LondonRascal

When I was moored in Brundall Bay, I used a router with a SIM Card (on the EE network) and would, at best, get 2 bars of signal, but more usually 1. Not ideal for streaming content. My phone is O2 and did no better. The issue is the where the village is, in relation to the river - the river being far lower than the village. The local phone Mast serving EE and O2 is at the back of the McDonald's (just at the Cucumber Lane Roundabout with the A47). This is not far away, but is far higher than the river, and the signal just does not reach the river area at this location very well - because it is close to the mobile mast. It is why as you cruise toward Norwich or away from it, reception improves as the angle you are to the Mast decreases and you get more of the signal. So, in short no you can't do much about phone signal near Brundall on the river. The WiFi at the Marina is also terribly slow, as I am sure you have found out too.

I bought and have used this Strimmer, and it's look it worse than it's bite. Does well with Grass and Reeds - this was me working away on the Bure last summer at the mooring I have coined 'Pump House Corner' and somewhere just downstream of Irstead on the Ant.

It has been time to treat my Volvo XC70 to some love - and since I bought it, it had a broken lower tail light. I replaced the red lens tape and it worked well but it has always bugged me because I have worked my way through dealing with just about every other niggle on the car but this. Finding these tail lights is easy, but not with the clean lenses and integrated red LED side markers. Out of the blue one came up for sale on E-Bay - upper and lower unit, with postage for £50.00. I jumped on it and it duly arrived recently. Normally Volvo's are easy to work on, but as you will see below in order to change the lower tail light a great deal of trim needs removing and the loosening of the upper tail light too. When dealing with brittle old plastic trim one is always worried a clip may sheer and a new world of pain will open up. Thankfully it was not the case and I now have a flawless tail light. Now I await a new Swirl Flap actuator arm to sort a problem FOUR garages and a Volvo specialist have failed to get to the bottom of: Why at 70MPH+ and 'engine system service required' message appears. Codes generated point to the EGR this has been out and cleaned, all inlet ports clean, MAF sensor changed and all will be perfect, until you hit 70MPH and bingo up comes the error. No alteration in performance, no limp mode etc, 2-3 days later self clears itself and will never come back until you reached the magical 70MPH again. Cruise at 68MPH and won't come on. I was cleaning the engine and saw the swirl flap actuator motor and arm but it looked like it was missing something. You Tube showed it to be the arm, finding a replacement has been hard - even Volvo Grantham were stumped to begin, as what they had in stock did not fit. Turns out my engine is a very early 'silver top' D5 and the arm fitment changed after a few months so, just like my light cluster, getting a new one has been hard. Mines coming from Latvia! The hole: Well then, let's begin taking apart the car.. Yep, even the roof trim needs to come down... And the side trim too... With the upper section also loosened off, finally I could get the old lower tail light out... And the new one installed... And all the trim back together again... A truly rugged car and great hill climbing torque The Yorkshire Dales seems the perfect environment for an all wheel drive, raised estate ALL the buttons, and a pop-up screen for the Nag Nav if needed, but not bad for 17 years of use...

I love these boats, and they are few and far between coming to market - so when one does my interest peaks. I think this would make a great boat once the issues are sorted cosmetically. Boats truly are funny things, because even decent ones usually have plenty of areas where money can be spent on them. It will be good to see the changes as they come about and you turn this into your own pride and joy. In my opinion it is sometimes better to not be so worried about cosmetic appearance and more about relatability and comfort internally, over £5,000 was spent effectively changing my boat from a blue and white one to a red and white one just to make me 'my own' and perhaps in hindsight that was not as needed as I believed at the time. This was my Sheerline as bought then named Mistral Legend II And her she is now named Trixie five years later..

Whenever you see discussions online about EV's you see a kind of verbal fight between those who say they will not get one and those who sing their praises. The fact is it is not about choice, as things stand the Government has said new piston powered cars are stopping being sold in the UK come 2030. Now why this has a lot to do with boats is because almsot all marine engines are based on other engines - especially those in small cabin cruisers like we have on the Broads. Some of these 'base engines' might be used in construction plant, or maybe vans/SUV's - it is not really important, what is when things begin to change globally more and so far it is looking like EV's really are the way to go - especially now China has upped their game producing not only the cars from scratch, but batteries too. You already are seeing some small site plant go to electric, and I can see this increase in time too - so if more vehicles and plant move over to electric, just where are the base engines to be marinised going to come from? So it might be 50 years in the making, but one day it won't be viable to just get a Nanni/Beta/Volvo diesel engine to bung into a boat. So I say yes, one day things will go electric but it might not be anything to do with the wishes of the Broads Authority, just market changes and a global push to wean off piston power that does it.

I spent an absolute fortune (over £500.00) on a small Waeco Fridge (CR50). Now don't get me wrong, it is super efficient, quiet and gets lovely and cold - but my god you'd think it was made out of gold for that sort of money but that is the sort of going rate seemingly the smaller the fridge the more money they would cost. You could try these 12v fridges manufactured by Boo for use in camper-vans, and do cost a little less than the Waeco versions and sold by Planar (who do great marine heaters and with whom I used to buy mine). The fridges come with a 3 year warranty - far better than the 12 month one Waeco offer. Don't whatever you do go down the route of a thermoelectric 'cool box' style one. While they can keep things very cool, they are always on and very inefficient and will draw a lot of power. You could use an Inverter, then buy a small domestic 240v fridge for a fraction of the cost of a 12v one. Ideal with a larger battery bank, ability to charge that bank quickly and a solar panel able to top it up too always helps - we have this set-up on Broad Ambition which works well, but it certainly would not be for everyone or those tight on space. Also there are efficiency losses from the inverter doing it this way, but it does save initial outlay and when the fridge packs up a few years later is cheap to replace.

