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addicted

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Posts posted by addicted

    Not So Great Start To Season

    in Broads Chat

    Posted

    When we moored on the Cambridge Great Ouse we were hesitant to come to the Broads because we saw the likely hood of being hit by inexperienced hire boaters and were assured by Sheer line Boats that they could sort out any damage caused as hire boat companies on the whole were good to deal with in such circumstances  which was fine by us as wouldn't want anyone else to work on our boat other than Sheerline . They do work on  other  makes of boat other than they're own and  the standard of work is consistently first-class, likewise the standard of service.

     

     

    Carole

    Easter Afloat

    in Holiday Tales & Blogs

    Posted

    Arrived on the boat at lunchtime to find during our absence something flying over  the boat which had to be the size  of a camel I should think had dumped a message onto our front screen which has actually "burnt" into the vinyl window and it's not even the soft fruit season.

     

     

    Carole

    Easter Afloat

    in Holiday Tales & Blogs

    Posted

    We both finally shook off the horrible virus that laid us low for a month or more and managed to get to the boat on the Thursday before good Friday and had  a lovely few days on board. Did we go anywhere much?  Of course not! It's cleaning time this time of the season and although Tony had given the boat a good wash last time we were there,  this weekend was polishing time Although to my great surprise my patience was rewarded with a short cruise to the Postwick viaduct and back which with the glorious weather that was in place was a real joy.  We're back again tomorrow for a long weekend  which even though  the weather  isn't promising to be very accommodating will be lovely I'm sure. Tomorrow we're celebrating our Pearl wedding anniversary and I can't think of anywhere I'd rather be than on board,  Although we will be having dinner at one of our favourite Norfolk venues The Wildebeest at Stoke Holy Cross.

     

     

    Carole

    • Like 4

    Herbies

    in Broads Chat

    Posted

    When we moored on the river Gt. Ouse the then marina owner used to ask if we would tell them when we were going to be away so that he could let it for casual moorings. he claimed the revenue from this helped to keep the cost of the mooring  fees down.  We used to think it was a bit cheeky really and could prove awkward if  circumstances arose forcing an early return then  you'd be unable to access your own mooring also we had static fenders and didn't fancy coming back to find them covered with bitumen from a narrow boat as happened once. It had transferred onto our  white fibreglass hull before we realised it was there. It did come off but with a lot of effort.

     

     

    Carole

    Peaceful Saturday Morning

    in Broads Chat

    Posted

    When moored at Womack Water last Summer we were just getting ready to go to bed when the Richardson boat next door started up their engine. It was getting for 11-00pm. We called out from our saloon window that it shouldn't be happening at that time and he duly turned the engine off. End of situation we thought till they pushed off next morning doing their best to side swipe us with their stern (anticipated fortunately by Tony who using the morning dew to mop down fended them off with his mop) Their language and obscene gestures were a delight.

     

     

    Carole

    Grand National

    in The Broadscot Lounge

    Posted

    Grand national  day today and inevitably one's thoughts turn to the late great Red Rum. When that wonderful horse retired he  used to make celebrity appearances and I am reminded of an incident during the 1970s when he was the celebrity appearing at a town carnival that was organised by an old friend of mine who did an enormous amount of work for charity,  As she also had stables at her home Red Rum also boarded with her for the duration  and a lovely photograph of her toddler grandson up on his back was taken.|Ironically it wasn't this grandchild of hers that went on to achieve greatness while on a horse - it was her granddaughter a certain Charlotte du Jardine.

     

     

    Carole

    Cuckoos

    in Broads Chat

    Posted

    We have a cuckoo who returns each year to somewhere  very near our mooring on Brundall Bay marina. I'm always  so relieved to know it's made it back again We usually hear it about now.  I don't think  we'll be hearing it any time soon as Tony has contracted a really nasty virus which is preventing us from getting to the boat. My daughter has had it for about 7 weeks  so  I can't see us  going anywhere any time soon.

    Carole

     

     

     

    • Sad 2

    What Are Your "must Haves" On A Boat?

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    We lived on our 29' Fairline Mirage for 2 months when in between houses, A fridge with a decent sized freezer section is really handy and storage for clothes is important.  LED lighting wasn't around in those days but we would have found that  very helpful in conserving battery power had it  been an option Also unless you plan to shop on a virtually daily basis  ample food storage is very helpful. We converted a wardrobe in the forward v-berth cabin into a larder for this purpose. As we had the "luxury"  of friends living opposite our mooring who kindly allowed us to store clothes in their spare bedroom  we were  able to spare the wardrobe for this purpose.

     

     

    Carole

    • Like 1

    New Boat At Last

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Your mother-in-law was spot on with that observation. We had a Sheerline 950 aft cockpit when we first arrived on the Broads which we promptly changed  for a Sheerline 1050 aft cabin. The  only thing we miss is not being able to access Barton Broad when we go over to the North and of course the trip over to the North requires a lot more planning with our air draft of in excess of !2'. The extra room and vision makes up for all that though and we wouldn't have it any other way.  It all boils down to what you want from a boat.

