How Busy Can It Get?

[MargeandParge]

I bet that was nice a neighbour gave us a bag of Mulberries. We ate a good measure and the rest where pickled in gin a WOW for old Parge.  Very nice indeedy. 

Kindest Regards Marge and Parge 

[NeilB]

As to how busy can it get I was surprised to see how many Richardson's boats were not on hire, at least 3/4 were still moored up which is a bit worrying for a school holiday week.

Pretty sure last year the yard was virtually empty!

[catcouk]

Sad to hear that but I'm not surprised. The hire charges over this holiday have seriously risen (and maybe that rise is all year). There is a particular boat (my absolute favourite and part of the 'classic fleet') that last year (2022) would have cost about £600 for the week. Looking at next year, the same boat is now over £900. It isn't entirely the yard's fault but rises like that make visiting the broads far less attractive.

My wife quite rightly points out that if we save our money, for just less than twice the price, we can holiday in Turkey in the much more expensive summer holidays. This fact makes me really sad.

[oldgregg]

46 minutes ago, catcouk said:

Sad to hear that but I'm not surprised. The hire charges over this holiday have seriously risen (and maybe that rise is all year). There is a particular boat (my absolute favourite and part of the 'classic fleet') that last year (2022) would have cost about £600 for the week. Looking at next year, the same boat is now over £900. It isn't entirely the yard's fault but rises like that make visiting the broads far less attractive.

My wife quite rightly points out that if we save our money, for just less than twice the price, we can holiday in Turkey in the much more expensive summer holidays. This fact makes me really sad.

I'm curious which boat....

But yes, I also have noticed much the same and I have a particular favourite in the classic fleet too. My wife had similar thoughts to yours when looking at this year's hire charge.

[catcouk]

4 hours ago, oldgregg said:

I'm curious which boat....

But yes, I also have noticed much the same and I have a particular favourite in the classic fleet too. My wife had similar thoughts to yours when looking at this year's hire charge.

I'm frightened to mention her name in case anyone else realises what an amazing boat it is... A bit like the secret of the South and the dreaded monsters they have down there!

(I'll whisper it - Contessa)

I don't think anyone heard so it should be okay!

[oldgregg]

Haha! I knew it.

Such a clever design. The way John Bennett packaged that boat is just genius. So much space and yet only 37ft long, and because it's a cut-down Broom Crown hull they handle like almost nothing else.

People always compliment me on my mooring when I'm on Contessa, I point out that it's the boat but I think if they've only ever hired Alpha bathtubs then it's hard to explain. No other boat I hire has that effect though.

Have you ever noticed how the sofa cushions are exactly the right size to use on the 'sunbed' area of the flybridge? I don't know if the Harvey Eastwood ones were like that as I haven't hired one in decades, but Bees clearly had it sussed.

I've hired her several times and did have her booked for this September but I'm going with the boys and need more beds.

[catcouk]

I hadn't noticed that! That is pure genius! You're spot on about the boat handling but don't tell anyone else... I personally love the size of the massive saloon and it's enormous windows. All the other boats in the class have windows that end much higher up.

 

But enough announcing the virtues of this boat or we'll never manage to hire her again! Let's focus on the terrible fact that it has no 240v or that it only has a manual windscreen wiper or that the heating on the fly bridge never works or... or... All the other terrible things about it that mean no one should ever want to hire her when we want to!

[oldgregg]

Yeah the manual wiper was a bit of an eye-opener last time we hired her. I'd never noticed that before (mostly having driven up top) but I guess it's very "1980's hireboat" and low-maintenance.

Also if I'm being critical, the Bees Boats fitout isn't bad but it's not quite as nice as some of the other builds. It's a sort of good mid-range finish, but not quite up there with Broom or Brister hire fitouts.

I do like the deeper windows though. They maybe don't look quite as slick as the Eastwood fitout (pictured), but it does mean you have a really nice and airy saloon even if the weather is a bit rubbish. Haines must have agreed as most of the Haines 37LS models have the deeper windows too (last picture).

[catcouk]

That's only the third boat I've seen with the larger windows. Sorry to the OP, well off topic now, but the windows are an issue I have with most newer designs. Sure, they look sleek from the outside but I'm going to spend a lot more time looking out of the windows than looking at the boat!

Regarding the wiper - it's much more quiet than a motorised one I had once and much better than not having one at all!

 

[YnysMon]

Or having a windscreen wiper that is tiny! One of the few downsides on Moonlight Shadow. 

[Regulo]

The deeper windows make a BIG difference if you're stuck inside - you don't have to crane your neck to see out!

[MauriceMynah]

As a true scientist I believe all great discoveries should be made public as soon as possible.  Failures too, should be forthcoming, so as to assist other people to not waste their time.

It is with this in mind that I have to inform you that strawberries are not the same as raspberries.  Unlike the humble raspberry,  strawberries do NOT go well with gin. 

Although the experiment is yet to be finished, the conclusion is clear, or is, until the tests are completed.  

