Broad Ambition - Underway on the H2O

[Vaughan]

30 minutes ago, grendel said:

have amended the post to just a link rather than an embedded youtube, due to the presence of a couple of incidents at ludham bridge which conflict with our TOS

I quite agree!

 

[dom]

Couple more appearances in another video from Horning too:

Youtube link

[CeePee1952]

2 hours ago, grendel said:

I have amended the post to just a link rather than an embedded youtube, due to the presence of a couple of incidents at ludham bridge which conflict with our TOS

Thank you, never crossed my mind about the other incidents - will remember in future! 

Chris

[BroadAmbition]

Now then,

I'm due to arrive onboard this Friday evening

I could do with a hand this Saturday morning.  I have a portable thicknessing planer to move out of our wetshed locker into my van, its heavy, a two man lift into our trolley than a two man lift into my van.  Anyone likely to be around?

Then I have six heavy leisure batteries to change over.

Then on completion I will be sailing to Thurne dyke (Or maybe another location?)- It'd be easier with a crew member onboard to assist me with lowering the canopy down for Ludham bridge if there is less than 7ft7" headroom

Then a hand to consume a few libations in the Lion followed by a return cruise to Griffs Corner on t Ant again through Ludham bridge

Then overnight where I'll be doing some bank clearance prior to sunset (Wx permitting) followed by libations and a film of some description on t goggle box prior to lights out

Sunday morning, a fairly early start, cruise back to wetshed and home.  I need to be back at home nlt 1600 so must depart Stalham nlt 1200

I'll provide the scran onboard and do the cooking Saturday teatime (Unless you wanna do it)

So if anyone fancies a river trip with an overnighter - Let me know (Able bodied only please)

I can of course do the whole lot on my todd but will struggle moving the planer and thought some one might like a trip out, there is room for up to four crew - You'll need bedding / sleeping bag

Cheers,

Griff

[Gracie]

20 minutes ago, BroadAmbition said:

Now then,

I'm due to arrive onboard this Friday evening

I could do with a hand this Saturday morning.  I have a portable thicknessing planer to move out of our wetshed locker into my van, its heavy, a two man lift into our trolley than a two man lift into my van.  Anyone likely to be around?

Then I have six heavy leisure batteries to change over.

Then on completion I will be sailing to Thurne dyke (Or maybe another location?)- It'd be easier with a crew member onboard to assist me with lowering the canopy down for Ludham bridge if there is less than 7ft7" headroom

Then a hand to consume a few libations in the Lion followed by a return cruise to Griffs Corner on t Ant again through Ludham bridge

Then overnight where I'll be doing some bank clearance prior to sunset (Wx permitting) followed by libations and a film of some description on t goggle box prior to lights out

Sunday morning, a fairly early start, cruise back to wetshed and home.  I need to be back at home nlt 1600 so must depart Stalham nlt 1200

I'll provide the scran onboard and do the cooking Saturday teatime (Unless you wanna do it)

So if anyone fancies a river trip with an overnighter - Let me know (Able bodied only please)

I can of course do the whole lot on my todd but will struggle moving the planer and thought some one might like a trip out, there is room for up to four crew - You'll need bedding / sleeping bag

Cheers,

Griff

I can come and cook for you Griff but you might be better off having a meal in t pub 

Grace x

[Smoggy]

7 minutes ago, Gracie said:

I can come and cook for you Griff but you might be better off having a meal in t pub 

Grace x

Go to the pub Griff!!!!! Don't risk it!

[AndyTBoater]

I am sadly working all weekend but am about on Friday evening if you want a hand lifting stuff?

[Aboattime]

2 hours ago, BroadAmbition said:

Now then,

I'm due to arrive onboard this Friday evening

I could do with a hand this Saturday morning.  I have a portable thicknessing planer to move out of our wetshed locker into my van, its heavy, a two man lift into our trolley than a two man lift into my van.  Anyone likely to be around?

Then I have six heavy leisure batteries to change over.

Then on completion I will be sailing to Thurne dyke (Or maybe another location?)- It'd be easier with a crew member onboard to assist me with lowering the canopy down for Ludham bridge if there is less than 7ft7" headroom

Then a hand to consume a few libations in the Lion followed by a return cruise to Griffs Corner on t Ant again through Ludham bridge

Then overnight where I'll be doing some bank clearance prior to sunset (Wx permitting) followed by libations and a film of some description on t goggle box prior to lights out

Sunday morning, a fairly early start, cruise back to wetshed and home.  I need to be back at home nlt 1600 so must depart Stalham nlt 1200

I'll provide the scran onboard and do the cooking Saturday teatime (Unless you wanna do it)

So if anyone fancies a river trip with an overnighter - Let me know (Able bodied only please)

I can of course do the whole lot on my todd but will struggle moving the planer and thought some one might like a trip out, there is room for up to four crew - You'll need bedding / sleeping bag

Cheers,

Griff

 

[Aboattime]

Hi Griff, im available to help.

