Burgh Castle Moorings

[Guest]

33 minutes ago, Vaughan said:

I agree with you John. At least in principle!

We have to change with the times, that is why we have diesel engines, fridges and hot running water. I am referring to what I call bolt-on goodies which are by no means necessary and add nothing of real value to a broads cruise.

I have always thought of boating aa a camping holiday. I think you get more enjoyment that way, and don't miss all the gadgets, which become a nuisance in the end as you have to go and find somewhere to plug 'em in the bank!

In the 60's and 70's there were few niceties, a TV that had to be used frugally because of the current draw, and despite early fridges being powered by gas we still had to be careful with cabin lighting.

We'd boil a kettle for hot water to wash up with in the morning, and take it in turns to shower when underway.

That was all part of the fun and even more enjoyable I think since moorings were decided upon by the "this is a wonderful quiet spot to moor" rather than "here is an electricity post".

I don't recall ever having to run the engine whilst moored.

This comment is made with the understanding that some people do require 240v for medical equipment and power points have enabled them to visit the  broads. 

[Meantime]

3 minutes ago, Hockham Admiral said:

Unfortunately, in an all-electric boat, for your early morning cuppa or late night chocolate, you need to boil an (electric) kettle. That means either running your generator or being plugged in.

Hiring an all electric boat is a choice. One I wouldn't make, but if I did, I wouldn't make other people pay for my mistake. I would go without the late night chocolate, or stay in the pub longer. I would wait until after 8am for my cuppa, or start cruising and then have a cuppa under way. My choice should only affect me, not others. If more people were responsible for their own choices, the world would be a better place.

[grendel]

well a quick search tells me that there is a high voltage supply to the pumping station and a transformer and that the supply also feeds the farm, however there are no details on loadings and capacity, which suggests there hasnt been a visit in a while. its quite funny that under the access details is the comment  'almost impossible !'

its fed on a HV supply from the A47 near Brittania farm, over 2.5 miles away, and the cables run across the fields and have been repaired multiple times over the years. not the most secure of supplies. (I calculate nearly 600volts dropped  on the 11000 Volt supply on the feeder cable alone- while this can be compensated for at the substation its pretty close to the limits that can be).

Burgh Castle by comparison is much closer to civilisation electrically.

Its only when you understand the issues involved in getting a supply to remote locations, that you truly realise why not all moorings have electricity points.

[Meantime]

3 minutes ago, Philosophical said:

In the 60's and 70's there were few niceties, a TV that had to be used frugally because of the current draw, and despite early fridges being powered by gas we still had to be careful with cabin lighting.

That comment reminded me of my first hire boating holiday. The first day and a newspaper was purchased and put on the side. The next the same thing happened. After the third day we gave up buying and not reading the paper. The TV was never turned on. There were far too many other things to do.

The recent Easter trip I took my laptop with me and on leaving the boat for the first time, put the laptop in the safe. That's where it stayed until we came home. I had purchased a cable to enable me to plug the laptop into the TV with a view to showing my friend a documentary I'd recorded. First day I plugged the cable in, and it was only as we were leaving the boat and unplugging the cable that we realised that the TV hadn't been on the whole trip.

[vanessan]

10 minutes ago, Hylander said:

Tell me what is wrong with a wash up and down from a basin in the bathroom on the boat.    You dont have to shower everyday.    I can have a wash up and down using my shower gel on a flannel.      Like with the fruit and veg today people are far too fussy.

Too much information Hylander, now you’ve probably got the boys all of a dither!! True words though. 

[Guest]

Generators on boats, I was in Horning the other day and one of these "Gucci, Executive" hire boats was running a generator.  What a noise, unbelievable.

My last boat had a small Onan generator with sound enclosure enclosure, plus an additional silencer and water separator for the exhaust.  It made less noise than a Webasto or Erbespatcher heater, my point is that they can be made almost silent, but with a cost. If they were quiet I don't think anyone would object on the basis they would not know one was running.   

[Guest]

9 minutes ago, Philosophical said:

Generators on boats, I was in Horning the other day and one of these "Gucci, Executive" hire boats was running a generator.  What a noise, unbelievable.

