mbird

Gordon Bennet....

A photo from the top as I dangle. The smile is false, I assure you!!

I think I am right in saying the yacht station is pretty well fully booked over the bank holiday weekend, but always worth giving them a call. Probably the Wherry hotel offers the best combination of mooring, view and food as the boats race straight down the broad towards you!

The charity abseil took place yesterday at Southwold in good weather, if a little breezy. Never having done an abseil before, I was somewhat nervous, and can honestly say it is one of the most worrying things I've done! Getting over the handrailing at the top of the lighthouse seems such a wrong thing to do (even with the safety line!), and then dangling from a rope connected to a little webbing harness does not really instill a sense of security. Having said that, it was exciting and in the process managed to raise a current total of........ £607.50!!!! Thank you so much to everyone who has donated, it will help the RNLI continue to do their life-saving work (voluntarily don't forget!). There is still time to donate for anyone that may like to at my Virgin Money Just Giving page http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserProfilePage.action?userUrl=Mark.Bird Here's a little video of the rather tentative approach I took! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNPnJNiMbGE

I think you are referring to the piling by the side of the road? If so, there are a number of small craft moored there with bow lines to the wall and stern lines to buoys. The rest of the area is derelict now so I don't think mooring would be permitted.

Last year I sold all of my DSLR gear as it just wasn't getting used. In it's place I now use an Olympus Pen-Lite E-PL3. With the standard lens it's not exactly pocketable, but with the 15mm pancake lens it is not much bigger than a normal compact. The picture quality is outstanding straight out of the camera with no processing needed. It doesn't have quite the full functionality of a DSLR, but still has more than enough to get creative.

Keep digging Lori! There's loads of stuff in this software that we're only just scratching the surface of!

I just tried it too! I guess it's a bit of a Facebook type thing where any members you have friended will then see what you have types as your status?

Welcome Carole! Like you, I caught the Broads Bug when I was a very small child being on holiday with my parents. I never lost the love of the place, so much so that it became my ambition to live near the Broads and have my own boat one day. I'm pleased to say that both ambitions have now been realised, and I still love being on the rivers as much now as I did back then.

Having never seen one before due to their rarity, I have now seen 4 bitterns in the last year! The first couple of sightings were last summer, one on the Yare between Reedham and the Berney Arms and the other along Oulton Dyke. This year I have again seen one on the Yare in the same sort of area, and then the last sighting was a couple of weeks ago on the way to the Beccles meet, near to Somerleyton bridge. The bird literally flew over the boat and then landed in the reeds. Sod's law dictates that I have never had a camera handy, but I can only surmise that their population is a little healthier than it was a few years ago.

That's sort of what I was getting at. Is it actually any better environmentally to have a hybrid boat? Cars are a different matter, as they can recoup some of the energy when slowing down etc to help charge the batteries, but the same isn't true for boats.

It is a lovely part of the Broads. I used to take my first boat up to Dilham quite a lot as it was one of my favourite places. Peaceful and secluded, where you were almost guaranteed to see Kingfishers and catch a couple of fish. I've also kayaked up the NW&D canal as far as the bridge, which was like exploring unknown territory. There was some talk awhile ago about refurbishing the lock, but I don't know if that ever went ahead?

Hybrid boats already exist! Do a google search for "Greenline boats" and you'll see what I mean. Thing is, what is the difference between having a diesel engine chugging away powering a propeller, or one chugging away powering a generator? Is it just the engine could be smaller if only powering a genny? I can just imagine moorings chock full of hybrid boats, all with the genny's running in the morning to charge their batteries so they can then have a days silent cruising on battery power.......

I was under the impression there were more and more point going in, such as at Bramerton. I can only think the one at Hickling may have a fault that has forced it to be take out of commission? As for so-called green boating with electric boats, everyone forgets the huge amount of pollution and resources manufacturing batteries and the environmental cost of generating the electricity. The only green boating is a flappy thing with a stick to push it along with when the wind is not playing fair.

Ah, I would not have been at that meet, but I was a couple of years earlier. I didn't notice the link in my post lol!

NBN meet at Salhouse Broad in 2008?? (I think!)

Thank you very much Siddy! Only a week and a half to go now, and I think Southwold Lighthouse is getting taller........

Keep it coming Fred! I notice there was no review of the A17, I hate that road!! Glad to see you thought the food at the Reedcutters acceptable. I haven't stopped there for a couple of years after a previous visit when it was far from it, but will add it back to the list of possibilities again.

I've always known the Beauchamp Arms as "Beecham", as that's quite a common name across the country, but I suppose it could have been Norfolkised! I like the local terminology for things; Bishy Barny Bee (Ladybird); Dodman (Snail) etc etc. There are loads of them!

It was another great meet! The weather was warm, despite the forecasts, so the gazebo wasn't really needed until the heavens opened in the evening. Several of us even went for a swim! Thanks to John for the organisation, and it was great to see so many new faces who were joining a meet for the first time! The rounders match was fun, the BBQ food tasty, the drink....er....drunk and the company excellent! Roll on October for the next one!

Glad to see the conditions were good and both vessels made it there and back!

A couple of years ago, the yards seemed to be doing well and bookings were up due to the decent weather the previous summer. Then last year we had a crap summer and so this year more people are off to sunnier climes. I think a lot has to do with the weather people experienced on their last holiday.

Is the windmill not also called the Stracey Arms?

The Ice cream boat is often a welcome site on a warm day when mud-weighted in Surlingham Broad. All we need now is a warm day!