The Broads National Pike / The Answer Is! I Really Don't Know!

[BroadAmbition]

 

http://www.broadsnationalpike.com/2018/07/blessed-moorings-and-coffee-mornings_31.html

Amusing tongue in cheek stuff

Griff

[JennyMorgan]

Not sure that I can see anything even slightly amusing in this latest, shoot themselves in the foot P.R. exercise by the Broads Authority. We are talking about a highly respected charity here, one that many of us support.

[Meantime]

Seems the BA have managed to catch the eye of a certain pike yet again! I've read it a few times and to be honest I can see most sides. Damned if they do, and damned if they don't springs to mind! I can probably make a case, or excuse most reasons why groups. scouts, safety boats, trusts would or could want to reserve a mooring. Likewise I'm sure there are many that could find a reason why it's not fair, or an acceptable use of public resource, and I accept that.

I kind of feel that the pike has it's heart in the right place and is backing a good cause most of the time, yet I also see other players in the background. Axlebridge is mentioned in his blog, I don't think he's on about the lanky blond one that plays with the roses!  Yes off course we are on about the safety boat being refused a reserved mooring, and one for longer than 24 hrs at Acle bridge. Now here's a thing that has been bugging me most of the Summer. Did they need to ask, get turned down and then go public? I think that question was asked in a few places at the time. It bugged me more because I moored at Potter to watch the 3RR. Now what I did see was a guard ship moor on a BA 24hr public mooring. Was it for more than 24hrs? I'm not altogether sure, but the one thing I do know is that it was on the de-masting mooring!!! It had no right to be there at all. No one mentioned it. I don't suppose anyone asked!. I don't suppose any Ranger if they spotted it, thought twice about it, and to be honest that was good policing or ranging if you prefer. But it does bring into focus why Acle bridge was such a big issue and why permission was sought when a similar attitude to that at Potter could have been taken. The guard boat is in the same position most years at Potter. Makes me wonder if a political game was being played this year at Acle?

The one thing I will really agree with the pike on though is the mooring of BA work boats on BA moorings, especially at weekends, or for extended periods of times. More so the reserving of moorings for such. Most of the work barges only really need a couple of really good wooden post driven into the reeds and a decent anchor to secure them. They are not the tidiest of vessels and the odd one of two extra scuffs is hardly likely to show. They can be safely moored, where most boats wouldn't want to. For a lot of this Summer the "safety" mooring just before Yarmouth which has space for two boats has had a BA work barge on it. Where would it have moored before the safety mooring was there? why can't it moor there now? Reedham has had a mooring taken up for quite a bit of the year, I'm really not sure about the last 5 or 6 weeks. These boats do not need a solid quay headed mooring at peak time when a semi wild mooring could do.

http://www.broadsnationalpike.com/2018/07/blessed-moorings-and-coffee-mornings_31.html

[BroadAmbition]

Agreed, but the National Pike does put it into words somewhat amusingly so

Griff

[grendel]

topics merged and request post hidden

[Baitrunner]

On the question of reserving moorings. When the bishop does his jaunt to st benets, where do they moor the wherry?

never been so not sure if they use a 24hr mooring. How funny if it couldn't moor next year 

[BroadAmbition]

I think it uses a private mooring that is slightly downstream of the BA moorings 

Griff

[rightsaidfred]

While in this case it would be for a very good cause once a precedent is set it is not so easy to close the gate to all and sundry, it dosn`t say which location was involved but there are non BA moorings that could be used if it is that important to the organiser.

The problem with satire is that in the attempt to entertain or ridicule it often dilutes the full background and doesn't take into account other issues that might have an influence on the topic.

I do agree about the mooring of BA workboats though particularly on popular moorings.

Fred

[Meantime]

2 hours ago, Baitrunner said:

On the question of reserving moorings. When the bishop does his jaunt to st benets, where do they moor the wherry?

never been so not sure if they use a 24hr mooring. How funny if it couldn't moor next year 

Griff is correct to say that they use the little private mooring downstream of the main St Benet's 24hr mooring. I think the main issue wasn't the St Benet's mooring, but the pickup point which I believe is Ranworth, where the BA refused the request to reserve a mooring for the weekend. The WYC usually offers 30 min trips on the Saturday and conveys the bishop on the Sunday.

[Vaughan]

I think the bishop is picked up from the quay in front of Ranworth vicarage and returned there afterwards. No doubt for a small sherry!

This always used to be what happened, but then St Benets was not a made up quay in my day. You could moor all along the bank either side of the Abbey. Just stick your rhond hooks in the bank.

It's all nice and made up now, with posts and hardcore, but it's only about a third the size!

[MauriceMynah]

Sherry  eh? I thought the Bishop of Norwich was famous for drinking Port. :)

[Vaughan]

So a registered charitable trust, with grant assistance from the BA, is not allowed to use a mooring space on a public quay in order to educate children (and others) about wherries, and give them that experience.

It has just occurred to me (and Susie) that this new Blessed visitor centre at Axle - whatever else you may think of it - is purported to be there to educate children (and others) about the Broads and its history. There is one difference though - the design they have chosen will wipe out about 8 to 10 places off the BA public moorings.

