Cal

Unless they have a valid objection, which in this case it appears they don't, then they are just moaning. But the planners will be used to that. They get it with every application!

There are always people moaning about planning applications regardless of where they are located. Unless the complaints are valid ones, which in this case they would seem not to be, then the planners will just glance over them and dismiss them.

We used Oasis. Delivered to the boat and it was excellent. Will definitely use them again next year when we are down.

That's the one we used and it was very good also.

We do a big beer shop before we pick the boat up so that we have enough to last us on the boat without having to buy from the local shops. Same with food. We know where there are decent butchers so we use those, then we only have to worry about fruit and veg and basics such as bread and milk which don't really cost that much even in the most expensive shops. If you are hiring from Richardsons again next year then there is a big Tesco store near the yard and a cracking butchers on the High Street. We had a decent curry delivered to the boat as well when we moored on Stalham Staithe. ETA: We do eat and drink out in the pubs as well. Don't want to sound like too much of a tight Yorkshire Lass!

Given the proximity of the park to Marina Quays, if it is open next year when we pass then we will definitely be stopping there instead of at the Yacht Station. Looks ideal for walking the dog.

The air draft will be fine for where we plan to keep it. Quoted air draft, which we will obviously check is 7'8". The lowest of the bridges we will need to negotiate is 8ft with most well over 9ft.

Thank you. We are used to the one person in the galley at a time with our current boat.

Has anybody hired or cruised one of the Herbert Woods Ray of Light class boats? There is one for sale that we could be interested in going to have a look at and we would welcome any thoughts on the layout, boats size, handling, etc. Thank you in advance.

I wish you all the very best with this venture. It will be nice to see this area brought back into use. It has been a depressing sight for far too long.

Didn't stop someone snapping it up very quickly. Think it was the first to sell in a matter of days.

Sounds like you had a brilliant holiday other than the incident at the end. Would you hire a dual steer boat again? I ask as we are hiring our first next year. Previously we have hired aft cockpit, single level forward steer bath tubs and centre cockpit cruisers. So have gone through most of the types. Our favourite so far was the Alphacraft 35 centre cockpit as the slightly raised helm gave much better views. Will hopefully be better again from the on the dual steer. We have booked Swan Ranger from Richardson's so a similar boat to what you had minus the rear bench seat on the upper helm.

Surlingham Ferry.

But then you are not comparing like for like! You claim that your 20 amp battery charger can fully charge in 3 hours what your alternator (55 amp) does in 7 which just can't be true! Battery chemistry just doesn't allow this to happen.

Looking out of the window it is glorious sunshine here in Lincoln this morning but even that has not tempted me to get out from under the duvet yet!

My memory may be deceiving me bit are the shallow and dangerous bits in the Chet not marked out with yellow stakes? If so then surely it is the helmsmans or woman's responsibility to avoid those areas. Yes obstructions should be removed but if they are clearly marked until the point they are removed then the BA have done their duty. At least the BA mark their obstructions!

We are sat on the boat in Lincoln city centre with the heating on. 10 degrees outside and due to drop a bit more yet. Looking forward to diving under the duvet tonight.

If your 20 amp battery charger is charging your batteries to full in 3 hours then there is something amiss somewhere. During the last stages of charging,the batteries can only accept a limited number of amps regardless of the source of those amps be them from the alternator or the battery charger. So they shouldn't be accepting them any quicker from the battery charger. What are you using to measure the SOC of the batteries? If it is a battery monitor then they are notorious for not being all that accurate during the charging process. A simple ammeter and voltmeter and the ability to read the data is a far more reliable method of determining when batteries have reached a full charge.

I tend to agree. Throwing lots of money and equipment at a small boat is a bit of a fools errand. Keep it simple.

They have sold quick! Shows just how popular these boats are. Now if you fancy selling on one of the Alphacraft Highliner 35's, let us have first dibs

They appear to be incorporating a couple of floating pontoons which will be useful for those entering the Broads from the coast. At present we always enter at Lowestoft as it is a long trudge up through the docks at Yarmouth with nowhere pleasant to moor but that does then mean that we have the faff (and expense) of entering at Mutford Lock. The last time we entered there they got us into the lock, insisted we tied up fore and aft, extracted our cash from us for the lock transit and then opened the gates onto the Broad for us to head to the yacht station to pay for our licence. Wasn't even worth tying up!

There are several sections of railway embankment adjacent the Fossdyke which are retained by gabion baskets into the water. They seem to be holding up just fine. But they do appear to have been constructed a little better then those on the New Cut have. Perhaps because of better land access to the sites. We also specify them a lot at work (civil engineer) for watercourse works with very few problems occuring and those that do tend to be due to poor construction of the gabions rather than the unsuitability of the proposals.

If you already have a heater installed why not just replace the heater unit. Presumably the ducting and wiring is still all in useable condition?

That must have been just before Sydney fell in We did pass each other many times during the first week.

No it is still very much open. Just had a refurbishment as well.