PastorsDayOff

Here I want to give my highest recommendation to all those, like myself, who like to navigate the Broads under sail. For ourselves we stumbled upon Hunters Yard more by accident than design, and even though we were not hiring, and therefore not under the shared agreements of the hire yards, simply because we were on a sailboat, the folk at the yard allowed us free use of their facilities (Toilets, Showers, Water, with an overnight pass code), and the agreement that when we come back this way, we can moor our boat in the yard overnight if we cannot find a mooring outside. We will definitely be coming back.

So “Dream Time”! Can we expect to hear the sound of Ralph McTell as you motor on by? Congratulations on your purchase. Welcome to the world of broke boat owners.

I don’t consider myself particularly militant, but when pressure needs applying there are ways and means. How many people are registered currently on this forum? Thirty emails a day (Copied and pasted) from each member to network rail will not go unnoticed by themselves that like to drag their feet. Sent from the Norfolk Broads Network mobile app

Ordered!

Just to say, I’m not on commission for having started this post.

Even if private owners buy ex-hire boats they tend to stamp their own individuality on them to mark them out. Also, those who spend a lot of times round the Broads will know the typical hire boats and the yards they come from. My daughter will tell me that I am sad to know such things.

It is true. As I said; it was a grumpy old git moment, not to be taken too seriously!

Ok; I’ve been putting this one off, pretending it doesn’t bother me, but here comes the grumpy old git moment! ‘PATREON!’ Now, I like watching the odd YouTube blog. I, like many on this forum follow Robins blogs, and enjoy them. I like watching those of people who sell up and sail the world; they inspire me and encourage me to think towards doing the same; but at the end of many of them (not Robin’s cos I checked to be sure) comes the inevitable prompt to sign up to PATREON, with the plea for sponsorship. Now, I know that you are trying to provide a public service by entertaining us with your travels, and there is a cost involved to you, but at the end of the day, it’s your boat and it’s your hobby. I don’t ask you to pay for my hobby, so why do you expect me to pay for yours? Ok, that’s better, rant over! Thoughts? Oh, and sorry in advance if I’ve offended anyone.

Never had any verbal from the bridge operators. In truth I have found them very helpful; especially so on Monday when we got stuck the wrong side of a non-operational Somerleyton Bridge. We were kept well informed by the operator through the VHF, and what they were trying to do to get the bridge open. I even got a laugh out of the guy when I congratulated him for his efforts, as well as ‘enjoy the rest of your day!’ Now you don’t get that through a matrix board. Sent from the Norfolk Broads Network mobile app

I agree with that, but unless other boaters also have them then they are less useful than a VHF. You need a CB revival!

I invite feedback!

By the looks of it I might be tempted to go and buy shares in CB radios, though I feel for me that it is a case of been there done that. Happy to stick with VHF and mobile phone; though I fear the latter of these is useless on most parts of the Broads.

I feel my brain has been totally assaulted, but I finally, this last week, got round to getting my short range VHF certificate in anticipation of trying some coastal hopping hopefully next year. The course itself consisted of one day in Lowestoft College, learning (trying to learn), followed by a morning for the test and assessment. The night between was one of reading and disturbed sleep, my brain being filled with mayday calls and procedures. For now however, my new licence will only be used on the Broads; somewhat limited one might think, other than getting the bridges at Somerleyton and Reedham to open. But it must be more useful than this, surely? So here’s the obvious question; how many of us have got VHF marine radios (and no! I don’t work part time for Ofcom), what do we use them for, and how useful do we find them on the Broads? Ok; that’s three questions; but it would be useful to know, so I can get the best use out of mine.

If they can’t read the numbers on the speed limit signs or the digits on their rev counters, what makes you think that they will be able to read your sign?

As a fully converted dieselhesd when it comes to cars (with a working DPF) I find all this, of course, highly annoying, and potentially expensive. That said, I am seriously watching the advancement of motor and battery technology, looking to the day when we can ditch the old technologies for something better. My hope would be that by the time the green lobby get their claws into the boating world, that technologies will be such that going electric becomes a convenient option. For me however, the practical technologies are not so far away. Having a sail boat makes me less reliant upon an engine. A small 500cc Volvo is all I have at the moment. But I have been watching a number of YouTube blogs of people with much larger sailboats, removing the engines, and replacing them with electric motors. Not needing to use them so much, they have found that solar alone has been enough to keep the batteries topped up. Free wind, free electricity, no emissions. Guess what I will be doing when my engine needs replacing?

You’re probably right. I didn’t actually take much note of the name. I just assumed that there weren’t too many around.

Saw it moored up at Stalham on Friday.

Always happy to introduce people to sailing.

John. Offer of a sail still open. Cliff

I hate driving, though I have to do it, and I don’t much like airports, so I choose not to fly. Boating in all its forms is relaxing and my preferred method of travel. That said; I have found a difference between the way we used hire boats (always motor) and the way we use our own boat (sail). When we hired, it was all about getting the most out of the boat, rather than the destination; though we loved the destinations; and I think that this was because we always knew that we had to give it back at the end of the week. Now owning a boat, it’s still largely about the journey, but we don’t feel that we have to push ourselves so much, which actually makes the journey even more enjoyable, as it is even more relaxing; we sail, and we stop where and when we want. Best of both! This might change however if we do take the boat out to sea; then it will become more about the destination, just to feel that we have arrived safely.

I will be there with Mrs (PastorsDayOff). Got to do something to celebrate her birthday, and it gets us away from the big TV event that’s supposed to be happening. Looking forward to it.

It would be wrong for people to think that disability would stop people from being able to sail. One of the men who taught me to sail had a false leg (no parrot before anyone asks). Although neither my wife and I require wheelchairs, both of us have physical disabilities, and yet together we are able to sail. And I’ve seen these adapted boats, and they are very good.

People buy boats for different reasons. The good thing about the hire industry on the Broads is that you can hire boats of almost all kinds and have a go. Certainly when we were looking at buying, we looked at Broadland cruisers, twin engined sea goers, as well as sail. For us, we wanted something that we could eventually take out to sea and do a bit of coastal hopping with, and we simply didn’t have the deep enough pockets for the twin screw gas guzzler. Regarding the young children. All the children we have taken out on our boat have thoroughly enjoyed themselves, and they have all wanted to have a go. In truth, I regret not learning to sail when I was a lot younger.

Ok! You can prove any point with pictures. i meant the kind of sailing as being advertised on the website; though, with a bit more energy, this can certainly be done single handed.

I don’t know what a lot younger would look like, and I am certainly not asking. I find myself no longer saying ‘you are only as old as you feel’ as I feel myself a lot older than I am. But sailing requires a crew, unlike motoring, that on the most part only requires a helmsman (no insult intended). A good crew compliments each other and works together, some with greater energy and physical ability than others. For me, this is part of the pleasure, an experience to be shared. With the right crew around you, you may still find that sailing is possible, and a lot of fun!