Speleologist

The idea of no go areas is a complete nonsense. It seems to be based on the fallacy that all SUP users would be happy to just paddle around a restricted area. As a kayaker, should I choose to travel from Coltishall to Norwich, that is a perfectly reasonable ambition. Why should no a paddleboarder be able to do the same? The comparison with cyclists and motorways is completely false. There is always an alternative route. There is nothing to stop me cycling (or walking) the length of the UK. Why should I not be free to paddleboard the length of the Broads? The only issue is the competence of the people involved on both sides. Confession time: I am a Stand Up Paddleboarder. I am also a sailor, motorboater, powerboate, kayaker and windsurfer. I see no reason why all these cannot co-exist. I appreciate that as a windsurfer it is unlikely that anyone would make a multi-day journey, but in all the others it is possible. I sometimes wonder if it is more a case of being opposed to thoise who are "not like us." I am very familiar with the vitriol thrown at cyclists by a subsection of motorists, but I am a cyclist, car driver, motorcyclist, pedestrian and horse rider. All have an equal right to use the roads. I firmly believe the same principle should apply on the water.

There are no monsters on Breydon if you understand the tides, work with them and keep inside the marker posts

As any proper tide table should be. Without wishing to confuse too many people, a tide table for a standart port must not be corrected for summer time, or secondary port calculations will be wrong. The summer time hour, whatever the time zone, (I work mostly in CET these days), should be done before adding the hour for summer time.

I'll see what I can do come October.

The Glasson Branch does have locks, but the local hire companies don't allow you on there. One day I would like to approach Glasson Basin from the sea. it looks to be a seriously challenging exercise in getting the tides right!

I think |I know that swan! I took a walk down the Glasson Branch when I was in the UK last month. It was an interesting time to visit due to both the lack of water in the basin and the outer sea lock being out of commission, resulting in no water in the outer harbour.

Unfortunately I don't think I'll be able to produce a Broads holiday tale this year. Last October I had the opportunity to forgo my rag and stick roots and do a short cruise on Moorhen, which I thoroughly enjoyed. However with time in the UK being severely limited it looks as if the only UK boating I will mamnage this year is a three day cruise on the Lancaster Canal with my cousin. We plan to take a trip through the countryside where our shared family have their roots.

It was a typical half decker hull that had more recently been fitted with a more modern Bermudan rig, which was definitely not original. I suspect it was one of the many one off designs that predated the establishment of the one design classes.

That certainly seems to be generally the case, although some years ago I had contact with a member of another forum who owned a half decker called Flash, that had reputedly once belonged to Arthur Ransome, and thus seems likely to be the Flash that the twins sail with their father. I actually got to sail the boat.

An additional conundrum: I had always assumed that the Grizzled Skipper referred to in Coot Club was YBOD number 56. However further investigation on the YBOD class website shows that Grizzled Skipper was built in 1938, several years after Coot Club was published in 1934. Furthermore it appears that YBOD 56 was known as Papilio between 1938 and 1958, only receiving the name Grizzled Skipper some 24 years after Coot Club was published. I have also been unable to find any record of an earlier White Boat having been known at one time as Grizzled Skipper. It seems likely that Ransome had a White Boat in mind, since the name follows the class tradition of being named after butterflies and moths. Was it a fictional name? Was an earlier White Boat known as Grizzled Skipper at one time. Was the boat a real boat called Grizzled Skipper but not a White Boat? Does anybody have any further information on this conundrum?

Is this the app called "Anchor Watch Pro?" If so it is not advice on where to anchor or how to anchor. It is an anchor alarm. It uses GNSS to lert if you drift from a set radius.As such it can be very useful in any situation where there is a risk of dragging and a chartplotter based anchor alarm is not available. Thus it would fit the needs on the Broads very well. I have had mudweights drag in windy conditions and recognid=se the importance of an alarm if staying overnight. My experience of Anchor Watch Pro is positive. i have used it in coastal anchorages, the rivers Orwell and Stour and the Broads. It is a valuable additional safety resource. Just be aware that, as it uses GNSS, it will devour mobile device batteries very quickly. Make sure you plug in to a charger if using overnight.

A few years ago I had the wonderful experience of being the instructor/safety for a group of 16 year olds undertaking a D of E expedition under sail. They chose the D_Day landings as their project theme. For their practice expedition they sailed from Hample to Gunwharf, where they visited the museum. They went to Langstone Harbour, where a broken cassion for the Mulberry Harbour still survives. They visited Stansore Point, where some of the cassions were built and they sailed up the Beaulieu river to Exbury, wher SOE had their D-Day planning headquarters. For the main expedition they crossed the channel to Oistreham and went up the canal to Pegasus Bridge, wher they visited the museum. From there it was down the coast past all the main landing beaches to anchor inside the remains of the Mulberry Harbour at Arromanches. Then to Cherbourg to visit the German U-Boat there and finally back to the Hamble. It was a delight and priviledge to be able to help younsters another 2 generations removed from thoe tumultuous events to discover the history for themselves.

