marshman

Yes Clive is right - I can remember seeing in my youth those wrecks at Ranworth where the green buoys are. Maud was "buried" there. Sue there is a list somewhere but be blowed if i can find it!!! Certainly I have seen a diagram of the ones at Rockland including names but as time goes on they sink lower and rot away even more!!! Surlinham Broad certainly used to have more but these were broken up and cleared relatively recently - well perhaps 20 years ago!!!!!! Interesting topic but my immediate concern is to keep "Albion" alive and kicking!!!! Thank goodness she survives and is in good heart at the moment.

Hey thats interesting. But like many ideas concerning wherries it was in retrospect, pretty fanciful. So much so I am not sure even the museum got off the ground and the Lord Roberts remained in Norfolk!!! For those interested Albion was relaunched yesterday after more overwinter work and looks even better . Those of you who know her will be well aware that before last winter and her new keel she had reverse sheer!!!!! The new keel improved this drastically and the work this winter has enhanced it further - indeed to the extent she is now close to her original shape which can be seen from early pictures.

We actively encourage our charterers to" have a go!!!!" It does of course depend on the Skippers discretion and the conditions but the more help there is putting the sail up and indeed quanting, the happier we are!!!!! To be fair to all you sailies you have not really quanted until you have tried the Albion!!!! If you think too that tacking is hard work, wait until you have had to tack Albion - no wonder the wherryman used to wait in the pub until the wind shifted and/or the tide turned!!!!!

On a much more positive note I am delighted to say that Albion is alive and very well and is shortly due to be relaunched and returned home to Ludham. This winter has seen another extensive period of work with two complete new planks and a new stem - including bits attaching thereto. Work has also involved replacing part of the deck and the bin iron as well. Those who spotted it last year may have noticed the sheer was back in her lines following the keel replacement and if anything, the work this year has improved it further, albeit marginally. Following her return to Ludham she will be refitted ready to resume chartering in May - we desperately hope the downturn will not affect chartering but i suspect it may well have some impact. Chartering is vital to that iconic vessels wellbeing and very existence!!!!!

The trouble with old boats is that they take a huge amount of upkeep - just keeping the Albion going is an enormous task and commitment by volunteers. At the moment we seem to be ticking along nicely but just finding crews to cope with charters 5/6 days a week is hard!!!! It is never easy but we have around 6 skippers qualified to sail her, another 4 in training and mates and trainee mates, all part of a comprehensive training scheme.Fund raising is another real problem and without charter income it would be especially hard. I know money is tight everywhere but I would urge you all to remember that Albion is unique but requires money!! If you have the opportunity join the Trust, go and have a sail on her, and if you see her around moored up on one of her open days, please come and see her and learn more from the crew about Albion, one othe Broads most recognisable landmarks. Oh and put some money in the tin please!!!!! And Carol I am very pleased to tell you that Mike Fuller is still around, living in Ludham and remains an active participant in Albions running. And on sunken wherries; believe or not that actually helps preserve them!!!! Dig them up and they deteriorate more quickly exposed to the air. That does not mean the Lord Roberts will ever be restored but never say never!!!! However the burden would be enormous and I think that to keep existing boats afloat will be the first priority and there are enough concerns there!!!!!

The wherries can be divided into several types - and yes, there are now 8 in existence in various states or other. The Albion and the Maud are both examples of trading wherries and both pretty original. The Albion is owned by the Norfolk Wherry Tust and is the one who usually takes up all the room on the moorings, still being very active primarily around the Northern Broads being based at Ludham. Please remember you can charter her - she needs your support!!!! Similar but not the same is Maud. Maud is clinker built, Albion the only ever carvel built wherry. Maud is privately owned and was restored about 20 years ago. She lives at the Wherry base Ludham and usually goes up to the Museum at Stalham as a summer exhibit. Still a fine example of a Norfolk Wherry. Moving on their are 3 Wherry Yachts built to look like traditional wherries but with a cabin superimposed. Solace as been mentionned is in private ownership and lives on Wroxham Broad. Ardea is the more modern addition having been brought back from Paris some 5 years ago having been a houseboat on the Seine. This accounts for the 7 incresed to 8 now about!!!!! She is very nearly restored to her full former glory with more work going on this winter at Horning - see NBYC webcam site. She is based at Wroxham usually moored on the main river. She is varnished and the costs of restoration huge - thank goodness for people with money!!!! Hathor is a traditioal type wherry yacht as above and is owned by the Wherry Yacht Charter Trust . They also own the more modern style Wherry yachts Norada and Olive. I do not want to say too much here but this is very much the province of a guy called Peter Bower who bought all three. Hathor is not used for charter but for promotional tours - mainly supported by the BA but seems to be going down hill!!! Norada is slowly being restored ,with slowly being the operative word and Olive awaits restoration. The Trust do have a lottery grant but seem unable to match fund it. PM me if you require more info or work it out!!! Finally there is the Wherry owned by NBYC available for hire - she like Norada and Olive is a Wherry Yacht with that wonderful counter stern.

