[Bishy's Birthday Bash]

Calling all Bishy fans, friends and collegues. One year ago this month was our first day at River Green. The support and good will given over the year has been incredible. We would like to invite you all to celebrate with us. Join us for a BBQ, Free 10min Bishy taster trips and games on the green (we got swingball and other games 😃).

This is a Free event for our birthday, our way of giving a little something back, a thank you to those who have been a part of our journey and hopefully we will get a chance to meet some new friends too, all are welcome.

As we won't be charging for BBQ it would be a great help if some of you could bring a little something for the grill, we will start cooking from 2pm.
 

[Now How Did He Get This Here.]

If you want to know about the GRP spitfires then talk to GB replicas in Catfield, they are very good at what they do.

[Bmc Engine Help]

Been away for a few days, just come back, my comment was indeed tongue in cheek, sarcasam is hard to type sorry if i irritated, truly not my intention.

[Bmc Engine Help]

All this free info dished out online, I dunno, some of us are still trying to earn a living!!  

[What Have You Never Done...that You Want To Do.]

simply enjoy the the rivers for a few consecutive days of pure relaxation,  can't even say I have had a whole week withought working for the last three years.  So yeah I would like to be able to enjoy what all you boaters get to enjoy.

[New Web Cam Coming On Stream]

Colin,  to rent a birth just to land your dinghy does sound a little extream, but i do understand your issue,  if its ever of any use you are welcome to motor down to Bishy corner and leave your dinghy with me if ever your car is further that way. 

If you rent a space you might find others use it, you may well be happy with that, but issues could develop with dinghy's swinging on one rope rubbing against private owners boats and leaving or removing paint.  My end  there is a certain green and yellow dinghy that sports 'Bishy red' paint on its wooden rubbing strake, I moved that dinghy most days and asked if they could please leave it so it did not swing onto my boats, worse things happen at sea but it is annoying.

We did well to get away with Red and pushed our luck with spots!  Thope st Andrew is predominantly Blue voting, blue is the colour 

We return for easter hols, early april.

[New Web Cam Coming On Stream]

11 hours ago, Vaughan said:

Do they have any customers yet? I wouldn't want to moor my private boat, where they are suggesting!

Hi Vaughan, it would not be my 1st choice to keep a private boat, but the price offered was/is exeptionaly competitive for TSA residents, they did have enquiries from owners.

[New Web Cam Coming On Stream]

4 hours ago, Islander said:

I don't think we will see the webcam until the conversion of the Ladies into an 'Information Centre' has been completed. They haven't even started on it yet. By the way, the Gents will become a unisex so the Ladies won't have to wait till they get home .

 Don't hold your breath on this, we talking local council here.

Colin

Colin, last time i had a meeting on the subject the building had still not changed ownership from Broadland council to TSA town council, but that said I have not had a meeting for some months.

I would very much like a room to use though, the Gazebo is great when the sun shines but the fun stops with wind and rain.

[New Web Cam Coming On Stream]

I have no further semi insider gossip on the private mooring, last i heard from last year the plan is still to go ahead. Im not sure on the current hold up.  Rest assured 'aesthetically pleasing' is a phrase that the town council are reminded of regularly (often by me) and is constant reminder that you have to choose your words very carfully when talking to the EDP as they know how to stir up and sensationalise for their gain.

[Cutlass Bearing.]

12 hours ago, ranworthbreeze said:

Cutlass bearings and their housings can be a pain, there is the cost of the lift at up £400 plus the labour at least say £60 per hour allow two men for eight hours if you are lucky and the cost of the bearing, new shaft or shaft being repaired. 

Any change out of £1000.00 would be a bonus, we have had to do this twice because the first attempt was not a very good job. It had to be repeated the following year in our winter service.

Please see pictures of our cutlass housing and the eight foot long drive shaft showing wear that was stainless welded and machined.

Regards

Alan

 

 

£60 per hour and 16hrs of man time?  Now I know I am doing something seriously wrong, I should only be working one or two days a week on that rate.

[My Tip For Cleaning Spilt Sump Oil.]

a couple of disposable nappies under the engine are very good at absorbing the odd drips of oil and water that build up.

[Build A 12v Drawer Fridge]

11 hours ago, smitch6 said:

blast they are expensive

Haha, sorry i did not know the price I just used to fit them!  never had the need for such a thing since self employment 

[Build A 12v Drawer Fridge]

It's been some 11 years since my time but we made custom fridges on Oysters, really quite simple, a GRP box, lagged on the outside with closed cell foam, a compresser mounted remotely, cooling plate and thermostat inside the fridge, door with door seal.

Look into Frigomatic/Frigoboat systems,  they were pre-gassed and easy to assemble. Assuming they are still making them.

[Houseboat Sinks.]

1 hour ago, MauriceMynah said:

Is that the little 25' SeaMaster?

I have never looked that closely at it to say Seamaster or not but yes that sort of  size and shape.

[Houseboat Sinks.]

There is another Liveaboard boat down, one of the ones just outside comissioners cut. Not sure when it went down as its been a few weeks since my trip round.  Cabin cruiser with the cockpit boarded round.

[New Web Cam Coming On Stream]

4 minutes ago, Vaughan said:

In my case, living a thousand miles away, I read their website every day to try to stay in touch.

Luckily I also have this forum, to give me a more accurate perspective!

We are overdue a beer, next time you are over give me a shout and I can pass on the gossip from my angle.

[New Web Cam Coming On Stream]

34 minutes ago, Vaughan said:

Thank you very much for that Mark and I can confirm that the antisocial behaviour that you describe has always been a problem on the River Green, especially at night.

