[Oh dear! Has the NBF gone belly up again or is it just me?!]

Best get orf hum then

 

Maurice

[Oh dear! Has the NBF gone belly up again or is it just me?!]

John.

 

Good job some of us are used to your dialect and can understand you!!  Nice to see you here

[Conflict of Wings - 1954 film]

I found it very watchable mainly because of all the lovely old boats in it .Now mostly gone. A nice piece  of nostalgia. Thank you for posting the link Carol. 

 

Maurice

[Fenders]

I agree that an eye splice is the way to go, and far more secure than a knot.  Its really not hard to learn to do, and looks far more professional in my opinion.

['Coot Club' and 'The Big Six']

 I wondered if that boat was still around. A few years ago it was in Horning for a while then seemed to vanish. 

 

Another good place for Arthur Ransome fans is the Walton Backwaters. Its the area that Secret Water was based in, and even the causeway in the book actually exists.

 

I remember seeing her moored in the dyke at Stalham. Would have been the early 80s I think, so shortly after the TV series was made. I often wondered what became of her.

 

Maurice

[Dutch Holiday on Sabine]

My word John. Such an interesting blog, and the pictures are just wonderful. Love the variety, and number of the different type of vessels. The Dutch are without a doubt still very much a maritime nation, and seem to be very proud of it. Looking at the different vessels they all look so smart with nothing out of place, including your Sabine of course!!

 

Liked very much the pictures of the boatyard building in wood.

 

Maurice

[Dutch Holiday on Sabine]

Once again John a wonderful post, and I can see why you are both enjoying it so much.

 

Am loving all the pictures some of the Dutch sailing vessels look beautiful, also all the commercial traffic. I was particularly interested in the suction dredger "Carpediem" I have only ever seen this type once before in the Bristol Channel. That huge steel pipe in the bow is lowered to the river bed, and holds the vessel in position while dredging. Perhaps its an idea that was developed by the Dutch.

 

That low bridge reminded me of Wayford Bridge.

 

Maurice

[river yare and wensum 1960 onwards]

Look again - it's 1997. What caught my eye was the web address printed at the bottom and I've been trying to work out when the www first started to come into general use. Also it's printed in colour and I can't remember when that first became commonplace either.

 

Yes Mike. 1997!!

 

I do now remember that winter. I was skipper of a work boat in Gloucester Dock that winter, and remember the dock freezing over, but not as severe as that depicted in the picture of the tanker.

 

Jill's picture does show that commercial traffic was still coming up to Cantly, well after trade ceased into the Port of Norwich.

 

Maurice

[river yare and wensum 1960 onwards]

Good picture Jill.

 

I don't remember that. The date on the picture is 1993 though the picture looks earlier. I just can't seem to recall what sort of winter we had in 93.

 

12" of ice imagine hitting that with a grp cruiser!

 

Maurice

[river yare and wensum 1960 onwards]

Thanks Jill

 

Very interesting, and certainly filled in a lot of gaps........Even though reading the article did make me feel rather old!!

 

 

Maurice

[river yare and wensum 1960 onwards]

That's the one Jill. Lovely to see it again. It was always notable due to the shape of the portholes. I'd be interested to know if it survives but I guess probably not.

 

I remember recently reading on another forum I think, that it was an MTB converted to a house boat, and ended its days in Jenners Basin on the island.

 

There is a lot more to the story, and I expect someone more informed than I will come along with more information.

 

Maurice

[Dutch Holiday on Sabine]

hi john i was only about 14 years old, & it terrified me, & my dad was fuming, ive heard him swear so much, apart from when i nearly sunk us, & that Was at cromwell lock too, i think that locks jinxt, what happened was, my dad went up the long ladder to the top just outside the lock, & left me holding the ropes but we'd been waiting awhile for the other boat to come out, & i decided to tie the rope to the ladder rung, but when the water came out of the lock it rose at the other side & my dad saw what i'd done & shouted at me to undo the ropes as we were starting to list & the was coming up to the ropes, so i was frantically trying to undo the ropes, it was very worrying, but i did'nt know ,i was only young,:-(. it was one of my worst pet hates that lock, & quite a few hire companies lost their boats over that weir too lori

 

I know it well Lori. Some have also lost their lives over that weir. Two interesting little stories. The last barge traffic has just finished on the Trent alas!

 

Maurice

[river yare and wensum 1960 onwards]

Thanks John.

 

I am following your blog with interest. That's a lovely vessel your aboard. I am sure your both having a wonderful time.

 

Re commercial traffic. You will have guessed its something I am rather passionate about!

 

Maurice

[river yare and wensum 1960 onwards]

Hi Fred. Thanks for the welcome.

 

The film is dated 1962.  I can remember it being as busy as that sometime around the mid 60s.

 

then in 1976 I was working in the area and would often park up and watch the shipping activity. It was in decline then, though a lot of timber was still being shipped to Boulton & Paul I think coal also was coming in still.  I seem to remember the decline was hastened with a problem at Carrow Road Bridge.

Ships were still coming in until the late 70s and possible the early 80s.

 

I seem to remember ships still coming to Cantly even later.

 

Unfortunately  putting everything on the road is rather short sighted. When the road are bunged up, we  won't have any wharfs, as nearly all have been built on!

[river yare and wensum 1960 onwards]

Thank you Alan & Tan

 

I do know your post from another forum. In fact I recognise a few names here.

 

Yes European waterways  have got it together. I was in Belgium a couple of years ago, and it was a pleasure to see the waterways carrying commercial traffic. I notice that the last barge traffic on the Trent finished a couple of weeks ago alas.

 

I guess when all of the roads are "bunged up" completely perhaps there will be a re-think.

 

I do rather like this forum & I will take a look at Johns Blog

 

Maurice

[river yare and wensum 1960 onwards]

I remember the shipping on the Yare, going up to The Port Of Norwich. I was living in Norfolk then. I loved seeing those ships on the river. A little disconcerting sometimes as you came around a bend and met one!

 

Rather sad that its all gone.