BroadAmbition

Update:- ‘B.A’ sailed Friday afternoon round to H.W’s to moor with the three Jewels. Friday afternoon - evening all crews present. Evening in the Falgate dinner for 22 of us Saturday - sailed to The Bridge Inn for the first mandatory DTS then over Breydon to Reedham for the night. The Ship Inn for the evening with a barmaid who was showing off a spectacular cleavage (apparently) One dog ‘Tally’ fell in at Acle, jumped over the transom onto the bank only there wasn’t one. Barney (huge Retriever) missed his footing at Reedham, that could have been serious if not for the slipway being right where he fell in. Macie dog more savvy but will insist on rolling on wet grass at every mooring and getting hersen proper mucky Sunday - sailed at 1000. Now at New Inn at Rockland. This evening intend to overnight at Surlingham Ferry It’s done nowt other rain / blow / grey since Friday evening. Not bothered a jot Last night I was duty chef for my crew - Rabbit Casserole enjoyed by all. On another Jewel they had a curry. Gnasher doesn’t eat rabbit, it wasn’t until they had finished he was told he just eaten Bugs Bunny - not happy! We did larf. Griff

It’s probably easier to post where we are not going. A first for this years Lads Week is an overnight in GYA. Well it was bound to happen one day. It’s not like I can blame anyone else as I’m responsible for the Navplan Griff

This was the commissioning ceremony at John Williams Boat yard October 2007. Sandy Williams breaking a bottle of champagne on 'B.A's bow, we scored the bottle with a glass cutter first, then held a landing net underneath said bottle to catch the broken glass. 'B.A' has a s/steel strip on the bow which received the bottle nicely Happy days them were Griff

And I have just now glanced at the Broads tide tables April 2019 - March 2020 produced by the Broads Authority. It states for PHB HW central clearance normal tide 6ft6" - Really? - we can only wish. If that was indeed the case (And it very much is not) I could take 'B.A' through PHB on normal high tides and breezed through on low tides - If only Griff

Cracking - Just what can We say? - We're not worthy Griff

It ain't just the Bure Hump - Its the whole lower Bure, especially the corners and from Marina Keys down to the yellow post. If I get time this evening I'll post up 'My' evidence / reasoning yet again (MrsG due home today for seven whole days - first time she will have been at home since 28th Aug and I hope to be otherwise 'Engaged' ) Griff

"something else" as the cause, Sigh - Really? Do we really have to explain it yet again? Increased river levels are down to the lack of dredging on the lower Bure and the 'Hump' or bottleneck in particular. IF (HUGE 'IF') the lower Bure were to be dredged properly as it used to be all year round, especially on the bends / corners right through to the yellow post, then the clearance would drop at PHB no problem. However - That would also show up the many square miles of silting all over the Northerns that the Ba has allowed to happen over the last 30 odd years and drop them right in the mire. It's a problem of their own making Griff

Looks proper good Griff

100% agree with wot JA said in all paragraphs. The same goes for 'B.A' - and she needs 'Only' 6ft5" Griff

It'll do for a rag-n-stick Griff

So varnish... that would be Brava from what I have seen. Brava - Yes, full strength but only for the final coat (Number six) The five prior to that should be Ravalakk increasing the mix strength as you go Griff

2000cc - Big enough! Griff

He has Griff

Down right showing off is what that is ! Well done and keep it up Griff

Oh and not had a fag either ! Griff

Had a good day today. Visited relatives, re siliconed an en-suite for a favourite Aunty. MrsG beautifying hersen as I type. Off out for Dinner at the Spinnaker hotel on the sea front soon then a walk round a few venues (Bars) afterwards. She’s a very lucky girl Griff

Look what I found!

