Mr Norman

Does the boat have any registration numbers or has she had any other names?

How did the trip out go?? Hows the boat running??

Just an aside to note that Jon has had to vacate the Wayford Bridge yard as the owners would not renew his lease and have seemingly passed it on to a developer who will be adding holiday cottages etc. Shame to lose such a useful "proper" working yard on the Broads where there are far too few!

Does your air draft prevent you using the Keadby & Stainforth, South Yorkshire Navigation and onto the Aire & Calder??

When I had my Norman 23 with an old ford 1.5 diesel and Enfield leg I got a cast aluminium add on rudder extension from Bob Knowles in Leicester. It wasn't cheap but easy to bolt on and made a very significant difference to the handling. I know he still exists but his website hasn't functioned for some time. Some folk found him a tad "fragile" in the temper department but I found him good to deal with. Just don't ask him for a discount!

Good post and well said. Everyone is new to boating at some point and some need to remember this!

Another recommendation for Tony Tugboats!

Rope length is a good point. I don't know what the maximum rise and fall of the locks on the Trent & Mersey are. If it were 12 feet for example, your ropes would need to be at least 24 feet. Don't go for the cheapest ropes! The amount of use they get can play very heck with your hands! Gloves are useful! One other item I found very useful when coming into moorings etc was a DIY affair of a longish broom handle with a large wire loop (the galvanised stuff as used for fences etc) securely fastened to the end by a fine'ish drill through. Great for steadying the boat when coming alongside or even holding the boat whilst someone else opens a lock or lifts/swings a bridge! Make sure the loop is large enough to fit over bollards as well as mooring posts. And, yes, you can pull the boat through almost any lock. I've yet to find one that I couldn't! The ladders can get very slippery with both water and general slimey muck. Occasionally some are damaged and rather wobbly! There was one at Fall Ings in Wakefield that was terryfying to climb!

When I had a Norman 23 and out by myself I often simply "walked" the boat in and out of locks using the ropes. Easy done with a boat that size. Only needed one lock gate as well on some navigations. Regarding sharing with narrow boats, let them go in first and insist that they rope up. If they won't, let them go through first. Many locks have ground paddles as well as or instead of gate paddles. Ground paddles open at the side and the flow pushes the boats against the lock wall. Make sure you are not between the narrow boat and the wall in this instance. On "manned" locks the Locky will know which way to arrange your boat safely. Top rule, take your time and think about what is happening as paddles are opened etc. This way you will soon be aware of how boats react to flows.

I have heard this question a few times and the answers that followed generally suggested that your Grandfather would own the land but the Navigation Authority would be responsible for maintaining the non towpath bank. Nothing is more certain than the fact that I will be swiftly corrected if I am wrong!

After reading through these posts I am somewhat concerned at the absence of the word "safety"! There are so many things that can go wrong and I would have been reassured to see the word at least once! I am not suggesting that anyone posting would ever be less than safe so maybe I should assume that safe practice is an unsaid given!

In anticipation of a visit, I wandered over to Stanley Ferry to have a look at what is available. Apologies for some simple questions! This is the nearest location of a pumpout for me. The facilities block is by the swing bridge so boats have to moor either lower down or above this. Has anyone used the self service pumpout? Is all the gear inside the block? Is there a separate water source in the block for rinsing? Are the controls and card/money slot inside as well? And, finally, how long does each card give you? The answers may be blindingly obvious to most but I just want to be clear as to what is needed and involved. Thanks in advance of any advice!

I've been wandering around possible sites to find an alternative mooring and I visited Shepley Bridge Marina today. It seems the only operation left is the Safe Anchor Trust trip boats. There used to be a significant number of boats moored both on the workshop side and on the linear moorings opposite. These were serviced moorings with electric supply. There is not a boat to be seen on the tow path side now which used to be fully occupied. and a couple left on the workshop side as well as Brians MTB. I know Brian retired and his mechanic, Ross, went to Aspley Wharf. A few months ago I was there and was told that BW were going to be taking over the moorings. I contacted the local moorings manager and this was denied. Seems a shame to lose all these viable moorings in a pleasant environment. Anyone else have any knowledge or thoughts about this?

Aldi marmalade is really good, There is a really excellent marmalade avaiable from one of the big fleecers though! Sainsbury do a delicious three fruits marmalade with lovely thick peel!

Another Yorkshire candidate could be the Barnsley Canal. There are still stretches in water but also various infilled areas and even a "buried" bridge! There is a great guide to this with a history on the "Pennine Waterways" site. http://www.penninewaterways.co.uk/barnsley/index.htm Edited to provide better link.

You could always hire a genuine Broads classic woodie from Martham. Both "Juliette" and "Silver Jubilee"are well blessed with space. Really economical as well. Glide through the water with not much more than a ripple. Can you tell I like them? Lovely up there too, Horsey has the walk to see the seals plus a cracking pub, The Nelsons Head", West Somerton for "The Lion" and a walk to Winterton for some "seaside experience"! The "Pleasure Boat" is now in the hands of the same landlord as The Nelsons Head and has improved immensely.

Langford Jillings Sr is still around but there is a very sad and unpleasant situation at the back of all this. Not for forum discussion and speculation won't help either.

I would avoid the Maypole charger, I bought a similar one from fleabay although the Maypole looks identical I think it had a different brand name. Left it on a well regulated shore supply in a marina. Returned the following day and it was as dead as a dodo! Couldn't even get a response from the sellers. Took it to an electronics specialist who pronounced that it would be dangerous if it worked properly! Also said it was uneconomic to fix and would likely die again anyway! I know this all sounds a tad extreme but when the thing was opened up there was just a load of empty space and a few transistors along with a big heavy coil. A bigger pile of crap I have never bought!

The boat is a Hampton Safari 25, It has been painted but painted very well. Being an ex hire cruiser, the finish looks remarkably good. I realise this is the sort of service more likely to be found in more "boaty" areas such as The Broads but I was hoping to find someone up here.

Not entirely sure this is the correct place for this but here goes. I am trying to find out if there is anyone providing a Boat Valeting/cleaning service. Somewhere in the depths of this forum I found reference to "Happy Van" as being able to do this but, seemingly, they never did and don't now. My boat is on the Calder & Hebble near Wakefield in West Yorkshire. It is the topsides and hull I am looking for help with. The boat is an ex Broads 25' cruiser. I would appreciate any relevent information please. Thanks.

Yes please, would be very grateful. Hope to hear from myou.

I am looking for the services of a reliable mobile marine engineer in West Yorkshire. I have found these folk at York who travel it seems. What puzzles (concerns) me is that they seem to go under a multitude of names including those above and IJD Marine. Has anyone any experience of these or any information at all please?