Lads Week 2021

[grendel]

After a pub lunchtime it was time to be off, in all of the manovering to get 2 46' and a 40' boat from the side moorings, one of the lads was fending off and managed to slip and sploosh, into the drink, Man overboard routine was enthusiastically put into operation, with no fewer than 5 people pointing to the m.o.b, rescue was put into effect and within a very short time the casualty was out of the water, and soon after that back aboard his own boat, sent to have a warm shower despite his protests that the water really was quite warm. Anyway we are currently moored up outside the pub with 2 hours to get ready and into our costumes for our lads night meal out.

[Wonderwall]

I have sympathy for HW , and hats off to the lads for accepting the flaws in the manner they have.

Hire boats won’t half take a pounding throughout the season , this year more than most I would think, and probably staff have been limited in numbers this year.

There is worse places to be stuck than at the side of a river with a pub nearby. 🤪

[andyg]

4 hours ago, Smoggy said:

Are the yards struggling to get the staff like everyone else seems to be?

Maybe on the casual cleaning side. But otherwise I don't think so. 

[Wonderwall]

4 hours ago, Smoggy said:

Are the yards struggling to get the staff like everyone else seems to be?

I would think they will have had the same issues as everyone else , with covid cases and people having to self isolate.  All it takes is one person to catch the virus and all the folk who have been in close contact with them are off for at least the next day until they get the all clear at best.

Easily lose half their workforce in a drop of the hat ( or ping of the phone😌)

[Meg]

Oh dear wish I had stayed. It was lovely to meet you all at Ranworth, it made my first solo chug very memorable. Thank you for helping me cast off. Safe and sound on home mooring with no problems. I hope you had a lovely meal and some good fun . 

[grendel]

Thanks Meg, it was good meeting another solo boater, so I appreciate that help is much appreciated when received, we had a lovely meal at acle bridge, as usual in costumes, wild west this year, a good meal and great fun, we sail for Herbert woods at first light, and so will end our trip this morning, next to pack and get ready for the trip home.

We will all have new memories to treasure, and friends to remember.

[Broads01]

An enjoyable tale, thanks for sharing.

[Andrewcook]

Hi Grendel it was a pleasure meeting at Richardson's Boat yard last Saturday while awaiting for Griff retuned to Boarding B A . Thank for your Daily news on the Ladd's week as they all keep their spiritsup to the end I wish you all a Care free Homeward bound. 

[grendel]

well thats another lads week finished, I reckon some of the others should be home, and the rest due home shortly, it was a great week, mishaps adding some adventure to the mix.

what you have to remember is that a number of the lads either own or have shares in boats, we all know well how easily things can go wrong, but Herbert woods enginneers pulled the whole of lads week out of some tricky spots through the week, and we managed to carry on and complete most of the nav plan (well the parts thaat werent disrupted by high water levels), so we missed nothing that was planned through the, we wouldnt have got up to cotishall anyway as the bridge clearances would not permit, so we missed nothing that was planned through the mishaps to jewel 3, and she is now once again in excellent shape for her next hire.

I was totalling up and over the week we managed to visit aat least 14 pubs (though not everyone went to every pub. we had some great fishing and catches, and for the rest not covered by the above , a relaxing week.

[SwanR]

Thanks for writing up the week Grendel. We’ve been afloat the same week as you a number of times. And usually see your group somewhere. Saw you circle Ranworth Broad and out again on Thursday. Had thought about Fleet Dyke the same day your group squeezed in so we were glad we had opted for a quiet spot at Salhouse. 

[grendel]

now for the pictures of the week, Friday, cruising BA down to Potter Heigham, pictures taken from Dougs new boat

 

[grendel]

Saturday- PH to Acle Bridge - Reedham

[grendel]

No pics Sunday- so Monday Beachamp arms to Thorpe Green

Trapped, it got as high as 5'3"

The skippers make a break for freedom in the dinghy

[grendel]

 

Tuesday Thorpe to Norwich, then down to Rockland

Nearly free again

[grendel]

Wednesday, early start in the mist, Rockland to fleet dyke, via stokesbury

Follow that light

or those lights, anyone seen the banks recently

Purdy had manged to get a tick, and had it removed and was recieving daily cream on the afflicted area if anyone wonders about the small bald patch above her eye

[grendel]

Thursday Fleet dyke to Wroxham, Via Ranworth-(no spaces) and the Ferry Inn Horning

Early Morning Fleet Dyke

Exiting Ranworth, no room at the inn - Onward ho.

All sorts of fishing at the Ferry Inn

Purdy Keeping Watch

Pike caught opposite the Hotel moorings at Wroxham, this one had well and truly swallowed the hook

[grendel]

Caught by one of the lads at the ferry inn horning

[grendel]

Friday, Wroxham to Ranworth, then to Acle Bridge

Early Start to a good last full day

Alongside at Ranworth

[grendel]

To be perfectly honest I was too busy having a good week to take more pictures. good company will do that.

