Cheesey69

When I got my blue light card it came via my office and then I had to install the app.

Stalham. On way to staith there was a Boatshed, now demolished leaving a hole in a row of willows. They hunt in the gap and along hedge.

Mine hits around 2 to 3 amps after ignition, just fan and pump.

Don’t fret

Getting pinged is advisory. Getting phoned by track and trace is a legal requirement to self isolate. if you get pinged I’d get hold of some test kits. Worth remembering that the app is easily fooled and can be made to ping and with an understanding company you can get yourself a wedge of days off very easily. So I don’t trust that ping but I do trust track and trace

Just my belief and I’ve been around computers since zx81 (for the oldies) is that anti virus programs are a sort of easy income for those that believe in the classic image of hackers sitting in darkened rooms trying to break into your computer. They really don’t. Viruses have to be invited in, usually via email and even then, defender won’t let any program open up a system file. Enable windows update. Use a mix of numbers and letters for wireless codes on your router or hub. Don’t leave the password as it comes. Don’t use any whole words or use date of birth. Your not that unique. Don’t use free wireless points. Use a credit card that covers any online purchases at any pay level (American express) use PayPal or Apple Pay. No one sees your details then. If you deal with an unfamiliar company, check it out. If they take PayPal your covered. Don’t open accounts remain as a guest. No details stored then open a new banking account just for online stuff and tap to pay use. Then if cloned it will only go so far and not hurt your main account. most online fraud is when hackers break into big businesses and that’s their problem never download anything from an email, insurance companies and the like will send you a link that requires a previous set password and or code.

Or don’t bother. Don’t open dodgy emails, use windows defender. paypal for online purchases or credit card.

You don’t just get air in the circuit. So unless you ran low you have an air leak. Do you mean the header tank on the engine or the hot water tank?

Just to add to the mix, the worlds got a lot smaller. The choices are greater. I always try to promote the Broads to my friends but you would be shocked to find out how little people know of the Broads. Lake district, new forest, the Brecon beacons, yup heard of them. The Broads? no. I vaguely heard of the Broads at Christmas thanks to the ads but if it was not for my mother in law moving down here, I doubt I would have visited. Even then, thanks to a mis-spent youth and sailing lessons, I was pre disposed towards the water and I took that fatal first step. I don't think I would have otherwise And if I was going to cast a critical eye over the holiday experience, I think it comes up short. My love of the water kept me coming back and spending and the three families I introduced to the area, only one is revisiting. Being hard core and hating modern conveniences like heating is fine, Battling to find a place near to where the family want to spend the night and failing is not. If the Broads was vastly over subscribed year on year then there is space for all types of hirers and small boatyards, I loved being able to choose my own start day for instance. I liked being able to choose the last minute "classic boat" hire. But its hard to run with the heard and numbers shout. Its a bit like recovery firms. Used to be a vast choice to and pick up your car or HGV. But the industry opted out of Tachograph hours, the working day became very long, costs cut and the race to the bottom has begun. Now when I ring up to get a car removed from the hard shoulder from a choice of 15, I now have 5 companies. You want little yards? then you have got to protect them. Stop granting planning permission for houses on old land, get those free moorings somewhere near where people need them. Get the Broads advertised, provide facilities like more yacht stations. Its worth remembering that in a free market the trend is always toward the bigger.

And you just can’t get that land back. for me, Horning, wroxham and Brundle might well not exist because as a private I just can’t moor there. Not much financially to the towns but hundreds like me adds up

An old theme but an important one. The lack of mooring and what I consider, the disappearing basics, water, fuel and pump outs at easy to access points. Wondered why the BA can’t run a sort of service station for boats. As to mooring, the loss of those smallest yards has really added to the problem and I don’t think it’s ever going to be solved

Our expectations in a boat went up. our first hire in the early nineties had wall mounted gas heaters. I think the cost of upgrading a fleet must have been a challenge. plus owning a boat is not the status icon that it used to be. The new car and better house have taken its place. New hirers we have introduced just never thought of hiring on the Broads, canals yes. Is the Broads as well known as other parks or the canal network? lastly I remember an ad in the 80s messing about on the water theme.

what a super post! instant conclusions formed with little or no research in this multi media age.

It’s the use that makes it worth it. I consider the boat itself an investment. For a price of a new car, I got an exhire boat ready to go. A programme of improvements can only make it worth more. yes the cost of moorings and toll tips it nearer 2 and half grand a year but divide that by how often you use it. Every time my shift pattern matches the wife’s we are down here. sometimes as a floating caravan to see Norfolk, others out on the water. At least half a year’s weekend worth of use plus 28 days annual leave. and then I took up fishing for a further use of the boat. So yes, we sunk our savings, my pension and sacrificed to various gods but I really think it’s worth it. But really worth it on an Autumnal morning

our sailor had one hidden under the wash basin, through a hatch in a right old dark corner, a blakes valve that needed a quarter turn. It was not obvious. But probably the one that sinks her the moment you don't close it.

with our dog, a greyhound, we found the on board invertor, and even one operated from the 12 volt, powered a 12inch fan bought from argos. Even with the engine off. Made us and the dog a lot cooler.

Trust me, once it becomes less new and you become more experienced then you may regret the basic approach. The occasional overnight stay, or the ability to go further, longer. just sayin’

No but it kills me

so we turned off the battery isolators, disconnected any power drains before the switch and measured any current flow across the terminals. its going to be measured in the milliamp range and mine was high. Disconnecting the alternator stopped it, a leaking diode. This is stray current corrosion and in pure salt water can do real damage but less so here. so make sure your 240 is isolated from the rest of your boat and keep your plug clean. an isolator can be a belt and braces approach.

well, I had a boat moored in the Medway. Lost the anodes, The prop shaft pitted like mad, and the bronze prop de zinced. Your trusting the marinas and your neighbours have not got any leakage from their 240 or 12 volt. Are the wire connections in the power post clean? if not stray milliamp voltage needs to find its way back. And the more salty the water, the conductive it is. Anti foul has nothing to do with it. you have metal swimming in a low grade battery. It forms a conductive bond with your engine and back to neutral.

I wondered where my boss had gone on holiday!

All hired boats have carbon monoxide alarms, so rest easy. Unless something is severely wrong its safe. But tip a nod to the noise and hot gas exhaust. The more modern ones have a thermostat so you wont boil alive unlike mine which is on full power all of the time. I consider the greater danger of other craft pumping carbon monoxide into my boat more to worry about as happened to me at Beccles when the boat next door ran its heating. The alarm went off.

what I love on so many levels is the slow maneuvering for the water tap spaces. How much fun that is when emerging from the tunnel to see a side of a craft bang in front. Or that little peek around the corner on the boatyard side to see if it is clear. Or me forgetting that the hooter on my boat is under the dash. Just watch the dog and mrs Cheese hit the roof when pressed.

sellotape instead of peel ply....genius

The take away here is apart from keeping your tanks clean is never run out of diesel.