marshman

I have suddenly thought of a new source of revenue to tackle growing climate change/global warming, be that the same thing or different! Tax aviation fuel!!!

Cannot argue much with that logic!!

And when its really high, that little island on the Blakeney Cam disappears!!!!

Deeper?????

The visibility from the helm is not really that bad closed up - its certainly acceptable for the little I use it especially as almost everyone who has an AF35 drives from the hatch!! Standing up out of the hatch is in fact very comfortable as unless you are very vertically challenged, it is just the right height to lean on and admire the polish on that bit of the superstructure! But if it does rain, is only seconds to slip down and close the hatch. In reality the primary benefit of that design is the twin sliding roofs, they are very good indeed

I have just found the answer to my question - they are using the spoil from Catfield to help infill Chara Bay and as a result they will, I guess, be taking the spoil away in barges. That shows how difficult these exercises can be.

Hi Paul - do you know exactly what is involved at Catfield? I am not sure myself. Are they being allowed to side cast it or are they going to use the spoil in the reclamation of the bay around the corner? If the latter, my guess is that given the length of the dyke, they will be hard pushed to complete it by early March and if it is a mild winter, a rise in water temperatures earlier than expected, will bring it all to a sudden, and earlier, end. What it is still a little sad to see, is that despite dredging this winter, some of the extremities of the navigations, no one has seen fit to congratulate the BA!! I suppose it would be too much to expect this will put paid to the earlier controversies that have been around of them operating a conspiracy to abandon some parts of the river system? My guess is that the dredging on Tylers Cut, Waxham Cut and now Catfield Dyke should help dispel these "conspiracy" theories !!

Griff - my sentiments and thoughts exactly!!!

Thats as maybe, but its hardly misinformation as I am merely recounting the experience of one individual who chose the rebuild route and ended up with nothing short of a disaster. If that question were now put to him, I know what his answer would be - how do you know it was going to be a "properly" done when you send it away to so called "experts"? With a new one you do not have that issue - or would you????

And yet, I know of someone who HAS had a rebuild recently, and the thing is now worse than it was before. They were based in the Midlands and the engine has already been back 3 times - despite being advertised as "engine rebuild specialists" and apparently having a good name, it has been nothing but a pain. I think it is ok now but that is after considerable input and work by people in a local yard! Good to see differing views - MM you might as well make your own mind up I am afraid. I know what I would do....!

Plenty of otters up there too, Vaughan - just less people to see them!!!

I don't think the issue with coots is at all surprising! They still come in smaller numbers - there is at this moment a flock of at least 500 on Hickling right now, but now winters are milder they no longer have to migrate here from the Low Countries which not very long ago, froze over in the winter. They do still come - the other day on the coast road between Blakeney and Stiffkey there is a large pond/lake which is largely fresh water I guess, and it was literally black with them. I cannot count large numbers of birds but at a guess there were several thousand on it. Now they will have dispersed throughout the eastern counties but it is a bird which, now for us, has moved on.

Now thats a bit more interesting so could you fill in more detail please? Was the egret a Little Egret? Easily recognisable by its yellow feet!! These are now fairly well established on the Broads, breeding in some numbers - a welcome addition to our residents. But if it was a Great Egret - they are much less common but even they are now breeding in this country but in much smaller numbers so far. The difference? One bigger than the other, oh and the Great has black feet!!!!! And a better ID on the geese please!!!! Feral? I guess you might mean Greylag, or possibly even Canada Geese?? Or even the ever growing numbers of pink footed geese? These have a distinctive "pinking" call when flying so should be quite easy to ID - vast numbers can be seen around Norfolk now - treat yourself some day to a trip up to N Norfolk and park in Lady Ann's Drive Holkham at dusk and see tens of thousands come back to roost every night over the winter months. 40000 geese make quite a racket! They are a bit partial to sugar beet remains or freshly emerging winter wheat! So come on Pete - stop teasing us with half a story. Or else I shall lodge a FOI !!!!

Lot of guessing going on over the final details still - the BA seem to have now taken a decision which is perhaps a bit more logical so perhaps we should just go with it and accept it? Not sure we will get much further with it although what does come out, is that perhaps the builders don't come out exactly smelling of roses? I was led to believe that it was in fact an unusual engine and not many were built but who knows? This far down the line, I think I have lost the plot and probably feel the need to move on!!! Probably squeezed out most of whats available so I think I shall go and contemplate my navel for a bit - wake me up if anything really salacious comes out of the woodwork!!

