Norfolk Broads - LIVE!

As the journey continues I reach the Yacht Station at Great Yarmouth – but no time to stop it is straight through.  A quick check of the bridges shows about 9ft 2" clearance – plenty enough – and Belmore is quickly though them both with the current behind me I know once I turn right at the yellow post, things will suddenly slow down. As I have been on approach to Breydon a motorboat is waiting on Breydon Water for Breydon Bridge to lift and has been in communication with the bridge on VHF.  As luck would have it, just after turning at the yellow post the bridge signals for the boats to proceed and it lifts – all captured on film which was a first for me. I saw the boat pass to my left, with ‘trade plates’ on it clearly off out to sea to be delivered somewhere and I felt jealous of the journey they would be having, but for now I was now heading on my own to Oulton Broad. Belmore has a larger engine and prop (or perhaps a high pitched prop) than Belmore TC and together...

I did not need to get up early today but I had done anyway and pondered my sanity about heading off to Oulton Broad from Wroxham.  It was not the fact this was likely to take 9 odd hours, but the fact during the trip I would make no stops and of course be alone doing it all - nobody to make a cup of coffee, take the wheel while I answered the call of nature etc so anything like this would need to be done with a 'nose into' the Reeds type thing and back on the wheel as soon as possible. None the less, the adventure gripped me - I do enjoy these long days and knowing I have an actual destination to arrive at and such being some distance not just an hour and half down the river type affair.  So around 9:20am I was underway leaving Wroxham.  It was a little warmer than other days, but that cloud remained along with a chilly wind and I was pleased to be on a boat with such a good, and controllable heating system as Belmore. To aid my comfort further I had a pillow f...

Yes this is confusing me too - its day three, but only the second video!  hang in their viewer it sorts itself out in the coming days. But what of this third day on the river?  Well, we begin at Acle where I had been 'left to sleep' by Shiela - you see she does not understand what alcohol can do, since she sticks to the soft drinks but myself having had several pints in the Bridge Inn the evening before came back to the boat and began on the beer we have on board and now I seem a bit 'worse for wear'.  Quite unlike me and it must be the Norfolk air doing it. We have been taking things easy anyway and I have not been concentrating so much on filming while I have Shiela with me, so today will be a cruise to Potter Heigham for a visit to Lathams - a top up of water - and then in the early afternoon leaving for Wroxham, where Shiela needs to catch a train back to London. I was pleased that the rain and grey sky had finally given way to fluffy clouds, blue s...

So let's just first of all apologise on two counts:  Firstly I have lost my intro's for the videos, and the backup of my computer which has them is with my Mum, who three times now has forgotten to bring over the backup drive.  All very well being super secure with computer backups but not so good when your mother gets forgetful lol. Secondly, I urm managed to screw up rather badly and loose day ones footage and have some camera problems to boot.  So, we begin the first part of this new series actually on day two mid way into the day on the river Ant.  Things do improve as we go through the series but I feel a bit rusty at this video lark after a break so bear with me. Now, on to the back story.  We arrived at Barnes Brinkcraft on the Friday, in heavy rain and as predicted the boat was not quite ready but this was fine as Shiela and I could pop into Wroxham, go shopping and grab a bite to eat.  This we did, Shiela buying some new fancy perfume a...

I am now beginning to consider 12v power use on a boat as no longer required. There, I said it which is a rather surprising thing to hear and goes against 'conventional wisdom'. Now of course the use of DC power on board is going to be necessary, but I would much prefer to see all DC power use being run at 24v because this reduces your amperage needs, and in many cases reduces the gauge of wire needed.  When you look at everything from electric toilets, bilge pumps, lighting, heating systems and even marine electronics they all come in 24v versions - often at no more cost than their 12v cousins.  As a society we have so much choice as to what is available to us for the home and increasingly we want these basics on board our boats.  I call them 'basics' because I do not consider it to be a luxury to have a Microwave, a Coffee Machine or a Freezer on your boat. So why do companies both when building new boats and those who supply the industry continue to be stuck in...

  The sun is getting higher in the sky and today is St. Patrick’s Day which can only mean one thing: To many a boater the time is right to get their little ship ready for the new season. In this ‘Tips & Tricks’ article, I am going to talk about boat cleaning, pre-season prep and making your boat look great to attract the envy of others. Boat Washing:   It does not matter if you have your boat under a tarpaulin, in a shed, or just bare in the in the open one thing is for sure after just a few weeks her topsides will be looking dull and since many owners pack up for the season in late October and do not return until late March, that is a lot of time for the muck and grime to build up.    Especially if your boat has a painted surface, it is important not to just reach for any old cleaning products but spend a little and get something nice.   The most important thing you want to look out for is it being PH Neutral.   This is because a pr...

I thought I’d give some thoughts on some boaty things I have discovered and thought of recently that may inspire or help others be them an owner currently, or perhaps those who aspire to in the future.  Varnishing:   You don’t need a wooden boat to need to Varnish; even Fibreglass boats have woodwork that can benefit from being kept in tip top condition. However, if you want to help preserve the wood, and produce a glass like surface together with reducing the number of coats of Varnish needed (and mind numbing work between coats) then use a clear Epoxy to begin as your build up coats. You will need to start with the bare wood surface for this, so there is no skimping on preparation alas and all previous coats of Varnish would need to be sanded back completely.   However, once done you will only need 3 or 4 coats of actual Varnish to achieve a surface much the same as if you’d used 10.   I think we all are familiar with West System as a brand n...