Perhaps the Town Council would have got a lot more understanding for this camera, if they had told the real story to the EDP?

I have to sit on the fence a little and the town council know this as i try and stay on good terms with all, but i can say from first hand experience that you do not have to say much about anything and the EDP run with it, their desire to fill column inches and a obsession with Thorpe st Andrew see's them take any info, or a quote often out of context and go with it.  Sadly the EDP is for many a great way to keep up with local news.

[New Web Cam Coming On Stream]

Having clocked more hours than most (if not all) on River Green this year I tell you 1st hand what a wonderfull place it is, full of people enjoing the wildlife and views. 

Sadly it does also have a darker element, TSA has its fair share of undesirables and unfortunates, there is the youth element that have no regard for other peoples things, attempting to gain access into the Islander's post box, and jumping on my day boats (they got a shock, I could see them from the Rushcutters!!), the drunk guy with his huge backpack and can's of budget cider I think fair to say homeless, he fell asleep in the full summer sun (and that day was scorchio), I went to see if this man was ok, he woke as i spoke to him, i passed his glasses that had fallen to the ground and all I can say is I should have let him burn, I did not ask for his rudness.  Day after day myself and the town councils ground team would clean up beer cans, bottles and takeaway litter, too hard for people to use the bins that the town council provide and empty.

As I understand the webcam plan is to allow the public to view the green and river from the comfort of home, many people seem to like to do this and people are quick to shout when webcams go down, the webcam and some cctv cameras if they happen will give a little extra security to myself and full time moorers paying to use the Green, as well as active deterent to those who wish to misuse the green.

The Town Council ground team visit the Green every day, certainly seven days a week throughout the months i was there and often more than once a day, they do their daily duties one of which is making note of the boats visiting the Green, as far as what happends if a boat can't get back under the bridge?  that boat will be allowed to stay until the tide falls enough to enable the boat to leave, the Town council numbers are easy to find if you need to inform them, or if its in season you can always talk to the friendly guy with the day boats, he will happily let the council guys know why your boat has not moved on next time they they come down.

[Someones Been A Busy Barnabee!]

14 minutes ago, ChrisB said:

Just one question, not knowing the area very well. Is there somewhere close to park the car?

very little parking in Thorpe St Andrew at the moment. You can park at the Freedom yard and take the boat from there or walk round to us, there is also a very regular bus service in and out of the city inlcuding from park and ride, the bus stop is at River Green.  

[Someones Been A Busy Barnabee!]

Hi peoples, how's things? life has been busy and i have not kept up with forum life.

Summer came and went, Autumn is here and the end of the season is nigh,  well what can i say?  

We started something new in a place that people dont instantly think to go for a day boat, we used boats that were new to the broads, Promotion was lacking and the day to day running was mostley done by a guy who had never worked full time on a hire fleet. 

We've had customers, we've had local support, kind words and some lovely reviews.  I personally could not have asked for more from this year, i'm pretty sure we have laid a solid foundation going forward.

This seed may have been planted by myself and i nurtured it a lot as it sprouted, but this has been a team effort and many have played their part, I thank them all (I'm sure Andy does too).

A last note to those who have not yet come down to River Green for a little jaunt out in one of our boats, you have until the end of the Autumn half term otherwise you will have to wait until next season starts.

[Someones Been A Busy Barnabee!]

1 minute ago, Islander said:

Hi Mark, glad to see you are up and running. We were unable to stop on Monday this week and you looked busy too. We will be back for a few days come Sunday and will walk down for a chat. Wish you a very busy season.

Regards from us both

Colin and Ruth

Thanks Colin, please do come down you and Ruth always welcome over. 

Not easily in view for you but as I have asked all Islanders please keep an eye on the boats when im not around.  We did have one issue a couple of nights ago with a couple of males ****ing around with the boats, thankfully the good people of the Island set too moving them off the boats and on their way.  I cant say how much it means to me that you guys over there are looking after what I put so many man hours into.

[Someones Been A Busy Barnabee!]

With very little promo and currently no promotional material the first few days have been quite promising, in truth the Town council have done more to promote than we have, they did all the press release stuff and I think the future radio plug was from them as it wasnt me and Andy has been on holiday the last 6 days.

There is more to come and we can do better but right now we are off to a good start and feedback from hirers has been positive, the run into Norwich is a great selling point, I love it and people are loving it too. We need more livery on the tops of the boats, currently just some spots but that does not tell people what they are and where they come from, people have been getting asked as they pootle through Norwich where the boats come from and if they're for hire.

[Someones Been A Busy Barnabee!]

14 minutes ago, MBA Marine said:

We let you go past the yacht station, right up to New mills, make the Ribs of beef a stop.

Should add, no need to wait to after high season, the river traffic is always minimal up our end of the Yare.

[Someones Been A Busy Barnabee!]

Thank you guys, 2 years in the making and we are finally up and running, all be it a very humble beginning,  Life has been so busy the last year or so with much stress, I am loving my new summer roll.

Please come down to river green and say hello, we will be there all summer everyday then reduced hours after the hols.

If anyone has not been all the way up past Bishops bridge then i can't recommend it highly enough, Stunning.

 

[Someones Been A Busy Barnabee!]

On 25/07/2018 at 18:10, ChrisB said:

Out of high season I will give one a go up to the yacht Station, it has been a few years since I went by water.

Good luck, you should do well.

We let you go past the yacht station, right up to New mills, make the Ribs of beef a stop.