SPEEDTRIPLE

No, seriously though, i would have done so earlier, but i`ve spent lenough on 2 new cars and Lightning. I could always go out and buy a lottery ticket though?.

That`s a coincidence, that` was the first thing that came into my head. It sounds as though John from Maffetts has had a look at it, as i was told he`d quoted a figure (yard prices) possibly as much as £10,000 ish in work.There`s a bit of rot in one of the fwd lockers, but nothing serious, but also things like wiring and batteries, and i think the engine. and possibly even the gas system etc etc.It`s also coincidence that there`s a thread regarding the cost of boating, with several posts refering to how boats deteriorate when not used. This boat has been under cover for years, so has not been able to be ventilated. Yet another classic example. I thinki i might be able to stretch to £5,000 :naughty: .

I`ve just been advised by fellow forumite Blue Moon of the sale of Maffett Cruisers original Kingfisher. on Boatshed for £10,450. Apparently she is in need of a lot of work, but not too much if you have the kills to diy. http://www.boatshed.com/bounty_30-boat-177306.html I put on a post only last night i would be more than interrested if this boat came up for sale, but now i`ve spent out on a few extras, it`s no longer an option. DAMMIT.

We had an Indian in the Raj at Loddon back in June. It was superb. There was so much we brought it home with us and had it the next day. Food was very well prepared, service was excellent, and we`ll definitely go back. Went to the Balti raj easter last year with John and Mary Jane, and again the food was good, though not up to the Dilraj in Loddon. Never knew about Labone in OB North, but will keep it in mind (thanks Mark) . One thing i will say is that like ALL restaurants wherever you go, some nights the chef may change, even if for a week when the normal chef is on holiday, so the food may change. If you`ve had a bad meal, give it another chance and find out. If it`s still not up to your requirements, then fair enough. All restaurants can have their off days,

It certainly is John, I`m just glad there are`nt any more aircraft composite fitters on here :eek: .

I think Dan started a similar thread to this one some time ago. My all time favourite boat was Maffett Cruisers ORIGINAL Kingfisher. She was a wooden topped DC30, and was fitted for 3-5. i hired her 7 times from september 79 to september 03, and loved her. She was the perfect boat for 2, and with a little modification inside would have been perfect for Karen and me. Sadly, John and Lynda sold her on, and for the last 3-4 years, she`s been under a tarp on the hard at Hippersons yard. Now if that came up for sale at the right price when i first got my payout earlier this year, then my heart would have one over my head. I still remember looking at her gleaming white hull, decks and coachroof, with the varnished cabin sides and rubbing strakes at the gunwhale. Absolute perfection.

No flack from me Frank, i tend to agree with you. I do believe that now we have BSS requirements on inland boats, why do we need surveys.

A classic example of how bad boats can deteriorate without use is the old "Riverine" boats on the hard at Loddon. I still think it`s a disgrace to allow perfectly serviceable boats to get into that state. I asked John from Maffetts if they would be worth doing up, and was told they needed so much work it would`nt be financially viable, for a hire fleet that is, well, not unless they were GIVEN to you. But then as Andy says (Freedom) you then have to spare the time to carry out the work.

Poole Harbour and its nooks and crannies is very pleasant Peter, but alas, like you, i have`nt seen any busses or coaches with tow hooks. I did read an interesting thread however about a couple who transported their boat down to the south coast by road for one season, as it worked out cheaper than cruising round. From the Broads that is.

It`s actually quite wide at its head Roy, but yes, you`d struggle turning Lightning round there. It`s also way out from Loddon and Chedgrave, and would incur a long walk for the pubs or shops. It would however offer more sheltered moorings in that area should the BA set up some 24 hour moorings.

What a great thread, and with a selection of wine too. Seriously though, the point was made earlier on, you have to justify the expense of ownership / hiring / or Syndicate ownership. This year we have bought into a syndicate, so we can have 4 weeks a year for the price of 1. If it does`nt work out for us the way we want it to, we`ll simply sell our share, and go back to hiring. With our regular constraints such as working five and a half days a week, and only 5 weeks holiday a year, and living so far away, i could`nt justify the cost of private ownership, especially when you think i`l need a new car at some time, but if i spend all the money on the boat, i could`nt afford a new car, so would`nt be able to get to the boat anyway. However, if in the unlikely event my personal pension rallies and goes back to its original prospective value, we`ll buy our own boat, then use it for weeks at a time so we won`t be incurring huge travelling costs. Graet thread this one.