          Regards Kevin

[Jbx5]

Hi Griff I can give you a lift with the lifting Sat morning but can’t do the boating bit. 
Let me know if needed.

John 

[Broads01]

Very kind offer, Griff. I'd gladly take you up on it if I was available.

[BroadAmbition]

That’s me n Purdey onboard as of 2115. 3 x Hrs door to door which was a good run.  
Crack on with battery change in t morning 

Griff

[BroadAmbition]

Saturday 20th April

Up and at em early on. Batteries changed over, the old ones were collected and away.  Forumite 'Aboattime' arrived as planned, off we went to the Rainbow cafe on Stalham high street, then to Tesco's for victuals to see us through to Sunday forenoon so didn't need much.

Filled 'B.A's water tanks, completed our pre sailing preps then set sail around lunchtime with aboattime on t helm.  It was windy and the wind was proper cold so the heating was firmly on.  Ludham bridge was showing 7ft8" at best which should have meant just 1" clearance there was of course more like 3" clearance so we could thankfully leave the canopy up

We arrived with no dramas at Thurne Dyke.  However by now I had consumed far more vodka and orange than I really should have.  No reason other than it was there and I didn't want it going out of date and I was taking advantage of having an experienced helm onboard too.  Add in the fact that I don't really consume much alcohol at home either so not used to it.  Two pints in the Lion and I was done for.  So I left my helm with some fellow pub customers and staggered back to 'B.A' with Purdey dog in tow.

Then it happened.

I fell over a blade of grass, it was a particular tough blade of grass to actually leg me up.

I was about twenty yards from 'B.A's well deck at the time.  I thought to mysen, you know what? I'll just lie her for a while.  Trouble with that was Purdey thought this was some kind of new game and proceeded to charge round at breakneck speed puppy like woofing her head off.  All that succeeded in doing was drawing attention the the pair of us.  Goodness knows how many attempts it took me to find mysen in the well deck but I can assure you it was way more than one.  I do hope some bystander was videoing this sequence of events as it must have been hilarious

Once inboard I had to snib the galley / well deck doors shut as the wind kept blowing them open, made my way to the wheelhouse which was nice and warm and collapsed into a slumber

I was woken sometime later by receiving blows around the dish from one of our draft excluder sausages wielded by the helm.  He claimed I had locked him out in the rain/wind, and could only raise me by leaning in under the canopy to reach said draft excluder sausage.

You couldn't make any of this up could you?  The daft thing was the doors on the sash sides were unlocked and all he had to do was give them a proper firm push and he would have been in!  

The next issue I faced was getting 'B.A' astern out of the dyke, I couldn't really ask the brand new hem to attempt this as it was his first time onboard and he had not got the feel of her, well not going astern anyhow.  Somehow we made it and off we went to Griffs Corner with our new helm doing his thing.  By the time we got there I was near back to normal operating capability and we moored up safe and secure on the rhond anchors it was by now 1820.  A huge thanks to Aboattme for all his helming skills, mind you if he had not been onboard I would have never got mysen into that kind of mess in the first place 

I took mysen to task and got stuck into some bank clearance until dusk.

We got the goggle box on the go, the heating was on, along with upper deck lights and plenty of inboard lighting I needed to give the 12 and 240v systems a proper long test.   Helm produced evening dinner whilst I was bank clearing,  Well past midnight both systems were just fine and dandy

Lights out for around 0030

Griff

[BroadAmbition]

Sunday morning 21st April

Up fresh, heating and morning tv on - No issues and new batteries held up to full expectations.  Did some more bank clearance, I can report that I am now well past that tree and reckon I have cleared another good ten feet - Until the next time then

I then produced a FCE for the pair of us, then after clearing up we sailed for the wetshed.  No need for a pump out as the heads had hardly been used

What was it with the blasted wind?  not only was there too much of it, it was just far too cold.  I wanted to give the topsides a proper wipe down as apparently it had rained overnight but had to give it up as my hands were going numb

Into Wetshed - Quick clean through and we departed for home.  I left at 1250 and got home for 1600 so only just made a family dinner in a local pub at 1615 - that was a close call

So, a good if short weekend afloat.

For those of you that have not yet met 'Aboattime' - He is a thoroughly nice chap (For a southerner), good company an experienced helm, and a former boat owner.  It was a pleasure to have made his acquaintance 

Griff

[Gracie]

There is a thread here somewhere about people videoing other peoples mishaps and how wrong it all is. I have posted on that thread on how awful it is for poor souls who mess up and then have it splashed all over t internet.

