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dom
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Posts posted by dom
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1 hour ago, NeilB said:
https://check-for-flooding.service.gov.uk/station/6211 If it shows 0.38 here the bridge height is 6ft 9" which saves a trip all the way to Wroxham or trying to squint at the Brinkcraft webcam!
It's interesting that you're extrapolating bridge clearance from a river level sensor. I've wondered for a while now why Project Troll don't do this to provide coverage of Ludham and Wroxham bridges.
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21 minutes ago, NeilB said:
I was involved with this rebuild, we literally scoured the world for parts so our dealer could rebuild the engines and drives, even stole some items from the Volvo museum!! They used them for a year or so but replaced them with a single D3 diesel for reliability. Not heard what happened to it but it was exhibited around the world.
All 3 UK builders refitted old models as a PR exercise. Sunseeker did the Sovereign 17 which was driven by Robert Braithwaite himself in a Bond film.
Very cool thing to be involved in.
My second lottery win dream retro rebuild would be a Poole Powerboats / Sunseeker S23. I very nearly bought one once, but it needed more work than I could afford to take on at the time.
I do think we've lost something since around the late 90s, when design switched to practicality over style. A lot of very new stuff coming out now I think is just plain ugly. I still think there's little prettier than a Fairey Huntsman 28 or a Huntress.
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33 minutes ago, Smoggy said:
I still think my old RLM31 was far nicer on the eye than my present boat.
When I worked at Summercraft, one of the neighbours had a Project 31 which I always lusted after.
I think if I won the lottery, I'd be nice to do something like this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oi_wzoVjlrQ
I'd probably steer more towards the Classic 27 as the base though. Not sure if Silverline still have the moulds, but that was always my favourite retro hull design.
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2 hours ago, Mouldy said:
And this Seamaster at Buckden Marina looks quite tidy:
https://seamaster.apolloduck.co.uk/boat/seamaster-27-for-sale/762527
If travelling to look at this one, make sure to book an appointment in advance. There's no marina as such and I've found their communication leaves a bit to be desired.
As Mouldy says, it's worth looking elsewhere. I'm not sure you'll necessarily save much in the case of an Elysian, as they're also popular around the Great Ouse, but there are quite a few of them around here due to proximity to their origin.
On the Great Ouse, it's worth keeping an eye on these brokers:
https://www.boatinland.uk/ads Buckden Marina's main site
https://www.jonesboatyard.co.uk/boat-sales Generally more premium models.
https://www.crosshallmarine.com/boat-sales.html Often lots of smaller boats - stock's low at the moment
https://www.fishandduck.co.uk/our-boat-sales/ Duncan's a really genuine guy. Mostly narrowboats, but some small cruisers.
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6 minutes ago, Mouldy said:
Air draft quoted is quite high. You'd think the screens would fold, but I can't see any sign that they do. Probably worth a call to clarify.
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Waterside Marine Sales at Potter Heigham have a couple of Elysians at the moment.
There's a Seamaster 813 at NBS
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A couple of people have challenged BA about this on Facebook. Apparently, the BA's tolls team has been "busy helping people process payments in advance of the event".
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49 minutes ago, grendel said:
I once parked up and locked my car, when I came back, it would not unlock on the key fob, it would not start, the tow truck came and it still would not start, the driver tried all the tricks he knew- turning the key on and off many times to override the alarm disabling the car- in the end I was towed home- whereupon the car opened to the key fob, started and drove off the tow vehicle, all the tow driver could say was that I must have parked somewhere where some local security had disabled the car , so its not an unheard of phenomenon.
Most modern alarms use "rolling codes" which change every time the remote is used. To try and overcome them, criminals use scanners which send out random codes one after another in the hope of hitting the right one. Manufacturers have reacted to this risk by looking for multiple random codes, then locking the system out for a while when they detect them. With each successive triggering of the system, they lock the remote out for increasingly longer intervals.
That wasn't relevant in Vaughan's case, as he said the remotes worked at very short range, but it's very possible that's what you experienced - either from someone actually attempting to scan your or another nearby vehicle, or by random RFI which appeared similar in nature to random remote codes. Microwave ovens tend to be a common source of the latter.
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43 minutes ago, grendel said:
its my belief that the one- highly publicised example that supports Dom's argument is just that- a single individual, and that others who follow the live aboard lifestyle are once again being tarred with the same brush, as such anyone going into a situation such as this will have already called the backup in before approaching.
Unfortunately, attitude to risk is now based on experience and liability and there's no room for nicety or case by case evaluation. If you work in a job where it's assessed that an activity involves risk, you'll generally be told what precautions to take, based on a worst case scenario. If you don't follow those precautions, or walk away when told to, the likely outcome is dismissal.
I don't like that being the case but, equally, I can see violent crime spreading almost visibly out of major cities into the countryside. You've only got to look at the news to see how rapidly things are changing. Within the last week alone, we've had someone committing murder at random with a samurai sword and another slashing police officers with a chainsaw. Knives and machetes are commonplace in cities and spreading elsewhere at an alarming rate. A friend of a friend of mine was killed by stabbing here in my area and we recently had a double shotgun murder nearby. We've also had an incident with a boat owned by an organised crime group packed with half a million pounds in drugs. Sadly, you need to anticipate the threat of violence everywhere now, including rural Norfolk. The only sensible approach to mitigate these risks is to walk away and let the police deal with it. By all means, give people cameras as well but, like body armour, there's a risk they either embolden people, or appear confrontational and worsen situations.
