Cruiser Sailing Without Lights, Shock Horror, Lifeboat Called!

[Baitrunner]

Oh JM did you really mean to say that -  "Have the Hamptons in private hands grown bigger?"

A little double entendre if ever their was one

[JennyMorgan]

[Broads01]

Your recent experience worries me Jonzo given that I was boating at the same Tim last year and I had few issues with mooring availability. I guess you had great weather (which I didn't) and that always has a big impact on traffic as people decide to hire/ use their own boat at the last minute. I'm wondering also if the loss of south Broads hire yards is impacting as late availability for a weekend break in September on the south Broads must be non-existent, forcing customers north.

[tjg1677]

22 minutes ago, JennyMorgan said:

Have the Hamptons in private hands grown bigger? I doubt it & they are still around. 

What has happened, I think, is that the provision of private moorings has blossomed but the trouble is, unlike most of the the hire yards and their boats, private boats need two moorings, their home base mooring and one for wherever they choose to go. A hire boat base mooring becomes vacant and available to other hire boats. Where that fails is in the case of Richardsons, their seven hundred odd moorings might remain vacant as 700 odd boats from other yards don't visit Stalham. If the Waveney 24hr moorings are anything to go by then at weekends private boats rush off to their favourite mooring and hog that mooring all weekend rather than actually going boating/cruising meaning that hireboats are often excluded at the weekend hence their searching for moorings on their first night. I really do think that private boat mooring providers should accept visitors to vacant moorings, that simple solution would surely be in every one's best interests. 

Actually JM has a very good point here. I was there on aug BH weekend this year and went up to Sutton Staithe in the hope of getting a mooring. No chance and more to the point it was probably full of 90 percent private boats firmly esconsed there for what appeared to be the weekend.

trev

[ranworthbreeze]

The pubic mooring at Horning is limited to about 3 boats 4 at a pinch, At Wroxham there are no moorings other than through the bridge. At Potter Heigham there are two sections of public moorings for around 8 to 10 boats.

So on the Northern Broads there is scope for major improvement with regards to public mooring where people want and need to moor to take on provisions etc.

Regards

Alan

 

[BroadScot]

With all the moorings apparently going at Horizon Acle, will it affect the Bridge Inn I wonder ?

Iain

[BroadScot]

41 minutes ago, Jonzo said:

Yeah you have to wonder. Those moorings should be retained, but whether they will is another matter.

I guess the point is that the BA will happily spunk money on some marketing campaign, but not address the fact that the product isn't actually up to scratch. Their target demographic will not think that having nowhere to moor is cool, and they won't come back.

Or.....ALL Private craft MUST return to their OWN moorings after each days cruising !!! 

[Baitrunner]

I think you have done it now Iain - How does a red hot poker up the ...... sound?

Maybe all HIRE boats should be marooned on the mud at Breydon? Heh I have solved the mooring problem - at least on the mid point North to South

[BroadScot]

1 minute ago, Baitrunner said:

How does a red hot poker up the ...... sound?

Oh Mark, is that the new weed filter remover ! 

[JanetAnne]

44 minutes ago, BroadScot said:

Or.....ALL Private craft MUST return to their OWN moorings after each days cruising !!! 

Sometimes there just aint enough hard hats to protect you oh Pesky one!

[Vaughan]

4 hours ago, LondonRascal said:

There were many such boatyards – Wroxham, Horning, Potter Heigham, Womack Water, Stalham, Acle etc that be them Blakes or Hoseasons would have spaces – as such yards have closed as hire businesses and become increasingly taken up with private moorings, housing developments or simple lost to the sands of time pressure came on the other available riverside moorings.

"Tell me about it" Robin. It's the story of my life!

 

3 hours ago, Jonzo said:

As anyone who's stayed at WRC will attest, it's a nice spot and has good facilities. People want that kind of thing and someone should be allowed to build it. Someone was allowed to build WRC for that matter, so why shouldn't someone be allowed to build another?

I thoroughly agree with you Jonzo, in all that you have said on this page, but can you imagine that "Ms Boudicca" would grant permission? James Knight at the WRC had enough trouble and he was a member of the BA!

We should buy ourselves a cycle helmet and a pair of canoe paddles, as that is the National Park vision of the future for the Broads.

Unless we want to get together and resist this, before it is too late?

 

[Polly]

I assume that the suggestion to use private moorings was indeed a red herring. Imagine coming back to the wet shed to find the space taken by an overnight moorer. 

Actually, I don't know why more people looking for wild mooring don't mudweight, it's one of the nicest Broads experiences. Unless you have a dog aboard why not? I get the feeling that it's subtly discouraged by the hire yards, but that may be an incorrect impression.

[Baitrunner]

We need a blockade like the French lorry drivers do. 

Block the roads so the pesky hirers can't get their boats on a Saturday. 

seriously what can we do? Petition has been mentioned, refuse to pay our tolls? 

Suggestions please. 