However, in this instance, I would pay to see our ex Navy, tough, all round nice guy Griff taken out by a blade of grass 

Grace x

[MauriceMynah]

Would he then have been "under the influencer" ?

[BroadAmbition]

Would he then have been "under the influencer" ?

 

  Ha Ha, very good  

 

'He' most certainly would have been (Already was)

Griff

[kpnut]

I look forward to utilising your handiwork Griff. Many thanks. 
Purdey was just doing some inbuilt mountain rescue dog alarm work you (and she) didn’t know she had. Glad you’re OK. 

[Meantime]

8 hours ago, BroadAmbition said:

Then it happened.

I fell over a blade of grass, it was a particular tough blade of grass to actually leg me up.

I was about twenty yards from 'B.A's well deck at the time.  I thought to mysen, you know what? I'll just lie her for a while.  Trouble with that was Purdey thought this was some kind of new game and proceeded to charge round at breakneck speed puppy like woofing her head off.  All that succeeded in doing was drawing attention the the pair of us.  Goodness knows how many attempts it took me to find mysen in the well deck but I can assure you it was way more than one.  I do hope some bystander was videoing this sequence of events as it must have been hilarious

I'm glad all's well that ends well, but this is a timely reminder, especially for those returning to boats alone, whilst slightly inebriated. You can never be too careful. I'm reminded that not too far from there a very experienced Broadsman, a pilot non the less, lost his life in similar circumstances.

Whenever we visited The Berney Arms, we were normally the last to leave and stagger back to the boat, but Tracy always made it her responsibility to see us back to the boat and safely back onboard.

If you are planning on returning to your boat alone after a few, please consider taking your lifejacket with you if possible.

[Aboattime]

So there were a few tell tell signs that perhaps going to the Lion might not be such a good idea,when after a really good breakfast at the Rainbow cafe we were then supposed to go to Tescos for some shopping........No,Griff forgot and drove us back to the wet shed,looking back now had he already started drinking??

When we moored up at Thurne,i was on the bow rope,Griff on the stern rope complaining that he couldnt pull the stern in cos i was pulling the bow in....had he been drinking to much orange juice??       If only i had thought about it i would have realised what trouble was to be fall me.

After a very pleasant couple of pints in the Lion{ i had Tom Cat very good] Griff had a couple of pints of some more orange.He left me talking to a Broads ranger and we watched him tacking his way up the staithe to BA,if only id seen him trip over thr blade of grass i would have rushed to his rescue.When i got back to BA,nobody had told ne the side doors needed a very firm push,so not wanting to damage the boat, and stern doors were locked,what was one to do???

On peering through the saloon window,what a sight! Griff asleep on the settee.or was he? lots of banging on the windows,shouting,ringing his phone,Purdy barking,How much orange had he drunk? After about 20 minutes of trying to wake the dead,getting colder and wet an idea,open the canopy and shout....no repsonse.......hit him with a sausage,eventually,yes he livesAll joking apart,i had agreat time.BA is just WOW,and Griff well considering he related to God,hes not a bad bloke either.

[MauriceMynah]

Ah yes, the famous orange juice.  A navel legend is our Griff.

[BroadAmbition]

Oh yes, at last,  'B.A' will be crewed up from this Thursday through to Monday afternoon.  Originally there were to be six adults, one small girly and Purdey dog.  However due to circumstances beyond our control. it'll now be just me, a mate and of course Purdey dog.  A social long weekend afloat at last - No idea as of yet where we might find oursens either other than bank clearing at Griffs Corner and hopefully a visit to the Lock at Coltishall.  Womack, Potter, Horning, Salhouse, Malthouse Broad, Wroxham, who knows? - I don't

Griff

[Aboattime]

" a social long weekend afloat"..........oh dear,code for far to many oranges??

[Norfolkangler]

I do hope the grass you clear at Griffs Corner is not the same sort of "Aggressive" stuff that got you at thurn last month.

[kpnut]

16 hours ago, BroadAmbition said:

No idea as of yet where we might find oursens either other than bank clearing at Griffs Corner

With Grendel and I also recently keeping a few established wild spots safe by clearing the edges, how much is it ok to clear before it’s trespassing? I’d hate to think a landowner would call a halt. 
The boatyard websites/brochures advertise ‘miles of riverside moorings’ but I’m pretty sure this is with rose tinted glasses from bygone days. Not so sure all owners are so amenable nowadays. 
The wild moorings down Fleet dyke used to be cleared each spring by a volunteer working party of interested local residents who told me they’d like to keep them open, but I’m not sure that is happening now.