No, I live in the real world alright, just not worried about what names are given to areas I love and not getting myself tangled down with banging a drum increasingly only being heard by a few of how it should not be called such. It has indeed worked (as a brand) and some may say even more than this - from mapping companies, news organisation's and average citizens, people now assume the area is a National Park. You must accept this to be the case, and this has all happened through saying somewhere is - and others following along with it. People don't want to be bogged down in the small print and truth, it is why miss-information is so easy to spread and why factual information so hard to make any traction. I am sure you dislike this state of affairs, but think of the other side of the coin - these people you have received feedback from (I know not what capacity you work to have sought such feedback, for all I know you just have asked people in the area yourself). You say they are disillusioned and previously said "I have to disagree with that, I have spoken to many first timers over the years who thought they were coming to a NP only to go away totally disappointed as to them there was nothing remotely resembling a NP during a boating holiday on the Broads." and so this to me justifies expansion to become a legal National Park - for these disappointed and disillusioned tourists would no longer feel duped and no longer be disappointed. See how you can spin something to be seen another way? We are talking about rejuvenation of an area and industry which, is currently clearly on the slide. Now you and others can take point to the name it is given, and the remit of an authority set up primarily to manage navigation - but I and many others like me who visit the area don't care about that. We care about where we can go, what there is to do when we get there, how easy it is to moor up, and how much things cost and backing up all this is the service we get from the businesses we choose to use. The old trusted customer base is falling away, a new one needs finding and encouraging and the area needs new activities and interest past the natural environment and old draws like a riverside Pub. The fight agaisnt the name 'National Park' is lost. The fight to reform the Broads Authority is wavering too - time to put these both to one side and concentrate on new tourists coming and spending - without that it is all lost!

I just caught up on this, and I should have made my point more clear - when I said "Yes it was, and to be honest, it has been used to good effect - you'd never know the area was not a bona fide National Park, and for the sort of people that this would mean something to (and visit because of the connotations of what a National Park is) is been great." I meant in terms of marketing, and if you limit it to this alone, it has worked well, that you would (unless did not know any different) think the are was a National Park. So people who might be so inclined to visit an area (or book a holiday in the area) based on being a National Park have already come - some might not return so readily due to the area not fitting with what they believe a National Park to be, or having found out they were 'mislead' from the start that is is not actually one anyway! But in terms of attracting people and keeping them, the National Park branding has done its job - there are only so many people in the country that a 'National Park means something to, far more just think the word means it is going to be extra petty/special and a lot more would have no idea what the term relates to. I think a more universal brand works more like the old 'Britain's Magical Waterland'.

I think you are right, but it does need a real joined up and committed approach. You must still strike the balance between nature and it's protection, but I think landowners, the Broads Authority, the local council, businesses and boatyards almost need someone to kick them into reality. In times gone a lot of that would have come from Blakes and Hoeseaons who had great sway - but that is long gone. Even if it was only seasonal, say between May and September, whereby temporary extended moorings were made available, and 'hubs' where extra services were (at a price) like portable showers and toilets to make out of the way moorings more accessible and enjoyable to people. I also remain surprised at some locations - take Salhouse, who charge a fair amount for overnight moorings offer so little but could offer so much more. Imagine if, again seasonally, you'd moor at Salhouse and it be a bit of a fixture in the summer for events, like an outdoor cinema, low key music festival, entertainment, food and drink and the like. They have so many moorings both on the the Broads edge, and along the riverfront (half hourly river taxi from them to the shore for example) it could be a great thing for local catering and event organisers to have a base to work from in the peak season. But such ideas like this would no doubt stumble with planning and older people stuck in their ways not taking a fresh approach and a little risk. I guess if you take away the boating side of things, there needs to me more than a handful of pubs to keep people entertained and coming back in future years.

I very much disagree there, else drivers would have long learnt how to be more respectful to others from all the television shows about bad driving/Police chases etc. Now You Tube, Facebook and Tik-Tok is awash with Dash Cam footage of shocking events - still just as bad, and everyone who comments is always so righteous as if they never take chances or dive like a pillock. If people cruise past a big sign saying there is a bridge ahead, that the spaced under is it just a few inches more than the height of their boat and having been told on take over about bridge procedures, folding the sun loungers and table down, along with the side screens and not having people up top - yet they arrive at said bridge in a panic "quick get it down", manage somehow to pass under without personal injury or damage to the boat all while being filmed from the bank, hmm, that's entertainment, not educational to those who watch it

Yes it was, and to be honest, it has been used to good effect - you'd never know the area was not a bona fide National Park, and for the sort of people that this would mean something to (and visit because of the connotations of what a National Park is) is been great. But for everyone else it is just a pretty area in Norfolk.. Oh so true! Indeed this has been the case for years - many of the reviews left on places like Trip Advisor to the actual boat reviews on Hoseasons website itself will mention this and the lack of moorings and what lack of places there is to go as a family. I am convinced if this was an area other than the UK it would have far more investment in shore side facilities, you know super basic things like picnic areas, toilet's and shower's, a decent place to moor up not having anxiety of if you would get a space when you arrived. It would be joined up with various stake holders all adding their funding into the pot for the benefit of all. What we have today is in all honesty a broken, mess constructed back when it was possible to do no bad and print money off the back of boating. It should also not be all about the holiday maker who hires a boat - but those who own one and yet spend their holidays on the Broads (and their money here). If you have a private boat and can't get under Wroxham Bridge, well good luck in finding a mooring (even if you wish to pay) to visit the village. Over years moorings have given way to berths for yet more boats sat in Marina's to make more money for relativity few business and landowners.

