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kpnut
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Days Won
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Posts posted by kpnut
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The photo of the new cupboards in the galley look like they’re in a house, rather than a boat. Very smart indeed!
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Many thanks from me too. I’m going over Breydon later this week, so all your detailed observations etc have been very useful.
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1 hour ago, YnysMon said:
Hope the weather will be kind to us. I have a hankering to do the things that we can't do when the dogs are with us - like mud-weighting.
Go for it Helen.
There’s also the boardwalks at Barton and Ranworth that you can’t take dogs on. And if you’re moored up at home base and fancy a trip out in the car one evening, the NWT reserve at Hickling is open 24 hours (not the shop obviously).-
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31 minutes ago, garryn said:
Surprise surprise you ended up on the taxi rank
I was going to ask how you always seem to manage that?😂
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MM, I’m sorry if I have caused offence with my post. I did say I don’t often comment as I agree with what you say that we don’t know peoples circumstances and I’d rather see folk with a roof over their head than on a street.
I do stand by my comments though, about building structures and cluttering the bank with junk. Of course, continuous cruisers will moor up on wild moorings, but moving on and around to give everyone fair shares is just courtesy.
I just wish the BA/councils would recognise the problem better and provide adequate facilities which I’m sure would be appreciated by the vast majority. It is certainly becoming an ever more obvious and pressing situation on the river Ant.
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7 hours ago, Graham47 said:
There is a new webcam now which views upstream from Wroxham Bridge to the B A 24 hr moorings.
Is it possible to post a link? I’ve hunted on the internet but can’t find it.
It always useful to know space availability when cruising nearby, not that it’s relevant at the moment with the bridge virtually unpassable. -
4 hours ago, MargeandParge said:
We never answer the phone unless we know the number. Mobile or land line. If we need to know they will leave us a message and we will reply otherwise we don't need to know
That's exactly what I say to Tony. Just don't answer. I then look up the number on the reverse number look up website, and 9 times out of 10 its been previously reported as a scam/cold call. I then block the number.
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2 hours ago, catcouk said:
Lastly, the land on the Yare/Waveney island is very flat. Took this photo of Berney Arms mill from the Haddiscoe New Cut.
The Chedgrave marsh island just about reaches 1m above sea level according to the OS map.
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I don’t often get involved with discussion about ‘liveaboard’ boats, as I have a hankering to be one myself and I fully realise there are so many issues, both financial, practical and psychological surrounding the issue.
But today I went up the Ant and to Sutton staithe. And felt cross.
The Ant now has either 8 or 9 wild moorings taken up with boats that seem to go nowhere. (As a comparison, I think it was about 3 last summer season).In fact, there are now various structures built on the banks. I have a feeling quite a number of the boats are owned by just one person, but might be wrong.
In my book, taking up space like that and making it your home, building things, leaving junk on the bank etc is not on at all.
So that’s that number of moorings fewer for everyone else. I realise they are not BA moorings, so not part of our tolls, but it really does no good to the general feel of the area, especially for holidaymakers whom we all want to return to the benefit of the future of the Broads.I don’t know the answer other than to
1. provide proper facilities for those who would actually prefer it
2. enforce the legislation - tolls, insurance, BSS- have it - you can stay but please move around to give everyone a chance to use the environs, - don’t have it - you can’t keep a boat on the Broads. But then what can the BA do to enforce people who refuse to abide by the rules?
Then on the way up to Sutton staithe, there’s a group of three more on the right and one on the left as the moorings start, none of which have moved for ages. I fully agree with Gracie that Sutton staithe is just not inviting at all. I hate going up there and if weren’t for a good boatyard with fair prices at the top I’d never venture up.
I also visited Thorpe green in February and thought it was extremely uninviting.
It makes me feel very sad.-
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I left Irstead in the manner of Grendel’s rope idea on the bow. Yep, I can do that when I need to.
And the bow thruster idea, I’ll try that next week. Just for the fun of it.
I filled with fuel at Sutton staithe, then hoped to get through Wayford Bridge for a night up at Dilham. What was I thinking? 6’2” on the board at more or less low tide. Oh well, I moored at the bridge for breakfast before pottering down to Stalham.I’ve found a very good use of those weird mirrored windows at Hunsett Mill. I was able to look through the dead reed and leafless trees to the house and saw a boat coming towards me, their reflection in the mirror. I couldn’t see the boat for another minute as I came round the corner. So it’s a pre warning system😂
This was taken after the boat had passed me.
The property is nearly marooned with flooded fields all round. They have a new water feature. The pumping station pump plus a pump draining the fields were going full pelt. I wonder how many gallons an hour that is.
And in the space of less than 5 minutes on my way back down to the junction, I saw two herons, one kingfisher and one otter. Not a bad haul.
I went round to Kingfisher quay to avail of the excellent pump out service, filling with water while waiting as the flow is faster than my hose reel. The main reception quay at Richardsons does give a nice holiday vibe in the sunshine.
