MauriceMynah

Just to prove I'm always happy to give you one Gracie

I find that "likes" are like pats on the head, give out too many and they become sort of de-valued. I rarely 'like' a post. If I do, it means I really really like what has been said.

Robin, I rather think that both Mark and I inferred that Ginbottle wanted a life jacket (preserver call it what you will) for safety whilst getting from his cruiser into his dinghy and vikki verker. Not dinghy racing, not off shore usage, nor even crewing a rescue boat. From his question I further infer that he is of limited experience in this field and that any advice offered would be preferred should it be on the simplistic level. That is to say, I do not think Ginbottle is after a selection of LJs, but a suggestion as to which makes for the best option for overall and general usage. I concur with Marks advice for an automatic unit with crutch strap. .

Good idea. I have one but it falls somewhat short in that it has no crotch strap to stop it riding up, so that's something to watch out for. I would imagine that most here will have a view but basically you are going in the right direction. Some are available on Amazon or buy one 'on-site' from one of the chandlers.

Phaedaux for my next dog!

My master plan for 2017... Irritate at least one person every day. It only has to be one, and they don't need to be made really cross, just a bit irritated. Even a bit frustrated would do Happy new year to one and all.

Firstly the Norman 20 is a great little boat and you have no need to worry about how safe it is in the wind. More than safe enough would be my assessment. It is however quite light and may blow about a bit. This can be helped by adding a bit of ballast., This isn't a good idea if the boat is trailer based but is fine if it lives in the water. If you know a sea angler who makes his own beachcasting leads he may be able to help you with some compact ballast. The 9.8 (ok ;lets call it 10 ) outboard is a perfect size for that craft. I'm assuming it to be a 4-stroke so it will offer relative quietness, plenty of 'grunt' and good economy. Win win win all the way round. the 10 horses will not turn a hair at any extra ballast you might put in. It is of course possible (even probable) that a previous owner has already ballasted the craft so trial and error is the order of the day. Perhaps when we see you out and about we might be able to have a squint and help. As I've mentioned before, I'm moored at the Pleasure Boat on Hickling broad so keep an eye out for me. Have fun.

So sorry to read the news Tim. At these times there is little of use I can think of to say, but as has been said before, remember the good times. Thoughts are with you.

I'll need two of those!

Hmm I must get some

The Ant on a Saturday in August perhaps

So much one want's to say, so little we really can. A very sad shock.

For me, even this morning seems a bit of a blur!

The shortest word with just "A" in it is ..... "a"

Yep, Mine's arrived and really good it is too. Thanks for all the hard work peeps, worth every second as far as I'm concerned.

Yes, That's right 2018! I have some suggestions for the selection process, and I think some guidance (rather than rules) for 2018s jobbie and I think it best to set them out as soon as possible. Firstly, I'd recommend that there is NO LIMIT to either the number of pictures any one member submits, and that when the pics are being voted for, the photographer remains anonymous. It doesn't matter if one photographer has several pics voted for, It just means he's good at it ! Secondly I'd suggest a closing date for submissions be established and announced as soon as possible. Earlier this year, the calendar thread accidently took a slightly sour turn. This was unfortunate but I think that if the ground rules are set out early, everybody will know where they stand and this should prevent any repetition.. What do you all think?

Ok, I have no horror stories of catching something nasty, though when I worked in a large hotel chain, some of the things I did and saw turn my stomach now, but that was in the early 70s. (still, nobody died!) I do however have some reservations about these hygiene ratings. If I remember correctly a broadland pub had a very low rating. This went to a very high rating on the following inspection. Fair enough, work was done, but this "work done" was to replace the cooker hood extraction unit. Was this really so very dangerous? Did this really warrant an action that damaged the establishments business? or is it possible that in this case, the inspector was a bit of a jobsworth? I have seen bad practice to the point of national corruption within the interface of business and government bodies in the past, and have great difficulty in trusting such organisations to be fair and even handed, especially where 'favours' can exchange hands. Sometimes this can be down to "Jobsworth" attitudes of the examiner, sometimes it might be because the landlord behaves like an arrogant pig and sneers down to the examiner, Please believe me, where such an organisation exists, the opportunities for people to start behaving badly exist, and I defy anyone to say it never happens. Even "Rarely happens" pushes my cynicism to the edge. "Doesn't happen a lot" I can accept. Extreme cases like rat droppings in the kitchen is one thing, but I'm yet to hear of ANYONE being made ill just because proper records were not kept. Here at home we keep no records. We have just one chopping board and the fridge has never been temperature tested. I'm still alive and Frances who's just undergone chemo is also still with us. What would her kitchen get if it were in an hotel?

Back in the heathen days of live baiting and snap tackle, I used an 11 or 12 inch pike (and caught nothing) and since have often wondered what the view from pike fishermen would be. I have to admit that these days far from live baiting, I wonder at the morality of course water fishing at all. Fishing for the pot I understand and enjoy, but 'catch and release' I'm finding hard to justify. Having said that, I also have to admit that my nieces younger son (12) has taken up the sport and I've given him a box of floats, shot, ledger weights, eyed hooks and hooks to nylon. I reckon about a season or two's .worth of consumables. When they come round on Boxing day I'm going to go through my tackle collection and shove a load more his way.

Hypothetical question (as I don't live bait either) What would those anglers think of me if I were using a small pike as live bait?

Given that "Zulu" has one more letter than "GMT" but means exactly the same thing, I find myself wondering if this isn't yet another example of Europe trying to belittle the UK. Brits (or anyone else who holds the Union Flag in esteem) should use the term GMT whenever and wherever possible.

Very nice Timbo, I'm well impressed!

If I stream a film, how do I play it on the boat? or how does Frances play it in the kitchen? If I buy the DVD, I can play it on any and every TV we possess, even Frances's old CRT one (in her sewing room).

I'm not getting any pics either Tim, Just a sort of grey "No Entry" sign

One of Amazon's pigeons delivered a DVD today. It looked at me and said... "Listen here Mynah, I've been flying like a demented sparrow hawk getting all these DVDs to all the various people who'd ordered them as Christmas presents. Doesn't it occur to you to order just a little bit earlier and allow we avian deliverers a bit of a break after all the hard work we've done. I've flown over 145 miles this morning alone delivering 27 films and a boxed set. Well? What do you have to say to that?" I looked at the pigeon and said... "Coo"

I found ignorance to be a far happier state.,