NeilB has summed up saildrives rather well. The hull seal is a potential weak point, but can easily be fitted with an alarm to alert you of any developing issues. Water ingress in the event of prop seal failure is an issue. Every time I have had something wrapped on my prop it has let to the seal being damaged. It's an easy fix but it does entaly taking the boat out of the water. Grounding it shouldn't be an issue. The key is in the name. They are designed for fitting to sailing yachts and so are protected by the keel and by a rudder that is much larger than on a motor boat. There is one other major benefit. By keeping the propeller well away from botht he keel and the rudder the propwalk is minimised. As an instructor I find that this makes teaching students to handle a yacht in reverse is a whole order of magnitude easier. The Yanmar ones that we use also have proved durable. We are just replacing them after the first failure on our 5 yachts. They are 7 years old, which doesn't sound like a lot, but the yachts are in use around 40-45 weeks a year and the units have done in excess of 6000 hours.

My first dial up internet connection was only 300 baud. Just about OK for email and usenet, but that was all new at the time. Most people still didn't know what the internet was. As for Windows, I first encountered it as runtime Windows 286. It shipped with Pagemaker and only loaded when you ran pagemaker. Apart from that I was using Wordperfect and Lotus 123 which were purely text.

If anyone wouldlike to know more about hiring Moorhen, here's the link: https://www.eastwood-whelpton.co.uk/the-fleet/classic-cruiser/

No need at EW!

For many years when I was racing on Wandering Rose that's exactly what we did! Everybody had their "Dave" name. I was "Unfeasably Small Car Dave." (I was driving a Smart Roadster at the time). My son (who really was called Dave) became "Hungry Dave." We also had "Chardonnay DAve," "Female Dave," "Skipper Dave" and several other Daves. I can't now remember how it all started.

As for Gracie's original question, I don't have a least favourite time. I tend to subscribe to the view that there is no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong gear. I like being out in any conditions and there is something very satisfying in managing to stay warm and dry despite the elements. There's not even any particular dislike of the end of the trip when I'm going back home to sail in the Mediterranean and get paid for it. These days, as the years advance, I'm also less likely to be concerned about my former least favourite time, when the bell rings and the landlord calls "Time gentlemen please!"

I would never assume that anyone has moored in an inconsiderate manner without knowing who has left, which we generally do not know. The week before last I was out in a boat only about 7metres long. if I moor close to another boat, to avoid taking up too much space and another does the same next to me, rather than next to the other nearest boat and I then leave then it might look as if the last arrival has been inconsiderate, but they have been exactly the opposite. They have moored to leave the largest possible gap.

I can claim never to have watched it, but then I hardly ever watch TV. For the last 5 years I was in the UK I didn't own one and I only have one now because I bought it to go into a house I own which has a tenant and he didn't want it. Still I do occasionally watch it. It's good for Youtube music videos, particularly when favourite bands are streaming live and it's good for watching Gibraltar international football matches. I normally have no interest in football, but in a small place like Gibraltar I know some of the players and the commentator is a good mate (and also a sailor).

I didn't do very well at being a Hullabaloo, no TV, no music system, just peace, quiet and slow cruising! I did enjoy the greater freedom to observer the surroundings compared to sailing. There is less going on. I'm normally a preferrer of very active holidays, but in the midst of a hectic schedule this was the perfect way to relax and unwind. As for Moorhen, she's a very easy boat to handle solo. light and precise on the helm and it was possible to reach for a beer from the fridge whilst helming. She's also suitably equipped, with enough long mooring warps that two from the bow, one each side, can be led aft and it's easy to take both bow and stern lines ashore whilst stepping off, whether mooring port or starboard to. The long lines also make it easy to set springs, something that is probably totally unnecessary on such a small boat on the Broads, but habits die hard.

I had to make the most of the opportunity. I can't get proper lies in Spain.

Plenty spacious enough. It's the full width of the fore end of the boat, with the heads to starboard and washbasin to port The shower sumb is under the whole floor, so plenty of room for showering, although you need to hold the shower head as there's no mount. Plenty of spsce using the head, but it might be a bit awkwards for someone of poor mobility as it's above the hoding tank and requires a step up. However if you can get on and off the boat you should be OK with the heads.

I was quite proud of it when I spotted it!

It is indeed a railway bridge, put it sarnies the road over the dismantled railway that now forms part of the Weavers Way.