socrates

I forgot to add, we could always have a "dislike" button. Then again that might create a degree of animosity between members.

Compared to several Broads related FB pages, there are relatively few posts on here likely to offend all but the most sensitive people. Healthy debate and questioning of assumptions should be a feature of any civilised democracy. Autocratic or dictatorial policing by "moderators" , or people who cry "foul" when opinions opposing those of their own is uncalled for and a waste of time. It is not beyond the ability of a reasonably intelligent person to scroll past a post they disagree with. However, I do tend to object to the increasing and unnecessary use of foul language, this is meant to be a family site. If you have a desire to use profane language it is probably best saved for elsewhere. Protest politely please.

Always wanted to know what a Nimbus was. Now I know. Have no interest in Harry Potter films, so will just break out my box set of the 1970's series of Sailor. I think what we need on this site is a good old Joss. Now, Christmas quiz time: who can tell me what a Joss is? (Stand fast Griff)

I have just re-read some of the comments, and can't see anyone being particularly negative. One can hardly suggest that asking questions are negative. People are perfectly polite in the way they ask their intelligent questions. I, for one, was wondering about how such a large (and dare I say splendid) vessel will manage on the Broads? I would be interested to know how the Captain will negotiate the Broads in the height of the season, in particular finding moorings that are usually pretty full. It also crossed my mind that the depth of some of the rivers might be an issue. As someone relatively new to the Broads, compared to the majority of you, these seemingly trivial matters are of interest. Socrates himself (see also Monty Python song) employed the method of questioning when seeking knowledge. It is hardly a negative way to find things out. It is a sad reflection of our culture that some people regard opposing views and opinions to their own as being negative. It is via engaging with those who take a different view that we can learn. Unless, that is, one is so arrogant as to assume they know everything. I would have expected more of this forum than a resistance to healthy and polite questioning. Such self-opinionated narrow minded rhetoric can be found on certain Broads related pages on other social media. I am sure some of you have ventured on such pages, The project is a major undertaking on so many levels, and I take my hat off to someone who is brave enough to do it. Our little restoration of BG fades into insignificance alongside this gargantuan task. Us mere mortals would tremble at the prospect of an undertaking such as this. Please keep the posts and questions flowing, challenging assumptions is healthy. I love hearing the different views of the experts on this page, it is a leaning experience for those of us who are on the bottom rung of the boating ladder.

Regarding coat hangers for clearing limber holes. Having given it some (but not a great deal of thought) I conclude that a coat hanger may be a little large for the limber holes. Also, the better quality coat hanger might not be able to bend as much as the thinner welding rods. The advantage of a welding rod is that they bend and enable those awkward corners to be cleared.

Thanks Stumpy, having tried a coat hanger, the metal was slightly too thick for the holes. I will investigate a Sketchleys coat hanger and see if that will work better than the welding rods.. Can you please let me know where there is a branch of Sketchelys in order that I may procure one? Many thanks.

Clearly, you have a bigger hole than mine.

They were Sifsteel 1.6mm copper coated welding rod. I found these to be the right size for our limber holes, they are strong and flexible enough to clear holes.

As I have been enlightened about the rules regarding naming products: Cupinol wood preserver and Damboline bilge paint is being used.

Thanks for your clarification, as I am new I am being careful to follow the rules and avoid any potential transgressions. I would hate to offend or attract the wrath of the moderators.

One of the first things we did was clear the limber holes as they were mostly blocked with evil, unmentionable stuff. I found an old welding rod was good for clearing the limber holes, some of which had disappeared in the mess. Will do the same after painting. Never thought about steam cleaning the bilge before we start this Feb, just might do that. Certainly needs a good and proper clean, From what I recall we recovered a considerable amount of small change as well as a variety of tools, finders keepers!

Thanks, I think that is the same paint we are using but can't mention the name (bit like being on the BBC). Being new, I don't want to attract the attention of the forum police.

