SPEEDTRIPLE

It`s a very sad day indeed. However, when you go to ANY mass event such as this, or a race meeting etc, you`re ALWAYS at risk. It`s one of the risks you take when you go and spectate at high speed events. By what i`ve seen and heard on the news, the plane crashed on the A27, and might have been away from the display box?. Nobody knows as yet to what caused the crash, so we should`nt speculate. However, the pilot DID survive, and is in hospital with serious injuries. My heart goes out to all the families of those concerned, and to the pilot who, if he recovers from ihis own injuries, will be able to inform the relevent authorities. It`s also fair to say, if he recovers, he will no doubt be haunted by this tragedy for the rest of his life, and he also deserves our sympathies.

There was a thread on this forum recently about people using go pro cameras (or whatever these intrusive things are called?) and mega phones to higlight and make public when people make mistakes. Now it seems theres people on this very thread only to keen to sit at a pc waiting for someone to make a mistake, then publicly announce it, and try and in some perverse way, humiliate them. I really do wonder whether some people have such sad lives, that have NOTHING BETTER TO DO?. Whatever they`ve done wrong, or by mistake, if it`s not hurting you, don`t bleet on about it, and mind your own buisness. I certainly DON`T want to have all the threads on this forum regarding what others, who as it happens are not even able to defend themselves, as they`re obviously NOT forum members mistakes, or innocent errors of judgement being publicly dealt with via a one man judge and jury. My last point is, if by chance i see you on the rivers at some time, how would you feel, if i were to follow you everywhere you go, photographing and filming your every move, and posting EVERY little mistake you, and all others like you, make, and post it all on here, and leaving you open for public ridicule. Rant over.

Hi Ocean Dawn, welcome from me too. I did`nt realise we had so many members from Lincolnshire, which is quite a coinsidence, as Karen and i are off to Lincolnshire for a week in a cottage on the Bank holiday weekend. We`re going tom a place called Greetham just East of Horncastle.Is that anywhere near you?. I`m sure i recognise the name Ocean Dawn, we may have seen her on the river sometime?. Anyway, welcome to the forum, and enjoy some fun chat, as well as some lively debate. It`s all in good spirit.

I think many of the ferry fleet are pig ugly, and think a lot of the reason is because the design brief was just to be different, not nessecarily better, just diferent, so they made something pig ugly just besause it`s different. There were some stunning designs in the 80s and 90s, and some of the old woodies from the 60s had a distinct modern line to them, but made in traditional materials. Some of the GRP / timber top designs looked stunning too, and whenever you see one in immaculate condition, it`s a pure joy to just look at it in amazement. In fact, there is a member on this forum who knows exactly what i`m on about, as he has exactly that type of boat, moored not far from Lightning, dare you admit who you are young sir?. As for the so called "green boating idea", sorry, but i`m not convinced, and think Robin (London R) is spot on. The unenvironmentally friendly manufacturing processes required to buid these so called "green systems" are a million miles from green. What is the point in not using a 50hp deisel for propulsion, but using the same unit for longer periods having to charge batteries who`s manufacturing process is one of the most unenvironmentally friendly systems going?. It`s also worth remembering that all these "green boats" are made of GRP, itself a very unenvironmental product as we`re lead to believe The most environmentally friendly form of boating can only be a timber sailing boat with canvas sails, and a pair of oars. I`m sure Peter (Jenny M) will agree there?. .

I did ask Karen for a Hovercraft experience day near Gatwick airport. She was going to pay for it, but iturned out to be £100 ish for 15 minutes actual driving. I told her not to bother, as it will be cheaper to buy one and use it for an hour or so till i`m bored with it, then sell it for what i payed for it, or possibly a bit more?.

Got it, thanks John.

If you want a classic case of deterioration on the Broads, look no further than beyond the limits of navigation on the river Ant, past the junction of Dilham Dyke and the North Walsham and Dilham Canal, also, above the now disused lock at Coltishall, and above Geldeston Lock. These three stretches of the broads are badly overgrown, silting up, and in some places, unnavigable, even by canoe. But hey, by not having any boats using them, that`s conservation, or is it?. These three stretches of rivers and canals have been left to mother nature, and are now vitrually unrecogniseable as former navigable rivers, and bear more resemblence to a stream. Sometimes consrvation is NOT in the best interest of the location. As for fishing the Ant on a summers day, with the hire boat season being little more than May to Spetember inclusive, that`s precious little more than 4 months. anglers have 9 months of the year to fish the Ant.

Thanks John. If i`d gone to specsavers first, i might have noticed this thread first. I can`t find the mebarresed smiley. That one?

I said all along that the BNP rebranding is purely a precurser to the Broads becoming a full national park, and i`ve not changed my mind. Looking back at what happened to lake Windemere, if the Broads DOES become a full national park, then you can kiss goodbye to power boat racing in Oulton Broad, Water skiing in designated areas, and sea going boats being able to use their engines properly across Breydon. Later on, there will also be the possibility of a ban on internal combustion engined boats aka Sandford, which is still trying to be implimented behind closed doors on Lake Windemere, even though the NP commitee have denied such murmurings. So Dajens comments are in fact very well put, and something all boat owners and fleet operators should start to question.

I came across this on facebook. http://www.edp24.co.uk/news/crime/suspected_migrants_travel_to_the_uk_on_a_broads_holiday_cruiser_1_4191534 Imagine the damage to their buisness if they had to stop selling boats in france, or anywhere where there was a channell crossing involved.

