SPEEDTRIPLE

I think the fairest way to collect tolls is by the square of your boats extremities. For example, a boat measuring 40ft x 12ft will have a square footage of 480, and a boat measuring 28ft x 10ft would be 280. The number of engines it has, or what it`s made from, of if it has a generator should not even come into it. Simple and fair, otherwise you`ll have something like the rediculous road taxes we have, where a big powerful modern car that pays either no tax whatsoever, or a meagre £30 per year, whereas a small old car might have to pay in excess of £250, and the much bigger more powerful heavier car will do more damage to the road than the smaller older one. Stick to a boats square footage, no matter what, and charge by the square foot. Simple and fair.

How about a large gaff cutter with a main engine and wing engine, all those sails and 2 engines, ................ The BA would have a field day.

That`s actually a very good point?. If it`s NOT written in their job remit, they may not be covered under the BA`s insurance, and if attacked, would not be able to make a claim?.

. Everybody's at it. I've been in contact with Norman Lamb, the LibDem North Norfolk MP, regarding the Broads Authority. I have now had emails from him (and Baroness Williams) asking for a donation to his 'fighting fund'. To them i would return an e-mail requesting them to be crystal clear WHY they`re asking me for a donation, when (like the BA) they`ve had more than enough already, though this time through my income tax and VAT, not to mention various forms of stealth tax. I`d also ask them to be crystal clear in writing, asking them why they`re asking me for a donation as soon as i`d ask them to look into something?. That to me sounds possibly a bit like they`ll only do what they`re elected to do if you pay them, cash for questions possibly, which incidentally, one MP was sent to prison for?. As for the comment, they cost nothing to empty, absolute rubbish, especially when you`re getting rangers to do it on their rounds, which is taking them away from PROPER ranger duties. I`d also like to know what extra protection the rangers have to have when some scummy little mugger chances his (or her?) arm at relieving said ranger of any monies collected?. It all costs extra, and will be coming out of our toll monies.

Thanks Paladin. I`m not trying to upset the apple cart or anything, i just wondered how things stood on the rivers / canalised sections. I think down here, people fish the Kennet and Avon canal, but can`t fish the River Kennet, even though it`s ALL technically a still water, due to it being a tributary of the Thames after the first Lock at Teddington.. Obviously, the waters i mentioned above come under the same catagory?.

Talking to Caroline from Rosie Leas in Loddon, she was saying about how the buisnesses and villagers work together to promote the villages and their activities. The local buisnesses and villagers put a lot of effort into organizing events etc, not to mention decorating the streets and staithe, and they also keep it tidy too. So if THEY put out a donation box, then i`d make a generous one immediately.

Here`s one for the anglers amongst us, Now we`re in the middle of the close season, it`s only closed for river fishing, and canals and stillwaters are open year round. So, if we were moored at Coltshall lock,, i can legally fish ABOVE the now disused lock on the Bure valley navigation. However, the Waveney Navigation officially starts at Geldeston lock, again disused, but with no lock gates etc, the navigation is open to tides. However, it is still classified as a canal, so can i fish beyond the lock legally during the close season?. Also, The North Walsham and Dilham canal starts at the junction of the River Ant, and Dilham dyke (Tylers cut?), so can i fish the canal navigation legally from this junction upwards, again baring in mind this is a tidal stretch of the canal?. It would be very interesting to know the legalities of these waters, as i like to fish while on the Broads, and have often moored near these areas, so if i CAN fish these stretches legally, i can bring some rods with me. One other thing, A few years back, a club organised a match on the river Severn during the close season, and the EA bailifs were there ready to issues fines, and conficate tackle etc, but had to leave empty handed, due to the match being for Eels only, and even then, only with specific tackle. Does this rule apply to the Broads, or is it a regional issue?.

Hi John, welcome back to you and Mary Jane. Karen and i hope that all went exceptionally well, and you had a great time. The down side is, i`l have to behave myself on the forum now :naughty: .

I forgot to add, this weeks Moto GP races were from Argentina,................. i wonder what the crowds reaction was when they hoisted the Union Jack and played God save the Queen when he was on the top step of the podium?......................

And don`t forget Danny Kent won the Moto 3 race AGAIN today, with Cal Crutchlow 3rd in Moto GP, and Sam Lowes 3rd in Moto 2. Re Danny Kents win today, it`s the 1st time a British rider has won back to back races in the small class since Barry Sheen did so in 1971. Last week when he won, he won by over 9 seconds, which was a new record in the small class since its conception. This week, he won by over 11 seconds setting another record in a week. Let`s hope he can continue his winning streak and take the crown?. Way to go Danny.............

Be very careful what you wish for CM, if they spent half of what you currently pay, they would only put it up to spend on other things than the roads to compensate.

I`m not so sure i agree with this at all. Even if they DO use ALL of it to help upkeep the moorings, i would`nt donate as i`ve already payed to moor there through my tolls, which as JM has said above, only half is used for navigation purposes. I think people are missing the bigger picture here?, If a lot of people make a donation, how long do you think it will be before they install a mandatory mooring charge on ALL BA free moorings.?. I can understand it for boats staying longer than 24 hours, but i certainly won`t be paying any donation to cover what i`ve already payed for. Now if we recieve a substantial DISCOUNT on our tolls because of the donations box, then fair enough, but come on, this IS the BA we`re talking about.

