MBA Marine

Plenty enough new ones are made to satisfy market demand, but more short shafts are used, and used on boats where they can get damaged, blown up or stolen, boats like speed boats and smaller trailerable craft. The manufacturers do not make 2nd hand engines to satisfy a 2nd hand market. So you have boats with i higher engine turnover but the less engines surviving to become 2nd hand. Or simply put your left buying one of the few overpriced 2nd hand units or biting the bullet to buy a new one. On a budget get a chinese one and wrap it in cotton wool. New they're cheap, 2nd cheap as chips plus theif know they have less value so are less likely to steal it. On the subject of thieves, do use the Police engine cover bag, but also putting 'Parsun' decals on will make any engine look less desirable.

Simple bit of supply and demand there, there is a bigger demand for short shaft and that demand pushes the price up. Be really careful of 2nd hand outboards, always ask why? why is it not still on the back of the boat, not many people change an outboard because they want a new one, its usually because the old one is getting a bit long in the tooth, a bit unreliable or they sunk/damaged it and want shot. Oh and not forgetting those that are selling because they just nicked it! Always run the engine number past the boys in blue, they're happy to check if its reported stolen, cant find a plate then look for a core plug on the engine with the number stamped on it. Lastly call Toby Cox 07788598789 he might have something he has rebuilt.

Or add spiders, Then add a bird, Then a cat, Then a ..................

Sound like you have a dump through loo. The holding tank is likely vented (possible no vent with a dump through, but two caps on deck, one vent/rinse and the pump out) so open to air and flies to enter, gauzed vents are less common on the holding tank as they block easy when people overfill the tank. Its not recommended to put detergents in the tank that kill of the poo munching bacteria, these little guys help combat smell and some off the smellier loos are on boats that get a regular bleaching, that said I think you need a 'do-over'. Have you tried a strong cleaner like a whole bottle of the strongest Duck stuff in the tank then fill your tank with water as full as you can until you either fill your loo or chug water out the breather, then leave it for a week before pump out. I doubt, anything is entering the system from the pump out station, more there is something in the tank that when the tank is empty smells yummy to a fly to go and lay a load of eggs on.

or in other words if you have old cards tough sh*t buy new ones!!

In the season when the boats are out, why not ask Andy nicely to moor at Freedom, and take a day boat to explore thorpe green and into Norwich. Or better still as the moorings are in much better order, moor at commissioners cut and Freedom is a 5 min walk on the foot path by the river for the dayboat.

Very kind thank you. The NBN will be high on the list to inform with news, good or bad. But for now the work continues behind the scenes, design, development and execution, sadly no pay!!

Can't say for the 37 but I know a 28 with a couple of 56lb weights on a shelf in the well fwd of the helm, and I call dibs if they get removed, can never have enough 56lb weights. but I would agree with others that the two boats pictured do not look to be sitting that different in the water to me.

That one is already a idea under development, and not restricted to just river side eateries I have a contact that manages a chain of pubs around norwich and I hope some mutual advertising is possible. To attract customers to something new means that you have to be proactive, you can have the best website in the the world but if they're searching for boat hire then they have already had the idea, its probably not new to them, I want to plant the idea into those that would not have thought of boating as an activity and the only way to do that is to catch their eye (or ear), thats one of the plus points to river green, its visual to those passing by, those that stare out of the bus window on their commute, visible as they travel back and forth to sainsburys. If and i must stress if, we had the go ahead then I hope Luke would do a follow up story in the EDP with a picture of the boats in use, all good promoting without spending heavily.

If you have good vehicle access and can park coaches then you can market correctly and arrange coach parties at a time and fill your passenger boat then you are onto a winner. But if you fail with access, coach parking or marketing, any one of the three then a trip boat will be a very difficult enterprise. City boats also had the huge problem of wooden boats that cost a fortune each year, not a viable option im my view.

Smiley lady yes.

But dont park at the Buck for too long as you will get a ticket!!!! I did but i knew a nice deputy manager who had it quashed as I had permission to park.