Are all non-toll paying liveaboards likely to be violent? Certainly not. Should we send rangers into higher risk enforcement scenarios on that assumption? No, because doing so could result in one of them not going home one day, when they happen upon that one who is violent.
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24 minutes ago, oldgregg said:
It seems that the airport radar was basically confusing the adaptive cruise system. I think newer systems use cameras and/or LIDAR to get around these problems.
My Honda's got City Traffic Brake Assist, which uses radar to brake automatically to prevent collisions, but only works below 20mph. I guess Honda were aware of the risk of interference and implemented the 20mph limit to avoid risk of high speed issues. The thought of it suddenly doing an emergency stop at 70mph or more is quite scary. I guess ABS would probably prevent complete loss of control, but you can bet other drivers behind wouldn't catch on quickly enough.
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27 minutes ago, Vaughan said:
So why do Rangers' launches carry blue flashing lights? Surely that carries a responsibility and authority, far above that of a mooring attendant?
The same thought actually crossed my mind yesterday, but I guess they may have some benefit in the case of an event such as the one at Yarmouth Yacht Station, when there's a need to stop all traffic, or recover someone from the water.
Obviously, it's entirely possible that Dr.P thinks differently and that his staff can deal with all-comers for evermore, but that'll probably prove unwise over time if other waterways are any indication. Some EA fishery enforcement staff are already having to wear stab vests and carrying batons and handcuffs.
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I suspect the most likely thing is drone countermeasures. If you watch some of the footage from Ukraine, it's apparent that one of the most dangerous weapons on earth these days is a $100 first person Chinese drone with a grenade.
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9 minutes ago, Vaughan said:
I am sorry old chap, but you and I seem to have grown up in different worlds. Real policing is all about interaction with the public. As well as gaining the trust of the public.
Growing up in Wroxham, myself and my friends were all on first name terms with local coppers. Sadly, those days are long gone. I think society has gone downhill dramatically. That's not to say that good police officers couldn't still build rapport with decent members of the general public, but the infrastructure of forces simply doesn't allow it to become reality in most cases. Back then, we had police houses in Wroxham and Horning. If you drove through the village, there was a good chance of seeing a copper. These days, you barely see them.
I think it's also important to distinguish between police and BA in the context of this thread. Police are employed to face risk and expect to do so on a regular basis. Rangers are engaged to participate in mostly risk free activities. If you look at BA's website, the ranger role is described in very much positive terms, whilst anti-social behaviour is flagged as a police issue. I suspect that will increasingly be the case as time goes on.
https://www.broads-authority.gov.uk/boating/navigating-the-broads/broads-rangers
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Back in the 90s, I had a customer who was one of the UK's most accomplished female clay pigeon shooters. We supplied her with a high spec insurance approved car alarm system. Shortly after it was fitted, she started having issues with the remote control refusing to work, resulting in having to go through a complex override process before the car could be driven. We inspected and tested everything, but found it was 100% functional. It then became apparent that the remote only stopped working when she was shooting at Eriswell Lodge, just over the road from RAF Lakenheath. The only conclusion we could reach in the end was that some sort of radar or countermeasure the USAF were using was blocking the remote.
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On 07/05/2024 at 09:31, Shooter said:
My friends and I used to shoot clay pigeons in the meadow at the rear every Sunday morning before retiring to the bar for several excellent ales. Cheers, Steve.
Some of my extended family used to shoot there going back a few years. I'm assuming it has gone now, but does anyone know for sure?
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29 minutes ago, MauriceMynah said:
You say there have been reported incidents of this nature, and I respect your point about ToS, but I would have to stand by my point that such behaviour would have to be such a tiny minority, that the BA would not need to see them generally as a threat.
You may well be correct that the majority are good natured and unlikely to become a threat. When working with risk assessment and mitigation though, you work with the worst case scenario - so you have to treat all as if they're in that tiny minority.
Going in over-equipped in cases where the situation doesn't escalate generally does no harm. Going into a situation which does escalate inappropriately prepared and having someone suffer injury (or worse) is quite simply unacceptable these days, as the cost of liability can be huge. Everything in public sector work is now dictated by risk assessments, and even just the risk of being in proximity to water elevates baseline risks significantly, before factoring in people. Interactions with the public are often considered high risk in general. Dealing with someone's place of residence inevitably increases the risk of escalation.
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Simploo waterless toilets are also worth looking at, with built in fans to eliminate odour and a warning alarm when it needs emptying.
Incinerator toilets are probably the nicest option, but really expensive.
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11 minutes ago, Broads01 said:
I agree but a significant risk of harm can't always be anticipated, so rangers are at risk just as much as anyone who works in a public environment.
