Troyboy

Lovely boat but sure is expensive.

It's great to see Finlay enjoying the broads. I've never realised how the broads could get flooded as they have recently. Thanks for the pictures Kate. Keep them coming.

There is a website N2YO which tracks the ISS. If you can get you binoculars focused on it, it might be worthwhile. It just looks like a bright star to the naked eye, except that you can see it moving across the sky. It is travelling at 4 miles a second.

We like the Crown at Catfield. I hope you are all well wrapped up. Its coming in cold up in Yorkshire.

I was talking to the owner of this boat in the summer. He was thinking of selling her for a flybridge. I haven't seen it come up for sale since then. It still looks good.

Lovely looking boat. You must be very proud of it.

How exciting. Your 1st venture out in the boat. Hope all went well and you enjoyed it. I'm sure you did. Roll on spring.

I agree that a share syndicate is a great way to enjoy the broads as I've mentioned. It is also a very cheap way. Due to a health issue at home I have just given up my share in a syndicate, which is a shame because the syndicate I was in was fantastic. I would recommend it to anyone.

This has been very interesting reading. I am, in my mind, constantly trying to offset buying a boat,with the associated fees, against 4 weeks hire a year. Having owned two boats in the past I do think that there is nothing nicer than cruising the Broads in your own boat. However the costs are becoming untenable. How long will it be before a large percentage of boat owners give it up altogether.

All 3 look like they could have good potential with some money spent on them. Not silly money but I suppose it depends on what they are like. Keep us informed if you have a look.

This made me smile. My passport ran out two years ago so no flash holidays here. I have got a flat grey car though.

Congratulations Biker. Your persistence has payed off. And your patience of course. I've been watching your new boat for a little while. It looks a lovely boat. I do like the Broom 29s. There has been a few for sale on the broads quite recently and I think there is still 2 on the market. I hope all goes well for you. As said, keep us updated with your experiences.

What a lovely looking boat. No thanks. Too tall. Too wide. Too expensive. And I don't like those steps at the rear with no guard rail at the bottom.

Going back to the bridge situation. I don't think there will be any changes to Wroxham, Potter or Yarmouth in our lifetime. And quite right too. I look at the size of some of the modern hire boats and i can't believe what I'm seeing. Along with the lack of pilot experience, it's crazy. As for less hire boats on the river at this time of the year. All the better for you privateers. Sorry Ricko. No offence intended.

Thanks for the information Meantime.

Brilliant position taken by Barnes regarding the not giving hirers names. As it's a civil dispute I don't know if there is a requirement for them to supply the aggrieved party. In this case BA. DVLA should adopt the same position with robbing CCTV monitored car parks. Very interesting reading.

Thanks for the update Mouldy. I suppose its called progress. Everyone wants the last penny from every opportunity.

That's a rip off. You are spending your money locally so they should support the local businesses better by not charging for up to a couple of hours. NBD and Barnes Brinkcraft both allowed us to moor for nothing, when we had our own boat, in order to get some shopping.

The irony of this is obviously not lost on some.

It's always good to have a couple of electric cards just in case but most of the time the posts have enough left on them to see you through the night.

I hadn't realised Whitlingham moorings were closed. That's a shame. I enjoyed walking the dog around the lake. Am I right in thinking that there was a shuttle boat from Whitlingham to Norwich.

We enjoy just meeting people at a mooring. Chewing the fat for half an hour and sometimes spending a couple of hours with people who you click with over a bottle of wine and some nibbles.

Your first sentence seems to be a contradiction. I love hiring boats but I think it is expensive. We all look for different things in the broads but I never sit on the boat and wonder what there is to do. For me it's a magical place. The quieter the better. I can understand new boaters not knowing all of the places to moor but there is enough not to get stressed about it.

They should expect it to be stolen then they would take appropriate steps to stop it happening. Its a very common theft I'm afraid to say.

Having no go areas for paddle boards on the broads is making me me smile. Have you ever thought you may be looking at this from the wrong perspective. Can you imagine the uproar on here if there were more no go areas for motor cruisers so that row boats, paddle boards, swimmers, wind surfers blah, blah, could use the rivers free of all of the danger. Live and let live is what I say.