Turnoar

Thanks for the spin Chris B, I hope this one is the right way up, same yard but different builder! I love Vaughan’s comment about the old valve spring, reminds me of my dads ski boat having an Austin bonnet badge on the tip of the foredeck as a nod to the raw water cooled clutch only bmc mini engine hidden under the cowling midships with vents made from old brass munition shells. No such thing as a throw away society back in the days of my youth and before!

Wooden model broads boats are real boats! This is my snapshot from Herbert Woods book launch day.

Meadow Dyke?

!pswich boat jumble going ahead according to their email circular.

Defo not a hydrologist JM but one thing that could be different north to south is sea water incursion, not just a hole in the sea wall, say at Haisbro (as looks possible in future) or Waxham (as discovered by Hickling farmer Peter Blaxell back in the early 90s), but sea water coming in underneath as I understand was apparent when the dredging broke through the ‘crust’ back in the 60s or 70s and allowed some salt water into the northerly broads. What with high tides any extra head of pressure could attempt to balance out broadside? Could also be more housing development north side inadvertently utilising the Bure as a surface water drain? Where does all the surface water from Aylsham go?

Calm down hullaballoos! Loving the progress and the attention to detail, have you thought about taking up dinghy ragging? Not shore what scail this is, about an inch to a foot.

I can recall an incident once where one of the controls wasn’t fully disengaged after a trial run and some how the novice helm had retreated to the other station down below which didn’t do as expected resulting in a slight mishap. No harm done and everyone saw the funny side. Almost needed two trial runs to be sure!

Notwithstanding whether this design was good for the hire task I wonder if the Moxham designs Alpha’ launched circa 2000 would ever have happened had it not been for this development of an older hull, in a similar vein as the Wilds (?) Capri, to give them the idea perhaps? What’s beyond doubt is the Aplhacraft Moxham design set a new bar and in my mind became the Rolls Royce Corniche of its moment quick to be emulated or sourced by brinkcraft and Richardson’s, and other yards probably. Jillings were and are exceptionally honourable broadsmen, another honourable broadsman who bought a mooring plot opposite the brundall yard commented to me how if a hirerer had a mishap with his jetty it was resolved without fuss. What a legacy.

Nestled on a little reed rhond somewhere around the fringes of Hickling broad, far enough away from the channel so any night sailors swell will just serve as to rock me to sleep, though rarely do I need that much help, preferably with a full moon and sky full of stars, a port hole ajar so the wildlife sounds can permeate my pillow zzzzzz..... and rays of light shine through a gap in the awning after sunrise. Bliss.

One of many including your father I would say, Jimmy was indeed the ‘Norfolk’ man and I’m sure would have been overseeing the white boats built at Potter’ which I presume commenced around the time of Ernest Woods passing albeit possibly with some overlap as I’m sure I’ve noted, on the occasions when I’ve had the privilege to sail, some overlapping with Horning builders plates. On his retirement he was presented with a photo of Hathor sailing onto Hickling with the Smee in the distant background and I’d date it as being sometime in the 60s, judging by the size of reed island, probably with Gordon Curtis on the helm. Donny Beck, who was a marine engineer for Martham Boats at one time, was part of the crew who brought it back from Acle to the yard following purchase. I think he told me that upon inspection it required a hundred, or several, feet of planking and being clinker Woods was the place for it to go so perhaps the picture was a nod toward his help if correct. Now, on topic, I think he’d appreciate the dredging going on at Hickling but would probably not be too bothered at nature having to give way to the odd cull to keep things in check, geese for example.

Correct Vaughan, sailed off into heaven many years ago now but taught me a lot about how to fully appreciate how lucky I was to grow up in a Broadland village with everything water related on tap, sailing, fishing, canoeing, wildlife, trips to yacht clubs to pick up boats for repair, have a cup of tea and a mardle with the caretaker. Since his passing I’ve met various other boatyard people who acknowledge him and give me the impression that there was a real joined up spirit in the good old days, no wonder so many grockles felt so well looked after and fell in love with the broads for what they are, he had numerous friends and customers who started their affair with a hire, then owning an ex hire boat perhaps, a second or retirement home nearby, and definitely not seeking to change the place into something else!

Thanks Upcycler, totally agree and brings tears to my eyes as a 4th gen broadsman: 1st gen as reserve warden at Hickling, 2nd gen as son of who became foreman boatbuilder at HW Potter Heigham, 3rd gen as grandson and became equally competent boatbuilder, 4th gen myself great gs who loves the broads for what they are, not a boat builder for sure but a boat user for deafinite!

Thanks for the update Vaughan, I got distracted and missed it, seems like they were barking up the wrong trees then!

BBC Look East show casing apprentices working in the “Broads National Park”; on in a few minutes I expect. Their words not mine.

That’s the bbeast! Can’t remember the low level slot windows or vents or whatever they but no mistaking that huge roof. It’s the 286 I’d go for though...

Air BBnB? Tri before you bouy?

The 286 looks great, PH bridge passagable, dining and sleeping for four, attractive lines, regatta pontoon to sling a half decker alongside, set me adrift on a heritage bbliss.... always like the BB boats even the HUGE one that looked like a helicopter landing pad, may have been Enchantress and possibly triple bow effect but I may be mistaken, very long time since I saw it. If my numbers come up I know where to head!

I was sort of right then but with the dims quoted I’d probably be too long and it would be a very tight fit! Still when in Rome...

Is it a nookie board?

Well blow me signs down. If I didn’t think better I’d say there was something sisinter going on.... a unitary authority of NCC and SCC, now there an idea. One body making decisions instead of two could save an awful lot of 💰

See in the local rag that a graffiti artist or artists have put their stamp on one of the new Stadler trains in the MNR sidings near Wymondham. Hope they track down the culprits! Putting their own lives at risk potentially as could be the NP sign striker... I wonder if the new BNP signs should be “bagged” for the time being whilst the legalities are proven. Dydl are doing 20 black refuse sacks for only 79p this weekend. The mystery of what’s being covered up may even draw people to the area and give a boost at what is traditionally the doldrums for the broads tourism calendar.

Been over to Colney this afternoon via the NDR. The roundabout to nowhere, except the farmers field and heli training centre, looks a mess. Have they considered rubber posts and signs so they spring back up after the carnage is cleared each time?

Or it’s like buying a flat near to St Andrews Hall and complaining about the concert music!

No such thing like n the broads as you state JM and long may it continue!

There’s an idea JM, fit ecletric cars with pantographs and simply put electricity lines over the entire road network, it works for the railways, well some of the time I suppose. I’ve decided I’m going to go for an older electricPetrol combo, say a jap of 90s vintage and operate purely in ⛽️ mode but only get stung for the £20 road fund lolicence!