Trouble is, where do you draw the line? If you give the water based rangers cameras, do you have to do the same with people like the staff at Ranworth? If you give them to everyone, you're adding another significant cost over time, which has to be paid for by an already excessive toll charge. With this type of scenario, you need decent quality kit, as something cheap off eBay will inevitably fail when you need it most. The ancilliary costs often tend to be the biggest factor, ie. replacement batteries, SD cards, etc, plus ongoing maintenance, checking, archiving data and responding to GDPR requests, etc.
I don't really find the idea objectionable - but I think maybe it's premature to be implementing them at this point in time given the relatively low risks involved in most areas. No doubt the way things are headed, they'll be unavoidable in future.
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12 minutes ago, MauriceMynah said:
Really Dom ????? Do you have just one thread of evidence to back that up. Even a bit of hearsay will do.
It would be against the ToS for the forum to discuss individual cases, but one has been mentioned by someone else which involved some fairly serious threats against a BA staff member. It's not the only recent incident.
I think you also need to bear in mind the fact my father was a liveaboard and I pretty much lived with him at one point in time. I chose the turn of phrase very carefully to try and avoid using the term liveaboard in a negative context. I don't have any issue with liveaboards. I do have issue with those causing damage to the environment, or who avoid paying their way, ultimately costing legitimate boat owners more money. The cost of a Broads toll is, roughly speaking, the cost of running BA's navigation, divided by the number of boats. The more people evade tolls, the more cost is passed on to others, including you.
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Unfortunately, the situation these days is such that hostile situation training tends to be "walk away and call the Police" in most cases - even when dealing with young people. Body worn video won't provide any protection from weapons, which are all too common now.
The majority of ranger's work has minimal risk of hostility. Some people can become confrontational when challenged about things like speeding, but I suspect real conflict is rare. Rangers are generally solo working, so shouldn't have to go into high risk situations. Anti-social behaviour is supposed to be an issue for BroadsBeat, though whether they have enough resources is another matter.
The one area where risk of conflict is high is obviously dealing with vessels without tolls/BSS/insurance used as residences. I suspect BA's new head of safety ought to suggest all serving of notices should be done in conjunction with BroadsBeat to mitigate risk to staff.
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1 hour ago, Paladin said:
I can’t help wondering whether it might be beneficial for BWV to be available, on a voluntary basis, to the front-line rangers. They would not have to be switched on all the time, only when the wearer deemed it to be beneficial in the circumstances.
BA shouldn't be putting rangers in places where there's a significant risk of harm. The Police should be present if they're going into a hostile situation. If that's not possible, BWV and body protection should be provided, in the same way it's provided to those doing land based enforcement. Failing to do so would almost certainly be gross negligence if someone were physically harmed. These risks should all be clearly identified in existing risk assessments.
Ultimately though, BA rangers aren't paid enough to face such risks, aren't properly trained and in some cases aren't physically up to the job of dealing with the threat of violence. EA have separate trained staff for higher risk enforcement work and quickly call in the Police in the event of any hint of escalation.
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2 hours ago, Jbx5 said:
Yes it’s been moved up a bit from its usual spot. Still boats moored on the public moorings.
It's really noticeable how much space that frees up if you allowed stern on mooring there all the time. Can't help but wonder if that'd be more beneficial to both the local shops and the Swan. Last time I was there, it seemed like most people going on trips seemed to get straight off coaches and straight on board without visiting either. Losing a space or two in front of the Swan, but gaining 8 or so stern on would probably increase footfall in the village quite a lot.
I've got a photo somewhere of me stood in front of Southern Comfort on her original mooring outside the Hotel Wroxham, when she was fairly new. She must be coming up for her 50th birthday around now.
It's great that they've had such nice weather for the show. Pretty lucky given some of the weather lately.
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1 hour ago, Jbx5 said:
Is the Southern Comfort moored on the Swan's quay?
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Just sat down to watch a couple of episodes. Unsurprisingly, got drawn in and ended up bingeing all 4 of the episodes released so far.
It's good to see more of Lisa this series. It was obvious in previous series that she wasn't afraid to get her hands dirty, but the more it goes on, the more evident it becomes that she's a real grafter. Just hope we see more Gerald in the 2nd half next week.
Whenever I look at TV schedules, it's usually with a sense of dismay at the lack of anything worth watching. Half the time, I think it's me, and I've just grown out of it - but then this proves otherwise. I don't know if it's Clarkson or Andy Wilman's influence, but to me it's so much better than the majority of TV these days.
The shop obviously does cause some issues with traffic, but I'd suggest it's probably no worse than the shops up the North Norfolk coast at Burnham Deepdale in peak season - and obviously made a lot worse by the repeated and needless refusal of planning.
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Cleaning Our Hose Pipe
in Site Technical Chat and `How To`
Posted
Whilst camping in the South of France once, my best mate (more than a little hung over) stuck his head under a standpipe and turned the tap on to quench his thirst. What he'd failed to realise was that the local population of frogs were drawn in by the cool damp conditions and the smaller ones could climb into the pipe. Judging by his reaction, frogs legs for breakfast didn't appeal. Ever since then, I've always made a point of running a hose for a bit before use