Love the little Seagull Strow, my dad had one which NEVER gave any trouble. He also had a larger one that ALWAYS gave trouble, but that was the joy of Seagull outboards, you either swore BY them or swore AT them

You DID Peter, i just did`nt read ALL the posts above

I`m going to have a look at my photo`s again, though i doubt they`re up to the standard of some on here?.

Why not make it with pictures contributed by the members?. Get the members to send in some pictures, and select the best 12, what do you think?.

It`s funny you should mention that Matt? :naughty:

Yep, we always moor at Langley if doing the Yare , lovely peaceful spot, and with no pub, it does`nt get many visitors. In fact, in the last 5 or so years, whenever we`ve been there, we`ve nearly always been the only boat there. And it`s a great place to fish too. As Marshman says, it`s "Hardley dyke" that`s go the private notice, Langley being the one between the sugar factory and the Beauchamp arms. The BA 24 hour moorings are on the left bank going up to the head of the dyke.

Owning your own boat is great if you`re retired, or if you live less than an hour away, but seeing as we have a 500+ mile and around 7-8 hours round trip on a clea run, it`s far too far away to be able to do regular long weekends. So, like you, we wanted to own our own, but did the sensible thing.

An excellent thread this one, and one that i can perfectly relate too. Due to financial constraints, when my investments payed out earlier this year, i`d planned to buy a boat myself. Then when i worked out it would cost a realistic minimum of £3,000 ish per annum to keep, and that Karen and i would be very unlikely to use it for mor than 3 weeks a year, it WAS as Clive (C Ricko) says, cheaper to hire, so we decided to go down the syndicate route, and bought a share in Lightning. Now we get 4 weeks every year, which we probably won`t use, but for an annual share of the (proffesional) running costs of around £800 - 1,000 per annum. You do the maths, as they say in the tv ad.

Landscape interpretator?, Just another "invented job title" to give to yet another university graduate to get them off the unemployable list :roll: . And probably funded by our toll money too?. I see i`m NOT the ONLY cynic on here .

While i aggree with almost all of Strow`s post, i DISAGREE with his last comment, as the example posted above by Leo explains. Small 2 strokes in immaculate condition will always be in great demand for use on dighys due to their light weight and ease of maintainance. Because of this, they now command comparably higher used values than older heavier small 4 strokes. So with that in mind, always keep them locked away somewhere safe when not in use. One last thing, I was told some time ago that the sale of brand new 2 stroke outboards has NOT actually been outlawed completely, as registered commercial fishermen are still legally allowed to buy them, with the bann only applying to leisure users. Whether this is actually the case i don`t know, and willfully stand to be corrected if wrong?.

We`ve never had a problem crossing Breydon, either with or against the tide. If crossing Breydon against the tide, it just takes considerably longer, and uses more fuel. Personally, i`d prefer to come down the bure against the tide, and cross on the incoming tide, and in reverse, crossing with the tide just after high water slacks. That way. you you cross Breydon quickly, and only have to punch the tide a couple of miles or so up the lower Bure, which is not as strong as the southern river tides.

Some really stunning pictures folks, and i did`nt realise the old railway bridge in Beccles was demolished as late as 66. I thought it was earlier. I also did`nt realise it was that close to the old road bridge, as there seems precious little to remind you there was ever a railway and bridge there. When we`re on Lightning next month, if we venture up through Beccles, i`l have a careful look to see what`s there.

Yeah, a likely story if ever i heard one. I bet if i saw you there, you`d have a beer glass in hand?. :naughty: . So you won`t be there on Wednesday then Neil?.

Hi Strow, is that the Fuji in the picture< and can you still get them now, or have they been superseded by something else?. Also, how much are they, and are they heavy?.