My last boat had a small Onan generator with sound enclosure enclosure, plus an additional silencer and water separator for the exhaust.  It made less noise than a Webasto or Erbespatcher heater, my point is that they can be made almost silent, but with a cost. If they were quiet I don't think anyone would object on the basis they would not know one was running.   

Exactly, a good generator install will not unduly inconvenience others the blame here lies squarely on the hire companies skimping on cost. The hirer choses the boat, and uses it as directed, it is not their fault

[vanessan]

10 minutes ago, EastCoastIPA said:

Hiring an all electric boat is a choice. One I wouldn't make, but if I did, I wouldn't make other people pay for my mistake. I would go without the late night chocolate, or stay in the pub longer. I would wait until after 8am for my cuppa, or start cruising and then have a cuppa under way. My choice should only affect me, not others. If more people were responsible for their own choices, the world would be a better place.

And there’s the problem, too many folk totally incapable of thinking about others. How many times have you heard of someone asking for an engine to be turned off late at night and the abusive response? 

I wouldn’t mind betting that some of these all singing all dancing boats are hired by first-timers who wouldn’t have a clue as to how the peace was being disturbed by their generator until somebody mentioned it. As others have said, the hire yards cater for what the customer wants and all mod cons seem to be the order of the day for some. Anyone wanting basics can always hire from Hunter’s at Womack. 

[Hockham Admiral]

1 hour ago, EastCoastIPA said:

Hiring an all electric boat is a choice. One I wouldn't make, but if I did, I wouldn't make other people pay for my mistake. I would go without the late night chocolate, or stay in the pub longer. I would wait until after 8am for my cuppa, or start cruising and then have a cuppa under way. My choice should only affect me, not others. If more people were responsible for their own choices, the world would be a better place.

We didn't hire one, it was our own, so we weren't responsible for our own choices in hiring an all electric boat.

The generator had an underwater exhaust and was very quiet but we still respected the other peeps. When built they were avoiding a gas installation, hence the genny. Propulsion was by Nanni.

[Hylander]

Boil a kettle if you want hot water - done that many times.

[Hylander]

3 hours ago, vanessan said:

Too much information Hylander, now you’ve probably got the boys all of a dither!! True words though. 

At my age that will be a first.      

[Lulu]

I dont ever remember dad running the engines moored up to get hot water. We just showered once we were on the move. 

All I remember re the tv was being asked to move the aerial 'left a bit, right a bit, bit higher, thats it, perfect picture!' as i held the aerial high above my head. I dont recall watching it all!  

Heating - dont remember that either, just had lots of hairy scratchy blankets 

 

[JennyMorgan]

1 hour ago, Hylander said:

At my age that will be a first.      

Awww, come on, you certainly go in and out in all the right places!

[DaveRolaves]

I cant see why just adding possibly two hook up points to this supply is going to cause problems. After all its just boiling kettles, powering immersion heaters,powering fridges, running fan heaters and charging batteries etc.  The broads authority monitors this forum and others JP may be able to clarify the position if he is monitoring this discussion

[Guest]

7 hours ago, Lulu said:

I dont ever remember dad running the engines moored up to get hot water. We just showered once we were on the move. 

All I remember re the tv was being asked to move the aerial 'left a bit, right a bit, bit higher, thats it, perfect picture!' as i held the aerial high above my head. I dont recall watching it all!  

Heating - dont remember that either, just had lots of hairy scratchy blankets 

 

Those blankets !!!!!!!!

[Guest]

8 minutes ago, DaveRolaves said:

I cant see why just adding possibly two hook up points to this supply is going to cause problems. After all its just boiling kettles, powering immersion heaters,powering fridges, running fan heaters and charging batteries etc.  The broads authority monitors this forum and others JP may be able to clarify the position .

Sadly with all of the above plus hob, oven it is very easy to exceed the 16A supply if all run concurrently. 

[Bound2Please]

6 hours ago, Philosophical said:

Sadly with all of the above plus hob, oven it is very easy to exceed the 16A supply if all run concurrently. 

Not forgetting, the supply in question could already be running at full capacity, adding just the two posts to that will just be out of the question. As Grendel said earlier there is a limit as to just how much electricity can flow down a conductor, then there is the question of voltage drop over distance already covered earlier in the thread. I am sure most of the decisions regarding power posts on the broads isnt left in the BA's hand to decide on a yes or no to them. 

