Islander

Harley’s is still very much still in business and I don’t think he will be very happy but something needs to be done with the place. I think there are still planning issues over the car park cameras and the horrible steal bollards the new owners put in. Colin

Thanks for the info. I had a feeling that your answer wasn’t going to be local. Looks like I had better get myself a bottle of rum before I ask but then it’s only money isn’t it just don’t tell the mrs. Look forward to seeing Kingfisher out and about this year and maybe at Beccles woody show. Thanks again, you have probably saved me trolling around Norfolk and Suffolk timber yards fruitlessly. Colin

Hi Robin. If it’s not a trade secret, can you tell us where you source your timber and ply. If not second best please . The WBP hardwood ply these days is absolute rubbish with a veneer thinner than an airmail letter and marine is either only suitable for duck ponds or requires giving them an arm and a leg plus a couple of grandchildren. I must say I have been loving reading every bit of this restoration and can’t wait for the next episode. Colin

Fingers crossed for you. Let’s hope this is the best summer ever this year. I look forward to mud weighting on Bargate broad, trips to Pye’s mill and bar-b-qs with friends at our St Olaves mooring. It’s going to be wonderful. Colin

Bet the local moggies will be a bit worried though. They are a bit bigger than your local starling. Is there any history of sea eagles in Norfolk? Colin

So for all these electric vehicles they will dig up great chunks of these so called parks just for some hair brained idea from some grass eating pen-pusher. I think that’s it. Colin

it does say it’s a pic of a similar craft so the actual boat may not be the same colour. Colin

So do we have pics of this bloke and the boat he now has? Colin

Time to bring in customs officers from of the airports possibly but they may need retraining to understand the paperwork. We have, of cause, only had a few years to prepare. Is it just too much to ask that one gov dept operate efficiently. Colin

Brass, a mix of copper and zinc. The ratio depending on purpose and manufacturer. Purity can make a difference as to how it ages and it’s scrap value. Then you still have bronze and gunmetal with all the variations and % of other metals. IMHO just polish it unless it’s comes from a historical ship. Colin

Try brown sauce and then polish or just leave the natural patina and wash with mild detergent and soft cloth. The natural finish will please MM . Colin p.s. You can use malt vinegar and a soft cloth to start with but I prefer to save it for my chips.

Hi Vaughan, merry Christmas to you all over in France hope you are keeping well. We were very lucky with the move. We have only had one day since when it would have been possible. Flipping COVID and my knee playing up stopped us bringing her back at the end of October. We’ve just been down graded to Flood Alert. Until it rains again . Colin

https://www.gov.uk/sign-up-for-flood-warnings. This is worth doing. We get a phone call(recorded message), a text message and an email for each area you signup for. We had 2alerts and 2 warnings yesterday for the Yare and Waveney. Going to be pretty high again tonight. We really didn’t have a low tide in Thorpe. Colin

Left home at 9:45am,it’s now 10:20am and we’re back from shopping. Home bargains, Aldi’s and b&m’s. If we haven’t got it we probably don’t need it anyway. No shortages, in fact, no empty shelves. Some overflowing in the fruit and veg section. So that’s it for this year. Time to slowly prepare for the big day. What times the sun over the yardarm. Oh, hang on. I’ve still to fit engine bay tube heater, put anti freeze in exhaust system, drain down the water system, put the dehumidifier on and vacuum bag the curtains and bedding once washed................... Oh well, Happy Christmas everyone. Colin

Do I need extra fenders with socks on so as not to ruin the patina . MM you would be welcome anytime but the BA don’t like it if we triple moor. Colin p.s. no decanters on this boat. It doesn’t stay here long enough.

