BroadAmbition

I was at Malthouse Broad overnight Tuesday, met the couple concerned. Had a chat with them, from the info given we can safely assume the dog went in the water./ the dog was 15 and infirm with a few age related issues. So I gently 'Told them like it is' which the lady later thanked me for. I feel heart felt sorry for them. But they have two other dogs, are not new to the Broads so hopefully they will move on. I did what I could Griff

3/10/2008 one year after her re-launch. 'B.A' out for a week at jons place, to sort out a few issues after taking up etc Griff

Agree with Liberty - for the cost of instalation / running a 360d LED white light - always better to be seen. Besides if you happen to be ashore in the dinghy say at Malthouse Broad and are going back to your boat at night, it's proper difficult on a black night with no stars/moon to find a vessel not lit. We have one on 'B.A's mast and it is always burning at night if on a mudweight(s) Griff

The dog is cream coloured and named 'Poppy'. If found/spotted, could you please give them a ring on 07926096701. Griff

Right, all done and sorted for tomorrow. I'm off to the Harvey Arms (Finningley) this evening with MrsG of course. Griff

Has happened before on many occasion, my record was three times in one day! but that's another story Griff

Edited out? Tooooo late, I've seen it! (Better edit out this one as well then) Griff

Morning! It's Christmas Eve So time for me to wish all forumites / lurkers etc a very merry Christmas and a Happy New year. Griff

I went up the dyke March this year to visit Cheshire Cat. Anyroadup, I was single crewing at the time and was concerned about turning 'B.A' round (40ft) so I did it the cowards way, turned 'B.A' in the main river, three short blasts on the tooter and went from the mouth to the basin astern. Which confused Geofrey somewhat, due to his limited eyesight did not recognise 'B.A' as he was trying to 'See' a varnished bow with white paint either side, all he could 'See' was a dark transom Griff P.S - Photo is not Upton Dyke of course

Fair point, well made, Griff

Morning, Eric / Mark, MrsG said the same about the windscreen thing - I pointed out a natural reaction would have to been to duck proper sharpish like, there's one thing for sure it would have easily come straight through it Nail? - Good point that one - I did explain there had been no RTA or collision but they weren't having it. I put those glasses there to give a size perspective for the photo. But yes I now need reading glasses (+1's) for small print in the evenings or low light. The broken lower valance is all one unit of the bumper - that will have to stay broken and be just another battle scar, purchasing a new one and having it painted it way off the scale for my wallet nowadays Griff

So it’s Friday morning, I’m in the ‘GriffTile’ van driving from my place down to Thurlby near Stamford for an appointment with a mate. I have to be at his no later than 1045 as that is when we intend to jump in his car, drive to Luton to catch a flight for Hamburg. My Satnav tells me I should arrive at his for around 1015. So no rush, I’m in the nearside lane on the A1 cruising at around 60mph. A van overtakes me and ‘BANG’ it has flicked some road debri up into the front of my van as it passed, I barely saw it but it was a hell of a thump, followed by some rattling (Bits of plastic front valance rattling off), checking gauges all seems ok but I’m just knowing this is going to be expensive. I keep going as all gauges seem ok, brakes working fine, I pull off the A1 at my designated turn off, pull up for a look-see, as I come to a stop the temperature gauge shoots up and clouds of steam envelope the front of the van, ignition off immediately. The foreign object has smashed through the bottom valance and punctured the radiator – Great. Ring AA – They say the van cannot be recover unaccompanied, I haven’t got the time as I have a flight to catch. So ring up my said mate who comes out with lots of water and a funnel, we are now about 10 miles from his pad. So in three hops of stopping to refill a leaking radiator / cruising down hill with engine off we make it to his place. Abandon van in his garage, we are now late setting off for Luton, but we make it in a hell of a rush, no time for a drink or a sarnie in the airport, fortunately we just have hand luggage and boarding passes were downloaded and taken with us from home, by the skin of our teeth we are on the aircraft, it taxi’s oh about 30 secs and comes to a stop, turn off the engines and sit there for two hours while air traffic control tries to gets its main frame computer back on line. We make Germany and arrive back on the Sunday I rang the AA at 2000, patrolmen sent – despite me telling them he won’t be able to fix it at the roadside – which he duly confirms when he sees the state of the radiator. Off he goes stating that he will put it in the system for a flatbed truck. The AA call centre ring me at round 2100 stating that they are classing the problem as being caused by a collision, not a breakdown, this is in their small print apparently, so I am only entitled to 50 miles ‘free’ recovery, I have to pay for the rest = £65 up front over the phone – I have no choice and am forced to comply. The flatbed eventually arrives at 2300. We cast off for Donny, but have to divert for another driver to take me home, as we join the A1 (After our diversion) he states the truck needs diesel and he has forgot to bring the fuel card, so at the next service station we pull in and have to wait over half an hour for another driver to bring us a fuel card. I eventually make it home at 0145, nearly six hours to be recovered 72 miles and have to pay for the privilege to boot despite having full coverage with the AA. Of course it would have been so easy for me to lie, not mention the foreign object hitting the van – just say the radiator had sprung a leak and played ignorant – then I would have been recovered home with the van FOC – you live and learn. Check the small print on your vehicles recovery/rescue policy my friends. I could not make a claim on the insurance Co of the van that passed me (I tried) and I was unable to prove the foreign object was part of their van. My own insurance? – I would have had to pay the excess and lost no claims. So I have bought a new radiator and changed it over myself – thank goodness I have tools and the gumption / experience to be able to do this kind of thing. I discovered to change a radiator on a Vivaro van – one has to dis-assemble the best part of the front of the van. So far the whole saga has cost me £130:00, and loss of earnings for half a day. There was nothing I could have done to avoid the situation either – Wrong place, wrong time Photo’s – Van in bits, last one the offending lump of metal that I found lodged in the radiator Griff

