Grebe

Grebe's a narrowboat on broad, plastic and woody waters. When we ordered her in 1999 our plan was to trail her to various navigations each year. As well as Irish waterways we even researched the Dalsland Canal in Sweden for the early 2000s. But we started off moored at West Stockwith for a few months and explored our old familiar haunts. Our first trailer foray was to be the Norfolk and Suffolk Broads. As we would be going in September we arranged for a mooring into the next year with a friend. Then the plot changed, come spring 2000 we had fallen 'head over heels' for the area and stayed. We've now been pootling around broadland for nearly 17 years. Grebe has done all the heads of navigation and the lock. (she also been into the derelict lock at Geldeston. Incidentally as Grebe was to be on thr Broads for more than a month she couldn't be on a visitor permit and had to be fully registered and 'tolled'. As we knew this at build stage we had her Broads registration sign written onto her. So the fates knew already that Grebe was destined to be a Broads boat, it was us that had to find out...

I got a Doro Easy 611. Flip type ordinary phone. My dodgy blood chemistry and podgy fingers make using smartphone touch-screen a problem.

That's what Grebe has fitted. It needs a hole to be cut into the bulkhead or cabin side.

Grebe is 26 ft. When talking to non-boaty people we usually say that the living space is the about the same as two 'normal' garden sheds. Yes you can live on her but but not long term and CCing. Two weeks used to be our limit. All the areas have to work hard, no fixed double bed etc

Wetshed, covered dock, boathouse...take your pick. We are in an old aircraft hanger erected over a basin. There are about 50 other boats with us. Electric, water, CCTV provided. But no toilets...

Like all life they are a mixture. When I was small there were kids my mum wouldn't let me mix with. I'm the same with boaters (private or hirers) there are some I would rather not mix with. The knack is spotting them correctly. Our shiny narrowboat is kept in a wetshed to maintain the cleanliness and colour when not bobbing about on her. Is there a formal grade in the shiny-scale for these actions? Red boats! yes Martin. Grebe was fading as soon as we bought her. At age 9 we had her repainted and got the wetshed mooring about 6 months after that. Red is still fine after 7 more years so the extra cost has been worth it.

1000 litre industrial wheelie-bin?

I'm unable to answer your specific points. You however prompted me to look at our copy of the Act. Each local authority appointed as a registration authority was required to make its own regulations for fixing numbers...so the bird would probably be within the local marking regulations. There were 5 registration authorities on the L&L. I've (hopefully) attached part of the act. Clauses 2 and 3 are the relevant bits. 1877 Act 40&41 Vic ch60.pdf

We had our replacement deck boards made by a yacht builder and restorer in broadland. They were marine ply, epoxy coated and covered with treadmaster. They are 10 years old now and as good as new. It was a big expense but has been great value in the long run.

Wandering Vagabond replied....Not sure if I've got a 'rubbery button' anywhere (haven't found it if I have ) but when my stop solenoid failed I just operated it by hand, seemed to have the desired effect... Well Grebe has a Vetus engine and that has not fuel cut-off lever on the pump. Yes it surprised me too. There is just a rubber button, (just like on the old type starter solenoids) at the 'back' of the injection pump at rack level. Pushing the button stops the engine. My surmise is that the stop solenoid is directly at the end of the fuel rack and pulls/pushes the rack into the no fuel position to effect a stop. The button there for manual operation.

To reduce rolling/rocking we were told to treat the boat like a dinghy. Stepping on - aim to step well into the middle of the cockpit Stepping off - stand on the gunnel, let the boat dip and then rise and step off at the top of the rise phase.

We've had Grebe for 17 years now. She's a 26ft Sea Otter. Directionally she's fine except in strong cross-winds when the sail effect of a cabin nearly 6ft out of the water overcomes the 1.5ft of hull in the water. Where possible we avoid winds in excess of force 4. Reversing is a pig but I reckon that is down to the flat transom. Locks have never been any more of a problem than with larger boats, although incredibly she has never been through a narrow lock in her life. She bobs about a bit when stepping on and off. Stepping on well into the middle reduces any bobbing. Go for a short one and you can turn in the canal. The Chesterfield Canal Trust has 25ft and 30ft trip boats, the short one will turn almost anywhere, the 30 footer needs a winding hole or similar. You have to be organised and neat in a small boat. 'A place for everything and everything in its place'. All areas have to function all the time you cannot have the luxury of a made-up double wasting space all day.

Been there - done it. Like OldGoat says, short lines, cross-your-heart style with stem of tender almost touching the stern.

How about using some Harpic 'Power Plus' descaling tablets instead. Or ask Mrs E to do it!!

I'm so glad you've got them. I reckon my attachment post failed because of the file size. Section 12 (4) sound signals Section 13 Care and consideration in navigating Section 20 Vessels turning or turning into a canal Section 23 (1) Locks and Bridges All seem to be relevant.

Back in 2012 in BW days we spent a day with the BW harbour master on the SSYN accompanying Humber Princess to Rotherham. We discussed how BW were at that time the navigation authority and their rules applied. We didn't discuss lookout arrangements but did youch on sound signals. He expected the correct soun signals to be used even if the puny horn on a narrowboat would probably not be heard in a big barge. BW (C&RT) sound signals do no tmatch colregs. It has taken me a bit of digging but I've found my pdf copy of the 1965 BW regs. Hope they attach ok. ps. Many on this forum and broads forums jump straight to the colregs when in fact local by laws (byelaws in old BW speak) are the prime definers of the rules. pps struggling to attach a pdf file. Any help available?

Contact Andrew Denny (granny Buttons) at WW. A couple of months ago he was going to Leeds to collect a set of back issues.

She's German. On the river Main, south east of Frankfurt looks to be a place called Faulbach.