oldgregg

A full share has also recently become available, courtesy of NBN member @jimbob88 and like the half share is also priced very keenly in order to sell. If you're considering syndicate boating, don't forget to take into account where the boat is based, what work has already been done and what needs doing. Thunder is based at Richardson's in Horning (ex LeBoat / Horning Pleasurecraft) and as such benefits from lower running costs than some boats based elsewhere. This has enabled the syndicate to do a considerable amount of work over the last few years, and as such there are no major expenses expected.

After a great time aboard the Thunder syndicate, I have decided to sell my rare half (4%) share in the boat… Thunder is a 1997 Aquafibre Diamond 43, and sleeps up to eight people in three cabins plus the saloon. Considerably larger than most other boats in syndicate, Thunder can accommodate two families or a group of friends as there are five separate beds plus the saloon. A half share gives you two weeks of ‘guaranteed’ boating every year, with the allocation drawn out of the hat (yes, an actual hat) at the syndicate AGM. So why choose syndicate boating? Well if you compare the costs to hiring then it is very easy to see the benefits. This year I had drawn two weeks in June and was able to swap with other owners in order to get a week in May and a week in July. Including the cost of winter maintenance, the outlay was just under £1000 for the year. If you look at the cost of hiring Thunder’s sister Beam of Light for the same weeks, the hire costs would have been £2575.35. Quite a difference! And that’s before you take into consideration the unused weeks. If another owner is unable to use their week, it is offered out to the other owners. Last year, I was out on the boat six times and this year I have also had the option of several extra trips – However other commitments have not allowed me to get much use out of the boat hence my share is sadly for sale. Thunder has had considerable investment in the last few years, with a new 50hp Nanni engine, shore power, electric mudweight, bow thruster and many other upgrades having been made. As such she is easily one of the better boats available in Broads syndicates, and much higher spec than Beam of Light. You can find details of the specification and budget on the BCBM website here https://www.bcbm.co.uk/boats/broads-cruisers-page-129.html The half share will very shortly be listed on BCBM’s website and is priced very keenly for a share in this boat. PM me directly for more information as BCBM charge commission on sales so I'd have to pass that on.

I'd say the average drone 'enthusiast' - for want of a better description - would definitely think about the impact of the flight but I've seen loads of people using them with total disregard to the rules. As I say, I've been buzzed at well below 50 metres several times by drones travelling with a passing boat and personally I wouldn't fly like that. I'm on or around the Broads a lot and see more of it than most people, of course.

Best advice is to plug in wherever and whenever you can. As you say, it saves running the engine on the mooring and of course a good overnight charge also means that if you've only done 2 hours cruising that day then you're not going to kill the batteries.

What I meant was any boats within the 50 metres (ie if you are taking off / landing within 50M of them) as they're the property / objects within 50 metres to which the CAA refer. Of course it is quite easy to avoid being within 50 metres, and most people would just walk a couple of hundred feet away from anything or anyone before launching and then ascend vertically to 50 metres before moving horizontally. Again I'm not anti-drones, they just need to be used sensibly.

It's in the BA's guidelines and you'll find that most landowners at those sort of places have a policy on it. https://www.broads-authority.gov.uk/visiting/drone-use

Yeah, I'd say so. If there were no other people or boats at the moorings (or he had permission from all of them, such as at an NBN meet) and he were at a height of 50 metres then it would be okay. Obviously, he would also need the landowner's permission, and would need to maintain the 50 metres safe zone during takeoff and landing as that's designed to allow for pilot error etc during those phases. No-one wants a Mavic embedded in Gold Gem 3 At 164 feet (50 metres) altitude it is difficult to see most consumer drones, and at 400ft it's very hard to hear or see them. As a rule of thumb, if you can see or hear them then they're too low. There is nothing wrong with drones per se, but unfortunately many people choose to ignore the rules and it seems that unlicensed use probably isn't going to last forever.

