marshman

They also won't pay out if, for example, they deem it to be something that should have been dealt with on maintenance - they would not pay out for a fire caused by 2 wires rubbing together and eventually wearing through the insulation. Said it was poor maintenance and refused to pay and it was Navigators!!!! Like all insurance companies, if there is any wriggle room, they will wriggle!!!!!

I would move it!!! I cannot see what people are expecting in October as, whilst you can get good spells, I find the weather often dreary and damp and much prefer the spring - the evenings will be longer and the atmosphere tends to be drier! In fact as you may have gathered I find the weather in October often to be a precursor to winter and a time I really do not like - add to that , the fact that the clocks will change that weekend and that always puts me in a bad mood!!!!

Wind will remain easterly until around mid day tomorrow - then it should go southerly! Might be rough 24 hrs or so for you!

If they persist, then others booking direct through WRC or intending to do so, should take note - or at least thats my view!!!!

Lets hope that WRC do the decent thing and refund you - it does the industry no good to see yards blatantly profiteering in such circumstances. I know its hard for them - but its hard for customers too! I was just going to say that Ferry told me it took just 20mins to rebook a last minute cancellation the other day but David beat me too it!! Does this mean that if there is another nationwide lockdown, yards receiving direct bookings will all follow this pattern - I would hope not! I doubt James reads the Forum these days but if he does he might like to comment if he sees this....!!

I wonder why WRC cannot refund the total? Seems to me to be a bad bit of business on their part? Did they give an excuse? After all many businesses are refunding the total.

Lovely lovely bit of history BUT knowing how hard it is to keep on top of a wherry's maintenance, a double skinned timber lifeboat might present problems! You could almost guarantee any rot would be out of sight between the two skins!!! That may cause a bit of scratching the 'ol head and sucking on non existent teeth of even the most hardened boat builder these days!!!!

Many years ago, when I was much fitter and younger, and sailed offshore, it always surprised me that most men insisted that they helmed the boat when mooring to a buoy, leaving the attractive other half hanging out through the pulpit to try and pick up the buoy. It occurred to me many times, that the whole process could be easier and much less stressful, if the roles were reversed!

The whole of the Broads are Cat A waters with the exception of Breydon, which is Cat B under the Inland Waters Categorisation and Vaughan is right about the old Board of Trade requirements limiting passengers to 12 - I think this is not occupants but literally fare paying passengers. You can find the various waterways and their Categories on the specific MCA document. Just to confuse issues this categorisation is completely the reverse of the RCD classification when taking about boat design!!! The old Board of Trade regulations regarding inland waters are all covered by the regulations within the Inland Waters SPBC ( Small Passenger Boat Code) from which comes the wondrous requirement that to be qualified to sail a Norfolk wherry, you need the have the RYA PB2 qualification - good innit!!!! Thats what happens when you let the shiny suits loose!!! ( See first para too !!! )

Vaughan - I have already been taken to task for suggesting that the BA will make a lot of fuss but at the end of the day, not get much further than shining a few more trousers!! Your summing up says it pretty succinctly I guess - I would like to think things might change but to what end? I doubt, sadly, whether they will stop, let alone reduce accidents, at all!

I am pleased to see that, but putting on my cynics hat, I wonder if, in reality, its more about the additional residential accommodation rather than the mill restoration. A bit like Hunset in a way (no thats not an invitation to reopen that discussion ! ) you cannot really fund one without the other - I am of two minds as to whether its to get the opportunity to profit from riverside development or a philanthropic proposal to really restore a mill and open a visitor centre!!!!! Knowing the cost of mill restoration I am inclined to lean one way....!! Lets see what happens but I guess any "visitor attraction" will be pretty small scale but lets see what happens - might be a few conditions attached to any successful application!

Any BA initiative will likely be window dressing as you would expect - well thats my guess!!

ECIPA - not a lot!!!!!

And me!

My guess, like many things in Yare House, it will all amount to just a lot of hot air in the end

Bet Coltishall is quiet with headroom at Wroxham somewhat limited to say the least!!!

Glad to see all of that - shame some cannot read!!!!

