Posted by David Shelton on August 15, 2000 at 14:28:34 from 149.170.170.10 via proxy naween.mmu.ac.uk:
In Reply to: Roaring Donkey posted by John Birch on August 15, 2000 at 12:47:12:
Private boats dont have to take a pilot, but most of them have a clue what they are doing, so it is less fun.
In my opinion the Roaring Donkey does not exist. Just above the junction of the Thurne and Candle/Kendal Dyke, where the floating bridge is, there is a dyke off to the right. This could be the dyke that the Roaring Donkey was at the end of. There is a pub in Martham, but I have not checked it out for appropriateness and it is 1.5 miles from the dyke!
However, on the Yare there are a couple of dykes with pubs at the top, Langley is one and Rockland Broad/dyke is another. Perhaps they were moved for the story. It is a curiosity that AR invented that one piece of geography! However, the pub name is quite bizarre, does anyone know a real Roaring Donkey?
Yachts do need to lower masts at Acle, even my 16 ft Wayfarer needs to. The New Cut roadbridge at Hadiscoe is more tantalising. I kid people that the Wayfarer will pass under if it is violently heeled. A friend of mine with his new girlfriend impressed this on her so much she sat in the water! In fact no heeling is required.
I think the pub at Potter is the Broadlander. There used to be a pub the other side of the river, but it burnt down!