Stop it. You are making me feel old, I remember boats like this on the Broads seventy and more years ago.

Nerys

Never mind John, I suspect we've all had an altercation with the lakeside at some time or other. Not that many would \admit it.

Nerys

Nice picture of Waverley on their latest E Newsletter, looking very resplendent after her annual refit. They are planning on starting trips on the Clyde, her home base towards the end of June and will be issuing a full programme as soon as it is available. They anticipate they will only be offering 35% of normal capacity, so advising early booking. Hope they run a trip from Swansea this year, I won't be slow booking.

Nerys

Thank you Doug, I didn't see that when I looked. Only hope we aren't in another lockdown by then!

Nerys

I feel sorry for all the businesses, manufacturing or otherwise that will never recover from the long Lockdown. I've noticed it in my immediate area.

Nerys

Looking at the website, tickets do not appear to be available yet.

Nerys

Thank you Graham, that's a welcome bit of news on the long road to normality.

Cheers, Nerys

The expression 'glutton for punishment' comes to mind, but I know you are far from alone. It's difficult to set up mass production methods in model boat building. I have two boats awaiting finishing, my LST, just needs finishing painting and my auxiliary barge where there is work to finish on the rigging, but my health and age are not helping, energy is difficult to come by, otherwise it would be a different matter. Niggles arise from time to time saying, why don't you build a .........?, the list could be endless.

Nerys

As a lady member, I have never taken exception to being referred to as a 'guy ' (except on November 5th). When I first encountered it, whilst working on the American Air Force bases in the 1980s I was surprised, but quickly realised that in the modern vernacular, everyone was called a 'guy'. It's democracy I suppose.

Nerys

You've chosen a good model as a starter. Easy to build, looks and performs well. Keep the pics coming , we always like to follow progress.

Nerys

Your Dragon is coming on well, I think that DF65, rig suits her well. I think in covering the whole of the cockpit, you've done the most sensible thing. Hang the accuracy of design, stay afloat.

Nerys

Congratulations, Jbkiwi on your elevation to Fleet Admiral, more than well deserved.
And in a more minor way but none the less important T33CNO to Master Seaman.

Nerys

Sorry to disappoint you Doug, but red's initial post was not the first I had seen of his theory and it is accepted by an increasing number of people. I in no way dispute the horribleness of covid and frankly am pleased that I have had the jab but there are certain things that I have seen and heard in medical circles that cause me to question some of the government's pronouncements. My belief is that the government are in some way using this as an experiment in the mass control/nudging of the populace. For example, banning all but essential travel could be a way of helping with CO2 reduction. Do you really think air travel will get back to full strength, it's reduction, again, could help with CO2. But, there again, some people think that global warning is a conspiracy. I do believe in Global Warming and I do think the Americans went to the moon.
However, I'm a simple soul really, not a bit scientific and I don't want to get involved, I'd much rather get back to building my barge, and she's lovely and green.

Nerys

Thank you redmpg for the most sensible and realistic summing up of the whole covid situation that I have seen.

Nerys

Yes please JB, if you see anything about her or go to see her, please keep me posted. I'm always interested to hear about the restoration of any old ships, but particularly small coastal sailing craft.

Cheers, Nerys

Thanks for that JB, I was guilty of seeing NZ, Schooner and instantly assuming scow. Thanks for posting the article of her history, be interesting to see any further information on restoration.

Nerys.

Hi Marky, very pleased to see that you are back in circulation. Hope, whatever treatment you are having is going well, I know some of it can be quite unpleasant, Hope you will be able to get back to modelling before long. We haven't had any snow here, we rarely do, but it has been showery and quite cold. I haven't been up to modelling for a while, I lack all energy and become breathless very easily.

Cheers, Nerys

Interesting to read about the remains of the NZ schooner that came to light recently. I presume she is what was known as the Scow Schooners. Most of them had centreboards, but some sported leeboards. They were roughly similar in size to Thames barges and performed much the same duties, general cargo carrying around the coast. We talk about them as New Zealand schooners , but similar craft were built in Southern Australia and Tasmania, scow schooners were also built on the Eastern Seaboard of America and were very similar to the their Antipodean relatives.A member of the Association of Model Barge Owners built a model a little while ago. I did see the model out of the water, but not sailing. The builder told me that her performance was comparable to his Thames Barges.

Later.
JB has corrected me and this ship was built before the scows. Please read about her under the heading, 'Old sailing ship saved from sandy grave'

Cheers, Nerys

Has anyone said what caused the fire? Whatever it was it was pretty disastrous. As Colin says, there used to be fireboats on the tidal Thames, but had these still existed, the time factor to get one as far up river as this would have been far too much. Let's be thankfull that only one boat was destroyed, it could have been much worse.