Continuation of the topic. What do the experts here suggest that the bilge is painted with, how often, and what colour? We chose to paint our bilge with grey (again, I won't mention the brand name of the paint for fearing that I fall foul of the rules)specialist bilge paint. I plan to use a proprietary wood preserver followed by two coats of the above paint. On reflection, I think white might be better, this was the colour of bilges of Royal Navy ships, the reason being is that anything dropped in the bilge can be seen (unless it is white) and any oil can be spotted easily. Looking at the bilge of Broadland Grebe, something I have to do often, it is highly unlikely it has been cleaned let alone painted for many years.In February, I will be carrying out a deep clean and paint of the whole bilge.

Two bilge pups, one auto and one with manual switch. Bilge pumps run off separate solar powered battery. Large pans/buckets for self-bailing (see post Broadland Grebe) Engine tray fitted with absorbent pads which are replaced every year. Shower tray pump discharges via skin fitting. Hot water relief valve out via skin fitting. Cold water vent out via skin fitting Gas bottle stowage drains out via skin fitting Stern gland drains to bilge (as in HMS Ark Royal)

As a fairly new boat owner,and new to this forum. I would suggest several things.These are based on our experience over the past 4 years of owning, cruising on, and restoring Broadland Grebe. Firstly, everyone knows more than you! Of course they do, they own a boat and you don''t, even if you have been around boats all your life and spent two decades in the Royal Navy, people on the Broads know more than you. Secondly, buyer beware! Beware of surveyor sand yacht brokers in the same way that you would beware of estate agents and solicitors. If a deal seems to good to be true, it probably is. Go with recommendations all the time and trust your instincts, you know more than you think. There are lots of people who claim they know how boats work and how to repair/maintain. We always ask to see there work and talk with previous clients, anyone worth his/her salt will be proud of their work and willingly tell/show you what they have done. The people who work on our boat have a track record and we have researched them and seen their previous work. This has saved us time and money, as well has not having to put up with bodgers. It certainly pays to do research and talk to people. There are a lot of "experts" who can be convincing, check them out before acting on their advice. You will soon find out there are people with a good reputation and these are the people to trust.We are very fortunate in having 3 very trustworthy friends who not only have the experience and qualifications, but also know what they are talking about. It is best to limit your circle of trusted"boat advisers". Filter feed the advice you are given by others. Learn to Identify the sharks! Love many trust few, and always trust your instincts. Do not leave your brain on the jetty when you are looking at a boat. Make a plan, decide what you want and then make another plan. Remember boats are expensive to buy, keep and maintain, so careful planning of finances is essential. Expect the unexpected and make every possible contingency plan. We looked at the worst case and the most expensive thing that could go wrong with our boat, costed it and set aside the funds "just in case". It is good to have a separate bank account for the boat. Remember the BA and marinas put their costs up every year, prepare for this in advance. You mention oil and water in the bilges. This may be something or nothing, at the end of the day it is up to you to look at what people are saying and make an informed decision. Cosmetic damage and wear and tear are part of an old boat, it is essential to distinguish between a bit of wear and tear and a major repair job. That is where the trusted people come in. We looked at around 30 boats before we purchased, the boat we purchased was not the sort we intended to purchase. We drew up a list of our requirements, tore that list up and had a real think about our lifestyle and the future. The end result was a fairly massive restoration project rather than the original idea of a new(ish) glass cruiser. The reason was we wanted a project and something to cruise in during the summer. Best of both worlds. You might feel you want to spend time working on your boat. It is like a car, you can go for a new BMW or a classic Jag. We went for the classic Jag. (again, you can read all about it). Above all, enjoy your boat and don't make it a chore. The whole experience is worth it. You get to meet some keyboard captains, sharks and shysters on the Broads, the same as anywhere else. But, you also make some very good friends along the way. Best wishes to you.

Thanks for your comment. The person who did the planks is a close friend, he has the experience and skills needed for such as task. The cabin sides are being made in Somerleyton by someone who has worked on Ripplecraft when they were in the hire fleet, and some other work is being done by someone who has worked on another Ripplecraft boat. We are doing the rest ourselves. We want to ensure everything is done properly first time, as we have seen a lot of DIY work which , with the best intentions, is pretty poor. We are indeed fortunate to know such people. No names are mentioned in order not to inadvertently fall foul of forum regulations regarding advertising etc.We are very particular who does work on Grebe, apart from ourselves there are only three people. The engine was fitted and is maintained under warranty.All our wood is sourced from the same supplier in Wroxham. We believe that this is the best way to ensure a high level of quality control is maintained throughout the process of restoration.

