mbird

Yes, just regular PTFE tape, as they are only connections for water pipes at the end of the day.

Personally I'd use marine grade silicon sealant for the fittings and prefer tape on the threads. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

On the rivers we don't tend to bother Alan. If going to sea we have a complete stowage regime however! All boaters should of course respect Breydon and realise is can get bumpy (whether by natural means or man-made) and take appropriate action by putting stuff away that could fall over or get broken. I bet not many do though. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

It is unfortunate that the minority give the majority a bad name. However, even the smallest broads cruiser is easily capable of dealing with a big wake, so whilst it may be frightening for those of a nervous disposition, and certainly uncomfortable, there would not be any real danger to the boat, so they really shouldn't be put off coming down south in the future. The real dangers lie in things like boiling kettles whilst on Breydon which could least to scalds and burns if the same thing happened again. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

No idea I'm afraid John. It was about 10 years ago. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

It is ridiculous to spend so much money on the bridge IMHO. It's not particularly attractive, is in a crappy part of town and serves no useful purpose other than a foot bridge. A few years ago, the company I worked for was asked to quote for the bridge being lifted off and placed on the bank to then be refurbished, but the cost was too high for that project to go ahead. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

Make sure you do not buy ordinary bronze fittings, as these dezincify over time and become incredibly brittle and can fail. Below the waterline use DZR Bronze which are more expensive but do not have this problem. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

My apologies Dan, I did indeed misread your post a bit!

Of course, the other thing to bear in mind is that once the hirers go home, your main source of potential income is from private owners who are able to use their boats all year round. Unfortunately, the disdain you clearly hold a lot of them in isn't really going to encourage them to use your services. Dan, belief in yourself is all well and good, but it doesn't replace the simple economics of a business plan. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

I'm intrigued by the fact the sides of that swingbridge lift as it's rotating! Can you imagine Network Rail ever being able to successfully maintain something like that without it breaking every 5 minutes??

Fair enough point, but it is still a parish staithe and therefore people are entitled to come and go as they please. It is a bit wrong to disappear before the mooring fees are collected, but many people pop out for the day and then head back to their moorings in the evening, and I believe the mooring fee is for overnight. It's never been any different at Womack as it's such a popular place, and if you are lucky enough to find a mooring, many people stay. Just because they are not interested in purchasing angling gear, doesn't mean they have any less right to do so.

I haven't had any work done by them Brian, but after a recent purchase and a bit of a chat I was happy enough with the way they came across so will be getting my outboard serviced there over the winter. Worth noting the Broadsbeat rib was there having some work done at the time, so if it's good enough for them....

Sorry John, missed the link in your post! Must be the dutch accent you are typing in!!

But surely the point is that it is a parish staithe and therefore public moorings aren't they? I agree that if people use moorings infront of a pub, then they should certainly use that pub's facilities. However, the moorings at Womack are not part of your frontage, and indeed totally separated from your plot by the dinghy dyke. The shop you occupy was built there to take advantage of the staithe, not the staithe put there to service the building. Whilst can I fully sympathise with your frustrations, there is nothing stopping boaters spending 24 hours at a parish mooring (as long as they pay their fee of course), and I am sure the thought that they may be stopping potential customers coming into your shop by doing so doesn't even register. It is no different to when this very forum held their birthday meet on Womack Staithe 4 years ago and basically took over the entire moorings, had a massive BBQ and a great day. True, there wasn't a shop other than Darren's small offerings there then, but even if there had been, I'm sure the consideration it could be hitting trade would not have been one that the meet organisers (of which I was one) would even have thought about.

I seem to remember the stone is part of some sort of Sculpture trail. I'm not sure if it was part of this one or not http://www.south-norfolk.gov.uk/leisure/1194.asp as I can't remember the details....

I wondered if that boat was still around. A few years ago it was in Horning for a while then seemed to vanish. Another good place for Arthur Ransome fans is the Walton Backwaters. Its the area that Secret Water was based in, and even the causeway in the book actually exists.

yes, just like that Alan! 20 boats all plugged in with temperatures around freezing...all off a 40A main breaker!

Good job I don't have a 3kw fan heater then Alan . The most we ever have on is the battery charger and 1kw kettle. We do have a 1kw immersion heater but always turn that off if boiling the kettle as we get fed up with posts tripping if several boats are split off from one post.

Coiled wire can create an induction loop if enough current passes through it. Having said that, we store our cable on a reel and only unwind enough to plug in, and have spent 20 years caravanning and 5 years boating never felt the cable get even slightly warm. It may be more of a problem with a 32A cable, but I think with 16A it's much less of a problem.

Superb archive film! I'm slightly younger than the film, but even so still remember the coasters coming up to Cantley. I seem to remember there were some rumblings about that recommencing but it seemed to have died a death. There was obviously a good reason why but I don't know what it was, silting etc perhaps? I certainly don't remember Norwich looking so industrial, and didn't even know there was a powerstation near the old Boulton and Paul site!

Sorry Clive, I didn't recognise you! I was probably concentrating as I was solo with no crew! I guess you were in that raft of three boats I passed on Oulton Dyke? Just goes to prove I even wave at the raggies

I now know a profanity in Dutch!

Hi Kerri, welcome to the forum! Thank you for letting us know about the change of ownership. A poor experience a couple of years ago has meant I haven't stopped at the Reedcutters since, but I shall certainly do so now!

I have heard of white storks on the Broads, but not for a few years. Maybe they are coming back too?

Excellent blog John! Keep it coming (Wi-Fi allowing!)