Another Eye Sore

[Vaughan]

3 minutes ago, JennyMorgan said:

Yes, two reasons, one being it is not hampering the public navigation and secondly the cost of disposal.

And the third being that the staithe is run by the parish council, not the BA.

[DAVIDH]

10 hours ago, NorfolkNog said:

That Pelican was there in February. Don't know if it's still there. 

It was still there yesterday afternoon. Infact it looked as though it was being reclaimed by nature:

 

[astonsong]

it was still there last week looks a right mest

[Broads01]

4 hours ago, JennyMorgan said:

Yes, two reasons, one being it is not hampering the public navigation and secondly the cost of disposal.

I'm sure you're right and yet I find it sad and frustrating, along with many people at the public meeting tonight I suspect. 

[Vaughan]

I have just been told about the parish council meeting the other night.

As I understand it, the green beside the road is owned by Highways England but no-one can establish who owns the wooden quay heading. This is not unusual, as public staithes were almost always a place of transfer of goods from road to river transport, so the land was usually owned by whoever owned the road. A similar case exists on Thorpe River Green and explains why, in both cases, the council could not find any deeds.

I am told that there will be a letter from Highways England to the council, giving them responsibility for the staithe. It is the council's clear intention to renew the quay heading (they have done one half already) in which case the BA will then be obliged to dredge the dyke where the bigger of the wrecks is abandoned. This will involve moving all the squatters. Expected start date is sometime late September.

 

[BrundallNavy]

I understand the owner has been given a council flat in Stalham so has no use for the boat anymore and would have to pay for its disposal or just wait for the council to do it for him much like the one at Sutton.

[Vaughan]

 

Actually, it's rather a pity about this old wreck as it represents an interesting piece of Broads boatbuilding history.

One of a class of about 6 boats built by Brooms on a Bourne hull in the late 60's and called "Wave Chief" in their hire fleet. These were the days when boats were being built with GRP hulls but the superstructure was wooden. These boats had a deck mould and separate moulds for the cabin sides, cabin fronts and aft bulkhead. This included the round of the cabin top up to the handrails. The actual cabin top was laminated plywood. The cabin sides were also laid up with a layer of wood grain Formica glassed in behind clear resin, to give the effect of varnished wooden sides. The rest of the framework, and windscreen, was mahogany. So it represents part of the evolution from wood to Fibreglass boatbuilding.

I had two of these boats in my fleet at Womack in the late 70's but I don't recognise the reg. number on this one. Rather too far gone to think about restoring it now, I fear.

 

 

[ChrisB]

Is it still powered by an ancient (square hood type) 15hp Honda OB? And why the two IBCs on the roof?

[Vaughan]

[NorfolkNog]

24 minutes ago, Vaughan said:

I don't recognise the reg. number on this one.

According to Craig's boat database it is Wavechief 2 - looks like the original registration was N21

Sold to a private buyer 1992/3 and renamed as Pelican ever since although gone through several owners.

Built 1970 apparently. What a sad end.

[BrundallNavy]

1 hour ago, NorfolkNog said:

 

Built 1970 apparently. What a sad end.

And a star of the small screen.

[trambo]

If I remember correctly the Wavechief class originated with Tidecraft (possibly Summer Tide) which was between Broom's and Bell Boats. You can see on Vaughan's Blakes brochure clip that the plan shown uses the standard Hoseason's style. Broom's got most of the more modern Tidecraft fleet when it closed and renamed them with the prefix Wave.

Fred

[CambridgeCabby]

What a wonderful looking craft she was in her prime 

[NorfolkNog]

9 minutes ago, trambo said:

originated with Tidecraft

Probably going off topic slightly but was that the one that was sunk next to the old bungalow at Toad Hall?

[CambridgeCabby]

13 minutes ago, NorfolkNog said:

Probably going off topic slightly but was that the one that was sunk next to the old bungalow at Toad Hall?

Believe it was this one 

[Stationerystill]

Vaughan re your comment "This is not unusual, as public staithes were almost always a place of transfer of goods from road to river transport, so the land was usually owned by whoever owned the road. A similar case exists on Thorpe River Green and explains why, in both cases, the"  council could not find any deeds."

In the case of Thorpe they had the original  deeds and lost them but there was a certified copy in the councils safe.There was also evidence in the council minutes of the transfer of ownership. The staithe is registered as belonging to the Town Council and the Broads Authority has accepted they own it and have since 1919. Prof. Williamson is the one who said otherwise but with very little evidence. 

[RumPunch]

14 hours ago, Vaughan said:

Even then - no all single sex crews

[Springsong]

This was the sad end of the "Toad Hall " Wave chief she was all wood as you can see. She was I believe an Arnott Fowler design along with some of the Brink craft  when Mr. Brinkhoff was running it, also Loynes Loch Loyal class.

[ChrisB]

Lightened up a little

54 minutes ago, bubble said:

This was the sad end of the "Toad Hall " Wave chief she was all wood as you can see. She was I believe an Arnott Fowler design along with some of the Brink craft  when Mr. Brinkhoff was running it, also Loynes Loch Loyal class.

[Regulo]

That one was "Wavemaster". We hired her in the early '80's. Was very sad to see her deteriorating beside Toad Hall for so long.

[Springsong]

How infuriating you are of course right with name so I am wrong yet again.

[NorfolkNog]

The Toad Hall boat before it was removed. Sorry sight.

[KaptinKev]

At the end of the day the broads are a wonderful place to be, and basically any pile of crap that seems to resemble a boat, should be removed and scrapped.

On my first day ever on the boards I ventured up to Norwich and coming across a few sunken boats and that lovely piece of graffiti on the bridge, it definitely put me off from visiting that part of the broads again.  

[Wussername]

40 minutes ago, KaptinKev said:

At the end of the day the broads are a wonderful place to be, and basically any pile of crap that seems to resemble a boat, should be removed and scrapped.

On my first day ever on the boards I ventured up to Norwich and coming across a few sunken boats and that lovely piece of graffiti on the bridge, it definitely put me off from visiting that part of the broads again.  

And yet the approach to Norwich from Postwick was considered at one time, through the village of Thorpe St Andrew, was considered a delight. The garden of the east. Visited by the people of Norwich. Visited by tourists who visited our wonderful city. Where did it all go wrong?l

Why did it all go wrong?

And why have our generation allowed it to happen?

Is this the legacy we will leave behind us, a disgrace that which we will be remembered.

Andrew.

 

[Vaughan]

The Pelican has now left the staithe at Stalham.

2 days ago, some rangers arrived and were on board the boat. Yesterday, a large pirate flag was stuck on the bow, presumably as some kind of statement.

This morning about 1100 it was still there. About 1400 a ranger's launch arrived and when I next looked about 1500, the Pelican was no longer there. Whether towed away, or under own steam, is not clear. So look out everyone - it's coming to a mooring near you!

Meantime the other 4 squatters are still there and squatter is the right word, as they have a charming habit of doing their business in the hedges on the staithe. Sometimes in full public view.