House Boaters

[JennyMorgan]

The term 'live-aboard', whilst perfectly true, has possibly acquired derogatory undertones in its use by some people, but there is an alternative

Was down at Pinmill, near Ipswich, today to meet friends at the always excellent Butt & Oyster. They served Adnam's 'Old' that can only be described as God's Pint on Earth, absolute nectar straight from the barrel. I digress, as always, my wife and I went for a toddle along the river bank, for a poke around the houseboats there. Houseboats have been a feature of Pinmill for generations, once ex Thames barges or even retired racing yachts, now more likely to be an old 'lighter' or ex harbour vessel of some sort. Mostly a bit of a shambles but nevertheless still fascinating. The houseboats are moored up on National Trust land, would you believe! Seemingly an open minded and tolerant land-owner, the Broads Authority could take a leaf out of their book. We got into conversation with a  number of Houseboaters, as they appear to call themselves. Great community spirit, that was obvious, interesting people too. Houseboats, houseboat community and houseboaters, I like that. I'm not too keen on the dereliction but the place has character, interest and homeliness.  Not everyone's cup of tea, I'm sure,  but nevertheless its the home of choice for many good people.

 

[NorfolkNog]

Also agree about the Adnams Old JM - cracking stuff 

[Meantime]

An interesting stretch of the coast along there. I made a visit to Shotley Gate during the Summer and sat there watching the ferry coming and going, then took the drive along to The Butt and Oyster, only to get rained in for a while. Been rained in, in worse pubs though.

[JennyMorgan]

1 hour ago, NorfolkNog said:

Also agree about the Adnams Old JM - cracking stuff 

I've had it at the Harbour in Southwold, served by a pump, that has been good. Down at the Butt & Oyster the tap was into the barrel and that was very, very good. As a matter of curiosity, Nog, is there a U.K. pint that you haven't quaffed?

[NorfolkNog]

6 minutes ago, JennyMorgan said:

I've had it at the Harbour in Southwold, served by a pump, that has been good. Down at the Butt & Oyster the tap was into the barrel and that was very, very good. As a matter of curiosity, Nog, is there a U.K. pint that you haven't quaffed?

Best way to serve beer JM straight from the cask 

Ha ha, yes loads of them 

I've probably tried most beers in Norfolk/Suffolk and quite a few up here in ferret land. But there are loads in other parts I've yet to sample. But I'm working on it 

Also I think we have similar tastes for quality beer 

[Hylander]

Can I ask one question .      Do they discharge their waste directly into the water below or do they have compostable or porta potti type methods.    This is just a question it does not require a barney please?        I should imagine although you say a bit unkempt shall we say , there is acertain magic about having a house boat.

[JennyMorgan]

I don't know, M. I've been down there in the height of summer & haven't noticed anything unpleasant. The tidal rise and fall there is 6 to 10 feet & more so there is a good flush. Back in the day when the potential for pump-outs on the Broads was being researched I well remember a scientist from UNESCO commenting that it wasn't human waste that was the problem rather it was phosphates from soaps and detergents. I don't know if his opinion was universal but if nothing else human sewerage is just plain anti-social, especially when it used to float up onto my slipway! 

[Meantime]

There is a large barge that came up from Maldon, moored at the WRC. It has no engine and therefore unable to move, but I understand that it has a fully composting toilet. Would imagine that it is far easier to fit in the larger barges.

[JennyMorgan]

34 minutes ago, Hylander said:

  I should imagine although you say a bit unkempt shall we say , there is a certain magic about having a house boat.

I suppose there are two basic types of house-boater, the Chelsea set who consider it quaint and makes them interesting  whilst at the other end of the scale there are people who aren't preoccupied with, or simply can't afford material wealth and possessions. There used to be a 'hippy' community in Carlyle Street in Norwich. It was a vibrant community of like minded people but, somewhat predictably, it didn't fit in with the narrow minded values of City Hall and the bulldozers moved in, replacing what had been good with a soulless high rise. Moving one community out in order to bring another one in is nothing short of ethnic cleansing, abhorrent in my opinion. Has that happened at Thorpe Island? You can bet that it has! 

[JennyMorgan]

15 minutes ago, EastCoastIPA said:

There is a large barge that came up from Maldon, moored at the WRC. It has no engine and therefore unable to move, but I understand that it has a fully composting toilet. Would imagine that it is far easier to fit in the larger barges.

