Cheesey69

So Saturday afternoon we arrive at the boat as a sort of pre-holiday warm up. You know that boat smell? Ours is a kind of distant engine, background diesel and locked up tent kind of smell. This time I could smell, well wet kind of smell. As we enter straight in the bedroom there is a small gap along side the port end of the bed that is really too small to walk but makes an ideal place to store odds and ends, tools and in my case, work cloths. Under the window there was a small puddle of yellowish water. First thought, leaking window or leaking holding tank. Copious amounts of blue roll later and the leak grows visibly while we watch. OK leaking water pipe? Nope, the pump is not running. The only thing I had really to mop this mess up was a big syringe that puts oil into gearboxes. With the help of Mrs Cheese, I removed 4 gallons of water that was actively running in as I sucked it up. Needing more investigation, I left the better half battling on, and I went to the engine hatch on the stern. Now I own a Bermuda 35, a flattie which has an engine room in the back in its own section with a drain to the prop tunnel which is home to the bilge pump. A thing about this design is that rain water drips its way around the engine room hatch into the engine room floor and eventually, drains into the lower bilge. As a bonus, the front well also drains rain into the prop tunnel and from here, auto bilge pump does its thing. Upon opening the hatch, I saw at least 2 inches of water covering the floor and due to full tanks on the port side of the boat the water had sloshed, when added to our weight, to lap against the bulkhead and found its way in to the cabin. This was my first mistake as I, due to my blue water sailing experience and fear, I leaped to the conclusion that my duel raw water intakes or through hulls had leaked or split letting in the river Ant. I called out to the Enemy to show her and with great intelligence, she got in touch with Mr P Richardson who offered the boatyards pumps but first of all, Have I checked the bilge pump? Nope, the pump was not running but why would it? The trouble was in the back. As She Who Must Be Obeyed started making arrangements with Paul (yard boss) I lifted the mattress and bed bottom more to see if the water was under the bed which it wasn't. While I was there, I decided to lift the hatch that covers the prop tunnel and the lower bilges. It was full up, the water was that deep. Realization began to dawn on me as I made my way to the bilge switch. We will pause here to describe this bilge switch. Its a push/pull switch, either off or on with about 5 mm movement. It sits on the right hand of the helm with its twin the water pump switch. Up is on. It was off. As soon as I turned it on water started to exit, and it did for the next 15 minutes. The flood waters receded, the engine room drained and the bedroom was saved. My mistake? I assumed that the leak was in the engine room. I assumed that the bilge pump was on. The last time I used the boat in anger was at least 8 weeks ago and I’m guessing its rained a lot since then and its not beyond imagination that I accidentally turned off the pump. The boat had filled from the front, then flooded the engine room and then onto the cabin. Lessons. This boat needs to handle rain water 24/7. Not a problem on shore power but its tendency is to fill. So its fail-safe state is fail, its built in. The switch needs “safeing” Now its unable to be turned off accidentally by a bright yellow cable tie around its stem. Will be changed to an on/auto switch. Note, no off. High water alarm will be fitted. Another bilge pump with pipe to hand to be available in emergency with jump leads to battery. Better means of mopping up water. Bailing scoop? Big thank you to Richardson's.

I remember in the early eighties at Christmas the advert with the music “messing around on the water” advertising The Broads. The only time I can remember the Broads selling itself. As has been said, I work on the Essex borders and hardly anyone has heard of the Broads

Looking at things objectively, I’m afraid the shore side facilities are surely lacking. Pay great sums of cash in order to cruise for four hours and moor no where you want to be. That’s the biggest complaint i heard on the heading last year. If you know what’s what no problem but for first timers, no so

When I had a sail boat on the Medway, I considered 12.1 as flat. These were two 110 amp deep cycle batteries They recovered well because of victron smart charger I had installed

Time. At four or five mph you seem like you’re crawling. We are used to speeds up to 70 plus. 2 and half hours to go 9 miles in this age? It’s only when you look sideways you appreciate 4 mph is quite a jog. Now a helmsman who don’t spend a lot of time at that speed will get that feeling that they are making no progress towards their destination especially if they’re getting worried about mooring. just look at and hear, the flat out engines of boats coming back towards Acle from Great Yarmouth. Me? I’m in no rush, I’ve seen it, I don’t like the engine stress and I don’t want to pay for the extra diesel and to top it all, my boat don’t create a lot of wash. But down south with wide rivers, tides and long pulls, private and hirers alike seem to lose it. Some of the worse incidents of wash I’ve seen is been at somerlayton and herringfleet (spelling) by coming very close and it was one of those sea going palaces with twin engines. So to me, Time or the inability to adjust to it, causes the speeding

The moor by four brigade.

