SPEEDTRIPLE

The thing is Stu, even if people reported someone "on the premises, and in the act", if you report it to the police, the only response you`ll get is "we have`nt got the manpower", or even, "there`s nothing we can do at this time". Most of us have had enough of it, and some are prepared to take the law into their own hands, and then what will you do?. You`ll always find the manpower to arrest and prosecute victims who are prepared to do anything to protect their property, by never enough manpower to apprehend the criminals in the process. Also, with boats being securely locked, in a marina, fully equipped with CCTV cameras, when they ARE caught on film, we also hear that usual get out clause "it`s not admissable as evidence". Is`nt it strange how some things are not admissable as evidence, but if some honest law abiding person makes an honest mistake, be it in their car, or accidentally dropping some litter, or even eating a biscuit while driving, any evidence caught on POLICE cameras, is damming evidence. It`s well past the time when the police forces are COMPELLED BY PUBLIC AUTHORITY, to get up off their backsides and do the job WE, THE TAX PAYER pay them for Rant over. PS. we have a boat moored at Brundall too.

The trouble is, if you caught the theiving scum and gave them what they deserve, you`d be the one facing the magistrate, or worse, because you`ve infringed their Human rites?. Sick society we live in i suppose. That said, everyone should be very vigilant after Christmas, it`s the time of prezzies, and boat owners sometimes get some nice prezzies to go on the boat. And let`s NOT forget, it`s BOAT JUMBLE TIME. A prime place to get rid of stolen property if not security marked or tagged. Anyway, you all know full well, it`s OUR fault because we should`nt be so greedy and have such nice things in the first place.

I`ve just clicked on the link in Strows post, They really seem to be the propeller experts, and it`s well worth the forum keeping their website on file, as i can see them getting a lot of work from the broads, especially when you consider all the underwater obstructions the broads has. I for one would be very interested in their services, should anything happen to Lightning.

Based in the old Aston and Princess yard buildings in Loddon. I`ve seen them on faceache, and wonder if they`re a new set up, or just the existing members of Princess cruisers who`ve taken over the operation?. I think it`s run buy a chap called Rory Freeman, anybody have any better info?.

I have to admit though, i would love to get a Hampton 25 in poor condition and do a re-furb, but i doubt Karen would appreciate another boat on the front garden, especially as i`ve almost finished re-modeling it.

I know Timbo, but in all honesty, who can afford to do it these days lol.

My favourite was the ball of Witworth thread. We had an apprentice when i was doing navigational instruments, he was the secretary`s son, and a bit nice but dim. He had to go and pick up some tools from a local trade shop in Dartford, so in front of the boss, i asked him to get a ball of Witworth thread. He took ages to come back, it turned out the guy in the tool shop must have had this several times, as he told the lad they no longer sell it, and sent him to the nearest wool shop. The apprentice tried to get his own back on me, i asked him to glue in some spirit level bubbles that were used on MOD azimuth circles. He thought he was being clever and said he was`nt falling for it again and said no. So i took some spirit level bubbles (which were small glass sealed tubes with fluid and a bubble in them, along with the tubes they were bonded into, and asked him, "are you going to do it, or am i going to have to tell the boss you`re refusing to work?". For some strange reason it took a long time before he believed anything i said.

The biggest problem of boat restoration is where to do it. You could end up paying huge amounts for dry storage, and even then, you need to have a yard that allows you to do the work, and DOES`NT allow any competitors in to do work for you. Alan (Jaws Orca) was in a good position to start with being where he lives. For the rest of us, a good yard might be miles away, and incurr many hours and money in tavelling costs just to get there. Also, unless the boat is on your own private lannd, you might be restricted to opening hours as was i, when Mistral was on land in Kent. That meant i could only work on her during normal working hours, and being in full time employment, sometimes working up to 12 hours a day, and sometimes 6 or maybe even 7 days a week, often, i could`nt even get to the boat, which happened to be at least a half hours drive away (And that was in North Kent too). There are many ways that buying a poor condition boat and restoring her to former glory, can be both very well worthwile, and very profitable too. But it has to be the right boat in the right place at the right time, and be very convenient for you too. Having said that, if you have a fair sized garden with a bit off to the side, restoring a smallish boat can be very rewarding, and enjoyable. So long as it`s NOT a timber one?.

