Issue 64 November 2018

Newsletter of the Friends of the Hunter Fleet

In this issue Editorial-Christine Wall 2 From the - John Franks 8 The Chair Rambles-Rodney Longhurst 3 Picture Gallery 11 Membership News-Louise Hopkinson 4 Friends Write 12 Friends Events 5 Junior Hunters 14 Friends Friesland Adventure- Pat Bray 7 From Adult Log Books16 Friends of the Hunter Fleet Editorial Committee Members Welcome to Issue 64 of our newsletter. Chairman The lovely picture on the front cover, which Rodney Longhurst 129 Christchurch Road heralds the first issue of the new look Norwich NR2 3PQ newsletter, printed in colour, was taken by Tel: 01603 453889 Daniel Weston, who was the winner of the Adult Section and overall winner in the Vice Chairman/Event Organiser Friends 2018 Photo Competition. Neil Hopkinson E: [email protected] I shall be printing the winning photo in the Tel: 01455 203167 Children’s Section as well as more of the photos from the photo competition in the Committee Secretary/NHFT Trustee next edition of the newsletter. Philip Bray 5 Westfield Road John Franks, in his excellent “From the Swaffham, Norfolk PE37 7HE Yard” piece (p.8) writes of how much E: [email protected] Hunter’s Yard appreciate all the help from Tel: 07710 403881 the Friends. Membership Secretary If any member of the Friends would like to Louise Hopkinson contribute a bit more, the Friends The Bumbles,8 Spenser Road committee is looking for new members. It Lutterworth LE17 4 PG is a nice friendly committee which meets E: [email protected] Tel: 01455 203167/07939014747 here in Ludham about three times a year. Or, if that does not appeal, more volunteers Treasurer are needed for outside maintenance at the Peter Wall Yard. Flycatcher, School Road Ludham NR29 5PF I hope one of these jobs may appeal to you. E: [email protected] Please contact any member of the Tel: 01692 678060 committee (see details on the left) for more information. Chairman-NHFT-Bruce Elson In the meantime, may I wish you all a E:[email protected] Tel:01692 630205 Happy Christmas, as we look forward to a good season in 2019 with more NHFT Yard Manager events at the Yard and further afield(see Vikki Walker p.5). Christine E: [email protected] COPY DATE FOR NEXT ISSUE: 1 February 2019 Tel: 01692 678263

NHFT Nominated Trustee Jennifer Mack Tel: 01692 403508 Newsletter editor: Christine Wall Pio Altarelli Flycatcher Tel: 01986 895559 School Road Stuart Ziemelis Ludham NR29 5PF E:[email protected] Tel:01692 678060 E:[email protected]

- 2 - Chairman's Ramble...... year's tall race and enjoying the Time seems to pass quicker every year; here carnival which was organised to celebrate we are at the end of another sailing season, the occasion. the fleet hauling out, bonfire night just The weather was very hot but sadly the around the corner and Christmas on the wind could have been stronger however, a horizon etc., etc. lovely introduction, for me , to Holland. The Autumn Event was held in glorious Thank you Willy, for organising this event. weather and as usual I would like to convey Blatant Plug, he is doing it all again next my thanks to all members of staff and FHF year! volunteers who made such a success of the A relevant item in the last newsletter was day. Philip Bray's very interesting article on gaff My principal memory of this last season rig, its development, in the low countries, was the FHF trip to Holland which is from the , and its particular organised by Willy Hoedeman who lives in relevance for use on the Norfolk Broads. Yorkshire but who has been organising All of the many traditional sailing barges what seems to have become an annual which we saw on the Holland trip were gaff event in his home country for a number rigged with leeboards and flat bottoms and, years. given their marked similarity with the Members who attend the AGM and epitome of east coast commercial sailing Autumn Event may know him better as the craft, the “Thames Barge”, it appears that bearded gentleman who always turns up on the Dutch not only taught us how to drain a folding bicycle and skippers one of the the marshes, but how to rig our local craft. boats which are made available for us by the On what might be considered a politically Yard. controversial point, they also seemed to We spent just over a week on an Dutch ex fully understand the dangers of the commercial sailing barge/ (built occasional, but potentially catastrophic, 1929) on the Wadden See which is the surge tides which travel down the North enormous shallow stretch of water between Sea from time to time, and the importance the northern part of mainland Holland of protecting the coastline from it. (Friesland) and the curved string of islands International concern over global warming such Texel, Vrieland, Terscheling, etc., a and air pollution has been very much in the sort of cross between Breydon Water, and news in recent weeks. Governments across the Walton back waters where knowledge the globe are either demanding or of the tides and the deep water channels is promising action or, in the case of countries absolutely vital if you don't want to spend which are seriously reliant on fossil fuels for hours on a mudbank in what appears to be , their industry or income, allegedly trying the middle of nowhere. to find fault with the figures used to justify The week finished at the Schooner’s home the recent international reports findings. I port of Harlingen, watching the end of this rather think that the tourist boat hire

- 3 - industry on the Broads(and everywhere Photo Competition else) may well come under increasing I would like to thank the judges, Philip pressure to convert any carbon fueled Bray, John Franks, Adrian Ray for their motor powered vessel to electric power excellent choices. sometime in the not so distant future. Some The overall winner was a wonderful photo of the day launch firms are already ahead of taken in Malthouse Broad at 07.00 this July the game here. (see front cover). The success of the installation of the Adult's First Place: Daniel Weston electric motor in Lucent has shown that Children's First Place: William Kirkman existing boats can be converted but that, as A full list of winning photos can be found at usual, designing/building a boat to have an http://www.huntersyard.co.uk/learn- electric motor plus batteries and control sailing/friends/photo-competition/ systems fitted if required, is ever so much Autumn Picnic easier. As last year we were bathed in beautiful We must wait to see if the Trustees feel that sunshine for the event. We had just under it is worth converting one of Wood class 70 Friends attend. We are always reminded and one of the Hustler class to continue at these events of the passing of time. One with this very important/possibly critical Friend came up to me and said how she had experiment in keeping the Yard viable. spent a peaceful half an hour sitting under The effects of Brexit on the British holiday the tree at the dyke remembering Friends industry has yet to be experienced but let us no longer here. She took great comfort in hope that a suggested increase in realising that the Yard is a great holder of holidaying at home combined with new memories. With this in mind, as always, I initiatives to advertise the Broads sailing feel that the huge commitment from all the fleets will have, dare I say it, “positive volunteers should be acknowledged. This outcomes”. year we have a new catering team May I wish you all a happy Christmas and a emerging, Jane & Richard Mant with the positive New Year. help of Jennifer & Keith Fawcus. Their Rodney Longhurst tireless smiles managed to raise £91.00 through serving donated cakes. Again an enormous thank you to Sharon Ziemelis, Membership News Joan Chaplin and Vikki Walker for your very tasty contributions. We always