floydraser

Wow. Imagine planting something with a plan to use it in 200 years time! I guess they had no idea how quickly technology would be moving on.

Joking apart, I could see the appeal of a reproduction wherry on the Broads more than a repro Dutch barge or narrow boat. But on the subject of wood: I owned a 1936 MG SA which had an ash frame. Well it would have had at the start but it had rotted away by the time I rescued it. On researching the frame building process it seems that a lot of wood was actually wasted in that a lot was carved away to achieve a certain shape. Would it be the same for boat building and would it an acceptable use of wood these days?

Nah, big ol' Bolinder single. Thump, thump, thump, thump........

We could always make one in fibreglass? Ok, ok, I'm going....

Brilliant. So just as the Wymondham gets finished, this lot starts. Is it too obvious to think that whoever planned the Wymondham bypass work would have known, or should have asked about, the Thickthorn job? Is there a reason they couldn't have been done at the same time? Shortage of JCB's??

How exciting was it for you as a youngster, when one of these coasters came by? Nick Eastwood told me of the surge which came before the boat.

It is truly amazing how the planets sometimes line up: I had a bit of a double take at 48 secnds when I thought I saw my boat under it's cover. Impossible of course. Then I did see one, a Santa Caterina undergoing repairs later on. There is reference to Keswick Watermill which prompted me to look to see if it was still in use. No, but I found this video which shows the mill in 2016 when it was up for sale. At the end, the presenter introduces himself as Peter Hornor. This is the son of the first owner of my boat who I am currently emailing with a view to meeting up!

Thanks again for these walking guides. I made enquires a while ago about opening up old railway lines for walking and cycling around here. The reply from the council said they could see the potential but added that through the mists of time most of the land had been sold to local farmers and was now private. Not sure how they've done it in other areas.

Sorry everyone, it seems my sense of humour is misplaced. I'll stay away.

Yes but Oulton Broad is a Norfolk Broad that happens to be in Suffolk. I'm sure there must be a European Directive on this. You can have Cheddar chees, Melton Mowbray pork pies and in Lowestoft there's probably a Pecking duck, but Broads are Norfolk. Must be, otherwise we in Leicestershire would have pinched them; we've had Richard lll and Space so if the Broads aren't nailed down we'll have them too!

Can there be such a thing as a Su**olk Broad??

Well after the worst day on Wednesday, Friday turned out to be one of the best. Mr Nick Eastwood came aboard the Denham Owl to have a look around and remember his Father's old business. The first thing I notice with Nick is his obvious passion for boats, sailing, the Broads and his family's history within it all. We had a couple of hours chatting and I learned a lot about the boat and the history of the Eastwood family in the Broads. I now know that there is no chance of finding any of the original drawings for my boat as they have all been lost as the business changed hands. I'm pleased to report that Nick was kind enough not to make comment on my woodworking efforts, and I think it was brave of me to allow him to see them! I never realised that the original owner, Sam Hornor was a long time personal friend of Len Eastwood and in days gone by, the families were very close. I am going to try and reconnect Nick to Sam's son Peter and there may even be a reunion aboard the Owl!

I don't keep any, just chuck it into a large hole in the Yare.

OK, I get that, but googling "boat hook" and they all seem to be a general shape with a hook and a pointy bit sticking forward. What's the pointy bit for? What I'm getting at is: could the boat hook be redesigned to be more fit for inland cruising. So a hook's a good idea but could the outer part be more gelcoat friendly for pushing?

Is there anywhere on the Broads where a cruiser would need to pick up a mooring?

This video includes a bit where I change the diesel filter as advised on the forum - thanks again. The potential sale goes on as Ernie seems to have forgotten my numbers. I hate selling large items like cars etc. Even as I type this I have a very stroppy bloke on Messenger being a pia. Just accused me of hiding something because I won't drop everything and take him out on a trial run? Do I come accross as dishonest?

There you go then, put the mop on the end of the boat hook. Sorted.

It seems that using a boat hook to fend off is a natural reaction to a situation to those who are inexperienced and know no better. If I hadn't read about the upset it causes on here I wouldn't have known, and probably a hirer wouldn't either. I would be careful who you shout at in real life; in anecdotes we all come off best, in real life the person you shout at could have the rest of the rugby team below decks! I remember suggesting fitting something like a rubber ball over the other end of a boat hook, or something designed for the purpose of fending off without causing damage.

This is for you if you buy or sell anything on Facebook Marketplace: As you may know I have the Denham Owl on there at the moment and the responses have so far been good. Last night I got a reply through Messenger from "Steven" : Hello, Are you interested in an exchange? I also offer you a difference of money, this is my ad, please check and let me know: http://marketplace--------------.com Thanks! I touched the link but luckily my phone isn't signed in to FB so it didn't work. I messaged "Steven" thanking him for his interest and said I would look later. We were watching The Repair Shop! About 10 minutes later I got another reply from "Gary", exactly the same: same text, same link. Oops. About an hour later same again from "James". I checked the link on the laptop, it doesn't exist and a warning came up so I guess it's already been reported and taken down. Very convincing though. I checked the three profiles and they are genuine, so someone has worked out how to hijack a profile to send messages. I reported all three messages.

The BSS has a habit of surprising you. Some things which were acceptable years ago are no longer deemed safe, but if they were fitted that way they pass. If you then change something, the new rules apply. So what we tell you could be out of date! There's a webpage somewhere with the latest guidelines which would be your best resource. My three batteires are in a wooden box with a clamp down lid. Kill switches are just outside the box and there is a notice saying where the kill switches are. Logic says batteries should be able to withstand a bit of impact and should have secure wiring but worth checking for any mention of leakage protection.

I've just nipped the 142 miles over to Brundall to put some varnish on, then nipped back. So this picture is out of date already: The bit of hardwood in the top of the hole is just poked in to get a rough idea of size, the finished version fits a lot better. So two of the cleat screws were in solid wood (at the bottom) and the other two were relying on just the strength in the planking. Oh, and the sponge filler of course. I had already relaid the planks and finished this cleat mounting before today but I just wanted to get some varnish on the bare wood before the weather got more damp. There was another reason to go today, to do with the sale. I decided to get my finger out and get it advertised after seeing the thread about hire boats going onto the market at the end of the season. I've given Facebook Marketplace a try first of all, mainly because searches are related to location and I can specify where the boat is. Within hours the first enquiry was from Boatshed offering to sell it for me. Thanks. Next was someone who wants a trendy liveaboard, firing off questions to which the answers are in the advert. Couldn't see the videos because "the link doesn't work". It's not a link, it's an address and if you can't work out how to put it into youtube and find the videos, how are you going to restore a boat? The ad has had 1,471 views and just the one idiot so far. Then the good news: someone who works with Nick Eastwood saw the ad and asked him about the boat. Nick has been in touch and wants to come over and have a look around. He says he can remember his Dad building these! He's not going to buy it but who better to get an assesment from??? It didn't happen today but it will in due course....

I would say that if you're not sure, presume you can't. People pay a lot of money to moor in a marina and don't always take kindly to sharing the facilities with casual visitors. Casual visitors may include hire boats and it would be hard to descriminate. Best phone ahead and ask.

Best contact Richardsons direct for a potentially better deal. Boatshed take 6% + VAT if they sell your boat. I know, I bit the bullet and listed mine on FB Marketplace and the first enquiry was from Boatshed!

After all the time I've spent trying to stop rain piddling in through the decks of the Denham Owl, are you telling me it's all part of boating on the Broads??

Thanks for this thread. I'd better get my finger out and get mine properly on the market.