Today is day 22 since I packed the fags in, that's at least £220 not spent on the blasted things Due to depart in Trevor shortly for Mum-in-Laws. a 270 mile drive. I need to say hi to Mum and more importantly my absent wife - She has been looking after Mum since third week in May. This will be a testing weekend as Mum, MrsG and her uncle (Where I will be staying till Tuesday) all are smokers Griff

I'm on my third Henry Hoover since 2000. Great pieces of kit. Mine get used daily with plenty of hammer and abuse. Number two had to go when it got married . . . . It stopped sucking Griff

Then it was the turn of the system to carry the spare wheel itself, that meant cutting out part of the load floor protector, drilling out the rivets for the blanking plate, fitting winding mechanism with Fords own rivets, underneath - 3 x foam buffers, three cables, one carrier and of course the spare. A whole lot easier than the cab work I have to say. Just two hours for this little lot. No more a tin of gunk and compressor for Trevor. (Later this afternoon I am due to drive up to Gourock to visit my absent wife, her Mum and family, 270 miles , there till Tuesday) If I am unfortunate enough to suffer a puncture from now on I can deal with it without having to ruin an expensive tyre and not calling out the RAC. The cost of this exercise has been about £160:00 and five hours of therapy. Far cheaper than buying a replacement F1 Eagle, not to mention the peace of mind Griff

This is the foam carrier complete with jack, brace and handle. I purchase the job lot from a scrapyard for about £30. Bargain. What is far from a bargain is the time / hassle it took to get it fitted into its housing. That is under the drivers floor area. To get it behind the plastic trim one has to remove the seat, disconnecting lots of cables, then the seat support has to be removed, followed by 2 x seatbelt housing trims, door seal, step trim. insert foam carrier, put the lot back together, fit tools to foam - job done. Three hours of frustration and hassle Griff

Meet 'Trevor the Transit' This is the replacement 'GriffTile' work horse. Trevor is a 2015 2:2Ltr 155bhp Transit Custom Sport 2900. With only 18'000 miles on the clock when I got him. A dream to drive with many optional extras as standard or ordered when new. Auto lights, Auto dip / main, Auto wipers, Heated seats, Heated front screen, Hands free voice phone, Lane assist, Traction control, Elec windows, Air Con, Cruise control, Speed limiter, Led lighting, etc etc the list goes on and on. It's a bit too plush / equipped for a works van tbh. I am getting molly coddled in my mobile office and loving it. He's been with me since the third week in August and we are just about up to spec. I've not done too much to him other than fit mudflaps - They weren't any on the front - Easy to fit. The rears had the original tiny Ford ones on. They had been riveted through the skirting kit into the body, a right pain drilling out the replacing rivets. Administered ZX1 to engine (Still to do it to the gearbox) fitted a K&N Air filter. The sign writing this time - I have gone for the magnetic written pads. Means I can go anonymous when I choose to do so. There is something a 'Bit Different' about the sign-writing on the magnetic pads - You spotted it? I was under threat of death from family members not to paint the door mirrors Red and Green. So I opted for coloured vinyl large dots - That means I'm still living having 'Got Away With It' - JUST, but still have my signature Port and Stbd markings. They aren't to enamoured with the lower rear advert pad either - Stuff em, it's my van and I have a sense of humour even if they don't. I have brought over my cherished plates of course. Although Trevor was ply lined out, I got stuck in and made some storage / racking in the back - pleased with the results. Ford didn't fit a spare wheel with this van - A right PITA that is. instead they give you a compressor and a tin of their tyre gunk. We all know that stuff ruins tyres and cannot repair a hole bigger than 6mm or any sidewall damage. So I have purchased a steel wheel and a spare tyre. Ordered a jack / handle / brace, and the kit to secure the spare wheel under the back floor panel. Once it all arrives I will get stuck into fitting that lot hopefully this weekend then chuck away the can of gunk and be a lot more confident. Talking of tyres. The tyres fitted are 235/50/18 !! What's more they are Goodyear F1 Eagles (Extra Load) - FFS! Who fits tyres like that to a van? They are going to cost an arm and a leg to replace and will be next to useless in the snow / ice I can see me having to purchase some smaller alloys with winter tyres fitted come December So the 'GriffTile' Vivaro is now away. I had that van for around 12 years of its to date 14 years and put about 160'00 on the clock. It was a great workhorse and owed me nothing when the time came for it to go. Trevor the Transit has a lot to live up to. We will see. Griff