Islander

All the best to you and Susie. Safe journey home. Ruth and I will look forward to seeing you again in the autumn. Hopefully when I see your camper in the Buck car park I won't be in the middle of painting, glassing or gluing and will be able to stop and chat. Colin and Ruth

Nearly 9pm,very light winds here in Thorpe, has anyone finished? Just watched what could be a punt going up through potter. Shame the web cams are down. We normally picnic at Acle bridge but other half not been well so unable to go. colin

For that money I want the blues and twos as well as the vhf. Re-propped I bet it could outrun S.O.B Colin

S.O.B should be the boat up for sale. Having passed over Breydon bridge 6 times in the last 2 weeks, during the day, I've only ever seen it moored to the quay!. Total waste of my money. I can't understand why the river launches can't do a better job. Guide price would be nice! Reserve price guess anyone? Colin

Robin, just out of interest, how many charging outputs are on these units? colin

Just to bring things almost back on track. We fitted a victron 30A charger on The Green Lady 8+ years ago. I have just changed the domestic battery that has been in every day use for the same period. As we live on our boat, I'm very please with the battery life. If the replacement (Brian Wards again) lasts as well the victron will have paid for itself. What is the need for ALL this power. My kettle boils water ok, my grill will do 4 crumpets better than any toaster and there are other ways of making coffee and far less expensive than a fancy caffeine machine taking up valuable storage space. The next thing will be electric power showers and come on people, do you NEED hair dryers when you have Norfolk sun and a gentle breeze, got to be less damaging to your hair. Time to chill, slow down, you are in Norfolk, enjoy it, so what if the coffee takes 5mins to brew, you will enjoy it more. Or you can worry about how much that 3Kw invertor will cost with having to change all those cables, not forgetting the ones that link the batteries together, new fuses, isolator switches. I think I'll stick to one gas pipe feeding one cooker from twin 13Kg gas bottles, all my other tech works off 12v or 5v and think solar is going to be my next major expense. Colin p.s. Recently fitted another victron charger to Lady Linda. This was fitted by Moonfleet and was cheaper than I could have done it for!!!.

Hi Paul and Alan, is this the one you are looking for? http://www.norfolkmarine.co.uk/shop-online/smev-built-oven-with-grill-ignition-p-6740.html They are well worth a ring. Colin

We bought ours through Norfolk Marine. They didn't stock the model we wanted but ordered one direct from Italy. It took six weeks to come as I was refitting the galley but well worth the wait. With out checking I think ours was a 313. This has 3 burners and the controls are on the front right hand side. Much easier to keep clean. We had the 4burner model (old) on the Green Lady but this had the controls on the top and was a nightmare to keep clean. Colin p.s. Work in progress.

Hi Vaughan, glad to hear what you said having recently install £600 smev cooker on Lady Linda. It will only ever be run on propane so hopefully will never be a problem. I must admit I found it hard to believe that a service item would be secured with pop rivets. When we bought the Green Lady she came with a smev cooker (4 burner) which was excellent. We had to replace it a few years back and at the time thought the smev were too expensive. You get what you pay for. The replacement has had to have jets cleaned on a regular basis the worst being the grill which fell to pieces and the oven jet impossible to undo and had to be done by feel with micro drill bits (the blunt end). Any more trouble and I think I will buy another smev. When you live on your boat you want something that will do the job. Colin

Hi Keith, been busy. Sorry not us but another couple from the island with a fosters low liner spent about a year there. They are good friends and swapped free mooring etc for some maintenance and bar work. Jill use to work here in the Buck and Martin is a regular. colin

I have to agree with MM, the Berney had been a very successful pub in the past, I think it was only the owners greed that has caused its downfall if the stories of ever increasing rents is true. Owner/Landlord with the addition of basic supplies available would be a good start. If the BA want it to stay as a pub then they need to be more flexible over planning. Miles idea of a shop and maybe a shower block can only improve business. There are caravans on site that must have PP or a certificate of lawful use. One of these could become a laundry and shower facility. What about a pub share? Perfect for NBN meet! The sailies and gin palaces can go for a blast on breydon while the rest go cross eyed in the bar. It will all depend on how the receiver decides to sell it. There always was a lot of land with the pub and I do wonder if this will have to be included in the sale. The Berney is the perfect refuge from bad weather when Breydon is closed by the BA. Colin

