Paladine

The free 24hr moorings provided by the Broads Authority are looked after much better. The rangers mow the grass, check the mooring posts etc, but of course that cost comes out of the tolls, which increase alarmingly each year. So much so that the Broads Hire Boat Federation have submitted an appeal to the Secretary of State. The moorings I mentioned previously are EA moorings, provided at no cost to boaters. There are two of them at this location, quite close together, very popular, and have recently had the piling and quayheading refurbished, so I and a few others are keen to see them kept in a decent condition, even if it means working up a bit of a sweat. There are quite a few 'wild' or 'trespass' moorings, which are just bankside, with no facilities whatsoever, and the land owner hasn't put up No Mooring signs. There are kept usable simply by being used, otherwise they become overgrown with reed and weed. So all is not lost...yet!

The malaise doesn't just affect the canals. Here on the Broads budget cuts are biting. These photos are of very popular EA mooring. There are two paths, one alongside the mooring and another 3 metres inland, which is a public footpath the responsibility of the Norfolk County Council. The overgrown space in between the two paths used to be mowed regularly by a local parish councillor, with a ride-on mower, and visitors would sit out with their chairs and sun brollies, on what was almost a lawn. Then the PC decided it couldn't afford to insure him, so the mowing stopped and the result is clear to see. But last weekend a couple of boaters with hedge trimmers made a start on clearance. I used one of these https://www.expressmowers.co.uk/product/stihl-hsa56-battery-hedge-trimmer-bundle/ which is very effective against mugwort stems and similar woody weeds. These days, it's pretty pointless trying to get the powers-that-be to do anything other than the bare minimum. The Broads Authority is just as bad as the EA and CaRT in that respect. It shouldn't be the case, but I think it falls to the boaters, who seem to have more respect for their environment than do those who are actually responsible for it, to step up and if we just cleared/cleaned a space wherever we stop, I'm sure the difference it would make would be immense. And this is the public footpath a couple of hundred yards further on, again at the back of an EA mooring.It's overgrown with burdock (which can grow to 8ft tall), the seedheads of which are extremely problematic for dogs. Half an hours work with a pruning saw (the stems can be a couple of inches in diameter) produced the result shown. And yes I have sent a photo to the County Council.

Even if I wished to discuss it, I would have to provide great detail, photos and a copy of the repairer's invoice in order to explain what's happened, and there would be some who agreed with me and some who didn't. But it gives you some idea of their mind-set when they initially told me the event wasn't covered. Had I not been prepared to fight them, they would simply have dismissed my claim, out-of-hand. Unethical is a word some might use to describe them. Thank you for your good wishes.

It's that time of year again, so I was looking for ideas and found this thread. I've been with Haven Knox-Johnston for the last 3 years, after Saga put me with them when Saga stopped insuring boats. No, they don't ask for a survey (at least, they've never asked me for one). Yes, they are cheaper than most others. BUT, when I submtted a claim to them last September, their opening gambit was, 'You're not covered for that event'. Several emails, and an official complaint, later, they agreed I was covered, but since then they have been putting me through the wringer, trying to knock the settlement figure down to 50% of the claim. I have submitted one complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service already, and am about to submit another. Caveat Emptor

While not canal related, I am aware that some members hire boats on the Norfolk and Suffolk Broads, or take their own boats to visit, or may even keep a boat there, so this may be of interest to them. The Broads Hire Boat Federation (BHBF) have sent an objection to the DfT, under S31 of the Harbours Act 1964, to the level of tolls imposed by the Broads Authority for the 2023/24 season. The grounds for objection can be seen in the attached notice. The tolls went up by 13% over the previous year. A group of private owners have collectively sent a similar objection. They have a FB group, with over 1,300 registered members, the Broads Reform Action Group (BRAG), where further information may be found https://www.facebook.com/groups/1402368430170302 May I ask any members who have been, or may be, affected by the tolls increase, either through paying a toll themselves directly, or through increased hire costs, to write to Paul.Sharpe@dft[.]gov[.]uk to give their support for either or both of the objections. (Please remove the square brackets from the email address.) Thank you.

Eight, apparently 😉

Every time the Wiki entry is corrected 'someone' changes it again. For example, the Broads Authority does not receive a "National Park Grant", it receives a grant from the Secretary of State by virtue of s.15 of the Norfolk and Suffolk Broads Act 1988.

No, they WANT to introduce a charge at Reedham, but they lease the quay from Broadland District Council and BDC don't think a charge would be lawful and have told the Broads Authority to provide legal evidence that it would be. The present lease, which expired in 2002 and has been 'held over' since then, says that there can be no charge imposed for the first 24hrs. The latest from BDC, as of today, is that they don't agree to a charge being imposed.

Be aware, particularly if you want to eat in the pubs, that, like everything else, mooring costs are going up. For example, the Swan Inn at Horning charges £10 between 11am and 5pm and £20 from 5pm onwards and overnight (not refunded against food), and at Ranworth Staithe, a popular spot for boating visitors as it has the Malsters pub, St Helen's church tower and the Norfolk Wildlife Trust Visitor Centre, and was previously a free mooring, the Broads Authority has imposed a mooring charge of £5 (10am - 5pm) and £10 overnight. Please ignore the bit on the photo that says 'Broads National Park'. The Broads is NOT a national park, and never will be. It's just that we have a delusional Chief Executive.