Yeah, absolutely. And I've been overflown by one at no more than 50 feet (let alone metres) several times while out boating.

It's 500ft from crowds, and as the maximum altitude is 400ft then yeah - Not at any height. https://dronesafe.uk/drone-code/ Obviously, if you have PfCO and suitable permissions in place for that location then you can do it. https://www.caa.co.uk/Commercial-industry/Aircraft/Unmanned-aircraft/Small-drones/Permissions-and-exemptions-for-commercial-work-involving-small-unmanned-aircraft-and-drones/ Note the clarification "within 50m of people or properties/objects that are not under your control"

This guy was within 150 ft of just about everybody on mooring area 2, and the forum meet. Drones can be flown safely, as you know. Many people choose not to.

It's not in the current, clarified exclusion zone but last year was showing both in the DJI software and on noflydrones as being in an area requiring permissions. I checked. And yeah, in any case flights there would require permission from Cators. They very clearly did not have it, judging by the discussion with the rangers.

I have seen a number of such incidents, yeah. There was a guy flying a Mavic Pro from the hill at Salhouse last year, which was a double whammy of overflying people and property and flying within a no-fly zone (due to the fact that it's very close to Norwich airport). After a while, the rangers did go and have a discussion with him and it got packed away. In most cases, I've just been astounded that the operator was being so careless. I'm far from perfect, having totalled a DJI drone myself, but not on the Broads and not causing any damage to third-party property because it wasn't being flown near any.

Very few, yeah. In terms of safety, probably the best bet is Breydon (and only when it's quiet) as realistically you're not going to accidentally overfly or come within the 150ft limit of any people or other boats unless you're on a huge radius and the only likely damage is to the drone, provided you stay above the height of the posts. And yeah, the point is safety mostly. Yes you're unlikely to encounter an aircraft in Norwich city centre, but contact with a bird is likely to break a rotor (and the bird) and both are coming down on someone's property (or their head)....

This one amuses me as a drone pilot as it's unbelievably obvious that you can't fly without permission in a built-up area of any kind (and yes that includes Broads villages!!) https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-norfolk-49513692

We should remember that they're navigation lights not 'night' lights - If you were caught in thick fog over Breydon or perhaps Hickling then I think you'd be glad to be able to see where the other boats where and that they could see you.

PV array? I'll get me coat!

Yeah, she's private. When I was first sent pictures I wasn't sure what I was being shown as externaly she looks extremely similar to the hirefleet spec (apart from the seating on the flybridge).

Funny you should mention a hairdryer....

Very much so. If you can put a regular plug into it then it must work, right? I had an interesting discussion the other day where someone was under the impression that the reason you couldn't run an electric radiator off a particular boat's inverter was because the boat was old, and that on a new one it would work much better. Obviously, you don't know what you don't know, but I was surprised by that one. In case anyone is wondering... A 1KW electric heater (ie not a very powerful one) would damage (not just flatten) a single boat battery in well under an hour. 1KW at 12 volts is 83 amps, probably more like 100 by the time you've added in the conversion losses of an inverter.

You may joke, but some people bring all sorts of things onto boats with the expectation that the inverter is able to supply 240V power just like at home (where there's a 100 amp supply). It has caused a number of issues on some syndicate boats.....

@TeamElla Please can you give it another try. The problem should be resolved now... It was down to Apple not collecting an automated payment from us Believe it or not, it costs NBN £79 a year to have the free iOS app in the store - And that's on top of other costs for running our platform, of course.

Navigators and General may indeed be cheaper but as you've mentioned, Alan Boswell has domain knowledge and is more likely to know where limits and conditions would cause an issue for Broads boaters. The devil is in the detail with policy wordings.

Yeah, it's not uncommon in the bigger fleets.

Hondas do have a habit of doing that...

Not one of them is anything special. The New Inn seems to be the most popular, I guess I can say that about them... Best? I don't think so. Not even in Horning.