[Greggs on the broads]

Hello everyone. Thought I'd write a small post to let you know that the staff from london street greggs will be doing a sponsored walk from whitlingham park to the surlingham ferry house from 11am today and will be following the water as much as possible. I've been roped in to pick them all up from the ferry house on the boat and take them on a lazy trip back to norwich.

So if you see them please give them a wave :-P

Thanks Branden

[pvc vinyl bonding]

Managed to find this old post rather than starting a new topic. With the weather getting better, I've been able to get some work done on making the new budget canopy. I'm at the stage where the rear canopy is done and just waiting on 7 fabric to fabric fittings till i can put the main canopy on.

The next stage is the windows and this is where i need some advice.

What is the best thickness of clear vinyl to use on a canopy? I'll be ordering online to keep costs down so can't physically feel each thickness to determine the best for the job. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

When it's done i may make a little youtube video of how i bodged it together with a low budget, but with a tidy, waterproof result. An example of the tools i used is a wheelie bin and pipe weld to get a precise heavy way to bond the hems without sewing. (Insert emotion here normally)

[Holiday Calendar]

There was an official forum flag showing NBN plus the sites symbol but since theres a new site design i'm sure there'll eventually be a new flag design.

Most members will let each other know when they're out and about just not as publicly as other forums.

Branden O:-)

[Emoticons How?]

I cant see it anywhere :-\

[Emoticons How?]

Hi forumites. I've only just noticed that there doesn't seem to be any emoticons/smilies anymore. On the old forum i would change text size and stick in the emoticon in nearly every post but it seems the option is no longer available although the emoticon post option is enabled.

Am i being a bit thick as to where they're hiding at?

Thanks in advance Branden O:-)

[7 days, 1 Rascal & Distant Horizon 2]

Great stuff as always :-D Glad to finally see a decent reedham to yarmouth video. Reedham is the furthest i've gone so far in my boat, so when the weathers better it'll be a trip onwards to yarmouth. Keep up the good work

[Bargains may be had!]

http://www.aldi.co.uk/uk/html/offers/offers_week20Sunday13.htm. Aldi have some useful stuff aswell.

Anyone have any idea what sort of power the hd satellite would draw from a 115ah battery? Thinking a little tv may be the next project for the boat B-)

P.s I think i'll get the polisher for a bit of shine on the boat.

[Horning Marine Covers]

It's good to see what a professional job looks like. I'm in the process of making a new canopy for my boat. The difference is mines only costing £43. Something tells me it's not going to look as good as those :-P

[Please lets hear your input with the new site]

Not very important but profile background customisation doesn't seem to work on my account. Otherwise everything seems great, i especially like being able to view forumites photos full screen and being able to flick between pics. On the old format i had to click, close, open next, repeat.

[Mooring Ropes.....]

If you're near stalham theres a boat/fishing jumble this sunday. Went to one a few weeks ago and probably 60% of vendors were selling new ropes at discount prices. Might be worth a look.

[BA recruiting]

So why do they NOW need the expensive services of another beaurotwatt, whos existance in past years was of no nessecity at all?. Personally, i think this is just another "jobs for the boys" scam to use up yet more toll payers money, instead of spending it on essential river maintainace. This bods salary WILL come from the navigation budget i`m sure .

It does beg the question of if they've never had a project manager, who's been deciding where the moneys spent and what maintenance needs to be done or should be on going.

Maybe, just maybe the ba have realised the sums don't add up with their outlay vs actual expenditure e.g the odd hundred thousand drifting off somewhere.

My opinion is it could be a good thing to have a project manager, but that surely theres someone already working in the ba who could do the job.

[mercury 15hp 4 stroke problem :'(]

The problem is back. Had about 60 miles use out of it, left it for a week and a half without running it. Yesterday went to take her out and it just would not start. Got the cowling off and when pumping the primer, fuel was squirting out of the top of the carb. Took it off, drained it, checked the float valve, tightened the rubber valve on top (which stopped the leak), put it all back together and it still won't start. I'm stuck as to what else to do. The only strange thing i noticed is that the steering doesn't sit straight so im wondering whether something or someone could of hit the outboard and thats why it won't start. The prop is all good in that free in neutral and stiff in gear.

[Thieves strike at Sutton and Hickling]

Possibly unrelated to op but there was a boat acting very shady tonight. A white rowing boat with a 2-5hp honda outboard pulled into the basin an hour ago, i flicked the lights on to see who it was but as soon as i did they spun the boat and shot off out of the basin, i walked over to the main river to se where the boat was going and saw it slow down and cut the engine next to the boats moored under the bridge. Whoever it was waited there about 5mins before pulling a torch out to have a look around so i kept hidden but watching. Unfortunately i couldn't see too much so made a bit of noise then went back to the boat, sure enough they shot off down the river (with no lights on may i add). It wasn't a boat or person i recognised from the area so all seemed a bit off to me. Couldn't see a ba registration either.

Branden :

[Does your boat have a Carbon Monoxide Alarm?]

It's still there but looking rough with tarps over it until i finish making the new canopy. I'll warn you that theres now 2 horses over the island and a length of rope across the bridge. Once you move the rope they're ready to run over the bridge.

Teadaemon: i know with my gas cans they go really cold to the touch when being used. I can see how a pan would blow it up though as theres an opening to see if the gas can is installed properly, but a large pan would cover the hole and heat the gas can at the point where it plugs into the cooker.

All this aside the op was about carbon monoxide on boats/ enclosed spaces and the fact is that if you run any fuel burning device (cooker, heater, generator) on a boat you need ventilation, professional fitting of the device and an alarm.

[Does your boat have a Carbon Monoxide Alarm?]