I like to think i`m one of them. However, i`m often proved wrong

The thing is Robin, at sea, there are things called waves, and they can be quite big outside the confines of the Broads. Then you have stronger winds out in the open, and very exposed waves. Add to that that Westboat has a lot out of the water, like ANY high top design, there is an even greater amount of windage. Add them altogether, and a single engine of that power would struggle. Now if you were on the same boat on the Broads, it may be OVER powered. I also believe those old Aquafibre moulds were semi displacement, so would`nt plane very well unless you had a lot of power, so i`d tend to agree with the Admiral. One other point, the Admiral has a lot of experience in going to sea, and can tell you far better than me as to the effects i`ve mentioned above on even a small boat. Never estimate sea voyages by comparing to travelling on the Broads. That said, i do agree, the tides WILL play a major part in any sea voyage.

My first re-action was why on earth involve the lifeboat and coastgaurd when the poor woman was on land, but having read further, it was in a position which was difficult for any emergency service to access, so obviously it was the right thing to do. Sometimes it`s easy to be critical, but often there are good reason for it. I remember in the late 90s, i was on holiday with my brother, his wife and two daughters, and were moored at Salhouse Broad. We watched one of Richardsons big boats coming in to moor stern on, and was coming in a bit too quick. He hit the bank, and one of the women on the stern, who was NOT holding on, fell off the stern and hit the ground with her hand. She broke her arm, and my brother was running up and down the hill trying to get a phone signal.to phone for an ambulance. The ambulance crew arrived a while later, due to the location, and said it would have been better and more comfortable for the patient to have been taken to Wroxham on the boat, where access was easy for the ambulance, and to be honest, after the poor woman got shaken around in the chair along the track to the carpark, the crew were spot on.

I`l talk Karen into going there in a couple of weeks, so i`l do it then Ian.

I`m just outside Poole, do they still have them there, or do i have to order one?.

Hi Mark (Baitrunner), good to hear you`ve signed up to the RNLI. i did so 10 years ago, and pay a monthly fee. I think i`m a life governor or something like that. Down here in Poole, we have their baes, which has a very nice restaurant, which i believe is supposed to be very good, and open to all members, but i`ve not been in it yet. When we eventually go, i`l post up my thoughts.

Never been a fan of Harry Potter, but the Die hard films are excellent. He had a real knack for playing the baddie.

Ive just heard on the news, actor Alan Rickman has died at the age of 69. I did`nt catch all the report, as i was on the phone. He was brilliant in the Robin Hood film, The way he played the sherriff of Notingham was excellent, with some very humerous moments.

Somebody mentioned Kia cars, A former colleague of mines wife bought a Kia Pride years ago. It was cheap, but it was not on a par quality wise with any of the mainstream makes. Now, there`s a Kia franchise a mile or so from where we live. I remarked to Karen only a few weeks ago on just how expensive Kia`s have become. You can buy an eqivalent sized Vauxhall, Ford, Volkswagon, Peugeot Renault etc etc for less. As for Chinese bikes, another former colleague bought a 125 Chinese custom bike, and the rear brake felt like wood, because they were built using incompatable materials. Within a month, the thing would`nt run properly due to a blocked carb, with meatl swarf in it, where did that come from?. Also, within 6 months it was going rusty, and electrical swwitches would`nt work properly. As has been stated above, Chinese stuff might look a great when you look at them in some show, but the truth is, they look a million dollars, but go 50 pence. It`ll be at the very least another 10 years before Chinese stuff will be properly on a par with the mainstream manufacturers, so untill then, i`l stick to Japanese or European. I`d like to buy British all the time, but sadly, very little of the so called BRITISH products are actually built in this country. Even Triumph motorcycles are being built abroads, the Bonnevilles are built in Thailand, but i`m still going to buy one.

