TheQ

Somehow my report of the last day said scattered showers it should say scattered clouds...

She was quite happily sitting in the club house the following morning.

The seaweed inspectors, got it very wrong yesterday, slightly drizzly early in the morning, then scattered showers and sunshine, a beautiful day for sailing, Norfolk reached 28C yesterday. We lost just a couple of late on races for juniors due to the increasing wind Just after 16:00 a large hire cruiser coming out of Black Horse broad reported a Richardson day boat broken down in the entrance. So I went in to find them tied up to the gate posts, There being no mobile phone signal there, they had been tied up for some time. Radioing the race control box, they couldn't get through to Richardsons day boats anyway. So they gave me instructions to tow it back to the club. On the way back I also had to do a shortened course for a sailing cruiser race, which is interesting towing, holding up flag, pressing button for horn, steering controlling the speed all at the same time. I had gone up River earlier on my own, to do another shortened course and stayed up at the top of the course to guide tourists through and act as another pair of eyes, there were two or three other rescue boats out elsewhere on the course.. Gratifyingly I somehow managed a perfect tow in and drop off in front of the audience of club members waiting for the end of racing and the double cannon fire.. Someone from the club gave the hireboat crew a lift back to wroxham So after 164 races over the week, it's all over for another year, the racing seems to have gone well and 99% of non competitors travelling through behaved themselves. I didn't hear of any genuine complaints by the non competitors. I'm now going to empty the landrover and give the washing machine some work But first a Muggacoffee.

Sleep well err. After packing up the buoys and a wander down to the Chinese for food, I set to work lifting the floor of the motorboat, then Removing the covers of the battery boxes, then topping up 24 2V cells with water. At that point I had the meal which had cooled enough to eat.. Then I hooked my DMM and Started battery testing, as last time out, the pack voltage collapsed to 30 V and the electric drive system shut down. Could I make it do it again.. No, every cell checked out OK even with full power on pulling at the moorings, it only dropped to 40 V after some time, and then returned to 48v + on shut down. So I packed away and lay on the berth to think about it, about 20:00, 23:55 I woke up.. And went to bed.. 03:55 the rain arrived with the leading edge of the forecast storm. It's now very dull with a easterly wind. Last race Wednesday a Reedling keelboat ( 20ft dinghy with a keel really) was leaving the moorings, and a lady broke her arm fending off a moored broads cruiser... So yesterday her husband was on rescue boat duties instead of sailing. It was uneventful as far as errant motorcruisers .. The wind was lighter than forecast, southwesterly in the morning,  At lunchtime the various cruiser classes set off in practically no wind, we shortened one lot after nearly an hour.. They had travelled 400yards.. The taller masted cruisers had set off before, and did a Mile each way some taking nearly 2 hours The first afternoon race the south westerly returned, then having tacked their way to the first mark rounded that as... The wind did a 180 and they had to tack their way back... The wind gradually became stronger to something reasonable later.. The last race yesterday was the water babies.. That is juniors in fixed keelboats. Very trusting owners lend a 20ft to 25ft open keel boat to an under 16 to race.. Not surprisingly this is held entirely within view of the Clubhouse.  With a running start from the Clubhouse they all arrived at the buoy at the same time, turned and... All completely underestimated the effect of a 2 knot incoming tide on a keelboat.. There were so many infringements you'd need a slow-motion video to work it all out . There was however no damage, but a fair amount of pushing off..   Time to finish this coffee... They might need some rescue boats if we race...  Today's picture how to terrify tourists heading into the pack..

Just a few extra words, I've been watching a couple of Marsh harriers up where I direct the floating traffic, alternately the male and female. Yesterday a enterprise dinghy decided the tack in front of yeoman keelboats boat which had nowhere else to go... 200lbs of enterprise verses 3/4 ton of yeoman... The enterprise will not be taking any further part this week.. Today is the big day, the original horning regatta day, many more boats will appear from other clubs Talking of anniversaries, its the 125th year of the NORFOLK and Suffolk boating association, they are holding a big Doo at Coldham hall club on the 8th Sept.. Sadly I won't make it..