Sadly Carol you are bang on!!!! She is still in the dyke but restoration is a bit like giving credence to a campaign to restore the Keel which surfaces now and again!!!! The hull is of historical value and perhaps something will happen someday but I doubt it. It is not a burden the Wherry Trust can shoulder. What the Trust can and still does is ensures that Albion is kept in very good order and sailing but to spread its resouces too thinly would be a disaster. You have only to look at the Wherry Charter Trust to see that happening. Hathor still sails but for how much longer? The Albion is in good heart at least and will be around this year as usual and available for charter - now thats a good idea for 12 good men and women from the NBN !!!!!!! Or 24 if you want 2 days out!!!!!

Lord Paul - last weekend at Horsey there were about 90 pups on the beach or rather in the dunes. They have gone to a lot of trouble to build 2 viewing platforms and both were occupied....... with 4 pups in each!!!!!! Did pong a bit but nice to see them - the bulls were very actice with blood everywhere!!!!!

Everyone is entitled to their view and some peoples idea of heaven is a wooden boat with limited space , leaks and rot!!!!! However my guess is that is not what the hirer wants and whilst some of you think it is ghastly, I guarantee that it will be pretty fully booked and that is the proof of the pudding, as they say!!! Why is it that everyone wants to live in the past? There is plenty of evidence that the fly bridge cruisers are the most popular with the punters - only today it looks as though Faircraft Loynes are getting the Christmas boats ready and guess which boats look like going out? Having had a good look at these boats both in and out, I know people will like them from the inside - there is stacks of room and the front galley will be copied i guarantee. Of course some will moan about it and yes the new design is a little stubby - I think the longer one will be better but you have to economise on your mould costs and it is not a new trick to use the same base and then add bits. They are not pretty but you could hardly call it downright ugly - I think there are many worse around and like most new designs, after a few years they will seem very normal!!!!!

I am sure that if you deign to lower yourseves and look on the "other" site you will see the interior pics you so wish to see. Are you really saying then that you stick to just one site? Doesn't everyone just switch around from site to site - clearly not!!!!! Well I better wish those who don,t a Merry Christmas too

Watched it go up the dyke on its trade plates this afternoon!!! Looks as good as it could given its limitations - I actually think the longer ones will look a bit better although even the little one looks OK. p.s. also am getting used to the shed too!!!!

Try not to use the plastic coated stuff - it can hide all manner of problems and at its worst if you lean against it it could break due to an unseen fault such as corrosion. Certainly no "real" boat would have the plastic coated stuff - looks like washing line!!!!!!!!

I would place very little reliance on this rumour at this stage but I do understand that a consortium of yards in Wroxham are LOOKING at the possibility of supplying petrol. My guess is that this may well fail because of economics but at least someone is trying. I suppose if you look at this in the cold light of day it is never going to be economic. Even if you put a premium of 20p per litre but according to Ferry the real problem was that no one wanted to do the job! I suppose a 20000 litre tank is good business whereas a 2000 litre tank is not worth getting out of bed for!! If I hear anymore I will let you know but please don't shoot me if it does not happen

But haggle on your chandlery! Not obviously on screws and little things but a well known local chandlery gave me 2o% off some kit and the final bill was nearly 50% less than another local supplier quoted!!! So it does pay to question prices and whilst invariably I do shop locally, always always use the internet to get guide prices before shopping!

Ranworth Dam or perhaps Fleet Dyke?

Lets work this out!!! Certainly the BA cos I can see a workboat!!! Its summer time so that means its not the recent work on the Ant between How Hill and Irstead!! If its summer its not the Navigation Rangers who do the banks in the winter. It is unlikely to be an "official " BA workparty or else they would all have hard hats!!! Do not recognise any one from the conservation team on the Northern Rivers. So Either a conservation team on the Southern Rivers OR The Broadsword volunteers although do not usually do the summers either. Probably a conservation team in the South as it is only the who have burnups!!! Probably totally wrong give us a clue!!!!

There certainly is a bridge like that at How Hill - if that is not the one!!! It is up round the back of the part of the Reserve you can walk round - it is near to the hide which looks over Cromes Broad.