I understand that a number of canal boats use them and those are hardly flush with excess room. Whilst I've been aboard the barge at the WRC I haven't sampled the joys of its bog but we do have a tropical garden nearby that has one and I have used that, perched up in the air, seemingly needing a degree of depth which maybe wouldn't be available on most Broads boats. Bucket & Chuck It, far easier!

[Meantime]

5 minutes ago, JennyMorgan said:

I understand that a number of canal boats use them and those are hardly flush with excess room. Whilst I've been aboard the barge at the WRC I haven't sampled the joys of its bog but we do have a tropical garden nearby that has one and I have used that, perched up in the air, seemingly needing a degree of depth which maybe wouldn't be available on most Broads boats. Bucket & Chuck It, far easier!

I visited The Rockies in Canada this year and all the toilets in the National Parks were of a very similar nature to the one you describe in the tropical garden. I'm guessing that due to the remote location of many of the facilities there is little other option. Most of the ones in Canada had no running water, a peg board with about 12 toilet rolls on it and a few bottles of hand sanitizer and that was it.

[Hylander]

I asked the question as have often thought a house boat in a similar place would be lovely.    My practical head on , the first thing I would want to know was what happens to sewage.      As you say if we all used phosphate free washing up liquid , not sure if they do shower gels or shampoo it would help.

[Meantime]

2 minutes ago, Hylander said:

I asked the question as have often thought a house boat in a similar place would be lovely.    My practical head on , the first thing I would want to know was what happens to sewage.      As you say if we all used phosphate free washing up liquid , not sure if they do shower gels or shampoo it would help.

They do and the following web site probably has more info than the average person needs, but if anyone is serious about seeking out environmentally friendly products for use on boats, then its a good place to start.

http://www.ethicalconsumer.org/buyersguides/healthbeauty/showergel.aspx

[JennyMorgan]

17 minutes ago, EastCoastIPA said:

I visited The Rockies in Canada this year and all the toilets in the National Parks were of a very similar nature to the one you describe in the tropical garden. I'm guessing that due to the remote location of many of the facilities there is little other option. Most of the ones in Canada had no running water, a peg board with about 12 toilet rolls on it and a few bottles of hand sanitizer and that was it.

I suppose that being a pseudo national park means that we should have composting toilets around the Broads. Actually they have them at the excellent Fair Haven Water Gardens at South Walsham. My wife used one but she did comment that it was rather basic.

[stumpy]

Most of the houseboats at Pin Mill have mains drainage and water - back when Dick Mainwaring (he of the wonderful moustaches) was landlord of the Butt I nearly bought one but the finances were a nightmare, starting with the 50% deposit! JM -next time you're out that way check out the Red Lion at Chelmondiston, also Adnams but more 'foodie' than the Butt.

[JennyMorgan]

The Red Lion, ho ho ho, I have good memories of that establishment although I've never been in there. Fifty plus years ago now and we'd been to the Boat Show at Earls Court and, as a group, had hired a coach. It was the early hours as we approached the Red Lion, still with lights on upstairs when someone, more awake than the rest of us, spied a young lady, perhaps the landlord's daughter, stripping off. Phworrrrr, all the inebriated blokes aboard clambered over to the left side of the bus, I swear that the right side wheels lifted off the road as the driver was caught out and he had to swerve in order to regain control. An experience that was never to be repeated as the following year the A12 had been moved! 

Perhaps I will return but I suspect that the daughter may well be rather less pert than on that memorable trip.

[stumpy]

Different Lion methinks - possibly Martlesham, the one with a ship's figurehead as a pub sign. This Lion is on the way back to Ipswich between Pin Mill and Woolverstone - used to be the Venture with a Thames barge transom as its sign before it was rescued and reverted to its original name a couple of years ago, very popular with bearded smock wearing folk from Woolverstone marina (and us).

[JennyMorgan]

21 minutes ago, stumpy said:

Different Lion methinks - possibly Martlesham, the one with a ship's figurehead as a pub sign. This Lion is on the way back to Ipswich between Pin Mill and Woolverstone - used to be the Venture with a Thames barge transom as its sign before it was rescued and reverted to its original name a couple of years ago, very popular with bearded smock wearing folk from Woolverstone marina (and us).

You could well be right. Smocks and beards, that's me, best go and mingle!