marshman

I see your point but would be difficult to "plant" in water of any depth! Going back to Mr Leighton, I see he has done a few waterscapes some of which look like the Waveney Valley but he is better known for his figures, often courting, which perhaps explains the detail surrounding the "wherryman" and the girls but it does have a real charm to me. Thanks again

Don't tell the volunteers about "light" quants - I see a mutiny arising!!!!!

Another cracker Pete!! I really do hope you have all your wherry pictures properly archived - there are too many "private" collections that have been lost!!! The Wherry Trust archive continues to grow - please feel free to dive in!! I like how it has been stylised by the artist. Or is it a coloured photo - looks too good to be true! But the detail is good - you can see quite clearly the wooden foot rest although not yet seen any crew who have that long legs! Note too that it seems to be based on a Walkers wherry but a boring clinker one! And the quant poles look too short and spindley but I am just being picky! Thanks for posting that - love it!! ( Who is the artist? )

Way off course? No further than usual methinks!

Can't dispute that, Griff!!

I went to school too - in Broadland!!

Seeing as the dredging programme has to be organised at least a year in advance, could you let me me know, in advance, what they are trying to divert our attention from for 2020?? The conspiracy theorists are never far away....!!

Might not be at the beginning of April - the kit is still working on Hickling methinks!

Where did that come from, Pete. I thought it was only around 4' - plus of course unfathomable feet of the gloopey stuff!!!!

My guess is it may well revolve around the cost of maintenance of the piling which here would probably be steel - so I wonder who does own it and ultimately wants it back? If it is the EA why on earth do they want it back? Or are they just the current Lessee? I think this epitomises the problem the BA has over its moorings and the cost of finding new ones - here we have the edge of a virtual salt marsh which I see as having nil, or virtually nil value. Clearly I have missed something! Lets hope they continue to show some patience and ultimately resolve something.

Managed a few years ago to find an old mainsheet winch at a Boat Jumble style thing which was two speed - great stuff and whilst I am only one speed these days it certainly presents little problem in raising the thing from the subterranean depths!! Probably also explains why I want 18mm to get it on the drum nicely!!!!

If you haven't bought the rope yet, make sure you buy a rope that's big enough to grip - mine is a multiplait one of I think, about 18mm. Actually I think I would buy a longer one - not that its really necessary but I have about 35', give or take, which is the length of the boat so I can let out loads and let it really get into the mud!!

Nothing much new there but at least he has taken time to explain a few of the issues - as always it probably does not tell the whole tale but he has to be the public face of the BA and whilst there will be times he could say more, he has to sit on the fence a bit and be a more diplomatic than others might be. The big issue, IMHO, remains the attitude of some of the adjacent landowners where you could have moorings, but as someone has spotted, any moorings provides an opportunity to squeeze out more rent and I think the BA are between a rock and a hard place here . They presumably have to pay what their advisers say its worth, for transparency purposes, but equally do not want to be held over a barrel and recently there has been some evidence that this is been tried at a couple of sites on the Bure - this not just redundant land alongside a river but an asset they can use to good purpose when someone else wants it!! The other problem is that it is all long term stuff and they can get nowhere quickly - remember how long it took to reopen the footpath that went through the boatyard at Ludham Bridge? My recollection it was about 7 years by the time all the various solicitors and landowners had had their slice of the cake and their say - says it all really!!!!

As most have intimated, Robins idea (this one! ) is way off the mark - has he forgotten this is Norfolk??? In anything other than the very busiest of times they would just go bust!! And I agree totally with MM - all this squit about busy rivers is only valid to someone who has a relatively short memory. It is disappointing that so many "wild" moorings have disappeared, but I see this as a symptom of "less" busy rivers - more boats down south will soon open a few more wild moorings!! They used to be down south all over the place but not now - it needs more people just jumping ashore with ropes to moor up casually. The same applies up north too - many will recall with pleasure the casual moorings up the top of Fleet Dyke - its taken all these years since it was graded for two small ones to open, but with a brush cutter, I could soon make a few more!! Real pressure on moorings would soon help that although I do accept the growing proliferation of "PRIVATE" notices everywhere really gets my back up!!! Private boats in marinas don't help as many go "home" to their base to overnight and neither do yards having turnround days most days. So its not just one issue but many interlinked - real pressure by boats will help but the BA's hands are tied a little because of the landowners and the fact that they are very expensive to procure and maintain and the impact this could have on toll income when you realise for large parts of the years the moorings are empty and it is only at really busy times they are full - do councils provide more parking all year because of the queues at Christmas?

And don't forget, whatever they say or mean, just miss the bloomin' one with a big black sail because if you don't, it will hurt you more than her!!!!!

So come on MM, what did you really learn from all of that??? I have been pottering around the Broads for years in motor boats and often sailing boats, and not once have I ever considered in any situation that I was either the stand on boat, or even the stand off boat!! Neither, for what its worth, do I suspect that many others have. What I do know, is when in doubt slow down and pass behind the other boat with a cheery wave!

To be fair, I do not think that there were many valid points raised at the end of the article by just a few individuals!!! We have heard them all before and it seems many IMHO have not a clue what they are talking about!! The whole issue does not revolve around any one point but a whole range of problems to which there is not one easy answer. My memories of the Broads go back further than one particular individual who clearly is unable to remember the Broads before package holidays and cheap flights took off!!

Quite right too - lets just get on with it as before! No wonder there is such confusion with everyone thinking they are right - shame in reality its resulted in 3 pages of pretty much squit! Lets all go on holiday on the rivers and have a nice time and use commonsense - although given some posts that might be really difficult!!!

If any coast is allowed to go it will probably be bits of the Lincolnshire coast - but worry not chaps, its just scaremongering!! Retreating the sea defences to the Potter area was first discussed in the 13th century - still brought up by those who want to fantasise!!

If you are actually buying a mooring, i.e. freehold, then yes you probably would be responsible for dredging , but off the top of my head I can think of few moorings that come up for sale other than at St Olaves. Elsewhere you would be leasing them, from a landowner and that would be the responsibility of the Lessor - otherwise he is not leasing a mooring but for half the time a pile of mud !! In a marina its pretty obvious as you don't actually own anything other than the right to moor there for a stated period - and its obviously the marina owners responsibility.

Thats probably because, reading websites like this has put the fear of God into him/her that its somehow different!. Nope - just an ordinary dual carriageway! Perhaps its the drivers....!

Oh dear Pete - never mind! It won't last you know!!!!

Thank goodness I have the triple lock increase applied to my pension then - I might be able to keep my boat another year!!!!!

He makes it sound like his idea to have the hire cruisers at Waveney and its a whole new concept - methinks its very much his father in law at the helm, aided and abetted by the office manager from Ferry in Horning!!!

NDR? Not paying attention? Says it all......