marshman

Martham Ferry also have a brand new one available! More sick now???

The good thing Andrew at the end of the day, things take a long time to happen, especially around here and as the Broads are not hugely different over the last 50 years or so, except of course the obvious, then it will always take a long time , and way beyond what I will ever see! And its still a great place to be!!!

Andrew - there isn't!! But it won't be long before someone points out that that paper is written by the BA and is total codswallop! ( In fact its pretty much accurate and what it fails to say in addition, is that prior to those years they had spent two winters dredging Heigham Sound as well so the total spend has been fairly substantial - hardly the action of an Authority determined to close the navigation! ) You do have to accept that there are a lot of "chips" on shoulders amongst some of the detractors and every now and again, one has to contradict them, just to keep the thread running a bit longer!! Incidentally, virtually everything the BA do on the rivers and Broads has to now be approved by Natural England and indeed in some cases the Forestry Commission - yet any department of seat polishers with jobs and pensions to justify!!!

So if ice and accumulated snow over the land masses melts, does that not increase the level of the sea? As 12% is now covered by snow and ice and has been reducing steadily will that not have an impact? Equally if a large piece of a glacier which was on land falls into the sea does not that too increase the sea level? Surely there are plenty of glaciers moving towards the sea and these are introducing new water? And if the thickness of the ice on the land, such as Antarctica, is reducing will have an effect surely? And I thought it was only Donald Trump who was in denial of climate change? Still never mind there are still well known and active members of the Flat Earth Society - each to his own!!

MM - perhaps you have missed the obvious with the gradual rise! Perhaps it is nothing at all to do with the dredging but more to do with melting ice, to such an extent that it is now quite common for boats to pass through the NW Passage and all along the north coast of Russia. Melting ice means more water in the sea, more water in the sea means less headroom under Potter Bridge? If water levels generally have not been rising, perhaps you should have sent a letter to the EA and they could have saved in excess of £20m - and lots of wild mooring spots!!!!

Having said that there are lots of other free ones too - print one of those! I always use the Shorebase ones as they give Low and Slack at GYYS and loads of other places too

Some people may not like the layout but having spoken to others, the punters really like the forward galley. For too long the people who make the tea have had to gaze out of a window on the side and now , they can finally see whats going on. Thats a lovely space and others think so too - thats one reason why the boats are so successful and let so well!!!

Cleared that up then!!!!

Hi Vaughan - I think Captain has said it all and cleared up some of the points you raised. If you go on the Ferry website, all the boats do have a little video on each boat so you can see what it is like. To me the appeal would undoubtedly be to see over the reeds - even I get bored with seeing only the reeds at times and there is no doubt that lounging on an upper deck would have some appeal. Now Vaughan when you have a moment, perhaps you can clear something up for me! Earlier Chris B mentioned that all new boats would be financed through a marine mortgage - I was surprised by this as I thought most were funded by selling of "old stock", or in the case of Len Funnell, probably out of the cash in the tea fund!! To me it seems an additional problem to be added to the existing problems if you do it through a mortgage but hey, I know nothing! So what do they do ???

Just out of interest Chris, these boats are only about 36' long I think, far shorter than Clives finest!

It doesn't really matter what people think other than those who chose to hand over the cash - or at least that will be the view of the yard owner! And of course those choosing have a choice too, of other more conventional and cheaper boats within the same yard or the one they have chosen. However the trend for couples ONLY to elect to take these large boats continues - frequently these days you see only a couple on Richardsons finest and I do not suppose it bothers Clive one jot as long as they have paid! Cars too, particularly the SUV brigade, are also going this way so its no real surprise to see this trend on the water too. I suspect several of those who contribute here, also drive large, overly wide SUV's or 4x4s, when a small City car would get them from A to B, but they want, often, to give the impression of size and being better than others and indulge in some luxury!! Who said size doesn't matter....!!

MM - I think you estimated budget for all projects is a tad understated - I see from another publication the cost or restoring and reopening just 4 miles of the Cotswold Canal is being budgeted at a mere £24m and just one swing bridge, according to Network Rail, is budgeted at around £40m!!!!

The fact that these boats, which incidentally do go under Ludham Bridge normally, let well is sufficient indication to the yards concerned that they are doing the right thing. There is inevitably always going to be some disconnect between the eyes of some of you, and what makes economic sense to them!!

Come on Griff - I doubt you could even sleep on anything other than a brown job!!!

You can indeed fit out a bathtub to a luxury level but it will never give the "appearance" of being roomy. The same applies to cars - ever wonder what the appeal of SUV's is - increase the headroom and they appear more roomy - methinks its a similar perception when applied to boats.

i used to think that an old lifeboat hull was stylish and boat like - but on reflection it wasn't!! People want their hire boats to look like floating flats and have loads of room and island beds and an en suite for everyone, and drench showers, and household toilets - they are the boats which let the best! So whats that telling you?? That they want old fashioned looking boats with less room and less mod cons? I don't think so ......!!!!

No - sadly I will not be around this year. I will PM you about the trunnion but I am not sure quite what to do with it!

Not only the BA with a representation- but those who own the JM pictured in PW's avatar will be there with a stand!!!!!!!

You make Vaughan sound like Methuselah!!!

Now thats interesting but achievable??? So the developers think that the "profit" on 8 houses is going to be enough to dredge and refurbish the moorings?? Sounds a bit fanciful to me - if anything is left off in the fullness of time, methinks the moorings may end up being only for those 8 houses. Or indeed at all?? Or am I just being a cynic??

AB Tatty please!!!!

Unless it has really very large blisters do not worry too much about osmosis lots of GRP boats have it in one form or another but I doubt one has sunk as a result of it!! Often put forward as something like a disease but in fact to me, seems a good excuse for many to make a lot of unnecessary money!!

And I for another, take an entirely differing view!! I love watching these "super cruisers" race and even you Mr Waller , must agree that they make for some stunning stunning shots! As a class it has continued to excite and to me the handicap system works as well as it could and indeed no worse than the PY - doesn't seem to put many off racing their boat if they want to . The 3RR race is a real mix and that works well and no one class seems to be at an advantage over another - isnt that what people want? Like everything though there will always be many sides to every story, and like it or not I disagree totally with Mr Waller and indeed Poppy - seems to work so why fiddle with it ? I would certainly be less of a spectacle with "that" ruling applied!!!!

Don't think I have seen 7'7" under Wroxham often although this summer may have been a bit of an exception!! My older version of this boat uses a guide of 6'7" although there is no room for give and take on this!!!!!

I believe the site of Wheatfen Reserve was another Starfish site too.