Maybe the time has come, that if people want them that much, they put their money where their mouth is, and BA charge lets say £750 per annum  surcharge to those that use and crave more of these posts, so that the Tolls are not eaten up by those that crave more electric posts.

If i wanted electric kettles microwaves etc etc I would book or buy a cottage, I certainly wouldnt expect to have my getaways subsidised buy those that dont want a boat to be just a floating extension of todays home life.

I am expecting a fair few to disagree with my statement above, but it would be nice if the silent majority on this joined in the discussion.

Right off my soap box.

Charlie

[grendel]

7 hours ago, DaveRolaves said:

I cant see why just adding possibly two hook up points to this supply is going to cause problems. After all its just boiling kettles, powering immersion heaters,powering fridges, running fan heaters and charging batteries etc.  The broads authority monitors this forum and others JP may be able to clarify the position if he is monitoring this discussion

Just boiling kettles - 3kw - 12A

Just an Immersion Heater - 3kW - 12A

Just a fan heater - 3kW - 12A

thats overloaded a 32A post without the fridge or battery charger

if it was just powering your phone charger or laptop - no problem, but all those other luxuries are notoriously power hungry

[grendel]

the other problem is the size of the hv cable feeding the site, by modern standards its a piece of wet string (professional term for undersized cable).

[Guest]

1 hour ago, grendel said:

Just boiling kettles - 3kw - 12A

Just an Immersion Heater - 3kW - 12A

Just a fan heater - 3kW - 12A

thats overloaded a 32A post without the fridge or battery charger

if it was just powering your phone charger or laptop - no problem, but all those other luxuries are notoriously power hungry

I would imagine the original intent of these electric posts was to enable those who moor there to be able to boil a kettle and charge the batteries, so as no to require stating the engine late at night or early in the morning. 

As illustrated above it is very easy for a single "Gucci Executive" boat to consume a significant amount of electricity, two or 3 on the same mooring will require a heavy power supply which will be very expensive and as also raised previously this money comes out of the tolls. 

Since we could be talking large amounts of money, am I correct in thinking that that there is no longer a premium for hire boat tolls over private tolls, since It is obvious which of those two groups will benefit most from any investment cost to install new electrical points or upgrade existing electrical points? 

[Bound2Please]

2 minutes ago, Philosophical said:

I would imagine the original intent of these electric posts was to enable those who moor there to be able to boil a kettle and charge the batteries, so as no to require stating the engine late at night or early in the morning. 

As I understand it, they were originally installed for the charging of electrically propelled boats. But they seem to be used now for every thing but.

[Simon]

Would it not be a fairer system to simply charge more for the electric used rather than add to tolls, 

i imagine a family on a weeks holiday given what the hire cost already is wouldn't worry about £5 per night on top.

Boiling a gas kettle or eating beans on toast for tea is all part of the fun, the only gripe I get from my other half is about hair straighteners and hair drying, she has long curly hair, anymore than a long weekend she gets grumpy. I just hook up somewhere mid week if we staying on the boat for a full week we  usually plan where to stop so she can get her power fix

Suggesting she has a crew cut doesn't go down to well.

[Bound2Please]

12 minutes ago, Simon said:

Suggesting she has a crew cut doesn't go down to well.

Like it

13 minutes ago, Simon said:

i imagine a family on a weeks holiday given what the hire cost already is wouldn't worry about £5 per night on top.

The vast majority of hire boats dont hook up to the posts, im sure some one will be along to correct me if im wrong. These posts are used predominantly by the private boaters.

[Smoggy]

42 minutes ago, Simon said:

simply charge more for the electric

They can't legally do that, they tried when the posts were first changed and got slapped down, ofgen rules.

[vanessan]

24 minutes ago, Bound2Please said:

 

The vast majority of hire boats dont hook up to the posts, im sure some one will be along to correct me if im wrong. These posts are used predominantly by the private boaters.

This is true - at the moment. Over the last couple of years more and more hire boats seem to be using the posts. Either the hire yards are supplying the cables or hirers are finding a way to use their own. 

 

46 minutes ago, Simon said:

Would it not be a fairer system to simply charge more for the electric used

As I understand it that is not allowed by law, electric has to be charged at cost.