Change of use is definitely the stumbling block for the Berney. The BA only want it used as a pub. If this goes to auction because of receivership then it may be a bargain. The BA and RSPB could set up a visitor centre....with a bar. Hopefully some sense will prevail as this was great stop off point between North and South. Colin

Baitrunner. Glad I'm not in London, that would be painful to see. Sadly money doesn't come with style or taste. Personally I would rather be in the drivers seat of the ghost in the advert rather than have a chauffeur. Many years back my cousin bought a corniche but only owned it for a day as his business partner wanted to sell his share in the business and had to sell it again to buy him out. I never got to sit in it. Colin

Hi Shreck, the only mooring problem you may have is squeezing between some of the dinghies. Unless the BA or Thorpe tc are using STI type misinformation the moorings here are definitely open. The Buck now much improved after having had a rough time in the last few years. I can't tell you as to what beers they have as I'm a lager drinker and the Mrs likes her g&ts. Remember you have 4 pubs and a hotel within walking distance of river green. Colin

Bit late to name and shame if it was in 2012! Lot of water passed under that bridge by now. I hope the 1st timers this weekend got some decent instruction. Colin

£4,400 saving on printing. About a £1 or so per boat. I can't see any saving for me. This years tolls come to £830. I'm sure the most of us will pay up but I don't see this being cost effective. Poor old ranger will have to type in every registration he passes to be sure it's paid and then a week later with staff shuffling another ranger will have to do the same. Cost effective? Not! Passing boats will have to be checked and possible chased, where as the right colour sticker can be checked at a glance. JA, DON'T stick them on your nice woodies paint. We have ours on a Perspex plaque tied to the pulpit. Colin

You won't notice if it runs then Ian. Colin

All very well giving laptop/smart phone access for the Rangers to check tolls on boats but that means entering every one on their tech or checking on a list where as before if they could see the right colour toll plaque that was all that was needed. Should not those that come up with these ideas be made to implement in the field to see if it will work. This has to put a greater load on our limited number of rangers all the more. Just how long is it going to take to check on all the boats in yards in say Brundall or Wroxham. To my knowledge 2 boats have been sent tolls requests that are no longer on the broads. Are going to get ARPR, automatic registration plate recognition, on the ranger launches. If it ain't broke don't fix it, or just use a different ink. Colin

Hi Robin , note taken, got shares in Auto Glim then. I will admit having used them on the bike they have been excellent. like the idea of the 3m product, didn't know about that, could of saved a lot of pennies replacing canopy windows in the past. I have tried Perspex polish in the past but has been disappointing I the past. regards Colin

Alan, not tried the Magic Sponges but will def give them a go. Wow Robin, you go the whole 9 yards but I had not thought of using the Auto Glym. Think I may have some in a safe place. Dragging fenders in the water!!!......I use acid too And all this is environmentally friendly isn't it. Colin

Hi Alan, I will go for anything that works for the least effort without taking the paint off. Even found some of the cheap cleaners out of sainsbury good. Cream cleaner on fenders and only pence a bottle. Colin

Aldi's this week. Caravan, boat cleaning products and accessories. https://www.aldi.co.uk/caravan-cleaner/p/051921004455800 Used this last time it was in stock and was very pleased with the results. They also have a black streak remover too. What other products have you found good at sensible prices? Colin

Can't think why Peter, Frostbites were out racing yesterday in 5deg, rain and no wind. snowing here as well and the snow shovel is in the shed at the end of the garden. Colin

Thought these looked good and picked one up today. Having found our sump plugs almost in accessible and impossible to put a tray under previous oil changes have been via vacuum pump. There were still a dozen left at 12:30pm today, so may have all gone by now. colin p.s. You will need a bigger box to keep it in.

Hi Alan, Ruth is intolerant too and will pay for it the next day if she has too much. Like the idea of soda water and will give it a go. Biggest prob is getting the oven hot enough. Boat oven gets to about mark 6 to 7 at best. We do struggle to find FreeFrom food that doesn't break the bank. Sausage wise we usually buy Black Farmers. 10 for £3.50 in the Co op...£3.00 for 6 in Sainsburys. Colin and Ruth