Hello, and welcome Gordon and Julie from me too. Just to re-iterate what Alan (Jaws Orca) has said, buy an NBN burgee, so we can recognise you. Also if you want to get to meet up with peeps, there`s the meet at Salhouse broad on the 14-15th May. Happy cruising......................Neil.

Re yards that specialise in wooden boats, Maffett cruisers spring to mind. Swallow and Merlin are always in mint condition, we`ve hired Swallow many times, and she`s regularly out for inspections and if ness re-planking, but as soon as she`s ready, she`s straight back in so as to stop her drying out. I totally agree you NEVER take a wooden boat out of the water for long periods. They dry out, and if left on props for any considerable length of time, they can very easily go out of shape, with planks warpuing where the props are, i saw it down where i use to keep Mistral. There was a beautiful old carvel construction Folkboat style yacht which had been ashore for about 3 years. she had gaps everywhere that you could actually slip a wood batten in, and where the props had been, the planking was quite severely bowed inwards. The owner eventually got it back in the water, but i don`t think he did anything about the bowed planks, as i seem to remember him saying they would eventually take up and go back to there original shape. Personally, i think he may have been living in cloud cuckoo land. I love wooden boats, i just don`t think i`d ever have enough money to ever maintain one.

Totally agree. We`ve lost one of the true mavericks of music. Every so often, you get that one in a million come along, and they turn whatever the field on it`s head and make a real difference. David Bowie was one of those, in the same vain as Michael Jackson. The truly sad fact is, he celebrated his 69th birthday only last Friday, and was still a relatively young man by todays standards. He was an absollute legend, and the music industry has lost a true icon, who not only entertained, but also inspired others. The good thing is we`ll always have iconic music like "The Jean Jeanie", "Let`s Dance" etc etc to enjoy for all time. R.I.P. David Bowie.

I think it`s wrong to say you can`t compare it to Earls court, it`s still the London International Boat Show, and a shadow of its former self. As for going with "an open mind", not a chance. I`d be going to a boat show, and expect to see boats, and boat related stuff, not home and garden accessories. If i wantad to go somewhere with an open mind, i`d go on a mystery coach tour. The last 4 times we went to the Southampton Boat Show, was because we got free tickets from work. Not exactly anything to do with aircraft, but we use PCP Logistics for freight and transport, and they sponsored it for several years, and always gave a friend of ours at work who is in charge of dispatch free tickets, which she would dish out. Otherwise, i would`nt go every year, like we did`nt last year. The thing i don`t like about the shows these days is all the non boating rubbish exibited. Even with that, the show is getting very spaced out, with a dramatic decrease in actual boats on display, and very few small boats too.

I think it`s absoluetly amazing to see a lot od the British countryside on a sunny winters day. The sun always seems so much brighter on a clear winters day, and being on the South coast (well, a 15 minute drive away), to see the Dorset coast and cliffs with a bright sun in the southern skies, shining straight at it, is truly amazing. I really do feel that winter, although sometimes very cold, can offer some of the most spectacular scenes you could see.

I have`nt been for many years now. The last time i went, was the second year it was at the excel, and i was`nt impressed. It had no atmosphere, like Earls court, and the catering was very limited. No decent cafes or restaurants like Earls court. Also, the show sarted to drift away from boats with many stalls being nothing to do with boats at all, and those boats that were there you could`nt look over, unless it was a dayboat or dinghy where you could see through the windows. I`ve heard in recent years, less than half of the show is actually boats, and boat related, with many stalls displaying garden furnature, gazebos, hot tobs, and even sheds, and greenhouses. Oh, and not to forget the rapid rise of property stalls advertising overpriced appartments etc. That said, i`ve not actually been myself recently, but i`ve often gone to the Southampton show, which has been said as more of a boatshow than London now, and that`s going the way of the side show stalls too. Of course, they might have listened to complaints, and done away the side show stalls, and gone back to boats, but i won`t be going, so anybody who DOES go will hopefully report back here?. It`s a shame really, because it was the main thing i looked forward to after Christmas, and was very disappointed when it was over. Whatever you think of it, i hope you enjoy it.

Same here, but they came down on Saturday, and went in the loft on Saturday. All boxed up, batteries removed, and wrapped up so they don`t go mouldy.