I do have to make a couple of enquiries with regard to a bit of car parking but at the same time I do not want any of my approaches to get in the way of any of the town council's, we need to work together. Parking is the one factor that people bring up but I hope that this not really an issue, if you are driving in then you can park at Freedom's yard and take a boat from there. I would strongly encourage people in Norwich and its suburbs to leave their car at home, there is no need to use it, the Bus links around the city are superb and there is a bus stop at river green. Also we are not talking a Ricco's/Barnes number of boats, we are talking four at the Green with up to four more (plus their Pod & Picnic) boat at Freedom. If im wrong and everyone insisted on using a car and wanted to park around the green area then we are talking a max 6 cars at a time.

Beats me perhaps its a pay per view round the gardens!! I might however make myself available for selling tickets.

Fame at last got my name in the paper!! Thank you all for your kind words. Was a bit unexpected as its all very early days with T's & C's not even on the table yet alone agreed to. I live in hope but our friends at the Broads Authority have a big say even if the town council are initially in favour. Early days, it may be something or it may be nothing. Although Andy and I have helped each other out a little over the past couple of years we have not until now had any joint investment, that said our businesses still continue to operate as separate entities, with me having no say in Freedom's cruiser hire & Kingfisher and Andy having nothing to with MBA Marine. What I can say for sure is that Freedom will still have dayboats and car parking down Bungalow lane next year regardless of things at River Green.

Thanks, i didnt know it was more than just a bullet point.

Do you meen Watts/volts=Amps?

If they get the Berney arms open, it might be a wee bit tidal, taking your meet somewhere that could use any boost in revenue could really help keep a business going. Salhouse broad is a lovely spot but its owners aint short of a bob or two.

Saw this on Facebook!!

Andy Knows far better than I as my business does not deal directly with cruiser hire, but over the last few years I have had dealings in a small way with few hire yards and over the summer hols and half terms demand is huge and these are the weeks that the only boats that are available to hire are at places like ricco's where they just have so many or if you luck into a cancellation.

It does when you need to encourage the next generations of boater, the number of seniors that avoid certain area's of IT will from this point always be a decreasing number, although from what I see it is already a very broad spectrum of age groups that are hiring, if that was not already the case then there would not be such large demand within school holiday times.

For every one like you Fred, i should think there are now 3 or 4 that would use the social media websites.

Robin, I like your idea's very much, but I would question how it could help 'the little guy' there are as many know FB groups and you don't have to frequent them for long before reading 'What's the best yard' then there is a wave of support from those who have the most customers due to the size of their business, at this point the large business with already a large slice of market share gobbles up yet another customer. Also with social media its easy for words to be taken the wrong way people can come across abrupt (i do often!), some people are so desperate to be seen that they shout very loudly not always with tact when often they should be seen but heard not so much. Agreed any positive promotion for the area would be a good thing but i think it risks just further strengthening the big players as they finish of the last small businesses.

Wroxham marine would supply a bare Sheerline, but could a small operator afford the investment? fairly sure that would be a no. The Mouldings are less than half the investment, Engine, stern gear, doors and windows come at huge cost before fitting out. But if anyone does want a 16' open launch 16' day boat or a 21' picnic boat feel free to ask!

Hi Fred, Some yards will have seasonal cleaners, a few operators might take help to show out dayboats in the summer months, but many do not, those that clean in the summer are drafted to man the paint brush in the winter, small yard have to multiskill. My business is mostly dealing with private craft but i value very highly not just the revenue but the diversity of people that the tourism brings. The hire fleet world is changing, it's evolving but it's still a massive sector to the Broads, the big hitters have very much taken over, the small operators that are still going are finding it hard, social media does not aid this trend as thousands of customers per year saying good things shouts louder than hundreds, and bad reviews are drowned by good ones when the volume of reviewers is so high. The goliath's that we now have swallow up any land or business that is worthwhile leaving the small fry that fight against the current either paying high rents and or making do with a less than ideal location. But still i'm not negative about the change, it just makes me want to try harder.