Shows how long I have not been here for - I remember when this was lovely and clear along here. Talking of bush clearance i did actually buy and have on the boat a Cordless Strimmer - and have used it to great effect to keep growth down at some moorings I enjoy most especially on the Ant. https://amzn.eu/d/5YVRcLN

I actually would like to do some new video's - but not sure in what form. I think the daily 'Blog' is a tired format now, too many are out there doing videos of much the same and also once you have seen one Drone video you've seen them all. There is far more to the Broads than just the same rivers, Pubs, moorings and villages along the way. What has also become increasingly popular is someone to just sit and film boats at a bridge then post it, without any commentary for people to watch and make their own commentary up. It creates good view amounts because those who get hooked, literally do so keen to see what the next incident a new hirer may get themselves into. I think that is a bit distasteful, it is akin to setting up a camera at a popular mooring and filming people who might not have moored more than a couple of times before on their holiday get things wrong, but many seem to like watching another's miss-fortune.

The issue here is cost - if you want someone who actually has big engagement with the people you want to reach, that Influencer will charge big - with no guaranteed outcome, and it will be a one off mention. I know this sounds simple, but it is not - a boatyard is good with boats and customers, not necessarily with social media and marketing, but what works with younger people is content that is 'raw and real' - almost hidden to be an advertisement. So if I was a larger yard, I'd be looking into launching the brand on other platforms - having a plan of short 60 second to 2 minute videos to be posted once or twice a week. I'd encourage those holidaying to film their experiences so this could be used, perhaps some of the employees have families with people of the age group the yard seeks to engage with - could they host some content? Is there a confident member of staff who can interact with others and 'behind the scenes' stuff? Give someone who has masses of followers in the camping/van life/exploration space a weekend on a boat for them to create their content but tag the yard in it - its all about spreading the message and fact this area, this activity holiday exists and is there for these people. The traction Tik-Tok can bring is staggering - I have seen everything from car garages to garden firms to caterers build a huge (tens of thousands) of people following and interacting with them - then those watching wanting to go to/use/experience the place and create off the back of it their own content. But it also is very hard for an individual or business who has not done such to get it right and not look like they are trying to hard, as the moment that happens credibility and originality is lost and you loose a great deal overnight. Yes, continue to see a few - but nothing like the larger parties of the past (or the amount coming they once did) - I guess the cost of the deposits, plus speaking to the Police prior to departure from the yard at one point to tackle anti-social behaviour put a dampener on things. It did change overall which was slow but steady but just looking on You Tube at videos posted a few years back, the antics, people and boats they were on no longer are part of the Broads today.

Nothing to do with speeding, but some months ago there was a post on Facebook where somebody had crossed Breydon Water and seen a life ring in the water still tethered though to the large concrete and steel mooring pontoon. It erupted with accusations of vandalism and others complaining about the Broads Authority - because of course. I was in a Pub in London reading all this unfold and called Broads Control. They were super helpful, made a report and said the Ranger would go at high water to retrieve the ring. Some hours later I had a call back from Broads Control - again thanking me for the report and that the ring had come out of its holder due to high winds and a loose latch on the cover. I went back to the Facebook Group to update the squabbling moaners I had made the report and the outcome, but it goes to show that of the hundreds who had read and interacted with that nobody but I had taken any effort to make the report. I have reported other instances to Broads Control and I would encourage others to - because we can be the extended eyes of the Rangers and I think many who speed or otherwise cause issues afloat think if they are seen by another boater, nothing will come of it so continue as if they were alone.