Just be more creative with mooring solutions. As been said, find a way. As an owner, I’m down twice a month but nothing from Horning towards Wroxham gets my pound because I just can’t stop and moor. Stalham gets my dosh and everywhere down south. I maybe a lone voice but I bet I’m not the only one. soon these people will just rule over an empire of dirt because in these tight times why would you spend your hard earned on this place when you feel as welcome as a fart in a spacesuit?

£220,000 in wages four one cutting crew, yup just one not including machinery. we have four crews. It's just part of my duties through out the year, In winter I could be snow ploughing. This year the growth has been spectacular and here is the but, easy to cut back sending us out if other maintenance tasks have been put off and now need doing

One problem in providing liveaboard spaces and places, it would fill up. Then how can you say no to more? How would you encourage people to move on? Force them?

For me, it’s the stern on aspect for the BBQs. Instead of being mid boat length away from each other, they was mid stern distance. They was not one use but on stands. I guess the point is “is it anti social “to have that many going at once? how can I moan at someone’s engine running for hours on end if it’s running the same time as I’m inflicting my cooking on my neighbours? is loud music worse than bellows of smoke when first lit?

So, after returning from the south via Stracey's Mill, we decided to spend a night up Wroxham way. Salhouse Broad was the target mainly due to our stay in May. Pleased to see the bank by the little hut empty, we decided to stern moor there. All fine as the heading started to fill, Two families together in separate boats moored on our port, a two boat gap on our starboard. Two big party boats arrived, full of blokes and beer, moored further along, nearest to the hire point. A small party erupted but in no way too loud. That was reserved for the campsite boom box that drifted dub step music to sleep by. We watched in horror as another big boat full of blokes entered at full speed and targeted the gap to my right and proceeded to demonstrate a handbrake turn to stern moor. Totally missed the gap and hit my boat hard on the bow while those on the back burst out laughing. I launched counter measures and they disappeared back to Horning. Then as the gloom gathered, another hire with a perfect touch, moored in the gap. All at peace. Until my smoke alarm went off. After much blowing on the thing I went exploring. Five, yes Five, BBQs lit behind each boat. Looked like a bombing run. Strange how that is not thought of as anti social. Now dark, distant music and the murmur of the boys down the end, now to bed. Until that is someone decided to walk over my boat! Once again to arms, I rushed out to be greeted by the lady on the next boat. "Drunk woman from the campsite walking on the boats." she said. So i doubled check the moor lines and chucked out the mud weight. Conclusions? I'd try to moor over the far side away from the main paths and campsite. Also i'd think about mooring on the island on the main drag.

"Not mine mate, sold it ages ago to someone"

what is missing is fear of the prison itself. Borstal young offenders were terrified of the open bullying (see film Scum), Adult prisoners went into General population before being sorted into category prisons. Your offence was judged by your fellow inmates and yes, the screws would turn a blind eye. There is more, things like the canteen where, back in the day, you could only spend what you earned, now you get a card that can be charged with cash to spend. So if you got those on the outside with money your on. Very low paid screws leaves them open for bribes you can even ware your own clothes, long gone are the days of allocation, making socks last! I haven't got an answer because the actual punishment is restriction of liberty, not anything else and I grow up with ex-cons that used to tell tales of nightmare beatings and very rough justice that kept the more "weird" crimes in order and it never was a solution but just one aspect.

Any chance of more pontoon moorings? I could imagine them in a few strategic places if only for the summer

Then answers need to be found, maybe even pontoons, who knows? But does anyone keep a record of moorings lost versus moorings gained over the years.

Nope they close at night😀

Yes that’s the one. Is it near the 24hour mooring?

Hi, just heard on the radio (greatest hits) that anchors and Batteries were stolen from boats moored in Hadley dyke wherever that is. Anyone got any more information? ps forgive dodgy place spelling

This is my solution and I entirely agree with you. To me, this is the simplest solution. When on shore power, my Victron charger tops up all my 12volt batteries (including starter). From the invertor I run a select set of sockets which is mainly the tv. For more power hungry stuff I only run on shore power with their own dedicated sockets live only when on shore power. The rest just runs on 12v topped up from the charger or the engines

I think it’s more it’s on the Ant. A narrow winding river and in places hard to manoeuvre.

loved it down there, also I like what they have done to the bogs in how you pay

The usual, hot water and not enough knowledge of the battery situation. Still a lack of display on how long the battery will last even though there are displays which tell you this available for under a 100 quid.

Might explain the drift away from the idea and branding of hiring.

Strangely, we struggled last year for diesel because it was a weekend, The WRC had stopped selling, Fairchild had mechanical problems. Hippersons came to the rescue but wasn’t cheap and as said phone first and opened at 10am.

First stop for many newbie’s