Vaughan

It is good, on these occasions, to see informed opinion from the "coal face".

You'll need rather more than that to call yourself a wherry, old chap. I can assure you that when a motor cruiser, whose skipper thinks he has room (or even priority?) glances off the 3 inch galvanised Binn Iron around the shoulder of her bow, the Albion doesn't even twitch. It doesn't even put a shiver into the set of the sail. If you wish to contest your rights with a wherry, based on some sub-clause in the bye-laws, I think you will find that it will be your insurance that will have to pay for your repairs.

Sorry about the quality of these old slides but they were both taken in the same year - 1957. The first one in August and the second, in November. There are good reasons why we don't let out hire boats in the winter months! Keyboard warriors in defence of "climate change" are welcome to jump in, at this point! Meantime, any hire fleet manager, right now, will be able to tell you the date of Easter next year, since it is the cut-off point for all the planning, parts ordering, logistics and budgeting, which go into the winter maintenance period for a hire fleet. Easter next year is the 4th April, so if bookings go on until end November and at least 3 weeks go into staff holidays (since those who work in the tourist business don't take summer holidays) then there will be not a lot more than 3 months this winter, to service and refurbish the boats. It is only natural that yards will attempt to prolong the season in order to get more bookings but everything has its knock-on effects.

Then you should not have started it by introducing bad feeling and personal abuse of another member, into this forum from "another source". It is all very well to escape sanction by "thanking" the moderators for their posts as though you are the aggrieved party but I still dis-approve of your behaviour.

It wasn't a pin dish - it was an ashtray! They were a clever piece of marketing in their day, as every customer used to take them home as a souvenir. Exactly what they were meant for.

Not in the least. But it applies to others as well as yourself.

Do you feel like quoting us the source of this information? I hope it didn't come from facebook as you have already expressed your indignation to that . . . .

You misunderstand me. It is the language, and attitude, used, that should remain there.

I object strongly to your use of language to personally criticise another member. I say "personally" as it is glaringly obvious to whom you refer. If this continues any further I shall report it.

Where are you going, with a personal remark like that? It would almost seem to me, by your continued arguing, that you are trying to force one of our valued contributors off this forum. In my opinion you have just "broken the TOS" yourself.

Sorry, but I think this is all a bit precious. As this has now been made into part of the forum debate then my view is with Ian. What he has told us is nothing more (in sacrosanct T.O.S. terms) than what PW often says he has "heard along the rhond".

I certainly don't wish to argue about this but I wonder what is the difference between reporting this discussion (altercation) to the forum, and reporting what was said at the planning meeting? Or reporting what was seen on a Youtube clip of it? I hope we are not now going to have to base our opinions only on what we read in the EDP?

Just hold on a minute there! I fully agree with this forum having nothing to do with facebook and I never even read it, but what Ian (Chelsea) has told us is relevant to our discussion, as he implies that it reflects on the sort of customer base that might be attracted to a successful application. Very much a part of the forum debate and thank you Ian, for telling us.

I remember it used to be supplied by river, with a launch from Yarmouth.

The difference with the wipers on a car, is that they don't get caught up in mooring ropes, boathooks or mops! Nor do they get bent off by children sliding down the windscreen from the roof above.

Probably going too fast . . . .

Does your boat steer better from the lower position? If it does, then the oil may need to be topped up in the hydraulic steering. A 5 minute job, if you phone the boatyard.

Nor is it mine. The reference I quoted (which I happened to see quoted on Wikipedia) was from the WHO. Or are you saying we should not believe them either? If so, you are simply proving my point.

Let me give you some simple figures then, which come from my own experience in the business and not from Wikipedia, which could perhaps incline you to believe them? There are 34 bookable weeks available in a summer season. 17 of those have already been lost to the lockdown, which leaves 17, available for booking. Any boatyard these days will tell you that a 20 week season is a poor one. The revenue from an "average" season of 20 weeks assumes all the high price period weeks are booked at the full price : if not, the average revenue will be a lot less. This will be the case this year since the season only started when it was well into the "high" season price periods. In other words, already too late. Grendel is out on a boat right now, which he had booked for May, but he is now at the end of July having a "high season" week at the low season price. This was caused by the virus and there will be a great deal more like this. This also has a knock-on effect to next season where many weeks holidays will already have been deferred, at this year's early season price, not next year's price. In the EDP article about not having enough boats, you may have noticed that Colin Buttifant of Ludham, who hires immaculate yachts, is having to let them out on alternate weeks only so that they can be deep cleaned between bookings. So he cannot now be looking at more than 8 or 9 weeks hire on average this year. Not sure how he will survive this winter on that. I am not "talking us into a recession" but by God, I have been in enough of them of the Broads, to know what they look like! Call me a doom monger if you wish.

The favourite one usually came from a Land Rover. This was a common method of steering in the 50s and was very useful, as the wheel always stays wherever you have put it, including when going astern.

Let's always hope so!

What a sad reflection on our modern times. Back "in my day" it was condoms floating down the river from Norwich. What New Yorkers happily call the "Hudson River white-fish"! Don't suppose there will be many of those any more. Social distancing, and all that . . . . .

A good steak deserves something from the Rhone Valley. Chateauneuf du Pape will always be good, or something with some "body" to it, from the Cotes de Nuits. A Vosne Romanée or a Gevrèy Chambertin. If you can stand a teaspoon up in it, it will go well with a steak!

I am a great lover of good satire, since it draws our attention to the real truth behind the hype and gives us a good laugh at the same time! Trouble is, good satire is often too close to the real truth, for comfort . . . . .

A very pleasant walk, on either side of the river, up to the Recruiting Sergeant.