TheQ

and one of her Stern,

Yep I'm intending to take something down there to get some photos, if nothing else I want some to see if she sails to her designed water lines with me on board. Here's a picture of her hanging on the crane just before landing on the trailer for the first time in 5 years. Shortly after this I stripped the paint you can see, then started the sand paint sand paint routine,

Once was passed by an Austin Allegro on the M74 doing strange maneuvers as it tried to head for the hard shoulder... Then a wheel passed me as I braked to avoid him.. Wheels off Allegros were common in their early days. An Austin 1300 had something like 168lbs on their main wheel nut, the mechanics assumed it was the same on an Allegro.. Only it wasn't, they're only meant to be finger tight... Meanwhile this weekend has been a big step forward with Blue Moon, all the rigging is complete, the hull has been antifouled, she just needs 1 washer (42 mm inside diameter) fitted to her steering gear. I turned the washer on a lathe over the weekend. Then next weekend it's, Add a block to the boat for the topping lift, add the rope for the topping lift to the mast. Fit new mud guards to the trailer, Check and grease the hubs as necessary. Collect the fenders, add their ropes and a carabina hook to the fixed position pair, Select a tow rope from the pile of spares, and add a carabina hook to that. Get some insurance, and pay the broads tax.. Then at the end of the month, she'll get her feet wet for the first time since about 1999.

or from an oil rig, heres what it probably looked like before.

if a boat didn't have sufficient ventilation it would fail it's BSS

Yes but luckily almost any veggie oil is ok for an Old diesel like mine. This is where Norwich could use a Costco, from reports I've read elsewhere, they do 20L mini barrels of Veggie oil which brings the price down considerably..

Tescos Stalham I reported the fuel had gone up to 153.9 yesterday morning, it was 158.9 by the evening. As for cooking oil in the diesel.. On TV this morning they report there could be an increase in the price of Cooking oil... Ukraine is one of the worlds biggest exporters of Sunflower Oil.

St Johns Road In Stalham is closed, that's the road between he post Office and the main part of the high street that leads to the back of Stalham. If you use Fifers lane in Norwich they've closed off the A140 end, absolute chaos, it took me an hour to reach the Boundary road from Fifers lane last night..

Yep during the summer My ancient landrover will be running on 50% veggie oil again.. Meanwhile this weekend Blue Moon had a mast on her for in a very long time, most the the rigging, sheets etc is now complete. the hull painting is now complete except for the anti fouling which I'll start next weekend

36P that's Seven shillings and two and a half Pennies...!!!! I notice Tesco Stalham diesel went up 3 p this morning to £1.53.9

just to confirm the lights at Hoveton \ wroxham Bridge have gone and the big puddle created by the leak has gone too.. there's still a small barrier around the site on Bure Close. There appears to be a diesel spill on the Wroxham and Coltishall road NDR roundabouts, t'was a bit slippery this morning.

it doesn't surprise me the side track there (Bure Close) has been flooding with water from the ground for some weeks.. So home via Coltishall tonight... Meanwhile the road works just the Potter side of Stalham Tescos junction have gone, But I note there are now blue marks on the road / pavement on the petrol station side of that junction, probably indicating future work...

I haven't calculated the increase but it's more than most because I'm adding my little sailing boat @ £55 per toll. I'm desperately trying to finish her for the start of the season at the end of the month.. which reminds me, time I got some insurance quotes in...?

They obviously like returning road works.. Stalham Tescos junction to the A149 just on the Potter side by Macarthy and Stone housing for the misinformed, the traffic lights have reappeared..

Friday, sanded sailing boat hull above the water line, did some repair work to a bit of hull, caused by me overtightening the tie downs, in preparation for the gales. Saturday, rowed out to the motorboat , found the port stern rope floating in the water, how that came undone I have no idea , it would have been the leeward rope during the gales. Other than that no damage, which is good, she was quite exposed to the wind. Sanded sailing boat repair, given a coat of undercoat. Sunday, Sanded undercoat on repair given second coat. Sanded hull below water line in preparation for anti fouling. I think my arms are now somewhat tired..

Forward or canard rudders have been tried many times in sailing, generally they have been a failure. No great advantage in normal use, but the great disadvantage of your steering gear being the first thing to encounter weed, ropes and hard objects. When you design a sailing boat you have to balance the centre of effort, I.E. the power from the sails, against the centre of resistance I.E. the keel. Using two rudders one forward and one aft you can balance the boat on them. The keel becomes much smaller just to support a lead torpedo to keep you upright. Such a boat is quite tricky to handle, but they are very rapid in turning.

Well they fixed the road hump now it's like driving over a ploughed field.

Yep a bypass built on the cheap, well expensive really, but all the extra money on the NDR was spent on buying up extra farm land to build cycle ways, bridle ways, treed areas wildlife refuges etc. So increasing the carbon foot print of the NDR as a sop to the green lobby. The NDR has a much wider footprint than the southern bypass. Several of the junctions should have had proper overpasses not just the A140. It would have saved much unnecessary car emissions in the queues.

Very rough Calculations for how long for a flying moth to sail.. Oulton broad, end to end 120 seconds, side to side, 25 seconds, Wroxham broad, end to end , 90seconds, side to side 12 seconds, Black horse broad, end to end 35 seconds. Side to side 24 seconds, Malthouse broad, 80 seconds, 30, seconds, Breydon , 6 minutes and then 20 seconds side to side. The river at Horning 4 seconds We aren't going to see flying moths on the broads. The tacking time just doesn't give enough time to get up to speed before you turn round again.. especially as in many places tacking at a bank puts you under the trees..

Try again the internet dropped out To continue. Malthouse too small too many trees, Wroxham. Too many trees and the club house obstructing the wind, barely big enough. Breydon, it may be big but the deep water channel isn't, you need the wind to be in the perfect direction. Oulton , I'll give you that one I'd forgotten about it.

Black horse isnt deep enough we drag the bottom leaving brown trails being with 3ft keels it's also very weedy,, it's also to small you'd be across in seconds.

Had one turn up At Horning... He didn't get upright, let alone flying, they would never work on the rivers as every time there is a wind shadow they come crashing down, into the water. On Hickling broad outside the deep water channel they'd rip the hydrofoil off, and the weed would stop them anyway. The only broad that's big enough and deep enough to even try flying would be Barton.

1971 sailing on Loch an Os behind Iochdar School on South Uist, 1980, Sailing training At Horning Sailing Club with the RAF Sailing association.

Yep they're back the traffic lights round the former big hole, no sign of starting work yet and with the torrential rain this morning I expect the works to over run..

For those missing their look at the up river camera from Horning sailing club, the camera is hanging from it's cable, the screws for the bracket are there, but partly unscrewed, but no bracket. Which suggests the relevant club member has removed the brackets remains, and taken them away for replacement or repair.. My boat seems OK except for one loose mooring rope (of 4), I'll paddle over at the weekend for a proper check over..