[Polly]

I don't know if a blockade would work, not enough Suffolk based members to provide enough tractors.  

[ranworthbreeze]

2 hours ago, BroadScot said:

Or.....ALL Private craft MUST return to their OWN moorings after each days cruising !!! 

If that were the case Iain, I would ditch the Norfolk Broads and look for another waterway.

The beauty of the Broads is being able to go out for a week or longer if you are among the lucky just to potter about on the river.

Regards

Alan

[BroadScot]

7 minutes ago, ranworthbreeze said:

If that were the case Iain, I would ditch the Norfolk Broads and look for another waterway.

The beauty of the Broads is being able to go out for a week or longer if you are among the lucky just to potter about on the river.

Regards

Alan

Alan, you should know me by now, that was very much tongue in cheek. Jonzo has IMO hit the nail on the head, the BA, are so locked in their own cacoon of lovelyness(horrible word) they have forgotten what they are were about ...supposed to do. PROMOTE THE BROADS FOR ALL, not just a certain persons egos.

I have read topics on this here and before here, elsewhere, are things improving, NO I don't think they are. I try very hard not to be argumentative, rather keep things light hearted, as that is my nature.

Know doubt I will have upset some, sorry, but I honestly believe the Broads are in decline be it very gradual.

Yes, it IS time some form of action is required. Sorry wee rant over.

Iain

[Vaughan]

2 hours ago, Jonzo said:

I think we should. Talk is easy, but actually doing something worthwhile is... well.... worthwhile.

Right.

So I have just downloaded the form and sent off a cheque to re-new my membership of the Broads Society - as a life member. I have also requested back copies of their magazine.

If I find (as I suspect) that they have not been doing enough to support the navigation issues of the Broads over the last few years, as they always used to in the past, when I was a committee member, then they will be hearing from me.

Meantime, what about this forum? We are a well established and well reputed body which should by now, be able to get its voice heard - particularly where the navigation is concerned. Perhaps the time has come for us to enter into the actual process of deciding the future of the Broads, by exerting our influence?

[ScrumpyCheddar]

Has anyone approached the BA to join the NBN forum so we could voice our opinions across to them,, about matters concerning the broads ???

Its just a thought......

[JanetAnne]

This forum must represent quite a big user group of the broads. Maybe it is possible for us to speak as one whilst being represented as and seen as a couple of thousand?

Is it a case of us all wanting different things from BA and this forum or can we agree on, for arguements sake, navigation/dredging and an increase of 24 hour moorings as our priorities?

Maybe we should look at policing of 24 hour moorings as our main aim?

How about on the spot fine type enforcement for people overstaying?

Would that help the mooring situation enough?

I'm not smart enough to lead but will be right there with my full support as a follower. Vaughan, bring it on!

[Baitrunner]

JA hits the nail in the head. Someone who cares, has the time and maybe knows the personalities as a leader.  Put me down when I retire. 

Good points about agreeing what we want so we don't go off half cocked. 

May the way how many members do we have on the forum? Getting more of the brundall navy on side would be good as well. So maybe less knocking the gin palaces?

ps. I believe there has been a live aboard down in lodden over staying his welcome with mr BA just threatening him. No balls unless it's an easy nick for speeding etc. I feel sorry for him, but no different to a road traveller in my opinion. Think it has been mentioned before but better to provide facilities than persecute. There aren't that many of them. 

[JanetAnne]

The Broads Society support the Campaign for National Parks and are hosting the National Park Societies Annual Conference in October. However in their what we do section they state as one of their aims " To preserve and, where appropriate, improve facilities for navigation"

[Guest]

I gave up on the Broads Society and relinquished my membership a few years back as they seemed to me to be becoming increasingly irrelevant as true guardians of the Broads. Great for historical information and "nice" discussions, but completely useless when it came to the issues which matter - particularly but by no means exclusively navigation.

[JennyMorgan]

Spider is unfortunately spot on in regard to the now seemingly moribund Broads Society. I too have dropped my membership. Vaughan, I wish you well with the Society.

There have, in recent times, been at least two attempts to provide a voice for boaters, both private and hire, both failed although the presence of one did at the time appear to nudge the NSBA gently from astern. 

[MauriceMynah]

11 hours ago, JanetAnne said:

How about on the spot fine type enforcement for people overstaying?

Would that help the mooring situation enough?

Not really JA, the boat would just leave one 24 hour mooring and almost certainly go to another. Many boatersd like doing that rather than wild mooring where they might feel vulnerable.

No, the answer is as has been said before, more 24 hour moorings, perhaps with "Pay & Display" style machines.

[Baitrunner]

Jonzo I do agree but if we have 500 members (many not boat owners) and to make it easy there are say 10000 boats on the broads. At best we represent 5% of boat owners. It isn't a significant proportion in my opinion. Hence getting more support from more private boat owners. 

Im still in favour of doing something, but we shouldn't get too disappointed if we don't get heard.