     

    Carole

    • Like 1

    New Boat At Last

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Of course if all you want to achieve while traversing the Broads is to creep carefully under low bridges and look at reed beds then a low draft boat is fine, if however you prefer to see the beautiful  countryside  that is the essence of the Broads while you cruise rather than just  a reed bed then a  loftier boat fits the bill. We've had both while here on the broads and  the low line we kept for 2 years the latter we've had for 10 so no guesses as to which we've found best!

     

     

    Carole

    • Like 3

    An Expensive Weekend.

    in The Broadscot Lounge

    Posted

    Back in the 90s we bought a house  where the previous owners had already had a maintenance contract with British Gas for the central heating system so we decided to continue it as it wasn't exorbitantly expensive in those days.  I used to get them in regularly each Autumn because the radiators would always needed balancing  and there was one particular chap who did a superb job on this' which wasn't easy as the house had been extensively extended over the years and still had the same boiler that had been installed when it was built which meant that strictly speaking it  was under sized for the size of the house however it never broke down'  although on one occasion I thought the pump didn't sound right so I called  the engineers to come and have a look at it. 2 turned up, disappeared into the airing cupboard (where the pump was housed) emerging some time later to report that it did indeed sound a bit rough and went on to point out that if the cause turned out to be "aggressive water" then  I would have to bear the cost. "Sharks in the header  tank perhaps?  I asked. " Dunno about that"  said one but them's the rules these days.

    Fortunately the funny noises ceased and the boiler carried on as normal. These days I do as had been suggested here, no more ,maintenance contracts. Having had a new boiler installed 18 months ago I have it serviced by the plumber that  installed it in order to keep the guarantee valid and that's it.

     

     

    Carole

    • Like 1

    An Expensive Weekend.

    in The Broadscot Lounge

    Posted

    No use to those of you in God's own County I know but just so as to prove that  good, honest,  reliable plumbers really do exist,   we, here in Cambridgeshire,   have a wonderful plumber who charges us the same for parts as he pays himself, always comes promptly when needed and keeps his labour charges to a minimum. He also goes the extra mile too when  last year our  gas fire refused to ignite he found it  needed a new part that was no longer available( the fire is 15 years old) he went to enormous trouble to  track one down, doling so within a week and coming to fit it with a tiny bill to follow. He's worth his weight in gold..

     

     

    Carole

    • Like 2

    Amazon - Rant

    in The Broadscot Lounge

    Posted

    I've used amazon for years and have never had cause to complain apart from ordering a T.V.  and having a used one turn up that broke down 24hours later but I got a refund vey promptly and I suspect the fault lay with the  company rather than with Amazon. However I also  found myself signed up to Prime having no idea how that had occurred but simply cancelled the membership and got a refund almost immediately. What I  do like about Amazon is that unlike a lot of  other mail, order companies  it comes mostly postage  free of charge which can  make quite a difference  to the costs involved.

     

    Carole

    Well That Was An Interesting Week On The Yare!

    in Broads Chat

    Posted

    We once did a crossing from Malta to Sicily in December on a catamaran. With hind- sight it should never have put out as the weather was not good  when we left. The journey back was horrendous with passengers falling ill and the cabin crew disappearing into their own quarters  to strap themselves in to their seats,  That's where my husband who  seemed to be the only one able to keep his feet,  found them when he went  in search of someone  to show him where sick bags could be found which  he then collected  and handed out to grateful passengers, some of whom were in a bad way. None of the cabin crew ventured out at all  So bumpy was it, passengers  if not strapped firmly into their seats were actually hitting their heads on the racks over their  seats! The trip upset my own equilibrium so badly  that I was obliged to spend the next 2 days in bed and it took months for me to recover from it.

     

     

    Carole

    • Like 1

    Well That Was An Interesting Week On The Yare!

    in Broads Chat

    Posted

    When we first started boating I remember noticing on returning home from a weekend on our newly acquired boat boat that as I was pouring tea I was swaying!  this continued for the first few stays and then stopped.  I never have it happen now even after being home for months during the off season.

     

     

    Carole

    Norfolk Boat Jumble

    in Broads Chat

    Posted

    We've always found the Norfolk Boat Jumble to be a bit of a waste of time. Having gone a few times with a sizeable shopping list we've come away empty handed as there is indeed an abundance of tat and much  fewer genuine chandlery outfits than at other boat jumbles such as for instance Essex. We used to go  regularly  to the Essex one until they moved the venue and re-scheduled it to earlier in the year making it sometimes too cold and uncomfortable to browse as we liked to do hence we tried the Norfolk one. I've heard it said that the best one is Beaulieu but the distance from us makes it  too difficult to attend plus it's better, we think, to get the stuff you need at the start of the season rather than half way through and Beaulieu is held  quite well into Summer  I believe.

     

     

    Carole

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