I must say that the new swimming pool style steps at the BA Deep dyke moorings are a very good idea. I can only think it is in line with the BA's mandate of increasing access to Broads, what better way than to install 4 sets of steps at Deep Dyke. I can anly assume that this is to encourage swimming in the Broads.

But seriously, what are they for, and are they to be installed at every BA mooring? Answers on a post card, and the best answer will recieve a smiley emoticon from Churchy (Commodore of Waxham cut Regatta)

Colegate, that's in the big city....that would involve going under Potter bridge. I am not too sure about venturing that far from my weedy, silted up domain.

I did enquire about running a Horsey Regatta once, but the a certain landowner was asking too much for the privelidge of mooring regatta boats at the summer house moorings and staithe. But that is another story.

Japonica wrote:

Hi Churchy
I prefer the steps at How Hill, apparently the quay heading will soon be tiled along with the bank. It will be perfect for swimmers of all ages as there will only be a shallow end!

..... which will stretch all the way down to Gt Yarmouth!

We just had to stop and take a look. New signs have appeared within the past week, perhaps a user's instruction manual for the steps?

No. A warning by Norfolk Wildlife Trust of reported blue-green algae in the locality. That's the variety which produces toxins nasty enough to make you extremely ill and kill your dog stone dead.

I shudder to think what it might do to a small child intent upon sticking fingers in mouth after a lovely game of swish-fingers-through-water.

I don't pretend to know why this variety of algae should be attracted to Hickling and have no idea how it arrives. But I do know this area has emitted a foul stink all Summer, so I doubt it's because the water is too clean.

Hi Grunty,

The ladders at How Hill certainly need some TLC just now, but on Saturday the baking tray (BA workboat) was moored nearby, so it may not be too long before these are attended to.

It's good to see the BA using their own free moorings for their own vessels, as they're primarily for Navigation purposes any mooring costs would otherwise need to be taken from the Navigation budget, ie. our tolls. Unfortunately, when such vessels are left on moorings the tollpayers who have paid for such moorings are unable to use them. It surely wouldn't be too much to ask that workboats be left moored elsewhere just along the river at weekends when mooring spaces are at a premium.

Back to the subject in hand, concerning the central one of your photographs. I actually witnessed the vessel doing the dirty deed to this poor defenceless ladder, but believe me, the vessel was not a pretty sight afterwards, especially the split from within her deck / superstructure moulding right down the hull to within a few inches of her waterline. A fender was also ripped from the quater of the vessel.

In reality this was nothing more than an accident, as although the boat was crewed by a group of young men they were in fact doing nothing wrong, and mere inexperience caused all that damage. The large cruiser involved was heading upstream, when another boat left the moorings across her bows heading downstream. Large cruiser veered towards the bank to pass astern of the vessel leaving, then turned away to avoid a further moored craft (owned by a friend of mine, to whom I was at the time speaking) further along the bank, followed by an almighty sideswipe of the top of the ladder with her stern, causing much splitting of fibreglass noise.

The ladder, its fixings, and concrete plinth are all damaged to require replacement, but the good news is, I was led to believe, that the BA are to pursue the hire yards or vessel owners in such instances to recover costs of the damage from their insurers. This has to be a good thing, as I'm sure that they too would be attributable to Navigation. Had they been set back into the Quay Heading further, such damage to ladders and boats would be far less likely though, and many repairs now and in future avoided.

In the meatime, as that particular ladder is closed, it looks as though anyone swimming at that point will need to swim along the outside of any moored boats to one of the other ladders further along the quay in order to leave the water.

Somewhat unusually, it was fortunate for your boatyard owning aquaintance, that the large cruiser involved didn't come from that particular yard, but from a yard incorporating the oldest hire boat business on the Broads, based near a bridge.

I do however fully understand what you were saying "between the lines"!

We moored there soon after the new moorings were unveiled... it was our view then that the metalwork was both ugly and unnecessary. As to the potential for damage, one does not have to be an observer at How Hill for long to safely predict some costly accidents. I know you were trying to be polite Grunt, but sadly, your observations are very accurate. We witnessed both understandable inexperience, but also some sheer negligence there.

Gruntfuttock wrote:

I wonder whether the BA is capable of presenting a rolling News Without Spin facility. RSS feeds and all.

"......Broads Authority seeks improved ladder design......"

At least we would know someone was doing something positive rather than just parking work boats all over the Toll Payers' moorings.

Scoopfuttock.

Please be reasonable, Grunty. Surely you're aware that this would necessitate the recruitment of a whole new department, requiring larger offices more parking spaces, and the additional associated costs. As it would be primarily for the benefit of Navigators, I'd give no prizes for guessing which budget would be responsible for funding it!

As for work boats on 24hr moorings, what exactly does that 24hr thing mean?