They are on a timer so not on toooo long. Have a good Christmas allbeit a bit different this year. Colin

Thorpe could mean you get stuck between the bridges but is doable. Our boat, Lady Linda is 8ft with everything folded and we came in last week with 3 inches to spare . You do need to get the tides right though. Less than an hour later and we wouldn’t have got under. Commissioners cut is your best option. Walk toward and cross over the pedestrian rail bridge, a short walk to crossroad. Turn left and bus stop a few yards toward town. Busses every 10 to 15 mins most of the day. Colin

Hi TF89, depending on boat airdraft, Thorpe river green and The Town House PH (new quay heading) would be good options. If too big to get under the bridges then commissioners cut would be good. All have bus stops nearby and only a 10 min ride into the centre. Hope that helps. Colin

Having managed at last to bring Lady Linda back to Thorpe for the winter. I spent yesterday cleaning both boats. Today was spent putting up the Christmas lights at last. Hopefully a few more people will do the same. B6D5550C-4209-4B90-BA05-94B62030A258.MOV Colin

Keith, our cat (it’s a long story but he was a rescue cat)was 14 years old when we moved on to our boat. He had always been an outdoor cat but was more than happy on board. We would take trips around the broads and as soon as we moored would want to have a look round. He would often come for walks with me usually following close behind. He never got lost although we did manage to leave him behind on one occasion at our home mooring. We both thought we had seen him asleep on our bed. A quick turn around and as we approached the quay there was our Keith stood waiting. Just as we pulled in he decided to just walk away and it was a good hour before he came back. We never left him behind again. On one occasion he decided he would jump from our boat to the bank only to find the long grass was in the water. He only got wet that one time. He died when he was 19 years old and is buried on Thorpe Island. He adapted very quickly from being an urban cat to country life. To be honest MM, you won’t know how well he will adapt unless you try it. As I said earlier, Keith was a rescue cat so had already had to adapt to a whole new household any way. If he doesn’t cope then look at getting him rehomed. There are many boats with cats, mostly live aboard. Several here on the island. There we go, that has put a spanner in the works. Colin p.s. should you decide to have taxi onboard then be sure to cat proof your boat.Keith managed to get into the engine bay while we were out shopping. He had found a gap at the top of a cupboard backboard and slid down the side of the hull. He was in no hurry to come being such a nosey cat.

The cable to the charge controller needs to be as short as possible. The further away the thicker the cable needed to reduce losses. (Annv) The spiral cable will be at (near) full stretch with the canopy down so the 1” gap will be adequate. Personally, I would keep it as simple as possible. Colin

Sorry, but I might be being thick here, but why does this cable go from side to side when, without seeing it, surely it only needs to run front to back. Also if said cable started say a foot further forward from the rear coach roof it would only need to stretch 10ft. I am, of course, thinking of the cost. Beer money comes to mind. Colin

Just to chuck another idea into the mix. The simplest connection I’ve seen for a sliding roof solar panel had the panel connected to two cigar sockets on the roof. Front and back, and a lead off the rear coach roof just inside the wheel house. You do, of course, have to remember to disconnect before you wind the roof up or down. Simple and cheap to make. Colin

MM, should you use the connector that Robin listed from Brian ward https://www.brianwards.co.uk/product/flex-connector-2-pin-10a/?highlight=cable connector this is not polarised and a risk of reverse connecting. The 3 pin version would be ok as they are usually keyed and non reversible. https://www.brianwards.co.uk/product/flex-connector-3-pin-10a/ These are better. The centre pin is offset and won’t allow incorrect connection. There are numerous other types around but you could use the same as used on the solar panels. Hope this is useful. Colin

This is from JP’s October Broads Briefing . We have been inundated by calls from owners seeking answers and it has been very frustrating that we are unable to pass on any specific guidance. Instead we have been instructed to remind boaters of the need to digest the Government guidance on travel and overnight stays if they are considering going out on their boat. Please note the last sentence. The BA are not preventing us from using our boats. It’s up to the individual to make the decision. Personally we won’t be going anywhere in either boat, nor looking for any refunds for toll or moorings. I just hope the BA opt for one of the more reasonable increases to the toll later this month. Colin