From the above pictures, you can clearly see the damage caused by years of neglect and bodging. The port side of Grebe is the worst, the reason being this was the side moored to the bank at her previous mooring which was under trees. A combination of this and the lack of general cleaning contributed to the sad state of affairs we are currently sorting out. Poor choice of materials for repairs including bits of old furniture and the ubiquitous car filler did not help. The wood of the aft cabin had split and was filled with sealant and car filler in order to stop water coming in, it didn't work and water dripped onto the back bunk. When the wood was removed, we noticed that yet more filler had been used to "diret" the water into the bilge, this only served to create a large grot spot beneath the rear bunk. This grot spot turned out to be the cause of the hole mentioned in the earlier post. The deck had been laid so that any water accumulated in corners (as illustrated), over time this had rotted the corner of the forward bulkhead and can be seen in the second picture. This will be cut out and replaced before being covered with epoxy. This time the deck will be angled correctly in order for the water to run off the decks. Clearly, whoever "repaired" the decks had little concept of the basic laws of physics.

Broadland Grebe went into the Shed at the beginning of November 2017 for the winter 2017 restoration work. Top of the list are the replacement of cabin sides, deck, sliding roof and hatches (not being too ambitious), then there is the matter of fitting two new water tanks and a pressurised water system. There will also be the usual deep clean, strip, varnish and paint. If tie permits we will start stripping and re-varnishing some of the centre cabin. We aim to back in the water for the middle of May as usual. Preparation began last May with the sourcing and purchase of yet another large quantity of timber, and other necessary items. This was stored over the summer months when continued plans and discussions were had. The essential job is to replace the decks and cabin sides, these are in an horrendous state and we have been pushing our luck with regard to the sides actually staying on the boat. A torrent of water comes into the boat when it rains, usually soaking our guests on the rear bunk. The rear hatch is a disgrace, the previous owners paid money for some bodge job which looks like an old table top. The hatch has warped to such an extent that it will not close and it is an ugly mess. Consulting with a friend, it was agreed to replace it with a lifting hatch rather than a sliding one using good quality ply. Thus, allowing ventilation, easy access, and ventilation; the hatch will have gas struts and be varnished. In early November we set about the task of removing the decks.The toe rails and top rubber was removed, then work began to take up the deck. This was a more difficult and slower task than anticipated for several reasons. Not least of these was the amount of car filler used to hold down the track mark. The track mark had been badly laid and did not overlap at the edges, so it leaked. Instead of fitting the track mark correctly, the previous owner had filled the gaps with car filler and other assorted gunk in order to try and prevent water getting into the boat. This attempt at damage control had the opposite effect, water simply found another way in and gathered in the piles of gunk causing rot to the wood under the track mark. Hacking away for 4 days made little impact, so we resorted to a jigsaw. A friend took a further 4 days to complete this task. Another week in the Shed eventually saw the starboard cabin side removed. We took our tie with this as we needed to use the old side as a pattern. One thing about these boats is that they were not designed to come apart easily, every screw fought against attempts to remove it. Using a grinder, we removed the side from the roof, and slowly wedged the side apart from the boat. To our surprise the beam shelf is in not too bad condition, a clean up and a few coats of preserver will enable most of the original wood to be kept. The frames are not in bad condition, again a coat of wood preserver and paint should be enough.

I have not been on this forum for very long at all, SO FAR I find it very polite. For a while I was on a Broads related Facebook page and that was an entirely different experience. No names mentioned but the level of insulting, racist and homophobic language was well out of order. Most posts degenerated into pseudo-political mud slinging by people with fairly frightening opinions. When I challenged one of the posts I was met with a volley of abuse and personal attacks. Hopefully I will never meet these people in reality. So to those who police this group, I say a big well-done. If a word might offend someone, it is best for it to be removed, that way conflict is avoided.

Whilst working bailing the water from our rapidly sinking boat boat we whistled the tune Colonel ***** . in order to keep our spirits up. Just saying there are a variety of contexts for the use of this word. It is all about perception, and for some people, perception is reality. If some people are offended by the use of certain words, the correct thing for those who police this forum might be to remove the word. As a new member I am very careful to avoid anything that might be perceived as offensive.