So, having not been boating for months - I've been back again for 5 nights just a few weeks since the last time, at this rate I'll have to start some kind of way to record the events, maybe a video - maybe a You Tube channel...Nah, it would never take off... I decided to head down to the Broads again last Friday (11th August), and duly arrived trying a new 'trick' which was to stop at Lidl just off Broadland Northway (It's actual title is Lidl, Broadland Gate) and get all I needed here, then proceed to the boat and on my way. I am not that keen on Tesco, but that might be because I was effectively brought up with Sainsbury's (it was at the end of the road when I live in London) and Stalham Tesco seems like an oversized Express - it has almost everything but not quite what you'd usually find in a large Tesco. Anyway, having got onboard Trixie it was the usual 'pre-departure' routine - fill the water tank, wash the boat, dry the boat, clean the windows, unpack the suitcase, make the bed and then ponder where I would be going to, and why break tradition these days, a 'wild mooring' on the River Ant. I left the mooring, passing Richardson's basin remarked about how many boats seemed to be in still 'it will be quiet on the rivers again' - ha! Famous last words. There was a fair breeze and I did not want to mud weight on Barton Broad, but I noticed how every wild mooring between Stalham and Barton Broad was occupied - over the Broad, and Irstead was full (of course it was) but then everywhere else was too, How Hill and when I arrived Ludham Bridge as well. I passed under the Bridge now thinking I might get in at St. Benet's, but no - this was likewise full (well, like How Hill if people had been a little more thoughtful in their spacing 2 or 3 more boats would have been accommodated.) I decided to go somewhere I have never moored in Trixie before, Fleet Dyke - the moorings on the bend which I believe are Environment Agency ones not Broads Authority - regardless they are lovely moorings, recently refurbished and the gentleman in the Alpha 35 kindly took the ropes upon my arrival as if my personal 'mooring valet'. His boat also had the most amazing window covers with 'googly eyes' and combined with two black vinyl stripes above the bow made the Alpha's front end the perfect smiling face. It was a warm evening, and just before dark a large Horning Ferry Marina craft arrived clearly desperate for a mooring. Morning came but I was in no hurry to do much at all, so went about doing some improvements onboard - replacing electrical sockets with new, since the existing had become a tad loose. I was pleased I did, because whoever had these installed previously had not done a very good job of tightening down the wires in the respective terminals, in one the neutral wire popped out as I took the faceplate off! I also found a lot of corrosion to the earth terminal on all the sockets - since I had the shore power upgraded with new consumer unit and automatic shore power/inverter changeover I had a galvanic isolator fitted also but I am not sure the decades of use without one should effect the earth points on cabin sockets? Still, all new ones went in, stripped back virgin copper on the wire and correctly fitted the back plate to the bulkhead with four, not two screws as before. Now I can't say this is going to be a day-by-day account of things, and this is why in all honestly the idea of doing new Captain's Blog Videos is an issue too - lack of meaningful and interesting content. Because having eventually left Fleet Dyke, I headed towards the River Thurne - well, I was actually going to go to Potter Heigham but never did get there, Thurne Dyke was almost empty and it as approaching midday - so he Pub seemed a good bet instead. I had a look in the 'Information Kiosk' - the former phone box, and it is not bad actually, but missed the point of being informative completely in my opinion. The 'anti Broads National Park' brigade had been there previously, leaving marks where stickers had been placed over the Broads National Park branding, now it was said to be "...visitor information centre with content to educate, inspire and encourage residents and visitors to explore the Broads at any time of the year..." Which sounds really worthwhile, however what you get is a single 'information board' and a wind-up audio player of the different bird songs. Why this could not have offered recorded content about the history of the Pub, Staithe, Water Pump, the Village and so on I know not - that would have been informative, bird songs not so much. Still, at least it did not cost Toll payers anything, or UK tax payers since it was funded by the European Regional Development Fund and the Interreg France (Channel) England Programme. I smile at the prominent EU Flag and proud information stating how this was funded. We may have left the EU, but they still are happy to fund projects here, anyone would think it was some kind of political propaganda. Leaving the old phone box and politics to one side, it was time for lunch and I had an excellent one in the Lion. I think they have the price/quality/choice just right - not too fancy, not too pricey but my they must have had about 8-10 staff working there that afternoon, and much of them were left talking in pairs - I mean, it meant for amazing service, but I wonder how sustainable this is when the pub was far from busy and the Dyke had a spattering of boats on an August Saturday afternoon. Oh what has happened to the Broads I wonder, busy yes, but not at all how it was a decade ago let alone 30 years back... Back to the boat, and the wind has other ideas about letting me depart - they say small boats are easy to handle, no, no they really are not. Weighting under 2 tonnes, with a high side and canopy up Trixie is bulled about by the tide and the wind and when they combine you just have to submit to mother nature and figure out new ways past expecting the bow thruster to win the batter, with nobody to help with a spring line, it was a big shove off, reverse, bow thruster - hell it was everything lol - but it worked and was once again underway, this time back downstream for the Bure and as it would turn out, back up the Ant to an old friend, a wild mooring just upstream on the Port bank from How Hill. Again, buy this time moorings had been filling up fast and it was only around 3:30pm so I opted for something quiet and away from other boats. But what to do with the rest of the afternoon? Well, how about add a new spur and single socket so I could plug the Television into it and not have to use a short extension lead - I set to and sat back to enjoy my hard work, the issue was while the TV plugged into the socket just fine, anything else (with a longer tail on the plug) would not. So socket off, raised it by 10mm and now it truly is sorted. I also neatly installed my Roku device to run off the USB socket of the television, so with the onboard WiFi I've done away with any aerial and ability to receive broadcast television, and instead it is all steamed. This meant I could indulge in (the rather old now) but gripping political series 'House of Cards' on Netflix. Sunday came - urm well, it rained but eventually I got going and head back to base - top up the water tank and then get in the car. Why travel for hours to Potter Heigham when you can drive there in minutes? I also popped in to Tesco for some essentials I was running low on (Ale and Wine) - well okay, bread and eggs and some sausages too lol. Back to the boat and off - this time I knew exactly where to head to, the Bure and 'Pump House Corner' nut on arrival, oh no! it currently has a big generator providing the water pump power and it runs 24/7 and I did not much want to spent a night next to that. So I found just along the way was again a mooring location i have never used - ever! As a family we would never moor there because my Dad would always say the Bure was too 'sloshy' (I call it Bow Slap) but he has a point, Trixie has no 'low wash' hull so suffers with no Bow Slap - but where the metal piling is some sections still retain their rubber capping, and using the Rhonde Anchors decided there would be ideal, that said, it is like being in a washing machine when a large hire boat passed at 6MPH four feet off your starboard side - making a coffee let us just say requires some planning between passing boats so not to risk and spillages. Once evening came, it was a lovely quiet mooring - so still. Monday - again not up too early, and again no real plan - so you see now why I said making videos would be tricky these days, since frankly when I am afloat I do very little compared to the many hours of cruising to various places in the past. I sort of just decided to head downstream, maybe I could be bonkers and go south? But if I did, what would I gain, this was about doing little, not a lot. I got to the mouth of the Thurne just as Broad Ambition crewed by Howard passed - I grabbed the PMR to see if he would have his on, and low and behold he did, Wroxham bound they were - on a rising tide - the bridge height recently has been down to 6' 4" so I wished him luck (on his arrival was 6' 6" plus the usual leeway here of around 2" so presented no issue for Broad Ambition to get under). I thought about what to do - Acle, Potter Heigham, how about Womack Water? But then I had not been to Horning or Wroxham since last October and Lad's Week - so about turn Horning would be the destination. I popped my bow into Malthouse Broad to see if the Staithe at Ranworth was busy despite the mooring fees, it was so they have clearly not changed the minds of that many after all. I had a stop off at Cockshoot Dyke where helped a family on San Remo understand to bring the stern of the boat in, you must first slacken off the bow line, and frankly faffed about for far too long with Trixie's canopy to remove the entire rear panel, sides and open the 'sun roof' panel in the top. It's fine with two of you, when alone it takes ages. Anyway, underway again, and...Horning was busy, very busy. The Ferry Inn looks pretty sad these days, the old sign removed on the side facing the car park, and with it a bunch of paint too, showing where it once was. Of all the pubs this has (in my opinion) stalled most. Before it was a bit 'over the top' but it made it unique, stand out from the usual and was busy and had a good vibe - now it seems a bit confused as slowly the new owners make it their own, but too much of the past remains somehow so it is a bit lost in my mind. It certainly is nothing like as nice as the New Inn, which had once become my least favourite or pubs on the Broads. Now it is buzzing, the food is lovely (expensive mind you, Shiela and I had a Sunday roast here after she took part in the Norwich 10k race [Run Norwich] and with two drinks came to over £40.00) - I have not been in the Swan for a good while so would be unfair to comment on it. Well Horning was out, and could I be bothered to get under Wroxham Bridge? I'd have to moor up - take the entire canopy off the frame so the frame could be stowed correctly forward between the dashboard and instrument binnacle) then lower the screens - get under the bridge - and then repeat, then again twice - once to get back under, and once under moor again and faff about putting it all back up. No, so I called Barnes Brinkcraft - they had a spot on their pontoons, (27 foot and under) so I duly arrived moored up and then the heavens opened - thank goodness I had not gone under the bridge! I duly paid my mooring fees (£7.50 for the day until 5pm, £15.00 overnight for private craft) and headed into Wroxham. I ended up in the Kings Arms, having a Guinness and about half an hour later Howard appears - I moved outside and spent time, I know not in the usual sense of the word, but four more Guinness's were consumed I know that much. I headed back to the boat (okay yeah, I'll be honest because it will make some of you cringe - via McDonald's for a Big Mac). Now the rain had stopped, but did I want to spend the night in a boatyard or...Nah, engine started and time for some proper cruising and some proper music - so pleased with the new Sony head unit I fitted so I can now stream Spotify to it from my Phone. Some hours later...I arrived on Barton Broad. Lovely, I went to my new preferred spot (by the Nancy Oldfield Trust's floating pontoon) it has better mobile reception than 'Rascal Bay' - which is now home to some dredgers and work barges for the time being anyway. It was now about quarter past eight getting slowly darker and yet the wind was growing ever stronger I re-checked the forecast and it was telling me 8 to 11 MPH well this was far more than that - the little wavelets were getting sharper and I took the decision to up mid-weight and head for a wild mooring (or Richardson's yard if need be). in falling light, with Nav lights on, I have to say it was beautiful and I was not bothered by this impromptu evening cruise, I arrived sometime later in the inky darkness, just before you lose the last of the light in the sky at one of my new preferred spots between two trees - so no need for Rhonde Anchors, safely tied up, the wind was blowing hard in the tree canopies and I was pleased I was not bobbing about like a Cork on Barton Broad. Tuesday morning, turning into Tuesday afternoon and I had yet to leave the mooring - in fact I had woken early, before 6am to look out the cabin window at the perfect sight of a man in a small dinghy, standing drifting on the slightest of currents, Fly Fishing. I spent much of the morning reading and making my 'one tray' breakfast. I bought some disposable foil cooking trays so no washing up needed, and oven bake the Bacon and Sausage, then do some Beans and a fried egg on the Hob, less fat, less splatter and less cleaning up after - ideal. I cruised back to my home mooring - because I was not sure if I was going to head home today, or tomorrow - I decided on second thoughts, I would push it to another night after all - so went the for a long cruise again - no, I took a slow cruise back down the Ant and this time to a calm Barton Broad. Here, I watched the last of the days Sailing, saw the odd hire boat pass by towards Lime Kiln Dyke and just loved it so much gentle, silently, swinging on the mud weight. Sat in the cockpit with a glass of wine and a gentle, warm evening breeze as the sun set to the most outrageously beautiful scene of water, clouds and colours in the sky truly was a remarkable end to a few days lazy boating.