This is bureaucratically pathetic.

Charles Collier must (again) be turning in his grave.

[JanetAnne]

Tis far safer to educate them by letting them look at something from a safe space rather than letting them actually learn from experiencing something real like a wherry. But the 'Authority' don't own the wherry.

Maybe it's about control? If you control the space you can control what is being taught within. 

[Meantime]

12 minutes ago, Vaughan said:

So a registered charitable trust, with grant assistance from the BA, is not allowed to use a mooring space on a public quay in order to educate children (and others) about wherries, and give them that experience.

It has just occurred to me (and Susie) that this new Blessed visitor centre at Axle - whatever else you may think of it - is purported to be there to educate children (and others) about the Broads and its history. There is one difference though - the design they have chosen will wipe out about 8 to 10 places off the BA public moorings.

This is bureaucratically pathetic.

Charles Collier must (again) be turning in his grave.

It's not the using of the space, it's the reserving of the space that is the issue. I can see the headache in deciding who has a valid claim for reserving a mooring and therefore making them a first come first served basis for all does seem fair, BUT as someone who has been on board Hathor a couple of times, including trips on the river I well remember the days when it used to do regular trips around The Broads with viewing days and at other times you could book a trip on board as it was cruised from one viewing location to another. This was all run to a published schedule and the BA used to reserve moorings along the route to facilitate the whole tour.

I was rather hoping that Hathor would resume such tours in the future. This policy must now put that in doubt!  

[webntweb]

1 hour ago, Vaughan said:

I think the bishop is picked up from the quay in front of Ranworth vicarage and returned there afterwards. No doubt for a small sherry!

This always used to be what happened, but then St Benets was not a made up quay in my day. You could moor all along the bank either side of the Abbey. Just stick your rhond hooks in the bank.

It's all nice and made up now, with posts and hardcore, but it's only about a third the size!

St Benet's my first ever Broads mooring in August 58. 13 years old I leapt from the foredeck of Vestella 4 rope in hand, fortunately long enough, down to a sloping, sandy bank. Managed to stay on my feet (just) even though the force of the current was trying to pull me in. They say you never forget your first time . . .

[Meantime]

For those who never saw Hather on its tours, I have just found an old itinerary from 2008 listing the viewing places and the sailings between locations you could join. Be really good to see that happening again. I was lucky enough to do the Geldeston Locks to Waveney Hotel Beccles and Ranworth to Hoveton sailings.

WHERE TO SEE HATHOR

The wherry Hathor will be open for viewing at these locations during August and September:

Sat 2 and Sun 3 August Ranworth, 3-8pm Sat, 10-1pm Sun

Mon 4 South Walsham, 1-3pm, and Upton 5-7pm

Tue 5 Upton, 10-3pm

Thu 7 Oulton Broad Wherry Hotel, 10- 8pm

Fri 8 Lowestoft, noon-5pm

Sat 9 to Thu 14 Lowestoft, 10-6pm Sat, 10-6pm Sun and 10-5pm Mon to Thus

Fri 15 and Sun 17 Oulton Broad yacht station, noon-6pm

Tue 19 Somerleyton, 10-6pm

Wed 20 Beccles Quay, 4-7pm

Thu 21 North Cove, noon-3pm

Fri 22 Aldeby, 1-3pm

Sat 23 Beccles Quay, 10-6pm

Sun 24 and Mon 25 Geldeston Locks, 1-3pm

Tue 26 Beccles Puddingmoor, 10-6pm

Wed 27 to Sun 31 Geldeston Locks, 1-7pm Wed, noon-7pm Thu, 10-5pm Fri, 11-7pm Sat and 10-5pm Sun.

Mon 1 Sept Beccles Quay, 10-4pm

Tue 2 Burgh St Peter, 10-4pm

Wed 3 St Olaves, 10-2pm and Waveney Forest, 3-5pm

Thu 4 Burgh Castle, 10-6pm

Sat 6 and Sun 7 Yarmouth Maritime Festival

Mon 8 Yarmouth yacht station, 11-6pm

Tue 9 and Wed 10 Acle Bridge Sept 5-7pm Tue and 10-3pm Wed

 

And there are still some spaces available on its sailing schedule (transfers are listed in brackets; spaces available at the time of writing):

Sat 2 Aug, How Hill to Ranworth (coach) £30

Sun 3 Ranworth to St Benet's Abbey annual service and return £40 including afternoon tea

Mon 4 Ranworth to South Walsham (coach) £18 and South Walsham to Upton (long guided walk) £12

Tue 5 Upton to Yarmouth Bure Park (coach) £30

Wed 6 Yarmouth Bure Park to Oulton Broad (train) £50

Fri 8 Oulton Broad to Lowestoft (train) £12

Fri 15 Lowestoft to Oulton Broad yacht station (train) £12

Sat 16 various sailings from Oulton Broad yacht station around the broad, £12

Mon 18 Oulton Broad yacht station to Somerleyton (train) £24

Wed 20 Somerleyton to Beccles Quay (train + short guided walk) £36

Thu 21 Beccles Quay to North Cove (bus) £12 and North Cove to Beccles Quay (bus) £12