We had a decent bilge pump and a crew of four with pans! We cruised from Stokesby to Somerleyton with this

Splendid boat.

Just as a little add on, I thought I would show a few pictures of the hull. You can see the hole where the patch was and the lovely rotten planks. This gives an indication of the state of neglect and overall lack of general maintenance over the previous years. The bilges were filthy and had not been cleaned or painted for years. The lack of care resulted in an accumulation of what can only be described as "crud". This "crud" held moisture which, of course, provided a breeding ground for rot. This rot appeared to have worked from the inside out. Several soft spots were found, the previous owners had patched them from the inside using an interesting variety of materials and methods. These included car filler, lumps of wood cut from old furniture, bits of copper and a huge piece of rusty iron! All of the offending patches were removed with varying degrees of difficulty and the loan of a grinder. The picture of the new planks show how the hull planks run. An additional butt strap has been fixed at the bottom of the transom. On completion the planks were treated with wood preserver and anti-foul. The hull had been tar varnished at some point, there was little evidence of any recent anti-foul or preservation of the hull. Grebe had spent been kept in the water all year by the previous owners

Having left Beccles with our friends, we crossed Breydon and proceeded to Potter a number of overnight pub stops. This was the first time we had been on the northern rivers on Grebe, previous times had been on hire boats. Whilst moored at Potter we met up with another owner of a Ripplecraft and where able to exchange ideas and view the two boats. I am not naming him or his boat, just in case I breach the rules of this group, except to say he knew a lot more about the boats than we did. This was a very informative and enjoyable day and we were able to borrow a wealth of material about the Ripplecrafts. Going under the Bridge in our won boat was exciting to say the least, (ok, small things amuse small minds). Our main fear was that we would exit the Bridge minus our rotten cabin sides, as we hurtled through at full throttle. The only issue was an encounter with an over zealous volunteer ranger who threatened us with a thousand pound fine! The reason for this was because we had very briefly gone alongside a de-masting mooring in order to let a struggling hire boat leave her mooring. The guardian of the River would have none of this and insisted on giving us an entirely un-necessary, and somewhat over the top talking to. Having left the riparian job's worth behind, we returned to Stokesby where we purchased fresh, live eels from the eel catcher. Whilst eating an evening meal of fried eels, we crossed Breydon that evening and moored overnight at the Berney Arms wind pump. During the night we couldn't help noticing that our bilge pump was running almost constantly. You may know that sinking feeling? Not wanting to cause alarm or distress to our guests, we said nothing but returned to Somerleyton (slowly). Subsequent investigation revealed that there was a large section of our temporary plywood patch missing. We had put a patch over the starboard side of our hull in the hope that we could get one more season of cruising before replacing the planks. The patch was two feet square and had around 180 screws holding it in place.I have taken pictures but can't find them to show you. It is pretty impressive! We managed a week in October with a very good bilge pump and then took the boat into the shed to replace the offending planking. Now for the technical bit, I don't know if you are aware of how the Ripplecraft was put together? The planking is very unusual and a nightmare to get out. I know some of the people who read this have replaced this sort of planking so you will have sympathy with our boatbuilder. All in all six planks were replaced during the winter. The boat was also rubbed down and painted again. This was in order to eventually create a perfect finish (not yet achieved). The transom was rubbed down and varnished with a further three coats, there was no sanding of blue boats this year. Inside the boat, we replaced the lamps with LED, re-wired and had a shower fitted ready for the following year when we plan to put in a new water system. The wiring inside the boat was a snakes party of wires everywhere. There was so much redundant wiring left by the previous owner, it appeared that he/she had not taken any old wiring out the boat and had simply added new wires to everything. We also had a temporary repair to strengthen the cabin sides. Once again we were back in the water on time and on budget. Our boating season began in May and did not end until the beginning of November! For reasons I need not go into, I decided to take very early retirement - let the future begin! One of the many good things about spending so much time on the River is that we got to meet a lot of really good people. Again, no names, but we have made several very good new new friends who have boats. We look forward to seeing you in 2018. Broadland Grebe went back into the Shed on 1st November 2017, as planned. This year we are replacing cabin sides and decks. I will provide an up-date shortly.