We have now gone from one extreme to the other - not so long ago, and I have commented on this before today, anyone who preached caution about going through Yarmouth at anything other than slack was frequently overridden by others saying not a lot can happen if you go through other times. Now we have swung to the other extreme - its not a dangerous waterway (Cat 2 I believe) but that does not mean you do not treat it with respect. By all means offer a piloted service if you think it necessary (who is going to bring him /her back?) and how many trips should be done a tide? ) to those who want it but remember during a normal season, the number of days where a pilot would be useful even to those who are scared witless, is probably relatively limited - perhaps 15/20 at the most? So lets put on our realistic hats please - by all means provide better charts and perhaps a Breydon pack as suggested by JM, and encourage people to cross as always was, at slack, and see if that has an impact. Make wearing of lifejackets easier by encouraging ALL yards to include auto inflates as standard and suggest wearing of said aids is recommended especially for those less experienced, and especially for mooring up. It has improved but not by enough, sad to say. But please, no bits of worthless paper, no more silly rules not helping one iota, and accept, reluctantly that their will always be idiots who you just cannot cater for , let alone advise! Unfortunately!

So far out of the box, I suspect that it is totally impractical IMHO - it would kill the industry overnight but more importantly, would not prevent accidents - by their very nature accidents are entirely unpredictable and good drivers still have accidents - or am I mistaken?? And worst of all largely unnecessary! Would you include the canals also in your scheme? And worst of all, even a bit a paper does not mean you will not be involved in an incident that you came upon out of the blue. Some novices might cope easily whilst even some "ticketed" skippers would be useless in a similar situation. No I am afraid even a weeks study would not improve some punters skills - in any case I believe the dangers are being overexaggerated now!!

Hunters punters and indeed EW are not necessarily all the better for it, as it is optional. My guess is that if you were to ask them, they still have as many incidents as previously, before the courses were available. Tuition is no guarantee to stopping accidents and incidents sometimes beyond their control. Although I doubt a Skippers Handbook is a guarantee either, I would suggest that HW revisit their approach to just putting it online, if that has actually happened. It may not happen every time but perhaps some may wish to refer to the book whilst afloat after they have had the handover so then what do they do given the erratic mobile signal etc etc. In fact I would think that it would be prudent of them to revisit that decision if that has resulted in the change of policy - seems retrograde to me!( Apologies to HW and others if it has not happened )

Sadly, despite your assertions to the contrary, RM, that won't "guarantee" much. People still make basic mistakes after passing their driving tests and have tragic accidents! The driving test is much more difficult than it used to be - is the standard of driving better? Most would say no so its not as simple as you would suggest I fear!!

I like JM's idea about charts but add to it the advice to cross at slack, and that will help!!!!! Any additional verbal instruction at takeover will be a waste of time, or additional qualifications of those giving them, will be ineffective simply because it depends entirely on the person receiving the instruction. If he is not listening, he is just not listening however crucial or whoever gives it!

I think this is disappointing to say the least that some people seem unable to accept that whatever precautions you take, accidents will happen! Sadly. Eventually officialdom will stick its oar in, and will "interfere" and produce recommendations that cause a lot of angst and in the overall scheme of things, make little or no difference - simply because people will find their way round them or indeed they are not really fit for purpose, or more probably, that they are in effect impractical! Just listen to those who probably know better than you, Andy and Vaughan especially! I am minded to point you towards the stability requirements that came in following the sad incident concerning the day boat on the Bure - has that improved anything? Not a jot! Even the wherries had to submit themselves to extraordinary testing to prove they couldn't capsize, yet we happily hire canoes still which can capsize at the drop of a hat! I read talk on here of "guided convoys" across Breydon - can you imagine the dangers of forming a convoy up in the constrained channel above the Yacht Station or down near the yellow post? One thing however we need to do is for the Forums to always respond to people asking advice on Breydon, to NOT continue to give out information that is misleading! Yes crossing Breydon is easy - but follow the advice given! Cross at slack or slackish and you will come to little harm, nor will you go aground! Listen to the old rules - they are frequently the best! No - its not a doddle as some here profess - as .."all you need is to open the throttle more, it will cost you more.." but you can still do it! Lets reintroduce the measure of caution that even the old hands still observe - just cross when it is best advised. Its not your schedule thats important but occasionally, lives. Remember the advice to cross at slack - that advise is for a reason.

Waking up with a "hoodie"? Surely you mean a hoolie!!!!! Or perhaps you don't!!!!

Trouble is there is no community there to use it!!! My guess is that villagers use the Wherry! At the same time it can often be cut off for long periods when it floods - which it can easily in the winter