And moored up on my home mooring; the end of an eagerly awaited trip. Finlay was straight into the car and has been snoozing in there all afternoon. He’ll have to be back in the boat soon for his tea!
It’s certainly blowing up a good breeze again now, no let up yet!
Back next week with Tony for a southern trip. Making up for lost time.
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I know Mouldy. I’m only thinking as far as the rest of the day!
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At last the pressure seems to be rising.
The marker dial is set at the lowest low it got to during storm Babet or the one that followed a few days later.
And the sun is shining this morning; hopefully set for a nice day.
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Springer’s Retreat does have a bow thruster but I can’t remember ever using it when leaving a mooring.
The main thing I use it for is kicking the bow back in if it drifts out while I’m mooring up so I can get off.And when turning to get into my tight little mooring space.
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There’s a very nice azalea at the secret garden - a yellow one, azalea luteum. It has a gorgeous scent.
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What an adventuresome day. One you won’t forget in a hurry.
Somerleyton is a very pretty village but maybe a bit far for you distance wise.
I love your littl’un’s cheerful coat. And his icecream.The thought of all you boats on the New Cut crabbing sideways down the channel made me chuckle.
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31 minutes ago, Roy said:
Hi Kate I’d say our gardens are about 1month a head hear in Norfolk in February I had snowdrops and a forsythia and rhododendrons out all at once in a garden I work in very strange to see these together flowering it’s the warmer damp weather.
Roy
I was surprised to see a couple of rhododendrons flowering in that colourful garden of the house next to the How Hill property. I had taken a purposeful look out as it’s my signal to go and visit the Secret Garden. Toward the end of my next trip it’ll be at its best I reckon.
Superb growing weather at the moment. With having more time at home while I couldn’t use the boat, I managed to get ahead on the allotment. Reckoning it was going to be a fairly frost free spring I’ve started stuff I would normally have waited for till April.
Now I’ve gone and done it. My potatoes will come up and you watch, we’ll have a bad frost!!
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14 minutes ago, grendel said:
the outboard cleat, the one further away from the quay heading ie the one you would use for a spring line- gives you a better angle on the post, so the middle cleat gives you a halfway house solution, the rope is just there to limit your sliding along the quay.
in your circumstances I would just bring the end of the line after it goes round the post to the side window, it doesnt need to be fastened, you can just hold it.
Great idea, thanks.
I’m going to practice this in the morning when I leave Irstead. -
4 hours ago, kpnut said:
Now wondering whether to just sit and snooze or get togged up for the blustery showers that keep passing over and take Finlay out. I expect the latter will win eventually.
Well, of course, the walk in the rain won. I wandered off along various lanes and across field paths, ending up by the fudge lady, who didn’t get my custom this trip. I love her grainy coffee fudge, proper homemade texture, but I eat far too much of it considering it’s virtually sugar and butter.
We stopped at the Neatishead moorings as it’s nye on impossible to resist. It was more or less full, early afternoon.
And then the pull of the pub was too much for my lack of willpower. I had the Humpty Dumpty Swallowtail which was a bit ‘over bitter’ for my taste.
We left in steady rain and after walking as far as the New Victory Hall I decided that the splits in my wellies would let too much water in now that the road was more puddled, and the field grass would be soggier, so I retraced my steps, still managing to resist the fudge, and went towards Gay’s staithe, which was very quiet.
That thatched roof they’ve been working on for ages has its ridge finished now.
And for interest, I took pictures of various wildflowers on the way back.
primroses
English bluebells
Just before the right angled bend after walking past the Barton Broad boardwalk entrance, there’s a wood that’ll be a riot of bluebell colour very soon. Finlay spotted two muntjacs in there too, but they saw us and ran off before I could snap them.
Cow parsley, which is just beginning to flower, quite early I think. That means the carrot fly will be about early this year then as after the cow parsley finishes flowering, the flies move from them onto carrot ground to lay their eggs.
Honesty
Forget-me-nots
and some flowerpots. I’ve had one of these on the boat for a couple of years now and it’s still as good as new. I keep a spider plant in it.
As I reached the staithe, I waved to Robin on Trixie as he went past. But I don’t think he either saw me or recognised me. I did get a photo for him though.
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1 hour ago, grendel said:
usually loop a line around a post and back to the boat from the front outboard cleat round and back to the cockpit, then i turn toward the quay heading and engage forward on tickover,
Am I presuming in that case you never have to try to come out forwards? So my query earlier would not be necessary.
I never have done so yet, but do occasionally have to be quite cross with the stern before it’ll go out when I’m pulling the bow round from the bank, pushing it away a number of times before I succeed. And that can mean I’m further down the bank than I’d ideally be. Maybe I’m not patient enough. I’d be hesitant to have the boat in gear while not on it. Visions of me losing it and it ploughing on wherever it goes, like a tractor I was driving once did, straight through a hedge!!!!I’m not sure where the front outboard cleat is, would that be one quite near the edge, halfway up the bow?
