oldgregg

I bet if we didn't apply an update and your passwords etc got compromised you'd be asking why we didn't apply the updates....

It appears that when it’s reporting you as being logged out you’re actually logged in. Given the notification that went out with the update (and the wording), it has ‘junior developer’ written all over it.

I have a suspicion we’ll see a bugfix very soon.

In fairness, that’s one of the things I miss about Thunder….

We rolled out an update yesterday for the cookie warning, I suspect they didn’t do enough QA before release….

I think there's an element of price correction that needs to happen. Personally, I was looking to hire over August B/H but hire prices have gone up year on year for the last couple of seasons and they're at a level where I made the decision to do something else instead. Boating has never been cheap (and never will be) but when hiring is more than a luxury hotel break where one doesn't have to sleep on an uncomfortable bed and try to fit into a tiny shower then something doesn't feel quite right.

I have a suspicion you know the answer

That's only part of the problem, though. You'd need to get power (and access) to them so there'd need to be a road and a substation nearby.

Ironically, Three and Vodafone have today announced plans to merge https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-65842845 That'll be an interesting one as Vodafone and O2 have been sharing a lot of network infrastructure in the past few years in order to save costs.

My point was that the area is such that you can't (and shouldn't, either) get planning permission to stick a mobile mast right in the heart of the Broads.

Let's not get sidetracked.

The geography is quite complex, that's the problem. Elevation is a factor, too. Transmitters are designed to 'chuck' the signal a decent distance so they aren't pointing the signal right underneath them, though you should have decent coverage if near one. Vodafone always used to work for me at Brooms. It was quite noticeable when I changed networks as my wife was able to send me to-do lists when I was at the boat.... When I was on three, I didn't get reception until I came back up into the village. I'm not sure which was better.

Definitely. It's so variable all over the Broads that really you have to try it and see how you get on. A big (and good quality) aerial helps a lot, though, as does a half-decent router. The Huawei B535 seems popular with narrowboaters (where the whole boat is a signal blocker) and they'll often have an external aerial mounted on a small mast. You've also got ethernet ports so you can connect a TV or laptop etc to it without having the additional hassle of WiFi woes. The main issue with the Broads is that as it's a national park the mobile transmitters are only at the very edges and so sometimes you can be a really long way from one. Vodafone is generally what country-dwellers in Norfolk have but there are some dead spots (Neatishead in places there is nothing). Three has plenty of dead spots but where it works it works really well, and O2 is much the same. We had a router on Three and download speeds were excellent where there was signal.

Well... It's not actually wrong. I mean you pass the entrance to Ranworth Broad as you enter Malthouse. Also does the sign not just say 'Ranworth' ?

I remember switching from Three to Vodafone and then my phone started to work when I was at Brooms... That's five years ago now, but I don't think it has changed much having looked at Three's own coverage map. Red is good, would you believe. The patches of 'normal map' are dead spots. I used the postcode for Broom but you can see Brundall Bay on there and it's a bit mixed. With a router and a good (external) aerial, you'll fare better. But it's the aerial that makes all the difference.

The other bits have a collection of odd names

Is that the bit in the lower right, then?

It's known as either Surlingham Broad or Bargate, although technically I think Surlingham broad refers to the whole area that Bargate is part of. Lovely spot and so handy from Brundall. I do miss the southern rivers

Yeah that’s the one. I’m guessing they may have done some work on her.

This is it - They did use some real wood laminates in her construction and she needs a really good refurb. That doesn't seem to be something that Pacific are kitted out for. As an aside, when Summercraft sold their Diamond 35's a couple of years back, one had real wood veneer and had fared worse than the one with formica. They sold her for quite a bit less and actually ended up having to buy her back as I think the new owner didn't realise what they'd taken on.

It's a shame Breeze is going, the Bounty 27 is quite a good boat for two. Large shower room for the size of boat and quite a good bed too. Pacific Imperial should have probably been retired a while ago, though. I love an AF42 but the fitout on that one is horrible. I viewed her a couple of times as a potential hire, but really did not like her. I could have lived with the green gel coat if the interior was better, but it has not aged well at all. Really needs a Ricko's-style refit. The worst part is that some of the laminates are actually quite good quality (ie not formica) but they've suffered moisture damage to the surface and would need to be replaced. There's a reason fake wood facings are used on hire boats....

Indeed. Even by the BA's standards that is scraping the barrel. I bought a Sainsbury's meal deal the other day and thanks to that a man in London was able to achieve his dream of buying a Ferrari and a Private Jet. Go me! The granary has ditched the "80's teashop" vibe and everyone is saying how much better it is. That's why it's more succesful.

This is such an important thing. I see so many ex hirecraft around the Broads and people decide they don't like the colour scheme so they paint it . Of course this looks good for a few years and then it stops looking good and the boat needs painting again. And again. And often the original gel was perfectly acceptable and would have needed very minimal maintenance. Vinyl wraps aren't cheap but they cover well, give a good finish and can simply be stripped when it comes to resale time so that the boat hasn't lost value like it would if the original gel had been painted. Many people won't buy a boat that isn't in gel because you have to factor in the repaint every 5 years or so, and repaints can be really expensive for a good job.

And don't forget the 10% discount when you use the code 'NBN'. Brian Wards have been a forum supporter for many years and it's a really handy perk. But yes, they're really helpful people too.

It is indeed him, and yes they're very good tide times.