[BroadAmbition]

Nice pics / write up Grendel

During the Lads Week, our Grendel was J2's 'Buffer' meaning he was responsible for keeping J2 ship shape, tidy inside and out and keeping all of the crew on their toes and what a fine job he did of it too.  Every single time on leaving a berth under his calm nature he made sure all fenders were up, berthing ropes cheesed down and the errant dinghy close bridled on the Stbd side of centre (This avoids the prop wash filling the dinghy up with river water).  Further to that he always each and every time reported so less than five minutes after departure.  For me it made life routine with regards to safety onboard.  It also meant having a second 'Skipper' / experienced helm onboard I could take showers and relax when underway

BZ Grendel

 

Griff

 

[BroadAmbition]

 

The issues that J3 encountered didn't stop / interfere with the intended Navplan other than she missed out on a DTS at Loddon, however we took three of her crew up the Chet and back to her at Reedham before the flotilla sailed in company onto Beauchamp Arms as originally planned.

What did interfere with the intended weeks Navplan was the high water levels.  We missed out on an overnight in Norwich which meant an overnight at Thorpe Green.  That meant none of us got to see the latest 007 film, it also meant some of our crew saved a fortune on other types of evening entertainment!

We missed out on an overnight at Coltishall which was substituted for an overnight at Wroxham.  Therefore Fridays trip up the Ant to Dilham had to be cancelled too, probably would not have got the Jewels under Wayford bridge anyhow.

The Hirecraft are booked in my name each and every year and I am lead contact.  I will not be making any sort of complaint to H.W's on behalf of the Lads Week crew concerning J3's issues, nor will I be seeking any sort of compensation / redress either.  I will however thank them.

The Jewels are hard worked tired old hirecraft.  We have them towards the end of every season, we expect - Nay - 'Demand' that we have issues.

They suit us perfectly, are not five star or Elite range listed and are priced accordingly.  We have for years enjoyed 'Free Fridays' complimentary dinghies, car parking and pets onboard.  Now don't get me wrong if the H.W's staff had not responded in a timely manner or failed to fix the issues then I would have being having words to that effect

What H.W's staff did achieve was to sort out any issues quickly and professionally.   Sundays and out of hours too.  Nothing was too much trouble or effort for them.

I will be emailing them over the next few days listing any issues / advice for their forthcoming winter maintenance programme.  If clients don't inform H.W's of issues onboard then they have to spend ages checking every system out.  For instance the expansion tanks on each Jewel domestic water systems are inoperative, now most hire crews wouldn't even know they had an expansion tank in the system let alone know there was a problem with them so they will never get reported

We have already booked two Jewels, one Glistening Light and of course 'B.A' for next years Lads Week as we will be back up to full strength, that is twenty four of us with maybe three hounds.

 

Diesel Consumption during Lads Week,

Potter Heigham to Acle, then to Reedham,  Loddon,  Beauchamp arms (Via Reedham),  Thorpe Green,  Norwich,  Rockland staithe,  Stokesby,  Fleet Dyke,  Horning (Via Ranworth without stopping),  Wroxham,  Ranworth,  Acle, Potter Heigham.

'B.A' had the added transit of Stalham to Potter Heigham on Friday 08th then back to Stalham from Acle Sat 16th, around 26 miles.

J2 towed a sailing dinghy all week

J3 didn't go to Loddon and back but from Reedham directly to Beauchamp Arms

Heating onboard will have differed slightly between each boat,  'B.A' normally uses the heater less due to her being a bio degradable therefore warmer internally than the Tupperwares.  The difference in diesel consumption between J2 and J3 will be the trip to Loddon and the dinghy

 

'B.A' - 95 x Ltrs

J2 - 122 x Ltrs

J3 - 113 x Ltrs

Herbert Woods currently charging £1:45 per Litre

 

Griff

[Vaughan]

3 minutes ago, BroadAmbition said:

The Hirecraft are booked in my name each and every year and I am lead contact.  I will not be making any sort of complaint to H.W's on behalf of the Lads Week crew concerning J3's issues, nor will I be seeking any sort of compensation / redress either.  I will however thank them.

The Jewels are hard worked tired old hirecraft.  We have them towards the end of every season, we expect - Nay - 'Demand' that we have issues.

And Bravo Zulu to you too, Charlie, for taking that attitude.  Very fair and reasonable and it does you credit.

For those who don't do "Jackspeak", the buffer is the chief boatswain's mate, and bravo zulu is the accepted naval signal for "well done".

 

[grendel]

On 12/10/2021 at 18:04, grendel said:

I will let you know when I get home, they were magnetic based on a 3m cable

The huawei unit is the model E5785Lh

and the antenna are bingfu 4GLTE 7dBi magnetic base TS9 antennae (2 off)

[Smoggy]

6 minutes ago, grendel said:

The huawei unit is the model E5785Lh

and the antenna are bingfu 4GLTE 7dBi magnetic base TS9 antennae (2 off)

Does that keep the hotspot alive all the time or does it time out on you? I'm thinking for a camera.

[Bikertov]

37 minutes ago, Smoggy said:

Does that keep the hotspot alive all the time or does it time out on you? I'm thinking for a camera.

I have a similar 'mobile' router / hotspot device, although a bit more basic without a display, that I use for holidays etc.

It does 'go to sleep' if not being used, compared to the mains connected 'home' 4G devices such as this example (Huawei B311) https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08B1VFHKB that are designed to be switched on and connected all the time.

I would say if you wanted to keep, for instance, a security camera connected permanently use the mains connected device.