1000 posts? - Just goes to prove that JM is far better at talking rubbish then the rest of us! Griff

We still have the any old iron man come round here in Beccles. So old men in Beccles are made of Iron are they? What's his name - 'Iron-man' ? Griff (Who is just getting his coat)

'You know when you are getting old when' - The bank seems farther away from the deck than it used to Climbing onboard is obviously harder due to higher tides than normal That wobbly dinghy doesn't seem so inviting anymore Retreiving that lost thingymebob from the bilge is now the job of a junior crew member Keeping warm on cold nights now afloat involves a hot water bottle When it's easier to come about in front of a low bridge when it's blowing and cold rather than lower the canopy down Griff

Me too, but who checks the before and after 'evidence' ? Griff

Sprouts? Love em, favourite way in a rabbit caserole (Which I shall be doing today) Griff

OY - That cuts deep, - I have feelings you know! Griff

Brilliant - top drawer, I like the cut of your Gib Sir, ONe critisicm - NOT long enough! Griff

Ok, each year I forget to do the 'Movember' thing and raise some money for mens charity. This year I actually remembered (Quite impressive for me) so I partook in the growing of fizzog hair. My MrsG went bonkers for the best part of the month issuing earache as she is none too keen on this Yorkie having fuz on the fizzog - so I got stax of grief. Anyroadup I persevered, made it right to the end of November, shaved it off and sent £60 to charity (via The Gentlemens Retreat in Bawtry) After shaving off said fuzz what does MrsG state? - "Oh you've shaved, I'd got quite used to that beard" I tell you, you could not make it up. Females are just not wired up correctly, please if there is such a thing as reincarnation - Don't make me come back as a wench! Griff

That's more like it Barry. Looking forward to being invited onboard whilst she is afloat for a change! And of course we really do need to have a couple of hours if not more cruising in company. Happy days ahead then, Griff

And not quite Christmas but looks that time of year, Sutton Staithe and Horning in the Morning Griff

I've yet to do a Christmas afloat onboard 'B.A' and desperatly want to do so. I have done a New Years Eve trip before now, we saw the New Year in at The Bridge Inn and very good it was too. 8 x of us afloat plus Macie dog for about 5 days or so What was magical for me was doing night navs (Well by that I mean after sunset) and seeing the riveside properties and boats dressed with Christmas lights. Getting back to the Wet Shed on Jan 3rd-ish was a proper nightmare as we came to a dead stop with the river frozen, It was ok-ish to about 100 yds before Broads Edge, from there to the Wet-shed must have taken us 3 x hrs using the stern-to ice breaking method - extremely hard work for the deck crew and 'B.A's propulsion system. Jan 02nd - Malthouse Broad in the morning was proper forzen over too - we couldn't get out onto the main river, fortunatley a tupperware hire craft left and broke the ice so we followed their route out to safe unfrozen water on the Bure Photo's - Malthouse Broad / River Ant approaching Brods Edge / Outside wet-shed after we eventually made it inside Griff

Hi Donnygeoff, I came across the same quandry when I first started posting with regards to Broad Ambition and the Broads Authority. So I came up with the following solution which most forumites seem to quickly get the jist of Abbreviation BA = Broads Authority Abbreviation 'B.A' = Broad Ambition It works for me. And why am I getting moaned at? As for taking the BA on the Thames - well I did - I had an in date BA river toll on 'B.A' Griff

Not quite perfect - Needs a wet-shed (With a traditional thatched roof of course) Griff