BroadAmbition

What is the airdraft of a Hampton safari? Griff

How just how can a small boat have so much clutter and crap onboard? This lot out of the shower compartment only! Having to narrow stuff away. Henry hoover working overtime Just what is that telescopic thing too? We are nowhere near the cafe or Tesco’s either Griff

Friday 29th March Bro’ and crew took ‘B.A’ through Wroxham Bridge with height board stating 6ft2” That’s unusually brave of our Young Un. He had to remove mast completely rather than just folding it down. The rolled back canopy brushed the bridge and windscreen only had 1” to spare. The return journey won’t be as close to HW as he stated he won’t be doing that again in a hurry They went into the Kings Head now recently refurbished and are impressed Griff

We made the Swan pub for dinner last night in one of their pods in their back yard. Then back to the Sutton hotel, both were proper busy. Didn’t get back onboard till 2330. My bunk is the saloon one, plenty long enough but narrow while Purdey has loadsa room. This morning we will visit the rainbow cafe for a FCE, then Tesco’s. Then a final declutter onboard. Getting Dungraftin out of her berth and into open water will be interesting but prior to that I need to give a safety brief along with some do’s and don’ts Anyroadup, off for a Purdey walk just now Griff

Owners arrived - Good. Interior - sorted. A bit more de cluttering in the morning and we are good to go Griff

Bikertov - Really? Griff

Engine - running ok, heads operational, immersion heater working, 12,& 240v systems ok, heater ok. That’s the exterior completed along with windows / frames inside and out. Got a ‘Well done’ from the yard staff on her appearance. Now for the interior Big. thanks to NeilB earlier for assistance too Griff

Replacement horns fitted and operational Griff IMG_4091.mov IMG_4093.mov

Patented auto draining rain catching system installed and operational Griff

That’s me n Purdey onboard for 1930, four Hrs inc a stop. Heating on, all to the good, she is sparkly clean too, well done JT Griff

Any waterborne visitors to the Broads are gonna be getting fleeced at the eye watering visitor toll prices. Added to that GYA port authority charging a £20 transit fee too Griff

I have today paid the Blessed Authority £405:00 for a 28 x day visitor toll for 'B.A' It commences on 01st Apr through to 28th Apr when we must pay the balance for the remainder of the year - £333:80. We are supposed to display the visitor toll sticker whilst out on the rivers – We ain’t gonna bother, besides it won’t get to me in the post now until Saturday at the earliest and I’m away shortly from today till Monday then home Griff

Also to Brother and crew for helping. Er, they ain't ! They are sailing independently early Friday forenoon for a social weekend afloat independent of us onboard Dungraftin (Otherwise knows as 'Sodding Off!) Griff

It took us quite a few trips before we really got to know the boat. Doesn't it just Twenty two years, joint ownership of 'B.A' and we are all still learning / maintaining and hopefully improving her Griff Twenty two years? - Wow, how did that happen? She is 'Only' fifty eight years old

There will be no evidence either way as bats hit by high vehicles will be tucked between trailer and cab and taken away from the site. Really? So every Bat that collides with a vehicle will be stuck in between cab and trailer? There's me now educated that Bats hit only articulated lorries then and further to that they only hit between the cab and trailer unit? In the words of Victor Meldrew - 'I don't believe it' or John McEnroe - 'You cannot be serious' I have yet to see any evidence of dead bats anywhere along the NDR let alone adjacent to the modern art that is referred to as Bat crossings. Besides which, the sonar arrangement that bats employ is right up there, better than anything mere mortals have produced. Bats use their sonar at night to catch insects on the wing - Yet can't avoid an articulated lorry? Griff

and check the fenders are up They most certainly will be, Bro being ex RN like myself, mind you in his RN days he didn't have much practise with fenders being on 'Bombers' Griff

Sometimes one gets 'Called out' After Clive left us, I said to his family - 'If there's owt you need - I'm here' Clive's boat - Dungraftin a Hampton Safari is now of course in the ownership of his family. Berthed at Sutton Marina. They want to keep and enjoy her - Good. What is not so good is that they have not much idea of boat handling and general boaty stuff. Yes, they have been onboard many times with their Dad / Grandad (Clive) and his late wife Kathy enjoying their time afloat without actually learning some of the basic helming skills The call came in a couple of months ago. 'Griff you kindly said if there's owt we need' ? - 'Well there is' - 'Can you come onboard Dungraftin with us for a weekend and properly instruct us in helming, berthing, ropes and hitches, mudweighting, bridges, tide, wind, fuelling, pump outs, etc etc' That was me check-mated right there as easy as wink Their idea was to crew up Friday early evening, go to the pub and then sail Saturday morning - Really? If only! Dungraftin has to my knowledge not had anyone onboard for about five months minimum. (The yard winterised her October last year). They have no idea if the diesel tank is full or when the holding tank was pumped out, no idea of what winterising entails, nor when the engine / batteries etc were last serviced or looked at or any current outstanding issues. So, as a result I'm driving down this afternoon to the wetshed, stay onboard 'B.A' overnight (And change the defective horns) with Bro and his crew, then disembark tomorrow morning, round to Sutton yard and get stuck in. De-winterise, check systems, pump out, fill diesel tank, warm through, spring clean inside and as much of the outside as I can (Wx permitting). I'll be armed with Henry hoover, microfibre cloths, green nylon pads, flash etc etc and aim to get her in some sort of order before the owners arrive early evening thereby be ready for sailing Saturday morning as they intend. Purdey dog will of course be with me. She is going to be mightily miffed she is not onboard 'B.A' for the duration plus she won't be able to wander round the upper deck whilst underway in her normal fashion and if we end up berthed in the vicinity of 'B.A' she is likely to 'Jump ship' ! I'll be onboard till Monday afternoon, they will continue afloat for the rest of the week On the upside a bad day afloat is better than a good day in t office, even if you aren't on your boat of choice Griff

'B.A' is due to be crewed up from this evening through to Monday afternoon. Bro and crew - Six in all plus a huge ridgeback out for the weekend Griff

Today in a neighbouring village I saw a vehicle sporting a private reg plate - ' T O W 1 E' Now imagine having an IQ low enough to want that displayed on your pride and joy Griff

The general consensus on the Rhond is that those bat crossings on the NDR are totally useless. I've never seen a bat anywhere near them when night driving Griff

I hadn't realised there was an additional trip in the stern wardrobe (well why have one trip switch when you can have two?). Why indeed? Griff

You could paint on Interdeck after degreasing the area and masking up but I would go for a darker colour as white is a real pain to keep clean. Ask me how I know. A big ditto on that one Griff

JT took 'B.A' through Wroxham bridge last weekend. The gauge on the downstream side of the bridge stated 6ft3" airdraft. 'B.A' in normal bridge passage configuration is 6ft3" so she should have been scraping through. He reported 2" clearance Griff

Just gone through Horning, fenders down, doh Really? Maybe they were down in readiness for coming alongside (He's says optimistically) Griff

Neatishead last night apparently. Then St Benets about an hour ago. He reports that conditions are somewhat breezy Griff