Interesting thoughts and opinions expressed on this thread by many, having just come back from a week afloat I was pleased to see the boatyards basins more devoid of their stock - but not empty or almost so as would have been the case in years past. Recently I posted on the Broads Facebook Group with the highest number of members a question. It went something like this: It got 77 replies and the majority seemed to believe it was actually all to do with cost alone - and stated the various reasons of why this was, but I think not. Someone put it simply that what has happened is a slide from the types of people who would come (and could afford to) and now cannot: 'average families'. These are the many who would have come year after year, almost growing up with boating and would often be loyal to a boatyard and book the same, of very similar class of boat year on year. As these older legacy boats were taken out of the fleets, they might move up and splash out on a newer model for one year, but could not justify the big increase in cost to keep this up - and, as costs elsewhere rose this meant less and less disposable income they had to either come afloat for a short time (3-4 night break) or scramble to try and book one of the increasingly few affordable legacy boats that remained. But as these affordable boats account for less of the overall hire boats, and some yards now no longer have anything much less than 20 years old, this meant families in this bracket were priced out. Lost for good it seems. We've also seen the loss of another big earner - Hen and Stag parties. Indeed, the large boats they would book are also those which have seen the chop from fleets. They still come, but not in the same numbers. Some welcome this, but it all trickles down - waterside pubs would have seen these large groups as sure fire wins spending many hundreds over the bar each night and may have been worth the occasional issue for the profit made. I wonder too if the quieter times there decline has brought has been as welcomed by some fleet operators as much now as they once imagined.. New boats are increasingly large but sleep less, space and comfort with all the amenities is the way forward - well that is the stance it seems many yards have gone taken, but this does not explain it all to me. Just look who the members of this Forum is, look too at the Facebook Groups members - these are the people who are the most passionate about the Broads and boating, who actively engage and share their holidays online but also ask questions of like minded people for advice. There is within the membership a vast chunk of the population of the country missing though. What about the affluent 24-30 year old's who work in decent jobs, live in very costly apartments in our larger cities and have plenty of spare cash for holidaying. Well firstly they don't engage with Facebook to any degree because it no longer reflects them, indeed Facebook's biggest audience is now 35 years+, no they are on Instagram, Tik-Tok, Be Real, Snap Chat etc. But they will spend a lot on visiting the Lake District, Scottish Highlands, Cornwall and so on, but why not Norfolk and the Broads? As Van Life is a big thing for many these days, it has caused a lot of followers to engage in alternative activity holidays and adventures along the same line, being independent, free to move as you wish, and take in the natural environment so you'd think a self contained boat on the Broads would be a great draw, only it is being missed by this group - why? There are many other people from many other backgrounds all not represented and not hiring boats - and I don't think it is because they don't want to, it is because they have no idea it is possible and what this sort of holiday has to offer. I myself have lost count of how many times I will get talking to someone about where I am off to 'the Norfolk Broads' and they have no idea about them and I'll take time and explain such where they are or that you can actually hire a boat - they find it amazing and cool, but how did they not now about it beforehand? Before I got a car, Taxi drivers from Norwich would drop me at Richardson's or Barnes Brinkcraft and be in awe of the boats "so you can rent one of these?" they would ask - this is right on their doorstep but had no concept this was possible - they believed the rivers did not go so far or were 'only for fishermen'. So if the Broads boatyards have lost the old faithful customer they businesses have relied on for 30 years, I think they need to be looking both closer to home and also engaging in new digital ways to entice people to replace the 'lost demographic' - people who can afford it too. Retired active people with a good pension and investments and time on their hands and seeking something different, younger friends and couples looking for a great holiday that takes them away from the pressure of life and reconnects them with nature and sustainable holidaying and tapping into groups of people from other cultures and regions - its heartening to see many more varied people in day boats - why are they not moving up to a larger boat for an actual holiday - are the boatyards bothering to engage with them and encourage such? So there is my take on things. As far as Herbert Woods doing as they have, they always seem to do something a bit unusual - and have in the past before Covid with people here calling some of the discounts then akin to a 'fire sale'. The odd thing about Herbert Woods is they have a big fleet, and a great deal of it is ageing - indeed, unlike other fleets who have improved their stock over time, Herbert Woods have just 'kept it going' - you won't see a big re-engine program to get rid of some of the most smokey, nosy and old Perkin's and BMC's - they will just nurse them along season after season and when all is lost then replace one, and frankly few hirers would care - but when you have a tired boat externally, with mechanicals that are tired under the floor but charge an above average price then yes, they do start to care more then and anything that might go wrong can suddenly escalate to the loss of a repeat booking.

