Broad Ambition - Underway on the H2O

[BroadAmbition]

Well what a washout out of a weekend that was.

This was the annual D88 Boiz weekend afloat.  It should have originally happened earlier in the year but due to lockdown and all that palarva, then finding a date that suited us all the earliest we could fit it in was this month.

The wx was a real disappointment it just never seemed to stop raining from our arrival Friday 25th right through and including Monday 28th to early afternoon.  Then there was the strong winds to contend with too, they curtailed our planned sailing Friday evening forcing us to stop onboard in t wetshed. 

Ludham Bridge - normally well over 8ft clearance, sometimes around 9ft but not on Sat 26th. less than 7ft 7" This was a real pain as it was raining but we had to take down the screen and canopy to get through.

Then there was the inconsiderate berthing of boats at Ranworth quay forcing us onto Wroxham - No bad thing as we wanted to visit at some point.  Wading through floodwater to get into the centre, bridge unpassable unless you had a canoe and still it rained.  I didn't even bother taking any fishing gear with me as it would have been a waste of time in the winds / rain.  Berthing at Wroxham was awkward to say the least couldn't get under the bridge, Saturday was only 5ft 9"  Sunday was even worse at 5ft 6"  and still it rained

Dayboat mayhem on Sunday forenoon with totally stupid inconsiderate impatient helm that caused a collision, fortunately not with us but with a hireboat that was innocently caught up in it  and still it rained

Managed finally to get berthed at Ranworth on the Sunday only for 'B.A' to get damaged by a hit and run, then to top it all one of my own crew stupidly pushed the boat to adjust a fender using the ensign staff and snapped it clean off.  That has cost him £45:00 for a replacement but now I have to get set too and change over the s/steel tube onto the new one, plus varnish etc  oh and still it rained

Monday forenoon - grey with only light rain but at least the wind had dropped at last.  Instead of high tailing it up the Ant in the morning I had to visit Ferry boatyard at Horning to converse with yard manager ref the damage, turns out we know each other so that helped.  The hit n run miscreants were there unloading their boat.  There must have been at least half a dozen clients cars so badly flooded that they couldn't be driven and in need of recovery. One of which I guiltily hoped was the hit n run merchants.  

Through Ludham bridge, once again having to take the top down due to insufficient headroom and onto Sutton Staithe yard for the usual pump out and diesel and it finally stopped raining at last but still no sunshine.  We used 54 x Ltrs of diesel, most of which was due to have the heating running constantly, to keep us warm yes, but more to try and keep the insides dry and drying us out too

At last I was able to wipe down 'B.A's upper scuppers and put her into the wetshed dry

The good news was that through all this rain we had not one rainwater leak - This was most welcome

I drove home setting off at around 1530 via Nearest and Dearest for replacement ensign staff, then low and behold whilst on the Broadland relief road - Sunshine at last! (Sodding typical) First time I had seen that since leaving Gods Country Friday afternoon

So to finish off - A bad day afloat is far better than a good day at work but the weather was very trying / tiresome to say the least

The D88 Boiz weekend is now booked for next year, this time in July - Covid permitting.

Next time afloat is mid October for the Lads Week - Surely the weather will have improved somewhat and the river levels down to more manageable levels.  One can but hope

Griff

[CambridgeCabby]

We decided due to the river levels etc not to venture out last weekend after all 

[SwanR]

That’s a very good summary of what the weekend was like Griff. I really felt for anyone who took their boat over Friday or Saturday. 

[BroadAmbition]

Missed a cautionary tale.

Some Broads lovers sometimes question why we always cheese down the berthing ropes on 'B.A' both fwd and aft including the mudweight rope too.  I tell those that ask that there are three reasons:-

 

1)  Safety for the crew, a cheesed down rope on deck will not roll under foot thereby chucking one over the side or worse

2)  Safety for the boat, a cheesed down rope will not fall or be blown over the side thereby getting itsen wrapped round the prop

3) It looks good

 

Sunday forenoon (In the rain) At Barnes mooring, a large hirecraft in the basin adjoining us makes ready to leave.  It is a biggun too, one of those fixed wheelhouse types with a sharply raking pointy bow, no aft access on or off, named after a celebratory fizzy drink (Trying to avoid naming and shaming forum rules here).  They nudged four berthed up craft on their way out, there was no need for this, why was the crew not on deck assisting the helm and helping to fend off?  Then I noticed that both stern ropes were trailing in the water, I hollered out a warning but over the noise of their engine, and the rain I was not heard or ignored.

So off they went down river past Barnes still trailing both aft ropes in the oggin.  The best they could hope for was for another eagle eyed soul to inform them of the danger. I remarked to my crew that they were asking for a 'Game Over' fouled prop situation for their holiday

Monday forenoon, there is the exact same hireboat being given a side tow by Richo's workboat to the slip with - The stbd stern rope bar tight over the stern leading under the transom.  Was I surprised?

Was I eckers like

Griff

[CambridgeCabby]

I find it quite interesting that maybe, just maybe the boat you alluded to may bear the same name as the now infamous Ludham Rammer 

[SwanR]

7 hours ago, BroadAmbition said:

cheese down the berthing ropes

For the uninitiated might I ask what this means?

