MauriceMynah

Do they have tongues?

Well I might as well carry on Some of the channel markers on Hickling are buoys rather than posts standing just two to three feet high. These cannot be seen against the skyline ... nor in fact can some of the posts come to that! Barton is similar in this matter but is generally deeper than Hickling so less of an issue. Some form of lighting is essential where the banks are too far away to be seen and where said banks are not the problem. Where the river is both narrow and tree lined, on a moonless overcast night you will not be able to see the edges without lights. To cruise without being able to see is... shall we say... unwise. Where and when one can do without lights I sometimes do, but I'd hate to try it going up Lime Kiln Dyke to the White Horse... or worse, back from there!

No misjudgement possible Brandenjg, as has been clearly stated everyone can see everything as long as they don't use lights. Come to think of it, maybe hire craft should ONLY go out at night when visibility is so much improved. That ol' sun can really harm your night vision. Hmmm, Sorry Peter, I got a bit carried away there. Suffice to say I disagree with you on this. and to ban such lights would spell the end of night cruising for me as I wouldn't be able to leave my mooring safely.

Yes Vaughan, I have navigated Breydon in the fog, albeit daylight. No fun at all.

When I had St Christopher I often went from Wayford Bridge to South Walsham Broad after the pub (The Woodfarm Inn as it was then) closed. As I was solo, I preferred to drop the mudweight mid broad rather that attempt a linier mooring in the pitch black. A most enjoyable cruise, helped by the fact I had a spot light of course.

Some nights it is possible to make out the rivers without any form of lights, Hickling broad less so. I haven't tried on a bright moonlit night, but on an overcast one I did try. I failed to stay in the channel on that occasion and was lucky not to get weeded up in the shallow water. Try doing the upper reaches of the Ant where the trees almost meet overhead. You will not be able to see the bank (which is never far away). Yes on the wide almost treeless waters of the southern broads on a moonlit night, I'm sure that no extra lighting is essential, but should one apply the lack of necessities in one part to the whole network.

So what lights should one use to stay in the channel at Hickling, Barton or more importantly Breydon? or will the posts have their own lights any time soon?

That, my dear Timbo, is fast approaching 'too much information'.

Spot on DF, it seems to happen in most sports. Who was the best at this or who was the greatest that. (we won't go into the 'other' ) Suffice to say he was a great name in his sport and a fine ambassador for it.

Well, as Rick has joined in the chat I happily withdraw my earlier comment and am delighted to shout the good news from the rooftops. I for one will be going in there whenever I get under that darn bridge.

Thanks for explaining the whys and wherefores Jonzo, point taken and understood.

I am as pleased and excited with this news as anybody but may I suggest that until those 'T's are crossed and the 'I's dotted we say as little as possible on open forum.... just in case. I for one would hate things to go tits up at the last moment.

Pleaser don't get me wrong, I warmly welcome anyone who wishes to join the forum, but I have to ask... Why are we advertising it? and secondly Where are we advertising it?

My condolences to your brother.

Wot video

If Macie had joined in, that would have been an 'encounter of the furred kind'.

Windows in the hull as such are not the problem. For me it was Those windows in That hull . Windows 3,4, and 5 were, for me, not pleasing to the eye. had they remained the same size and shape to the first two and last two windows and at the same level, the boat would have looked far more to my taste. The superstructure and general shape of the craft I like, in fact I'm thinkin g about buying one to keep on Hickliing broad.

What a lot of detergent bottles needed for that. Oh, and Peter, I agree with you re the hull windows but I think the others are fine.

Word for word what my mum used to say too.

Fine, but does it have much 'suck' ? In the past these 12v vacuum cleaners make noise and drain the boats batteries but do little in the way of actual cleaning. How well does the Black & Decker perform?

good idea

Typical... Much Hadham and Harlow... Bunch of ruddy alkies.!

Whilst I agree that cats kill birds, may I add that a mouse problem we had has drastically reduced since our neighbours cats found a welcome in our garden. We also had a few rats about. Not any more we don't. A small price to pay for the loss of some of the birds,

Whatever tightens your rivets Robin, whatever tightens your rivets.!!!

Purely a theory of mine, but I always thought that a feeding frenzy of small(ish) fish would bring along Mr Pike (though he'd never say his name) causing the fish to go off the feed and run away. Mr Pike would lose interest and bugger off and all the fish would come back.