It was the Victron Argofet. These isolators allow simultaneous charging of two or more batteries from one alternator (or a single output battery charger), without connecting the batteries together. In the case of Belmore it began in this unit but soon got far worse when one of the wires to it, having overheated and becoming effectively an electric element melted off the outer insulation, in so doing it then 'drooped' down and came into contact with other, far smaller wires and began to melt through their insulation too. When this was complete the full Alternator output was now being sent where it should never have and all sorts of problems were arising in a chain reaction as high amp positive current was being sent down negative wires. The result was a terrible mess, Battery charger, Inverter and the Argofet itself were toast. This followed me reporting something being amiss with the charging system and an engineer attending to it - while it took 2 days for the fire to present itself as I came onto Malthouse Broad, it may have stemmed from the wiring being loose/incorrectly wired from the time the first engineer attended the boat. I know not. What I do know is it being very worrying and panicked when you smell burning, then see smoke coming up from under the wheelhouse flooring and the first thing I did? Hit record on my camera..

When I bought 'Trixie' she had one of these very boxes - and being built in 1992 had seen a fair amount of use and around the side of one of the socket holes a clear brown 'burn' in the plastic where it had clearly gotten hot in the past. Some will use these to plug their rechargeable electric toothbrushes into which take a long time on charge not a few minutes an electric shaver would and I have never been too happy about that idea. I don't own an electric shaver or an electric toothbrush so it was one of the first things to go including the old florescent light fitting which it worrying shared the circuit with. As for the events in Wroxham, al i can say is I wonder if it had anything to do with the amount of rain that had happened in July and on the very day of the fire - water getting where it ought not and causing a short. A possibility..

You are not alone, I had the same thing go on Belmore from Barnes Brinkcraft - they had not heard of such happening before, and commented some of these are mounted under foam seating.

One thing about Solar is not to get hung up on wattage when you using them for charging batteries, which are DC. It is all about the Amps. So the 50w panel linked to earlier, has a peak, best condition output of 2.7Amps. Some might just show a short circuit peak amperage (in that panels case this is 3Amps). You will get some losses with resistance, and the sun is not always going to be shining super bright, and if laid flat on a roof this will effect its performance too. The point I am drawing attention to, is these are perfect if you have a boat left in the open without shore power to run a mains charger as they would maintain your batteries charge but don't expect them to 'charge a big battery bank' and some people spend a lot of money on having panels installed and see little return. If you have the room for larger panels, or several all the better - on Broad Ambition we have a pair of 100w panels which combined push out around 9Amps after losses, and in the summer easily run our 240v fridge, the losses running that using an Inverter brings and have a little bit left over to trickle charge into or domestic batteries too. But just the shadow of our Mast suddenly will take away a couple of Amps at times and it is interesting seeing the read out on our charge controller's panel as these things occur.