Nerys

That's different, completely amazing and likely to blow every other boat off the water.

Nerys

Someone was enquiring about model hovercraft a little while ago. I googled the subject and found someone called 'modelhoverccaft.co.uk' they did a whole range of kits and bits and pieces. Might be worth investigating for anyone interested.

Nerys

Can I suggest that when the new WMBC emerges, somebody posts on their page in 'Boat Clubs and Lakes' some details about the club, where and when you meet, contact information, are visitors welcome and any other information you think may be of interest.

Cheers, Nerys

Hi Colin, The official club days are Saturday and Tuesday tenish to oneish , often there are people staying on and arriving after that. we can sail any other time apart from Sunday mornings when another club has the use. I don't know if we will hold an open day this year, but I hope so, that would be best for you as you would have the whole day and the attendance of the mobile sausage roll vehicle to look forward to. Thinking about it, you are only about ten miles further away from Barry than we are.

Cheers, Nerys

Well done Peter, it's a long old drive, but I would love to do it again. The last time was about fifteen years ago as I had been invited to a wedding in Brasov, Romania. I drove to France first and stopped off at my sister's in Eastern France for a few days and to collect her. We spent several days over the trip, stopping off in Salzburg, Budapest another town on the Great Hungarian plain, the name of which I cannot remember, then on into Romania. A wander around Western Romania, where I hadn't been before, then on to Brasov. We had booked a hotel in Poiana Brasov where I had stayed many time before and had a pleasant week with friends in that area culminating in the wedding. Then on into Northern Romania to visit the painted monasteries, then to Mara Mures, a region full of Romanian folk lore and custom. Crossing the border into Hungary, we found the biggest Tesco we had ever seen, complete with Skoda car dealership, on across Northern Hungary then back through southern Germany and spending a few days around Lake Constance, watching the airships flying out of Friedrichshafen. Then back to my sister's chateau in the Jura. It was a lovely holiday, even though the roads in Romania ruined the suspension on my car. How I wish I could do it again. I envy you Peter and the very best of luck. Postscript. The marriage broke up a couple of months ago.

Nerys

Colin, it sounds as if your club is going to pull through this bit of nonsense. It's not unusual for this sort of dissent to occur, but in WMBC it looks as if the club is going to be reborn without too much change. I hope so for your sake, but if, until things settle down, you feel like visiting another club, Vale of Glamorgan would always welcome you. It's 68 miles from Hereford to Barry, large lake, easy access, good parking. Contact Ken beforehand so that he can be on the look out for you to unlock the barrier.

Cheers, Nerys

Thank you Ken, Vale of Glamorgan MBC, for posting in the Boat Clubs and Lakes section, a nice comprehensive resume of the club, where and when you sail, details about the lake and extending an invitation to visitors. This is an excellent example of what I would like to see, someone from every club listed to take the trouble to let us know a little about your club. The list could become very useful to many newcomers to our hobby. Well done Ken.

Cheers, Nerys

This is just what I mean, if a member from each of the clubs listed in this excellent comprehensive list would only take the time as Ken has done to tell us a little about their club. It could become an excellent reference work for us to seek out other clubs to join or even visit.

Nerys

Thanks everyone for your messages of sympathy it's very kind of you I feel so helpless being like this, I hate the whole thing of being like this, only wish I could get a bit of a pick up and have a period of being able to carry on normally. It's not only having things at the right height, it's holding my arms out and carrying out some simple little task. I got breathless tonight trying to tie a bowline in a piece of cord around the mast with my arms held out in front of me for a few minutes, it's just silly little things like that. I get so frustrated about it all.

Cheers, Nerys

Yes, an excellent magazine if ships are your thing, but I am often horrified by the pictures of some modern ships that bear no resemblance to what we oldies thought of as ships. There were some really lovely looking ships built just prior to WW2 and certainly afterwards. Even the pre war tramp ships that my father sailed in have more appeal to me than some of the things being built today. They call it progress, but I still like 'Ships Monthly'

cheers, Nerys

Hi Colin,

You would be more than welcome to join and sail at our club, Vale of Glamorgan, I know it must be getting on a hundred miles away for you, but we started sailing again this week. We sail every Saturday and Tuesday morning as a club, and you can have access to the lake every other day except Sunday morning, when another club uses it. Parking is lakeside ten foot from the water, on a concrete apron, you get a key to give you access. The lake has concrete paths all round and is only about three feet deep if you do have any sinkings. It was built by the local council to give employment during the depression of the twenties. It is 'parkified' at the opposite end to our parking. We run a very successful open day each year with several local clubs participating. Another thing that endears it to me is, I learnt to row on it. That was in the 1940s when there were rowing skiffs to hire on it. Those were the days. Give it thought.

Cheers, Nerys