FlyingFortress

Please don't be put off. For all us owners whining. The cost calculations still come out well in favour of owning as opposed to hiring. The only proviso is that you actually use the boat enough.

If this thread is going the way I suspect it is there will be a call to set up an organisation that actually represents Toll Payers as the existing ones are simply not fit for purpose and I agree. I am not certain that The NBN is the appropriate vehicle to use and although I am willing to be proved wrong, I don't think the owners and admin would like it to be. I have been there and done it and failed as some long time members may remember. If anyone does want to try I am quite willing to be contacted and share my thoughts and warn of any pitfalls. Please PM me. One warning before embarking on this course. I did Chair a residents association in my last Village that was opposed to a development that The Country Council wanted. I thought it would take up perhaps 6 months of my time. It took us almost 7 years to defeat them.😳 But defeat them we did.👍 As stated I am quite willing to support any such organisation but I am not willing to devote my entire free time.... AGAIN

Probably. 😞 But as they say in the Football world. You can only play the team in front of you

May I make a prediction. The mooring charges at Ranworth and Reedham are generating a lot of light and heat at the moment. They will be dropped and that will be seen as a win by us in the boating community. While the once again above inflation toll increase will quietly slip through. Anyone?

What boating groups Fred? It's what I have always described as The Norfolk Business Plan. Income is decreasing due to less people coming to visit so let's put up the prices and squeeze the ones that are here until the pips squeak and maintain our income. Then wonder why no one comes next year 😉 For heaven's sake it costs enough to hire a boat for your annual holiday without someone putting their hand in your pocket every time you turn around. Spoke to a chap last year who told me his hire boat was going to cost him £3.5k a week to hire in 2022 so he politely declined. Without the hire fleets our Broads infrastructure will soon nose dive. I mean look how difficult it is to get basic services like pump outs on The Southern Broads.

I'm afraid the words chocolate and fireguard spring to mind.😞

Wouldn't hold your breath M8. You know my views on NSBA

And it's in The Sutton Staithe along with Bure Gold .🫣 Didn't know what to do 🫣🍺🍺

It's 3 something 1

It's not 3 6 2 But it is blooming yummy 🍺 The beers in them days were not the best were they. Just had a pink or three of Grain 3 6 2 Blooming yummy

Not so bad today in and out of Norwich. A couple of minutes hold up at the most.

The beers in them days were not the best were they. Just had a pink or three of Grain 3 6 2 Blooming yummy

Very interesting. 👍🍺👍 Must have a look next time I am there.

A bit of a more recent closure in Beccles is The Royal Oak. I kind of liked that place as it was very much an Old Fashion Boozer 🍺 On the subject of old fashioned boozers. Does and know when is happening at The Angel in Loddon? I even quite liked it after it's recent makeover.

You can still see the sign as you walk up the road. It has been closed for a good long while now 😣

Meeee 🍺

Maybe that's the thing then. 😳

Is that the case? 😳 Must be a fairly recent change in policy. I was caught out a couple of years back trying to make a High water passage and had to wait for around an hour and a half but I was not charged when I explained to the Ranger what I was doing.

Didn't get to that one. Pesky work must have got in the way 😥

Prompted by an earlier observation by oldgregg I took this today when I checked on the boat as I could not remember the year. I know one or two of you were there but who else at has one?

Yes indeed I was. I normally try to moor as close to the entrance as possible to avoid this scenario but as I said the dyke was full. It is quite surprising that a passing boat could generate enough momentum to do any damage but this one did. 😳 A couple of others had brushed past before this one with no issues but this was quite a whack. 😥 And for the record. No apology even though I was retrieving my fenders from the water when they came back 😣

There is always a PS Now retired it's time to put our flat in Ipswich that I used when on duty up for sale. Plan is a clean and paint then on the market. Switched on the water and found water pouring out of the hot water cylinder. 😳 As it is all electric it has a custom built cylinder which has normal and economy 7 immersion heaters. Yet another 4 figure bill to have that sorted out. 😳😳😳 Good news is the sale is now going through.

So another long trip out ( 4 weeks again, great this retirement thingy 😁)again mostly in The South and only one person dragged out of the water this time at Oulton and we arrived back in The North late in the day (tides) to find a very full Thurne Dyke with just one Sally sized space left. In the morning after a very satisfactory meal in The Lion we were nudged all over the dyke by various boats making their way up to the turning place but hit hard by a Bridgecraft boat that removed 2 of our fenders including the cleats. 😳 On arrival back at Sutton I was making enquiries about having these replaced when it was suggested to me to have a word with Bridgecraft about this. Not holding out much hope I did call in there and was treated with some sympathy and told the owner would be in touch. Later that very afternoon I was contacted by Daniel who was at Sutton ready to have a look. What a top man 👍 Sorry about that we will fix it for you. It would be easier to do it at Acle but he was quite prepared to come to Sutton if we wanted. As we still had some outstanding work to complete at Horning Pleasure Craft we arranged some dates and Daniel himself did the work. He Also found some rotten wood when doing the repairs which he said he could fix at relatively small cost now he had the boat in bits. Now I don't want to say this and tempt fate but the only other time we had our boat damaged was by a Horizon Craft boat and they were exactly the same and did the repairs at our home yard which was then Richardson's at Stalham when they did their winter maintenance there. So top marks to Bridgecraft and thanks to Daniel in particular 👍👍 Down to Horning and the outstanding work was completed to their usual high standards and George even found the source of a leak around our galley sink that had plauged us for years. The blooming tap 😣 So endeth a year of very open wallet surgery for the boat.

So when we got back from our unscheduled trip ( Thanks R for insisting we needed to go out 😋), we set about finishing the job. While doing the aft cabin we discovered the floor to be wet around the wardrobe. Mmmmmm best investigate. Up with the bed and boards and sure enough a leak from our calorifier. Seems to be coming from the immersion heater. Element out but no it's the tank itself. 😳 Stainless steel so where on earth am I going to find a Stainless steel welder. So I asked Rob at Sutton Staithe and lo and behold they not only have the equipment but someone who can operate it. Well Pete welded up the tank and I must say he did a better job than the original manufacturer. 👍👍 Re fitting the tank I had one of those nightmare jobs where everything I touched fell to bits but eventually it got fixed. So another 👍 this time for Sutton Staithe Boatyard.

So off we went in record breaking heat and had our June/July trip mains on The Southern Broads as seems to be our habit now post pandemic as The North always seems to be so busy. After a week or so Mrs FF was complaining about the hooligan shedding hairs everywhere and as can be seen from earlier pics Sally has Blue carpets. With our previous Black Lab this never seemed to be much of a problem and even our previous one who was Fox Red did not seem to be so obvious. We need new carpets. Oh stop whining. We need new carpets. Well after a couple of weeks even I could see her point.😳 So when we returned home after almost 4 weeks Mrs FF started exploring the internet and finally came up with some stick down covering that could be used either inside our out. Outside as a form of non slip material. It was blooming expensive but we endeavoured to put it down. Gosh it was a nightmare to lay as it was sticky backed you only get one shot at it matches the dog 🐕 Pic of an unscheduled trip out when it was not quite finished.