The morning went well, not too much problem. The afternoon was a bit different, a hire motorboat cruiser broke down, between two of our buoys.. Although they had thrown their mud weight in extreme to the bank, the combination of wind and tide had them hanging out into the river, 35 ft of hire boat across under 100 ft of river is a big obstruction... It took about 4 hours for the engineer to fix it.... Meanwhile I was sheparding tourists round the obstruction to keep the racing going.. One tourist coming the other way had to have it explained to him that keeping to the right hand bank did not mean just to the right of the centre of the River.. Later on I approached a motorboat and a head appeared to give me a lecture the he didn't need instruction on how to avoid yachts, Mr high and mighty I recognized from a certain other club, how I'm supposed to recognize him on top of his gin palace looking into the brightness I don't know. Shortly after another boat gave me a lecture that he didn't need advice as he was experienced, funnily enough from the same sailing club... He promptly wove his way through the boats zigzagging away towing his dinghy. It says a lot about the attitude of members of that club, I wouldn't join it even if I could afford it.. Neither would many others. Shortly after it started to rain, so I put my waterproofs on... So the sun came out.. Today's picture.. A dories. Eye view of a broads sailing cruiser...

It's raining.. Oh no it isn't it's the Window cleaner who arrived at 06:00... The other club cleaner for the inside arrived just now 06:34. Yesterday was a day of sunshine and showers ER well down pours, sitting in an operation dory in the rain is not pleasant even in full oilies. The first rescue attempt was for a topper dinghy who sailed into a tree.. Didn't look up as he smiled by the river bank. I say attempt because he got himself out just as we got to him. At lunch time, I'd just delivered a crew across the river to their sailing cruiser, when a 45ft motorboat completely messed up going round the bend at the club, with no outside assistance or Involvment of sailing craft. He got blown onto a club members motorboat (luckily sea going steel built) , and his bow was threatening some varnished Rebel class keel boats. I managed to quickly get a line from. the bow, and using Max throttle in reverse, get the bow out pointing into the river. Mean while a crew member of the errant boat had gone ashore t o fend off.. He got left behind.. So I then went and collected him drove up to the motorboats stern and by pushing it kept the dory steady so he could step aboard. The rest of the day was uneventful except for the rain. Which of course killed the wind leaving the very last boat of the day to motor home. This evening was quiz night which went very well, there were I think 16 teams, we came 7th, I suspect the fact the team of 5 I joined consumed 6 bottles of wine over the evening didn't help the score... A picture of yesterday's racing

I've certainly heard it, as I stand 20ft behind Ron counting down, to when he fires the cannon, at that point I haul up the flags.. 65 different boats out yesterday, a bit down on normal, but some will have chickened out with us having rain several times yesterday. Rain forecast for this afternoon... It's 06:45 the first buoy is in the water as I dropped it off on the way from my motorboat mooring, a Muggacoffee is being consumed before getting the other rescue boats ou and hook up the flags ready.. Today's picture my chariot for the week

A picture from today from our clubs facebook page..

Afternoon all, I went to put up the flags at 07:58 and couldn't find them, I'd left them at the bottom of the mast.. Then I looked up,, they were up.... So I took them down, ready for the 08:00 cannon. Due to a misfire the cannon went off at 08:00:15. But I put the flags up at 08:00 anyway. 08:05 go to put buoys out 08:45 Back to Clubhouse for bacon butty and coffee 09:15 on the water for vast hoards of juniors sailors.. In the first race series 10:30 the adults join in, 6 starts at five minute intervals, 12:00 ish return to club house for a pasty and salad.. 12:30 towed out a yacht from its mooring on a Lee shore., 13:45 back on water for next series, and the next two series. Only one motorboat tried to weave it's way through the fleet, not successfully One hire day boat questioned Why he Was stuck behind a sailing boat.. It was a non competing hired hustler class sailing, boat nothing to do with us.... Only one laser needed rescuing from a Lee shore. A laser and enterprise were not finished for rounding the incorrect buoy, the rest of the fleet rounded the correct buoy but then missed their shortend course signal and did an extra lap.. 18:10 buoys retrieved. 18:35 I'm off to get sausage and chips from the van that has been organised.. A few pints might go with it.... No pictures to day I couldnt risk this tablet in the rain...

Mooring all, Yesterday, church service at the sailing club, then up to the broad for sailing, minor adjustments to buoys. 35 competitors many more will turn up today. Uneventful first race, Second race, after the preparation signal is given, the sea breeze kicked in and the wind shifted 90 degrees. Postponement while I charge around the broads moving marks. Once the race is going slight windshifts meant the windward mark becomes very tricky as the wind alternates round a headland, causing interesting traffic jams.. Otherwise no incidents in that race or the next, The final race is for single-handed enterprise dinghies, two minutes to the start one capsizes on the line, he recovers but spent the rest of the race a long way back bailing when he could. Black at the club, rescue boat handling competition for those not qualified to drive the rescue boat, Take boat out from mooring cleanly Drive round first buoy forward Approach bank bow first to within 6 inches without touching and hold during count down. Reverse round other buoy Back to mooring cleanly. At some random point I or my crew threw in a fender and shouted man over board and they had to break off from above and rescue it. Had to shout at a private very posh day boat coming through at excessive speed , I doubt the old man driving it has walked at 4mph for many years.. After that cream teas at the club house. Up 05:00 this morning, SSS, get my rescue boat ready, get keep right sign / buoy from the back of the landrover, go put that in down river of the club, and buoy one as I had that on board. Time to go get the other rescue boats out. And a picture from yesterday..