Warped minds might be cunjouring up all sorts of images regarding "going solo in a chippy" John .

Hi Matt, That`s very interresting, because when we were on Lightning a couple of months back, i asked the engineer about the hirefleet, and he said they won`t be adding any new low level or single level designs to the fleet, although they were considering having one more of the Bolero class. I think it`s a bit short sighted to restrict a fleet to mainly high top designs, as it severely limits cruising options, especially if low water slack is in the hours of darkness.

Don`t forget ASDA`s at Gt Yarmouth. They have a petrol station, and are open early till late, or possibly 24 hours.

The Broom boat in question certainly looks good, and will go under all bridges, most at ahw. I do think the inside is a bit plain though with very little colour, and think they could have done better. However, it IS very light and airy, and an ideal boat for 2. I think the jury`s still out on the black window frames though. As for the cost and benefits of buying into a syndicate, i agree, why do people who regularly hire, and are very competent at boat handling, not consider doing so. As Alan (Ranworth Breeze) rightly says, there are several people on this forum who hire sometimes 3 times a year, so why pay ever increasing hire fees when you can buy into a syndicate, and once you have bought the share (a lot less than a cheap used car), each share of the annual maintainace charge is around the cost of ONE weeks hire. I think many of the hire yards with skilled and qualified boat builders and engineers are missing a trick here, because looking after a syndicate boat will be payed for by the owners, and not out of their own accounts. There is a definite shortage of smaller syndicate boats around, the only one i know of is Gooseander, a 2 berth Alpha 29, so if someone like Brooms were to introduce a couple of the boats in this thread, i think they would be taken up pretty quickly. Anyway, sincerest apollogies for hijacking this thread people.

Look at the price of it too. £1,000 ish for a week in summer for 2, and that`s without the customary (hidden?) add ons. You could buy a share in a syndicate boat for around £4-5,000 and pay less than a weeks hire per year maintainance, and get 4 weeks for the privilage. Cheaper than buying a used car too.

RE the Breydon skeletons John, i remember when i used to go on the Broads in the 70s, there were considerably more than there are now. I`m sure there are many who think "if only they knew then what they know now, about historic boats".?.

The thing is, if you could get the thing up, it would probably be a freebie, as nobody will want to lay claim to it. I know it would be in a right mess, but after stripping EVERYTHING out, you have a set of bear mouldings for a project, after a total wash inside and out.of course. Could this be the next project for Alan (Jaws Orca), and Dave?.

Hi John, and all, Karen and i are off to Lincolnshire for a week in a cottage in 2 weeks time. I`ve earmerked East Kirkby for the bank holiday monday, as they have an air display on the day, so will be looking forward to it. We`re staying in a place in a village called "Greetham", just east of Horncastle, which is pretty close to the museum. A short drive, so we can spend the whole day there.

Hi all, for anybody (like me) who are interrested in WW2 aircraft, and their restoration, you might be interrested in the Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage museum?. They are currently restoring Avro Lancaster "Just Jane" back to flying condition, and you can follow their progress here. http://www.lincsaviation.co.uk/news/lancaster-nx611-return-to-flight/

Nothing wrong with Breydon, so let`s leave it well alone. I`ve crossed it dozens of times, with and against the tide, when it`s flat calm, and with a 3ft swell, at whetever time we`ve been there, and NEVER had a problem. I`ve not had any formal training, and never want to. I am intellegent enough to cross Breydon whenever i feel it`s safe to do so, and don`t want any halfwit dictatorial authority, most of which have probably never crossed it, telling me i`m safe to do so.

Please don`t forget about me John, computers are aliens from outer space as far as i`m concerned. Everybody says how easy things are, but i still can`t fathom them out. You may get a call if things change too much, and i can`t log in. (Iknew i should have written my password down) It`s good to be a ludite..........sometimes.

Totally agree with you all. She was real, unlike many of todays current crop of entertainment robots, who don`t have any personality, Charisma, or individuality. She always wanted to be remembered as a singer, but was in fact an brilliant all round entertainer who could make people laugh one minute with her Liverpudlian quit wit, then melt their heart with a song the next. I think the worst thing she did was blind date. I always said the contestants were often on it purely and simply to try and start a career in television. When they showed a repeat of the show where she was interviewed by Paul O, Grady (ex Lilly Savage), where they mentioned some of the contestants and had them on stage. Amanda Holden, and some stand up comedian who i`ve never heard of was another. I think it was the way the show was going, and she was`nt happy about it, so she bowed out in typical Cilla style. She`s just another one of the golden greats to sadly leave us, and the world of entertainment is a lot worse off with out her, and her kind. R.I.P Cilla.

Us too John, and about the same age too when we hired Aston Orion in 1970, which if i recall was when the broads were at their dirtiest. We swam in Barton Broad while mudweighted, the river Bure at Hoveton viaduct, before it was quay headed, (i cut my foot on something on the riverbed, and i did`nt die either), and at Burgh castle marina, where the water had a strong saltiness to it. Now however, the rivers and broads are much cleaner, so i would imagine the water is much safer to swim in.

Hi Monica, Why not take a drive up to Brundall and ask to have a look over her, then you can see for yourself. You will also be able to ask questions regarding specific details and requirements.

Just goes to prove that you can`t beat that personal touch from the small indipendant yards. That`s why if i hire (which we will still do occaisionaly, we will always use Maffetts, Pacific, or Freedom. The other advantage of hiring from Freedom is (subject to availability?) you can book as many or as few nights as you want.