Nominations for the Nobel prize for important research most welcomed.

[MauriceMynah]

I find myself half way up a dyke, as you do, contemplating my next move. I'm enjoying a small libation in the Thurne Lion and have paid for the night so that's me sorted until tomorrow when I suspect a jolly jaunt to Wroxham Island will be tomorrow's activity.  If the bridge gauge suggests 7ft 2ins or more, then perhaps Coltishall might be Tuesdays target. I don’t plan further ahead than that.

Meanwhile, thinking about what one can do halfway up a dyke.

[unclemike]

15 minutes ago, MauriceMynah said:

thinking about what one can do halfway up a dyke.

are you really sure you are halfway up and not halfway down?

[MargeandParge]

14 minutes ago, unclemike said:

are you really sure you are halfway up and not halfway down?

Another libation will need to be consumed before a positive answer is given. (We would think)

Kindest Regards to All  Marge and Parge 

[Regulo]

That depends on which way he's facing. If he moored heading into the dyke from the river, he must be halfway down. But if he turned at the dyke end, then moored, he'd be halfway up. Or would he? What if he reversed in? Would he be neither up nor down? 

[Meantime]

1 hour ago, MauriceMynah said:

If the bridge gauge suggests 7ft 2ins or more, then perhaps Coltishall might be Tuesdays target. I don’t plan further ahead than that.

If it helps with your pondering I have been compiling a list of bridge heights according to the height gauge at Wroxham bridge and the level shown at the nearest EA gauge on the river Bure at Hoveton Broad. Not entirely scientific, but close enough to give me an idea of whether I might pass without actually approaching Wroxham bridge. The EA site also gives you the previous 5 days trend so you can guess whether your likely to get stuck the wrong side or not!

https://check-for-flooding.service.gov.uk/station/6211

0.33 is 7ft at Wroxham

0.36 is 6ft10in

0.38 is 6ft9in

0.40 is 6ft9in

0.41 is 6ft8in

My guess would be you'd need 0.30 or less for around 7ft2in

[MauriceMynah]

Thanks for that info @Meantime very useful.

Well, I'm still halfway up a dyke, and have just paid for a second night. Reason?, I've started another DIY jobbie.

I now possess 3 cordless tools. A drill-driver, a jigsaw and now, a cordless circular saw. Boy does that cut!

I have promised myself that it will only be used after a libation free period.  Even I can see the dangers from that one.

So, for the moment I'm back in the Lion, libating until over refreshed with all power tools put away. As I've asked before, how busy can it get?

[Smoggy]

On 16/04/2023 at 14:48, MauriceMynah said:

Meanwhile, thinking about what one can do halfway up a dyke.

Hang on tight in case you fall out.

[Bikertov]

21 hours ago, MauriceMynah said:

Well, I'm still halfway up a dyke ...

Is that with or without a paddle ?

 

21 hours ago, MauriceMynah said:

I now possess 3 cordless tools. A drill-driver, a jigsaw and now, a cordless circular saw. Boy does that cut!

Out of interest, what brand of cordless tools did you go for, and are they 12V, 18V etc ?

[MauriceMynah]

Well  I've made a toolbox/seat, and I'm learning all sorts of DIY tricks. Firstly I've modified a well known rule of thumb, or at least added to it.

Measure twice, cut once. Sound advice that, but more appropriate would be,

Measure twice, cut once, throw away piece of wood and try it again.

As I said, I have a toolchest/seat. The lid almost fits , and only falls off if you sit on it. A cushion hides all the places where things don't look quite like they should and its the wrong size/shape for the vast majority of my tools, but apart from that, I'm very pleased with it. 

I have discovered that my steel tape measure tells fibs. Yes, honestly it does, and I've found out how.

Here I have to get a bit technical.  The little hooky thing at the start of the tape is sort of bent in so it gives a larger measurement than the true one, by about 5mm (or just under a quarter of an inch, if you use real measurements.)

All good fun eh?

[Meantime]

5 minutes ago, MauriceMynah said:

and its the wrong size/shape for the vast majority of my tools, but apart from that, I'm very pleased with it.

Ah, but can it be easily adapted to store much needed libations? If so, then job well done!

[MauriceMynah]

18 minutes ago, Bikertov said:

Is that with or without a paddle ?

 

Out of interest, what brand of cordless tools did you go for, and are they 12V, 18V etc ?

Answer to question one is that I rarely paddle as my feet get cold,

And to question 2, I use the Draper stormforce range as it's 20v. There are two batteries available, a 2Ah and a 4Ah. Either size fits all the tools in the range.

[MauriceMynah]

5 minutes ago, Meantime said:

Ah, but can it be easily adapted to store much needed libations? If so, then job well done!

Nope, bottles are about half an inch too tall... dammit 

[Meantime]

2 minutes ago, MauriceMynah said:

Nope, bottles are about half an inch too tall... dammit 

In that case, that was just bad planning! However all is not lost. Buy some smaller bottles, decant libation into smaller bottles, consuming the small amount left over from each bottle.