The actual cooker would sit somewhere in the front cabin in its case and the gas cans will be in a dry bag next to the fuel tank in the self drain well. Before you say, the dry bag gets folded rather than sealed shut so it keeps the rain out but allows ventilation. I keep my wd, oils etc in it at the moment.

[Does your boat have a Carbon Monoxide Alarm?]

It's stored at home under my bed so i should be alrite. Alot more convenient to use than collecting wood and starting a fire up . I wouldn't use it on the boat as i wouldn't use it in a tent. Common sense is the main approach.

[Does your boat have a Carbon Monoxide Alarm?]

You could always buy a pet canary for the boat, it'll sing away and when it stops and drops, you've got a gas leak

Turned out the deaths were caused by a dodgy generator they had on the boat to power a heater.

A week later and more people have died due to bad ventilation aboard. See link http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cumbria-22063269

Glad to hear people are buying the alarms but i think knowledge will make the biggest difference. I've avoided a big gas bottle on the boat opting for more blankets when it's cold and a camp stove for cooking on land at moorings. Small gas canisters with auto cut off.

[Rules of the broads, am i wrong?]

Alot of responses Good to know i'm in the right but from some of the posts it sounds pretty common so looks like i've got alot more of the sort to look forward to

As someone who's never used a thruster i can't see how it would be easier than turning the wheel? I'm presuming the thruster must have a throttle so surely it would be more work turning using one.

Leomagil: if you'd ever seen me reverse a boat, you wouldn't suggest me reversing through a bridge

I've got a canoe/kayak of my own and when a boats coming i make sure to keep out of their way, it could be that because i'm a boater and canoeist i give priority to both over myself. So if you see a badly painted red canoe with me in it in your way, don't hesitate to plow through :

[The dreaded BSS]

Hi Matt, i had the same worry a few months ago. You can download a pre exam checklist which i took down th boat and went through section by section. As far as an examiner, i highly recommend Tim Waters. He came out and did my boat at a very reasonable price (and this is coming from a skinflint). I did all the work on the boat myself so was really worried about not passing but aslong as you follow the list it's no problem. Tim looked the boat over head to toe and asked if i'd done the work myself so he must of been able to tell the difference from a professional job

Years of experience, comes out to your boat, competitive pricing Tim Waters 07810458021

[Rules of the broads, am i wrong?]

Hi everyone, over the past week i've been out on the boat regularly and i've come across 2 particular situations that i'm unsure of the rules on how to handle. The first is my old friends the canoeists. Approaching a bridge on saturday i could see the local canoe club sitting in the water on the other side of the bridge ( 7-8 canoes, 1 boat directing them). I slowed down to tick over speed waiting for them to move, which they did not. So i honked my horn in short bursts as i was now about 2m from the bridge. They looked again and still didn't move so i had to reverse or get stuck under the bridge. The sound of my outboard revving up seemed to grab there attention and finally one moved slightly out of the way so i just whacked into forward and went for it. A boat plowing towards them finally got the whole lot to row out of the way but overall it took them 4-5mins to move. Am i right to think they were being ignorant or is it normal practise for small craft to block bridges.

The second situation has happened a few times in the past week. Hire boats going round corners at either 1mph or neutral. An example of this is On the way back from reedham i was following a boat at about 4mph in a 6 zone and as we approached a corner they would slow so id match their speed. Ahead was a left then right turn very close together and we were both cruising at 6(ish)mph, tide an wind behind us. The hire boat got round the left turn and decided to stop accelerating for the right turn. Needless to say i HAD to speed up and go around them or plow into the back of them.

I asked another hirer who was doing the same thing wth they were doing and was told they were using the bow/stern thruster for cornering??

I love the laid back nature of boating and the broads but the past week has been reminiscent of mopeds an tractors ( bloody annoying)

[Swan death]

Everyone knows that swans are off limits. There was a spate of immigrants killing and eating swans in england a few short years ago. The queen owns all swans in the british isles and as far as im aware there is a suprisingly harsh punishment if your caught killing one. I own a cross bow which i use for target practise and i know the power they can have, so it's no surprise that some ****** saw a big bird and thought.... powerful weapon = more killing power. If it's young people who shot the swans it won't be too long till they're found as younguns love to brag.

I occassionally hunt but cook what i hunt. If the swan shooters don't get caught, lets hope they don't think that a dogs about the same size as a swan or even a young child is the same. When you don't follow the laws with this sort of thing, where is the limit of what a person would deem fit or fun to shoot.

[Boats on fire]

My old stomping ground. Atleast i can't get the blame for any incidents which happen there anymore.

[mercury 15hp 4 stroke problem :'(]

Thanks, hopefully it'll be a trouble free season. Off to reedham tomorrow night so should be a fun trip :

[mercury 15hp 4 stroke problem :'(]

A lap round the island ?

I took her out for a lap/spin/drive/ride/boat moving through water, around the island yesterday. Was great fun but very fast (idle set a bit high meaning mooring was interesting with the lowest speed being around 3mph). I opened the throttle for a few seconds to find the front of the boat lifting out of the water which means planing could be a real possibility if it wern't for the speed limits.

Only issue was while attempting a 3 point turn for the first time in this boat, i went too slow into reverse and the engine cut out, one pull to get her up and running again though.

Incredibly quiet so much so that when it cut out i didn't hear any difference.

[mercury 15hp 4 stroke problem :'(]

Hallejuaha she runs Still unsure what the issue was. My dad and bro went down to try and get it running and did the same procedure i did, but where i gave the carb a little tap with a hammer, they hammered it for about 15seconds. Wd40 in the sparky holes and they got it up and running. After sitting in neutral for 20 mins they did a quick test of the gears while tied to land and they say it runs a dream. Tomorrow i'll be taking it for a lap around the island so hopefully it'll be all good.

Once again thanks for all the advice forumites Branden