Fri 22 Beccles Quay to Worlingham (moderate guided walk) £12, Worlingham to Aldeby and return (including guided circular walk at Aldeby) £12 and Worlingham to Beccles (moderate guided walk) £12

Sun 24 Beccles Quay to Geldeston Locks and return to Beccles Puddingmoor £40 including lunch at pub

Mon 25 Beccles Puddingmoor to Geldeston Locks (coach) £18 and return to Puddingmoor (coach) £18

Wed 27 Beccles Puddingmoor to Geldeston Locks (long guided walk) £18

Thu 28 Geldeston Locks to Geldeston village (short guided walk) £6

Sat 30 Geldeston village to Geldeston Locks (short guided walk) £6

Sun 31 Geldeston Locks to Beccles Quay (coach) £12

Mon 1 Sept Beccles Quay to Burgh St Peter (coach) £18

Tue 2 Burgh St Peter to St Olaves (coach) £24

Wed 3 St Olaves to Waveney Forest then to Burgh Castle, including guided circular walk at Waveney Forest, (coach) £24

Fri 5 Burgh Castle to Yarmouth South Quay (coach) £15

Mon 8 Yarmouth South Quay to Yarmouth yacht station (no transfer) £5

Tue 9 Yarmouth yacht station to Acle Bridge (train) £33

Wed 10 Acle Bridge to Ranworth (coach) £18

Thu 11 Ranworth to Wroxham Bridge (coach) £36

[rightsaidfred]

1 hour ago, Vaughan said:

So a registered charitable trust, with grant assistance from the BA, is not allowed to use a mooring space on a public quay in order to educate children (and others) about wherries, and give them that experience.

It has just occurred to me (and Susie) that this new Blessed visitor centre at Axle - whatever else you may think of it - is purported to be there to educate children (and others) about the Broads and its history. There is one difference though - the design they have chosen will wipe out about 8 to 10 places off the BA public moorings.

This is bureaucratically pathetic.

Charles Collier must (again) be turning in his grave.

The Wherrie trust does actually use the small mooring at Ranworth for their open days when they have 3 or 4 moored there over the weekend

 

Fred

[marshman]

Vaughan - the BA does not provide any assistance to the WYC unless you count a slightly reduced toll which is granted to their wherries as historic vessels. The links they had years ago have long been dissolved I believe.

[Vaughan]

I don't think that alters my point though.

The BA put themselves forward as wanting to encourage youth education and "opening up the Broads (NP) to a wider public" but they cannot seem to understand that the mooring of a wherry yacht, under sail, for such an occasion, and for the safety of the little darlings, will need a reserved mooring? At the very least?

[ChrisB]

6 hours ago, Vaughan said:

I think the bishop is picked up from the quay in front of Ranworth vicarage and returned there afterwards. No doubt for a small sherry!

This always used to be what happened, but then St Benets was not a made up quay in my day. You could moor all along the bank either side of the Abbey. Just stick your rhond hooks in the bank.

It's all nice and made up now, with posts and hardcore, but it's only about a third the size!

It would be a very unwise move to do that now. Some years ago a load of rock and concrete was dumped along down stream to try to stop erosion. 

Actually the erosion looks very much like it was caused by cattle.

I saw a Herbert Woods boat try, God only knows the damage caused to the prop and rudder.

[JennyMorgan]

Where there is a will then there is a way!

 

[JennyMorgan]

On ‎01‎/‎08‎/‎2018 at 10:17, JanetAnne said:

Tis far safer to educate them by letting them look at something from a safe space rather than letting them actually learn from experiencing something real like a wherry. But the 'Authority' don't own the wherry.

Maybe it's about control? If you control the space you can control what is being taught within. 

So very true. No maybe about it being control,  that is almost certainly the reality. Teaching youngsters that the Broads are not actually Broads, rather that they are lakes, as one example. 

[Vaughan]

On 01/08/2018 at 15:33, marshman said:

Vaughan - the BA does not provide any assistance to the WYC unless you count a slightly reduced toll which is granted to their wherries as historic vessels. The links they had years ago have long been dissolved I believe.

 

http://www.edp24.co.uk//news/norfolk-wherry-skipper-calling-on-broads-authority-to-recognise-cultural-heritage-of-their-boats-1-5635633?

Funny, that's not what the BA say in this article, published this morning. They are quoted by Archant as saying they are great supporters of WYC.

I feel very sorry for my friend Peter Bower, that his long career as a wherry skipper and bringer of pleasure to thousands, should have to end with such dis-appointment.

I notice a comment which was made on the EDP website which says that the BA are typical of the way National Parks work : If they don't control it, then you can't do it.

[marshman]

They might add vocal support but like most charities vocal assistance is not necessarily required - its hard cash thats required and I very much doubt you could find any evidence of that!!  If so, I want some too!!

There remains a sub plot to all of this which is not of the BA's doing but being exceedingly circumspect, my lips will remain sealed  - of necessity!! 

 

[JennyMorgan]

The people of Norfolk do want their wherries, not so sure that they want the Broads Authority under its present leadership though.