There is very little 'modern' about Lead Acid batteries, while small improvements have been made the chemistry is much the same, and every time you use some power from one and re-charge it - they degrade just a bit more. An average battery will come with a limited two year warranty and in the small print might only have a cyclic life of 50-70 cycles and many manufactures will state a cycle is taking it down to 50% discharge and re-charging it. So imagine how quickly 70 odd cycles will take place an after this, the life of the battery is very different to a brand new one despite it being perfectly good for the average user for many, many more cycles before they begin to see issues creeping in (faster discharge times under the same loads). I personally would not have left my batteries discharging for the 5 days you have as I prefer to always re-charge daily - but that is me. Because an Alternator is not a battery charger (think of it more as a battery maintainer) they won't fully recharge a battery unless you've run it for many, many hours. You can see on your NASA Battery Monitor (and this should be set up correctly to the average temperature of battery, battery type, capacity etc) that when you turn the engine on your Alternator will be putting out a fair amount of amperage 40+Amps - but as the voltage increases, say 13.5volts, the amperage will decrease rapidly as the regulator on the Alternator does its thing. This is why the batteries are not really being 'charged' whereas a stand alone, multi-stage battery charger would begin straight off on bulk charge at 14volts and, say it was a 50Amp charger, at this maximum amperage output too - then as the batteries are recharged, the amperage is reduced (to stop boiling of the electrolyte) but the voltage is maintained until 'full' where it will reduce to 'float' anywhere from 12.9volts to 13.2volts. If you are harpy with what you have, that is the main thing - because boy, can it be a deep pit to throw money into if you take it too far - from solar panels and charge controllers to DC to DC chargers to take the power from the Alternator and then this box of tricks sends it on tot he batteries in a 'multi-stage' way as a shore powered charger would to charge the batteries correctly and then there is a whole world of shore powered charges to dive into - some now with WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity! I confess to being pretty nerdy with batteries and goodness knows what I'd be like if I had an Electric Car lol.

On the subject of power, I have been surprised just how much of it I have saved since upgrading things. All the lighting is LED now, but the fridge and heater were old (1992 vintage). In wintertime needing the run the heater (and I'd have it on low 24hrs if was cold enough to warrant that) I'd get through around 57Ah from my theoretical 330Ah of stored energy overnight before I started the engine. But, in all honesty I see it as 165Ah of usable energy as I never like to draw more than half the capacity out of the batteries. In summertime, I'd use less without the heater being run, and it would come down to around 33Ah overnight usage. When I last used the boat with the new fridge, but no heating as it is summertime, I used just 16Ah overnight! It truly sips power, runs less often and for less time. I was amazed how much a modern, efficient fridge could change power usage. I once considered all sorts of fancy things like Lithium batteries, but these are pointless unless you have high amperage drainage that other batteries can't sustain over time (and I do not) and want rapid re-charge times too. If you do have Lithium batteries to really take advantage of them you need a way to re-charge at very high amp rates too as one of the great things about them is the ability to fast charge. Even if you do not believe that 'fast charging' is needed, never connect Lithium batteries without current limiting, using a Battery to Battery Charger to a normal Alternator, as they will suck all the Alternator has to give and overheat the poor thing (video here) You could get AGM batteries, but then you need to adjust your charging profile for those, and a Gel battery is even more susceptible to being ruined by wrong charging or being left discharged - even a little - for a period of time. So I stick with good old fashion Lead Acid batteries and replace them every 4 years come what may. That might seem unusual to some, but I only have to budget £80.00 a year for battery replacement costs and doing it every 4 years means their cyclic life is not exceeded and I have top performing batteries, so they are to my mind a 'replaceable service item' just as coolant, oil, impellers, filters etc are.

This is a fascinating topic, full of opinions but if you want some professional insight, this website is the best there is and you can really find out all there is to know about batteries, charging, chemistry and looking after them... https://batteryuniversity.com/articles