This time of year is often the best time to see the birds in particular as they come out of "hiding" and become more visible. As far as bitterns are concerned, the creation of large reedbeds opposite on the new reserve will help greatly - hang on a bit more and I guess it won't be long, although they are naturally shy. Its rare to see them on the ground as they quickly dart back into cover, and with two exceptions, the only time I have seen them, they have been in flight. I hear and take on board all the comments about devastation of certain species, but its inevitable that birds move around and many of what we knew as Broadland birds have moved in part northwards due to warming temperatures. There was a report some weeks ago , a pretty general one I have to admit, showing that whilst levels do fluctuate for many reasons, the overall trend remains broadly similar. I am not going to be dragged into a debate here as a general discussion on the findings of this report but while some have gone, others have replaced them, and birds we would never dreamed of seeing in Broadland are now taken for granted. Like PW, I love the Broads and its wide variety of wildlife and bless how lucky I am to see what I see, old and new.

There is certainly a book about Herbert Woods as I have a copy somewhere, and there is also one about the Elanco story (Landamores). But plenty of books on the Broads generally and Black Sailed Traders by Roy Clark on the wherries. That is currently being reprinted by his family and will be out before Christmas I believe.

You must be walking along a different rhond to me then!!!!! Or perhaps their "southern" cousins have a soft streak in them!!!

I hope no one will take any offence, but I thought I would comment a little on the wildlife snaps!! The first one on Tue 12th is presumably by Hardley Flood and is of a Little Egret - I cannot see its feet but they should be yellow. If it had been bigger, it would probably have been a Great Egret - the latter are now more common but there indeed are lots of the Little Egrets around and they breed regularly in Broadland. Had you seen either a few years ago you would have been lucky - more evidence of climate change to those unbelievers! You are also right about the Little Grebe - again this time of year there are lots about on the river. It is a relatively shy bird you hardly ever see in summer as they brood and rear their chicks on the drains in the marshes but about October, out they come onto the main rivers and on a good day in the the winter, you can often see quite a few. Bit worried though about your "moorhen" on the next morning though!! Most likely a hen pheasant or possibly even a chicken but definitely not a moorhen - they are smaller and have feet with a type of web on them to aid swimming and that certainly does not have that!!

Interesting that but don't hold your breath thinking that the Blofelds will suddenly start caring about others - its not a characteristic of any of the large landowners in the Broadland area - sadly!! As far as I am aware and expect, they will continue to hold the view that "whats mine is mine and not for sharing with the low life" as they have for many years - not sure they will change now although it would be nice to think that they might!!!

Apparently there was some interest in the boat, but she was not sold. As you surmised she is now I understand back in the fleet and presumably will go back to patrolling Breydon, and breaking down!!! What interest there was, apparently came from the South Coast, or at least in that general direction.

Being lazy I know, but would someone care to stick the link in????

Pete - I no longer sail boats I can easily fall off. If I sail at all, its in half deckers with proper seats onto which I can relax!! As you say its important one knows ones own limitations!

Oh dear - the peace of the afternoon has now been despoiled. I have a picture in my brain of a large gentleman falling overboard from a pretty sailboat - but unable to reboard and the boat sailing away into the sunset. I see a couple of fellers rushing down a short slip and into a small pram dinghy and starting with some difficulty an old Century Plus outboard ( well it wouldn't start first time! ) and then "racing " across Oulton to save this floundering gentleman, and then towing him gently back to the slip - well like all Seagulls it only went flat out! They then staggered down the slip to drag this beached old chap up the slip - but unable to do this the more elderly one rushed back up the slip to grab the hawser of an old wherry winch to hook it onto his life vest and then, oh the ignomimy of it, seeing him winched back up and helping him to his feet, standing shaking like an old mutt. Oh dear how will I rid myself of this vision in front of me.....!!!

It is indeed BUT I can guarantee you only a small proportion will be fitted correctly AND the daily checks necessary are rarely carried out, let alone the servicing! As PW says and John confirms, life jackets must fit properly for them to be effective and they must also be the top garment worn, necessitating much fiddling with the adjustment when you put on / take off coats, jumpers etc. This not always as easy as some propound. Chris kindly posts "the simple explanation" - not simple to me, as reading that it confirms that vests may be most appropriate in the Broads. It says clearly "...if you are going to be out of the water more than you'll be in the water, and still manage to see the shoreline, then the buoyancy aid is the most appropriate piece of safety kit" . Sounds pretty clear to me! There is a real danger on a thread like this, individuals will think an auto inflate will automatically save your life and that is NOT the case - you still must take care on a boat, fit a jacket correctly and tight, carry out regular checks on the bottle and get them serviced by a competent person. Think very carefully before choosing either system though and if you want to consider the benefits propounded by an old sea dog like Mr Waller of a fitted buoyancy aid, then don't just discard that idea and the idea of a modern vest. (All comments made with the aim of providing balance in any discussion!!!)