Posted by Jock on January 07, 2001 at 19:11:17 from 194.154.96.232:
In Reply to: COOT CLUB - observations part THREE posted by Ed Kiser on January 05, 2001 at 06:41:30:
>P217 Chapter 18
>Reference is made to the "wreckers of Yarmouth" as Tom
>avoids falling victim to such a ruse. Is this still a common
>problem of that area? Is this a problem that is peculiar to
>just that area?
Compared to the 1930?s many more craft on the Broads have engines and few unpowered sailing craft attempt the passage through Yarmouth so I suppose that these days the "wreckers" have moved on to more lucrative onshore activities. Ransome seems very bitter about salvage. I seem to remember similar cynical references in other books. Does anyone know if his
views are based on his own experience?
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>P219 Chapter 19
>The "dolphin" is the symbol they looked for that identifies a
>group of pilings that they tied up to until the ebb tide subsided.
>Is there such an object there today? Is the "dolphin" an object
>from reality, or is it Ransome's imagination?
Yes the dolphin is still there exactly as shown in the in the "Tied up to the Dolphin" illustration, but the railway bridge was taken down a few years ago. The "Mouth of the Bure" dolphins are also still there, but because this side of the river has silted up they are not as useful as they once were.
>A big difference in the stories located in the Broads is that
>Ransome seemed to be factual as to the geography of the
>region...
>I wonder if today, one could repeat the voyages of the Coot
>Club book and see the various referenced places in the proper
>order as described in his book? Not being familiar with the
>actual location, I cannot tell what is imaginary, and what was
>really there.
For once, the geography and place names are entirely accurate. And although the number of unpowered sailing craft have declined, it is still possible to hire a vessel similar to the "Teasel" today. If you do so in early Spring or late Autumn it is possible to avoid modern day Hullabaloos and by following the track of the "Teasel" enjoy much of the peace and charm of the Broads that existed in Ransome's time.
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>P229, chapter 19
>And then they talked of sugerbeet, that was keeping wherries
>busy at one time of the year, going round to Cantley on the
>Norwich River... .
>It seems that the wherry was the kind of boat that was used for
>freight hauling of various cargoes. Just wondering, in today's
>world, is this freight still being shipped on the river, or has land >transportation (train, trucks) taken over this task? If so, then are >there still wherry type boats on the river, or are they too a part of
>an extinct past?
There were ordinary wherries for carrying freight, and wherry yachts which could be chartered for holidays. Sadly, freight has all but vanished from Britain's rivers and canals. Small coasters used to go up to Norwich in the 1960's until the Yare was allowed to silt up. The last substantial freight carrying on the Broads rivers was oil to the sugar refinery at Cantley, but now the factory has gone gas-fired and this too has stopped. Two wherries survive and a few wherry yachts. For more information on wherries follow the links.
http://www.swallows.demon.co.uk/wherry/wherry.html
http://www.argonet.co.uk/education/andywall/