Vaughan

Another very relevant point. The hirer of a boat is the "charterer" in law and is responsible for its safe navigation.

Thank you for that. It remains to define "acting in the execution of his duty". There is a difference, in my view, between moving a vessel which is obstructing the navigation or may be itself in danger of damage (from a rising tide for instance), and simply shuffling boats about on an overnight mooring in order to get more people in the pub! I hope this does not mean they are now going to "make more space" on the moorings at Acle or Reedham, with a tide running, no-one on board and the engine stopped. One may think there is a difference, but it is the same principle.

It would have been a great help, of course, if the mooring posts on Ranworth quay had been spaced out according to the normal width of a Broads motor cruiser!

Wussername asks a fair and most relevant question, based on a good knowledge of the Maltsters quay and its personnel. This is a bit of a "thorny" subject as it raises the issue of moving a boat on a mooring without the hirer's (or owner's) knowledge, presence, or permission. I have always understood it to be forbidden to touch someone's mooring lines or move their boat. There may well be a bye-law about it for those who know where to look. It is understandable that there is a wish to maximise the space available on this busy quay and the moving of moored boats is naturally being done with the best of intentions. What about insurance in the event of damage, though. Worse, what about physical injury as a result of such an action? In which case, is this person just a well meaning bystander assuming a "high vis jacket" authority for themselves, or is it a BA Ranger or quay attendant who is therefore acting under the auspices (and responsibility) of the BA itself. That is, if the the BA actually has such authority, in law.

Talking of flags, the RNSYC has an Admiralty warrant, for members to wear the red ensign, defaced with the Fleur de Lys badge in the "fly". Maybe that has something to do with their nick-name!

I would say it is every bit as precarious with a GRP vessel but perhaps for different structural reasons.

Could it be something as simple as a broken key in the crankshaft timing pulley? Otherwise, I don't see how the timing chain would "slip".

I know that there is a planning restriction on the height of new properties in riverside areas which I believe has to do with not spoiling the panoramic view over the marshes. This applies to all cases, unless, of course, you want to build a new visitor centre at Acle Bridge.

We provide mooring ropes 15 metres long, for working in deep locks. Getting a rope round the prop is still very rare, probably less so than on the Broads. Usually, what gets round the prop here is a parasol that has blown off the top deck in a wind. They tend to float for a bit, about a foot below the surface where they can't be seen. Rather like a giant jellyfish!

That is presumably because shore power points on moorings are only a 32 amp supply, designed to run battery chargers and small appliances. If boats start trying to plug domestic cookers into them, the supply will very soon trip out.

These two are far from home - about 1200 miles by road and maybe half as much again by water. Taken this morning on the Canal du Midi at Argens. The Horizon 35 used to be called Fleur d'Azur when part of the Beaver Fleet operation in Port Cassafieres in the early 80s. I don't remember any hire fleets having Safari 25s without the sliding canopy in France, but I suppose there must have been.

That is your free choice, of course. It would be interesting to hear how you got on with your all electric boat, after your holiday.

The old boat has what is called a cruiser stern, after the naval cruisers of post WW1. She also has two masts with steadying sails, for sea going. Possibly built by Silver?

I remember years ago when we were moored there and a party of Sea Cadets on three boats, came in to moor that evening. They were very well behaved and all went well until early next morning when they all started stomping about giving parade orders and then sounded Morning Colours on a bugle at 0800 hrs! It wouldn't have been so bad if the solo bugler had managed to get all the right notes in the right order.

Agreed, but these old engines can be economically rebuilt and I believe parts can still be found. I would guess that the screech is coming from a piston. Do you know why the engine ran dry of oil? Did it leak out, or was it lack of oil pressure due to blocked galleries?

It is hard to comment as one was not there at the time. Presumably the ranger shouted, having got the impression that you were going over the limit. You were not stopped and were not prosecuted. Your avatar suggests you have a long boat, about 42ft. These can often give the impression that they are going faster than they really are, especially in a narrow waterway. What counts of course, is wash. That is the reason for a speed limit in the first place.

There is a thread in the technical section called "The kick of the propellor" where we discussed this a couple of years ago. You may find a lot of the answers there.

Potter Hi am is on the Thurne. Heyam Street is in Norwich.

Certainly Burra St Peter but I have often heard it called Burr Castle in the past. For that matter, what about Trowse? Or Sprowston?

In what, for them, will be winter. Lovely weather for sheep!

I think what concerns me is the very low freeboard platform aft, combined with the high backed seating at the rear of the sundeck. Access to this platform is by what is effectively a full height French window. I have remarked before that this seems like walking out of your hotel room onto the little balcony, only to find that it has no rail around it. It strikes me as too easy to be bounced off while manoeuvring, without the helmsman realising that one of the crew is in the water, right behind the boat. I don't think the traditional Bounty bathtub, with inside access by a sunken well off the very large aft deck, offers the same potential hazard.

One for @Vaughan Go on then, we might as well have a laugh! This was taken for an article in Woman magazine about my mother's way of life. I think the date was 1954.

It is interesting that this boat looks a great deal better in the actual moulding, than in the publicity drawing! Also interesting that this is a pure inland waterways design, which would not also be marketed as "offshore". It would only pass ERCD Cat. D, owing to the very low freeboard aft - minimum 40cm from the waterline is allowed, but not for Cat C. A typical Broads design with a long flat keel for standing ashore in winter. The hard chine design and flat bottom aft, in addition to the hull length, will mean very little wash at low speed, although there will be a certain amount of wave pulled up by the transom. We can see that the hull is designed to bear a lot of weight forward, so the long deep keel will be a help, otherwise it would be difficult to steer in a straight line. The wide beam and plenty of windows should mean plenty of space for comfortable accommodation and there will be a spacious and comfortable sundeck. All in all, it should be a very nice boat, designed for its purpose. I wonder though, how many (or few) of them will fit into the moorings at Neatishead?

Excuse me, but who says it isn't? There are many things to explain to first time hirers, but the use of ropes when mooring, is one of them.

Call me a "party pooper" but it seems unfortunate that boats are still being designed for the Broads, where anyone standing on the aft deck is out of sight from both helm positions.