[BrundallNavy]

15 minutes ago, SwanR said:

For the uninitiated might I ask what this means?

Coil them up. 

[BroadAmbition]

Erm, there is a big difference between coiling and cheesing down btw

Griff

[ranworthbreeze]

16 minutes ago, BroadAmbition said:

Erm, there is a big difference between coiling and cheesing down btw

Griff

I have been doing that on the front deck of Ranworth Breeze for years and didn't know there was a term for it, it does make sense however.

[grendel]

coiled in a nice flat spiral

[Vaughan]

13 minutes ago, ranworthbreeze said:

for years and didn't know there was a term for it,

You probably know it by the Norfolk name :

Cow pat.

[Vaughan]

It's funny how, down the years, the rowdy element have always been attracted to certain types of boat.  In fact some designs have become almost exclusive to them.  The particular one that we are referring to here looks as though it is doing 40MPH even when it is moored up.  Maybe that has something to do with it!

In fact, if you have to live aboard one for a week, they are awful things!

[ranworthbreeze]

9 hours ago, Vaughan said:

You probably know it by the Norfolk name :

Cow pat.

But Vaughan our warps are blue not brown

Regards

Alan

[MauriceMynah]

9 minutes ago, ranworthbreeze said:

But Vaughan are warps are blue not brown

Regards

Alan

Royal cows?

[RealWindmill]

On 30/09/2020 at 00:32, BroadAmbition said:

The hit n run miscreants were there unloading their boat. 

Did you have a conversation ?  Must have been tempting to assist in their training.

[BrundallNavy]

4 hours ago, grendel said:

coiled in a nice flat spiral

Wot he said. 

[Guest Jayfire]

8 hours ago, SwanR said:

For the uninitiated might I ask what this means?

To try and help Jean, and I'm sure Griff will correct me, but cheesing is only recommend to be done with natual fibre lines by taking the end of the rope, placing it in the centre of the coil, flat on the deck then turning clockwise tightly, making sure the the line doesn't overlap, although I'm sure there is an official Royal Navy way.

It should look like this, or is it t'other way round Charlie... 

Being predominantly a solo helm, it isn't practical for me, just like lifting fenders, but as mentioned earlier, it does have advantages on deck

[SwanR]

Oooer ... thank you Jay. I will have to make sure that Mr SR is instructed accordingly before our next time afloat! :)

[JanetAnne]

I wouldn't mind a lesson in rope throwing. 

The other day I needed to get a rope across a river (about 45ft wide). It kept landing about 6ft short no matter what I tried. On attempt number 20 odd I finally made the other bank,  purely by luck, at which point my catcher dropped it 

At that point we paddled it across in the dinghy. 

 

 

[OldBerkshireBoy]

16 minutes ago, JanetAnne said:

I wouldn't mind a lesson in rope throwing. 

The other day I needed to get a rope across a river (about 45ft wide). It kept landing about 6ft short no matter what I tried. On attempt number 20 odd I finally made the other bank,  purely by luck, at which point my catcher dropped it 

At that point we paddled it across in the dinghy. 

 

 

Use a crossbow. Whether you shoot the catcher or not is up to you.

[ranworthbreeze]

19 minutes ago, OldBerkshireBoy said:

Use a crossbow. Whether you shoot the catcher or not is up to you.

Fred Dibnah once used a bow and arrow on one of his programs to gauge the height  of something.

[Broads01]

14 hours ago, Vaughan said:

In fact, if you have to live aboard one for a week, they are awful things!

In what way, Vaughan? 

[Vaughan]

7 hours ago, Broads01 said:

In what way, Vaughan?

Where do you want me to start?

I suppose one of the worst things is the galley in the saloon, where you have to drop a flap down across the rear door to have any kind of working surface.  This cuts off all access to and from the aft cabins and aft toilet/shower, while someone is cooking, as there is no aft access from on deck.  This is a 10 berth boat so any kind of social distancing is out of the question!

The only way in or out is by the sliding door either side of the saloon and you don't "step" out of that either.  You have to almost crawl out on your hands and knees.  That great big glass saloon is like going down the river in a greenhouse.

The other thing is leaks.  They don't seem to have been built with a great deal of structural strength, so when they run into something (which is very often) the impact springs the seals in all the cabin windows.  So next time it rains, every one of the beds is soaking wet.

I think that will do for now!

[BroadAmbition]

Did you have a conversation ?  Must have been tempting to assist in their training.

No,     wasn't it just

However the yard was very busy with clients returning and trying top drag out flooded cars, the staff were full on.  If I had confronted the untrained, no doubt the staff would have had to get involved, there could / should have been an argument and I wanted to keep on the side of the staff not alienate them

Griff

[BroadAmbition]

Annoyingly the repairs required to 'B.A' have not been carried out despite me requesting that they be completed before we crewed up later this afternoon.  Apparently Ferry Marina yard state they are 'Too busy' at present but promised they would get it sorted.  We now face eight days out on the rivers with damage on view looking far from good and a weak area that if it gets knocked again will turn a minor repair into a major one.  Disappointed to say the least

Anyroadup, let the annual 2020 Lads Week commence

Griff