the Wayfarer was pulling away, even though they were doing more tacks than BM, once we got to St Benet's straight BM sailed the whole length very Close hauled, no tacks, while the Wayfarer and a couple of other boats ahead could be seen to be tacking often. Not surprisingly BM caught up a lot, and this continued all the way to Cockshoot Dyke, at that point we reached them., and after a couple of attempts, got past before the corner at the start of Horning village. Finally crossing the Woods dyke finishing line about 50yards ahead of the Wayfarer..

hMM so It's the start of the fishing season today.. Sunday is a down river race to Thurne .. All those 40ft+ poles hanging out over the river along St Benets and beyond, I wonder how many fishermen I can catch with my keel..

Not so much road works, But yesterday I was in the Queue from Norwich to the NDR / Horstead roundabout. A big yellow helicopter flew by, then came back , and circled... and circled.. and then landed in the middle of the roundabout with the traffic flowing around it.. Once on the roundabout itself I could see the Horstead road closed by police, then there were ambulances and a fire engine.. The radio later reported a motorcycle accident..