I only have one cleat, in the middle of the bow and one at either stern corner, none centrally.
So would looping round a post and back on to the centre of the bow work as effectively as me pulling the bow round from the quay?What I do often forget to do is turn the wheel towards the quay, so probably I’m working against myself some of the time. Thanks for that reminder.
Next time I’m on my own on a mooring somewhere I’m going to try doing what you say. Be on board with rope looped round post, in forward tickover, with wheel turned backwards, having pushed the back out before I get onboard. I’ll just have to be quick gathering the rope in and back to the helm as I move off! But then I currently have to hop on and get to the helm pretty sharpish anyway.
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Oh that’s such a shame. I hope they’re all ok and the kids aren’t upset with it all, and worrying about their belongings as kids do. It will have been one of the boats I passed between Ludham Bridge and from where they set off from at Irstead. They looked pretty secure and making good ground.
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1 hour ago, Mouldy said:
I wonder how long it will be before the river levels return to what they were last summer?
I might have some news on that (very tongue in cheek)
Not sure if I’ve quoted this before -
‘If the ash is out before the oak, we’ll be in for a soak, but if the oak is out before the ash, we’ll only get a splash’.
So looking at the photos below, it’ll be a dry summer. (Believe me if you will😂).
Doesn’t seem to take into account anything to do with winds, tides, Herring bridge or other such factors though.
In that photo of the oak coming into leaf, it shows the oak flowers too. Not sure I’ve ever seen them before.
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51 minutes ago, Mouldy said:
Sorry about the thread drift Kate!
That’s fine Malcolm, all useful information!
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I had said I’d help the couple (not spring chickens) on the other boat to leave this morning as they were very nervous, especially about the wind. When I spoke to them at breakfast they were waiting for HPC staff to collect them as the helmsman had hurt his back stooping down to drive. I must say the seat is very high up and the vertical wheel is very low down. He thinks that’s why his back was painful.
In due course, the lads turned up, one casting off and taking the car back to the yard with the other taking the boat back.I then started pondering the best way to leave the mooring myself. Being the only one left, it wouldn’t much matter what I did as it’d only be my boat I knocked, but I was mindful that usually I’d be sandwiched inbetween other boats, so ought to practice getting off with the tide rising towards me and a LOT of wind (forecast was showing 40mph) pinning me to the bank, so I presumed that combination would mean the stern wouldn’t want to go out very readily.
After a bit of thinking and finding an old thread on here, I decided to see firstly if the back would go out as per normal. Normally as the back goes out, I just walk the bow down the mooring a bit and once it’s out at a good angle, I hop on and continue reversing out.
And surprisingly, that’s exactly what did happen. I’ve had times before when the stern just won’t leave the bank without fuss.Once I was well across the river, I did have to turn the bow into the flow of the tide as that’s what it wanted to do. Then I just needed to turn to go down downstream.
But if it hadn’t have worked out, I’m still a bit puzzled as to what I would do.
Would I just let the stern off with it going nowhere, then let the bow off, needing to hop on the boat of course, and wait for it to catch the flow of water and turn to a good acute angle angle and then just go forward, keeping at that angle so as not to hit other boats with my stern?What would stop the boat being pulled along by the tide into a boat moored behind me before I had a good enough angle to miss the boat in front? Ummm.
Bearing in mind, I’m on my own so have no one to be on the bow keeping a rope slung round a mooring post for a while.
I bet I’m missing something obvious, so any explanation would be gratefully received.
I think this might be one reason I prefer wild moorings - no one else to think about, so I can cover up my lack of competence!!
And off I went, up the Ant where so many boats were coming down towards me I bet I was going to have to somehow hold steady at Ludham Bridge while I drifted with the strong wind nearer and nearer to George’s boats in the yard.
Theoretically, I’d have right of way with the tide, but if other people coming the other way don’t know that, I can’t just barge my way through😂Another ‘worry’ over, there were no boats!
Further up, between How Hill and Irstead were 5 sailing boats, coaching youngsters but I knew what I was doing and so did they.
And then, lucky day, Irstead on the electric was vacant. The parish moorings have now filled as well, one with a day boat that moored up for a cup of tea before turning round for their return journey, only to find they had no matches onboard. I was able to help them out, only too pleased to help.
Now wondering whether to just sit and snooze or get togged up for the blustery showers that keep passing over and take Finlay out. I expect the latter will win eventually.-
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Welcome to this friendly forum. You sound like you have an absorbing project, look forward to hearing about progress in due course.
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My Day
in The Broadscot Lounge
Posted
We held my mums 90th birthday family get together weekend very near Diddly Squat Farm. So of course the (adult) youngsters wanted to go, being fans of top gear etc. There was a 2 hour queue to get in the carpark, so the parking attendant said. So they didn’t bother. This was 2021 when I suppose everyone was hankering after getting out and about again.