Well, hasn't it been forever since I took some time to type up something here about me actually going somewhere on Trixie. Indeed, it has been over 8 months since I was even able to use Trixie (but more on that in a moment) but having got things all sorted out I thought it was time I took a few days down in Norfolk and got afloat. This year, my time on the water has been limited to just two trips - one an overnight on Broad Ambition to meet up with a friend, and the second two nights aboard Broad Ambition to meet with another..Compared to years gone this is truly remarkable, I managed far more time on the water when I'd hire boats! So what has been up? Well, firstly I have changed (some might even say matured) but most would put it down to just getting older. See, when I would hire a boat it truly was a get-away and was the only thing I could do that I felt I was in control over, and independent in doing. I guess it was the driving of the boat (since back then I did not have a diving licence) and I think too the community on the rivers seemed a little more vibrant and active, it is perhaps shocking to think back to this being from 2012 onward so over a decade ago - how time flies! Now, since I got a driving licence this changed so much, because I just can't seem to help myself but go on random adventures - most recently to the Yorkshire Dales, but it need not be for a weekend away, last night I went for one of my night drives, I love it after midnight with clear roads, the right music on, and half an hour later I am usually back home chilled out and settled. The thing was, this time I saw some brightly lit red 'antenna' sticking up that I had never seen before. Curious, I headed towards it - believing it to be 'just a few miles away'. Well, 32 miles later I had found what it was: the Belmont Transmitting Station near Market Rasen built in 1965 its 1,154ft tall - no wonder I could see it from close to home across the flat Fenland landscape but odd how it seems so close yet is so far. The point is, just who would randomly see such a thing, and then drive out to see what it was and where it was at gone Midnight on a Tuesday? Me. And I rather like that sense of wonder has not left me despite turning 44 last month. It has not just been all these other things which kept me from using the boat, see last October the heating began to get temperamental - it was 32 years old so I did not expect it to last forever, but it began needing several attempts to get it to fire - it also needed at least 13.3v to even think about starting, and during startup would pull an impressive 18Amps! Then, one day it was dead. I thought it might be the fuel pump, but they don't make those any more and a well used example would have set me back £135.00 plus postage off Ebay so instead I got a £20.00 new one for a Webasto off Amazon. Down the boat and - the fitment is different. Back home and back on Amazon I order a bunch of stuff, from a copper pipe cutter to the correct ISO fuel hose, proper connectors, clips the lot. Back down this time with Charlie, and after cutting the hard copper fuel line and getting the pump in place, upon turning the heater on it' ticks 'brilliant I think, fixed for under £50.00 - but no, the fuel was not actually getting out the outlet side of the pump. Off to Boulters to buy a used older pump with a different frequency (delivery rate of fuel) and..It did not do much at all. I am now in the mood of 'replace the whole lot' so called JPC Direct in Brundall, a 2Kw Webasto heater fitted 'from' £2,500! Urm...No thanks. I thought do I go with 'cheap Chinese' or cheaper than Webasto, but more expensive than China 'Planar' (now made in Lithuania). We have one on Broad Ambition, so I that is the route I took and with some extra wiring loom and other bits, it came in at under £500.00 delivered with a 3 years warranty. I then got in touch with the excellent Daniel Austrin who, being excellent was very busy with big things - like changing engines on boats, but I was not so bothered about not using the boat as I had plenty of other things going on to occupy my time with. Fast forward to beginning of July and it is fitted - not easy I am told either, what with a new raw water impeller supplied and fitted I did not think £175.00 for the heating being fitted too was bad value, and I thought it was about time I now got down to the boat. Oh, and if you have wondered why on earth not having a working heater stopped be using the boat the summer, well you remember that copper fuel line that was cut? Yeah, well turned out when you turned on the fuel isolator for the engine to run and get fuel, fuel found it's way out to the now cut hard line to where the old heater fuel pump should have been - so no engine running..No boat use. I arrive last Wednesday and set to cleaning the boat - it is terrible as 8 months of sat in the Wet Shed has taken it's toll with rust and bird muck all over the topside - the rust deposits have also stained the gel coat in areas but half a day cleaning and some Y-10 cleaner and a hand polish with some light compound paste has done wonders - inside was a little dusty but otherwise perfectly ok as she is kept at no more than 48% humidity year round as I use a constant draining de-humidifier onboard. What had happened though was all the beer had expired, coke too, dry food and tin goods too. So big operation to get rid of this and then head out to Tesco and re-stock. Unpack it all, tidy away, fill the water tank and depart the mooring - and then I found out more bad news, the water pump (new in 2019) had pumped its last. Use them too much they stop working, don't use them enough they seem to stop working - in five years of ownership (I know how fast did that go) this is now water pump number 3! I got through 2 on Independence when lived aboard her for 3 years but put that down to daily use from dishwasher to washing machine to showers. So it is just before 5pm and I call Sutton Staithe Boatyard, speaking to Rob he is helpful as ever - they have one in stock, bring the boat round tomorrow and I can get it. This I do, and renew my recovery service that I have with them, so for that and the pump £286.00 the lighter it is time to fit said new pump - but with a full water tank and no isolator between it and the inlet of the pump. I pondered this project, saw in my mind a torrent of water, so got the yard to fit it - all was done with minimal leakage (experience and quick hands and lots of blue roll did the trick) and so, Thursday afternoon I was finally able to set off and enjoy the rivers... I went all the way just past Barton Broad and thought 'that'll do' and picked a nice wild mooring and relaxed at last. I was asked during my days afloat by no less than 7 people if I would do any more videos, and in truth I would love to, but what sort of content is travelling from Sutton Staithe to just past Barton Broad and mooring up? So, see this is what I was talking about me changing. Indeed from Wednesday to Saturday I went no further than Ludham Bridge - and some might think that is boring, crazy even - but see, when you have previously lived in Broadland on a boat, and cruised to all the places time and again, I don't have the same want as most to go to this place or that, just between two trees is fine, reading about the Vulcan Bomber while working my way through a bottle of white wine does me just fine on a (dull) summers day in July. So Saturday I headed back to base, intending to go home because - well I needed to do laundry, and I'd use the food up but then I thought, must I go now? I'd really settled back into boat living so instead I thought I would use Richardson's Laundry, then head to Tesco to re-stock and then head back out on the boat. Now, I don't want to seem rude, but how tedious it must be for those who live on boats to have 'wash day' and literally take hours and many pounds to do some laundry I know not how they cope. £5.00 for a wash, £3.00 for 20 minute dryer time. Of course its coins only, so in the car and off to Tesco to get cash out the ATM. I am so used to never using and carrying cash these days, so back to the yard and to the office - no they can't give me change for the machines. So back in the car, back to Tesco and do the shopping bit first then, when I pay I can get some change - urm no. See Tesco will only give change for money paid for goods bought - not anything else (due to risk of passing fake notes over and getting change back) so I said, why accept the notes for the shopping - they could be fake too? Perplexed look back no words..So I got £8.00 in pound coins - enough for a wash, and 20 minutes dryer use - talk about cutting it close. So having bought in Tesco detergent and fabric softener I duly used the machines, they are clean and do a good job. 37 minutes the wash took to complete and I decided to only use the dryer for the bedding as this I felt was most needed to be dry I hoped on the high heat it would indeed be dry after 20 minutes - well the machine actually gave me 25 minutes, and thankfully it was dry, the rest I'd have to hang in my sun heated drying area (the canopied aft cockpit to you). Back underway this time I mud weighted on Barton Broad - bliss again, away from the noise and rush of daily life, it was just a few Ducks and a Swan for company. The following morning I was up and underway - this time actually getting under Ludham Bridge - really pushing the boundaries now! All the way to Womack, then back to Thurne Mill (it was open) and then on to Horning. I had a message Howard and family were out on Broad Ambition heading for Acle or Stokesby and so I thought be nice to catch up as not seen Howard for too long in person. We duly moored outside the Bridge Inn at Acle, yes, July on the Broads on a weekend, just turning up and getting a mooring outside the pub - it is very quiet out there this year! I also think one of the rare occasions (and only I remember actually taking a photo of) have Trixie and Broad Ambition be out a the same place together. Lovely meal was had, good Ale and conversation too. Come the morning, Howard departed for the souther rivers, while I headed back to Ludham Bridge in the rain - got under and moored up once more on the Ant - but come 5pm, I was restless - time to go home I felt, so packed up, back to the Wet Shed and departed for home at 6:45pm. After so long away, I now wish I could come again this weekend, but I have a party to attend to, and next weekend another - oh well, life ain't so bad after all away from the rivers...