MaceSwinger

I agree entirely. It doesn't seem any narrower and even if it had lost a bit of width or depth, does it really matter? There are plenty of other areas that would benefit from the money it would cost to dredge that channel The problem with tolls for many appears to be the same as the problem most areas see with council tax. I don't think many people in their heart of hearts would say that there should be no tolls, however I do think many people question where the money goes. Dredging is visible, as are new and upgraded moorings, but there are many (including the cynic in me if I'm honest) that would question how much money gets frittered away on vanity projects and activities that don't benefit the people paying tolls. As an example, if I was an owner paying a toll I'd be rather cheesed off with the BA wasting money on putting a SUP and kayak launch point at Hoveton Riverside Park, as is currently being looked at. Yes, all watercraft pay a toll, but the amount paid by small unpowered craft is miniscule. Not to mention that having SUPs and kayaks buggering about on the approach to busy moorings and a bleeding bridge is a recipe for disaster; they're bad enough around WRC down south. Cards on the table, frankly the majority I encountered last summer were a bloody menace. The biggest problem I see is that very few people really trust the BA any more. And don't get me started on the matter of hire boats causing the trouble so they should pay, as was suggested on the other thread about tolls etc. I really do think that some private owners are happy just to have a pop at hirers for anything they can find, and it really does boil my blood. Without those hirers do people really think that services we currently enjoy would still be there? Hirers are not perfect. Neither are private owners. One day I hope to own a boat, but if I ever developed the attitude a great many owners have I'd think seriously about why I'd bought the boat in the first place. Finally, rangers: I'd love to see a few more. Maybe around that lovely, and expensive looking, boathouse they built at Irstead? Seems there's never a ranger around when someone's being irresponsible.

My first solo trip back in 2015 was on Brinks Sonata, over Easter. It was cold and fairly wet at times, but that canopy still came down first thing every morning!

Eyesore absolutely, but I'd rather see it left at Cantley for the season (the mill may be an iconic view, but it's hardly picture-postcard) that at Reedham!

I remember ripping through £300 in one night when I was in Cyrpus, and that was pre-euro when it was dirt cheap out there

What's amusing is when I was younger I'd have thought nothing of dropping £80 on a night on the lash, but now I'm looking at it thinking "why would I spend that on beer?!"

Not all heroes wear capes

I didn't bother with mine last year until a couple of days before I travelled to Brundall. I wasn't about to buy a license for 12 months when it was up last Spring when I wasn't sure when I'd be able to make use of it again! I'll also never get my head around why the BA charges tolls the way it does. Seems odd to me that I could buy a boat now, pay hundreds on a toll, and that I then need to pay out again in a couple of months. Hardly seems fair, but then I'm not surprised.

Very early on, around last April, I remember reading a study that had found a link between smoking and an increased resistance to COVID. Seems smoking destroyed a certain receptor that the coronavirus uses to attack. I'm not sure on the validity of it now, but there was certainly a degree of ironic humour to it.

Seems a wooden dayboat, 1857Y "Woodpecker" has been nicked from Goodchild's basin at Burgh Castle. It's since been recovered, but only just reported on. Further details in link: Boat stolen - GYM Link

@Bygoneboozerswonderful site Stewart. Best get started on Loughborough, we're really racking up closed boozers, usually for more student flats ironically! I particularly enjoyed reading about the old Brit in Kegworth...it shows how much attention I pay as I head through Kegworth (even my tattooist is over there!) because I hadn't even realised it had closed!

Class of 3 overall it looks like, with the current number 1 (built 2 years before the other 2) for sale.

I see Fair Ambassador in that link too, she's actually up for sale now.

You're absolutely right of course. It's easy to forget that many people like cruising a few hours and spending time off the boat and so aren't so bothered about bridges and the like. I look at boats based on my needs. I cruise minimum 5 hours a day usually, and I like to be able to get most places. I'm not bothered about the height of luxury and loads of room. One of my favourite boats was Brinks Sonata, a Sumatra 755 with the berth under the rear deck. It was a tiny little thing but everything felt like a right adventure on that

The description: "Adaptability to a T!" Also the description: "Bridge restrictions apply." Ugly, ugly boat. Every time I see something new from Ferry Marina, or Len Funnel, I become more adamant that I'll never hire from them. What was wrong with the old Aquafibres and Alphas? Or even the old bathtubs?!

It's not on my route at all driving from Leicestershire...but last year I planned my route to Brundall specifically to take in Eye Green and Sutton Bridge. Added around 20 minutes on but it's worth it.

Sutton Bridge is a popular one, although I don't tend to go that way. I only ever took that route when I was driving to the Broads the 3 years I spent up north. The McDonalds at Eye Green lets me know I'm about half way there.

Never given masses of thought to where or what boats, but I suppose North would be my choice, probably South Walsham area. What I've given more thought to is that I'd never want to get so big that proper maintenance suffered, and customer service would always be top priority. When a certain yard had my wife in tears last year it pressed the point that a yard can have a brilliant reputation for clean, well maintained boats and still be staffed by utterly rude people who couldn't give a tinker's cuss about their customers.

Flood Barrier - GYM article Apologies if this has been shared already, but I couldn't see it anywhere. It makes mention of the BFI, which we saw a thread about the other day.

That's absolutely fantastic

Oh no, the tide tables I had were right. I used one of the ones that work it out for the dates given, based on actual tide times in the run up, rather than rely on one of the annual ones of the like found on HW's website. The miscalculation was mine entirely, I left Oulton too early. I have my faults, but I can admit when I've flamingoed it up Certainly on our week last year it was tide times that dictated when we crossed Breydon. Hence the mad dash from Loddon to St Benets (via Oulton Broad) only the day after picking up at Brundall. Anything less than a week and I doubt I'd look to cross Breydon at all.

It's that kraken you need to watch out for... In all seriousness I did get my timings a bit wrong heading south to north last year (albeit on a mammoth cruise from Loddon to St Benets), so I ended up punching the last of the ebb going through GY. But even in the gutless little hire boat I had I still made it through ok.

I do think a lot of the fear of Breydon comes from social media. Every time I see someone asking about crossing on one of the many Facebook groups you know it's only a matter of time before someone comes along to and puts the fear of God into the person asking the question. I've never seen the problem myself. Get the timings roughly right and stay in the marked channel, it's not hard is it? I'm sure some of those who bang on about how it's a serious and dangerous undertaking do so only to inflate their own ego. Either that or it's just to keep the south quieter

Not wising to hijack the thread, but I was surprised last summer at how quiet it was down south. But then when you speak to other people on moorings up north, they all seem so scared by Breydon, and that's a sentiment that's echoed on the numerous Facebook groups. The way people ask about crossing Breydon, and some of the dreadful responses they get from "experienced" boaters, you'd think crossing Breydon was akin to crossing the Atlantic on a paddleboard. It's a shame that with all the work that's gone in to the area that it's being scuppered, at least in part, by people who seem to want to make crossing BW appear dangerous and only to be attempted by those 'in the know'.

It would appear, from the photos I've just seen posted on Facebook, that she really is gone. There was a picture of her passing through an open Breydon Bridge at what looked like just after sunset.

I thought it safer not to. At the end of the day, they're only my observations, but one of them is the only yard whose customers I've seen jettisoning bags of crap (and their mop and bucket for some reason) into the water at Gaye's before turning round and hitting full throttle on their way out.