Well done lads, you should be proud of yourselves. I have to say, she does sit, and look nice on the water. Now all you`ve got to do is iron out any slight teething troubles, and plan an extended cruise. Looking forward to seeing you on the rivers some time, hopefully at the end of May, beginning of June if you`re around?.

Hi Alan, i was of the understanding the New Inn at Rockland had been bought outright from one of the chains, or has it been bought by somebody who`s now leased it out?.

Why not have a shake down cruise to make sure all the essentials are all working fine?. Stick fairly local, and make sure you run with and against the tide to ensure the engine runs at the correct temp etc etc. Keep it short and sweet for the first couple of trips, just as a precaution.

I have to say i agree with JM, a vastly excessive use of facilities. I remember thinking the same last year when they discovered a body in Oulton broad. For that they had a hazaerdous response unite come all the way from Essex. For a body in the river? and that`s not mentioning all the fire appliances and ambulances from all over East Anglia.

Hi Iain, One of the retained firecrew at Loddon is John Cressy from Maffett cruisers. I remember back in July 89, a couple of fiends and i hired one of their boats called "Mandarin", and when returning to Loddon on the Friday afternoon, imagine our surprise when we came round one of the bends around the Nogdam end area, only to find a cow standing in the middle of the river. The poor animal was obviously stuck and unable to get out, so, being before the mobile phone revolution, we had to wait till we got back to the yard before we could report it. John told us to phone 999 and ask for the fire brigade name Loddon as the nearest station. While we were describing where the animal was to the emergency operator, we heard the fire engine sirens going down the lane towards Hardly. When they returned about 2 hours later, they got the animal out, with no injuries etc, but the farmer did`nt seem to be bothered?. At least we helped to save one of Gods creatures. As for Loddon fire station, it`s still there, but i`m not sure whether John is still part of the crew anymore?.

Hi Jen and Martin, Welcome from me too. I like the sound of the printing and embroiding, will you be selling plain "T" shirts, or Polo shirts for customers to have their own design?.Also fleeces etc would be good, and will you be able to offer a mug printing service, as i collect mugs and have amassed a collection of around 150, so it would be good to have a few unique ones?. We normally call in to Womack while on the Northern rivers, so hopefully, we`ll see you at the beginning of June. Have a good season Regards and best wishes ......................... Neil.

What you`re forgetting Finny, is that local authorities are being encouraged to take on more university graduates to help with unemployment. If you had only one department collecting ALL waste, that`s one departmental staffing structure. If however you had 2 or manybe even more different departments to cover waste disposal, think of how many more graduates can be expensively employed in all those invented management positions that in truth, need not exist. Jobs for the boys as they say, and charge it to the council tax payer. As for asking local buisness to pay a levy for all the waste their customers generate, is`nt that what they`ve been paying for already in their buisness rates?.

Hi Dave, do you moor at Brooms?.

EXACTLY Dave, very well said. :clap

I`m not taken in with all these claims that authoriies are being squeezed, they`re not. What central government want ALL authorities to do is to tighten up on WASTAGE. Wastage covers a lot of things, Waste, obviously, but other non essentials, or should we call them luxuries such as jollies, and "team building days". Years ago, before Karen and i got together, i was in a relationship with a woman who was a civil servant in the Kent education department. Very often, she would say she was going on one of these team building days, which would turn out to be a day trip to France, or a two day trip to Alton towers. She said that when they recieved their budget, they would work well withing that budget, and when there was a surplus every so many weeks, rather than lhave that surplus taken away, making it cheaper for the council tax payers, they would arrange yet another "team building day". Kent county council funded them numerous "team building days" shopping in London, trips to Alton towers, day trips to France, trips to the English coast, etc etc etc. Perhaps if councils were to cut these forms of wastage, not to mention the fact finding trips to global conferences that actually have nothing to do with their area, or good will trips to twin towns in Europe, things like Waste bins and disposal might be increased rather than done away with altogether?. One thing`s for sure, there`s no way on earth i`m going to have rubbish bags stacked up on Lightning, or any boat i may hire in the future, so if the BA and NCC don`t want fly tipping going on, BRING BACK THE WASTE BINS. Rant over.

Hi Dave, That`s exactly the stance i`ve taken. I have`nt watched a game of football for years, and i was sorely tempted to bet on England NOT getting thorough the first round of the world cup, i would have made a bit then. The trouble with footballers is they believe far too much of their own press, and that because they`re England, all they have to do is turn up to win. They seem to forget football is a truly global sport, and still live on the glories of years ago. And i still think no footballer, no matter who he is should be payed more than £50,000 a year, and that`s premiere league players. If people say "they`ll all go abroad" good, then it will give those that want to play for the love of the sport a better chance. One last thing, unlike some people, i think that just because some players earn £10,000,000 + a year,, money alone does`nt make them the "best" player, or a "better" player.

No, i don`t think so dave?. I may not have 1st hand experience in F1, but being a composite engineer in the aircraft industry, very often we have subbies coming in for the summer who mainly work in F1. One such chap happens to be a good friend who has for several years worked at McLaren F1, and has met many of their drivers, Jenson Button being one of them, I won`t mention names, as i don`t want to cause the forum any legal problems, but SOME drivers are more than happy just to be there for the lifestyle, and are not that bothered about raciing, but Lewis Hamilton is definitely NOT one of them.

OI YOU LOT, SHUT UP Karen and i have another 6 1/2 weeks to go yet