It started yesterday with just two planned races in the afternoon. On Black Horse broad. A quiet start with thirty boats, from a couples of toppers up to some 45 ft traditional broads cruisers. The only incident was a 40ft broads cruiser's bowsprit spearing between a toppers mainsheet. We rushed across in the rescue boat to help but one of the cruisers crew managed to release the topper. The helms aged between 10 years old to our Club President of over 90.. Later on we had a pursuit race being run on the river, this had been cancelled earlier in the year due to gales . One boat made a terrible decision to go between a hire motorboat and the bank. On finding there wasn't enough room they had to dive In to someone's shallow dyke , that effectively ended their race though they did get themselves out and continue.. And now a pretty picture of what I'm looking out on while drinking my coffee before getting the rescue boats out.. 

You could always reduce the smoke by fitting the 20 to 1 oil jets instead of the 10 to 1 jets as I did.. and the larger tank. Same Silver century plus engine, which at least has a clutch, It's hanging in the garage now and may be resurrected soon.

They've repainted the NDR roundabout white lines overnight (well Wroxham road and Coltishall road ones), Though I didn't see any changes.. Here's an odd one, coming into Hoveton from Stalham they've added a third speed limit sign that lights up if you're over the limit.. Pity it's a 30 MPH sign thats been fitted in the 40MPH area.. Mind you the 30MPH sign in the 30MPH zone lights up when I enter the 40MPH zone in the landrover..

And my final Bump as Horning Regatta Starts Saturday... As far as I can find out it's been running every year except war time since 1903....

Phone up the coast guard and BA first.. let them know..

Not long to go Now, Regatta Season starts on Saturday with Wroxham regatta. I've only sailed there a couple of times and they Don't seem to mind tourists going through the broad as long as it doesn't interfere with the racing. So I think that means keep to the edges or you'll get surrounded by sailing boats going everywhere. From the odd occasion of sailing there, I'd say the thing to watch is their start line which goes from a flag pole on the club house, through another pole on the front decking to a lettered board on the other side of the broad. Which one being used is shown by a letter on the club house roof railings. If they are coming up to a start there will be a whole mass of Boats sailing down the start line and they won't give way to anything.. Of course just 9 days to the start of our regatta in Horning which was the main reason for this post.. to bump this thread up..

I think a bypass would be better , leave the main river on the right before the chalets coming up river, go behind them and the fish and chip shop. Tunnel through the road bypass, rejoin after the new bridge.

Normally on the road between Stalham and Palling, I guess that's when you have finished scoffing that rubbish, between Roys of Hoveton and that point..

I don't think they mind as long as you are not on the racing course, (which is most of the broad..) Yep, Wroxham Regatta week Starting Saturday, Horning Regatta Week the following Saturday, Hickling weekend regatta the week end after that. a real enthusiast (or lunatic) can sail every day of the week for the whole of the school Summer holidays..

They do close the broad to navigation one day a year to keep their rights, Normally Christmas day or about then by putting chains across the entrance. This isn't the only place that does this, I know there are some "public" roads that go through estates which are closed in the same way.. one of those roads just north of Milton Keynes I used to use regularly.. As to Mud weighting I'm not sure what their policy is, But if you did it, parking on the racing course would get a very short request to move... The Sailing Club have the lease of the land the club house is on and the Broad, I can't remember who actually owns the Broad.. Wroxham Broad never had a staithe on it, nor was it en-route to somewhere so it never gained rights of passage for anyone..

Slip ways on the Broads, http://www.thegreenbook.org.uk/ Click on the Green book, then Boat launching and recovery... Please note that Wroxham broad is a private broad and you are using it at the gift of the Sailing club. By all means go for a sail, But unless you want an earful, stay out of the way of their sailing..

1598 days till I intend to retire, I'd go earlier if I could, that's about 1045 working days. I'm not counting....

I sailed along there, close to the bank (opposite side to the pub) during 3RR no problem, the Yeoman behind me came to a sudden halt with a big bang, as he hit the old ferry crossing. A Yeoman draws about 3ft, I was in a Lysander drawing 18 inches.. Yes I've spent many an hour there waiting for tide and wind in the 3RR...

The NDR is closed between Spixworth and Horsham st Faith, due to concerns about a woman's safety on a bridge. I assume that's the Buxton road going over the NDR. I also assume that she's Threatening Suicide..