Norfolk Broads these days ?????

[mrsmelly]

Ok so I have done 2 holidays on the broads, one was 1980 and the other 1989 so I cant remember much about it. I know some of you have been more recently @MJG and @Naughty Cal for instance amongst others, can I pick your brains!! I remember there are some low bridges so where do I hire from to avoid these? Where is the best bit for pubs so I dont have to cook onboard? other than maybe breakfast. There are some cheap big boats out there for first week of september which is when I am going, it looks as if they are cheap due to age?? Such as Radiant light and others of that type, why so cheap ( there are two of us but space as we all know is great ) I am in no way phased by any size boat handling as they are all quite tiny lol. I dont care a jot if they are an older design, so what advice has anyone got?? taa muchly.

[Guest]

40 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

Ok so I have done 2 holidays on the broads, one was 1980 and the other 1989 so I cant remember much about it. I know some of you have been more recently @MJG and @Naughty Cal for instance amongst others, can I pick your brains!! I remember there are some low bridges so where do I hire from to avoid these? Where is the best bit for pubs so I dont have to cook onboard? other than maybe breakfast. There are some cheap big boats out there for first week of september which is when I am going, it looks as if they are cheap due to age?? Such as Radiant light and others of that type, why so cheap ( there are two of us but space as we all know is great ) I am in no way phased by any size boat handling as they are all quite tiny lol. I dont care a jot if they are an older design, so what advice has anyone got?? taa muchly.

 

The two lowest bridges are at Potter Heigham and Wroxham. Potter is increasingly unpassable by anything other than the smallest of boats. Both require the use of a pilot.

 

You can also only pass through Yarmouth at a low tide due to bridge height.

 

I suspect you are looking at boats from Richardsons at Stalham? We you may remember we had to abandon our last holiday after 2 days as the boat we had from them in April last year was just so ruddy cold and draughty. The diesel heating just couldnt keep on top of the cold. You might be OK in September. But we thought we would be OK in April and we weren't. My advice would be to go for one of their better/newer boats though this will obviously cost you more.

 

The cheaper boats are cheap for a reason. They are a bit tattier and well worn. Our last boat however was mechanicaly well maintained and looked like it had had a recent engine. Apart from the heating not being up to the job everything worked.

 

The newer boats are also quieter in the wheelhouse/interior. The noisy diesels get quite wearing on a long days cruise.

 

Pubs are all over but Wroxham and Horning have a broader selection. The Lion at Thurne Dyke is a useful stop too. The Bridge Inn at Acle is/was a nice pub. You will need to check up to date but some pubs require booking ahead and charge. 

 

Cant really comment on quality though as they open and close and change hands quite often.

 

The Northern Broads are IMHO are prettier than the South below Yarmouth but going to the southern Broads is worth it for the experience of going through Yarmouth and crossing Breydon water.

 

Beccles is nice in the South as well as Geldeston, but last I heard the pub there was closed.

 

 

Edited March 27, 2023 by M_JG

[AllanD]

I have not holidayed on the Broads but really enjoyed it. 

I now get my fix by following the chat on The Norfolk Broads Forum and I have copied a link to it. 

I hope you will find the info for your needs. 

http://the-norfolk-broads.co.uk/

[Guest]

https://www.richardsonsboatingholidays.co.uk/boats/viscount/

 

This was the boat we hired last year.

 

To be fair to Richardson when we took the boat back after two days they offered us a no charge swap to one of their better Platinum boats but we took a partial refund instead as we were that fed up and cold and just wanted to get home.

 

Just had a skeggy at Radiant Light which is a Herbert Woods boat not a Richardsons boat.

 

Woods have some better boats too.

[Naughty Cal]

17 hours ago, M_JG said:

https://www.richardsonsboatingholidays.co.uk/boats/viscount/

 

This was the boat we hired last year.

 

To be fair to Richardson when we took the boat back after two days they offered us a no charge swap to one of their better Platinum boats but we took a partial refund instead as we were that fed up and cold and just wanted to get home.

 

Just had a skeggy at Radiant Light which is a Herbert Woods boat not a Richardsons boat.

 

Woods have some better boats too.

We have hired Viscount previously. It was a tidy (ish) boat at the time although we did have battery problems.

18 hours ago, mrsmelly said:

Ok so I have done 2 holidays on the broads, one was 1980 and the other 1989 so I cant remember much about it. I know some of you have been more recently @MJG and @Naughty Cal for instance amongst others, can I pick your brains!! I remember there are some low bridges so where do I hire from to avoid these? Where is the best bit for pubs so I dont have to cook onboard? other than maybe breakfast. There are some cheap big boats out there for first week of september which is when I am going, it looks as if they are cheap due to age?? Such as Radiant light and others of that type, why so cheap ( there are two of us but space as we all know is great ) I am in no way phased by any size boat handling as they are all quite tiny lol. I dont care a jot if they are an older design, so what advice has anyone got?? taa muchly.

As Martyn has already said the cheaper boats are cheap because they are older and not as modern as the more expensive boats in the fleets.

 

Radiant Light is probably getting a bit long in the tooth now and is an old Connoisseur boat so will have done the rounds and will be showing signs of heavy use.

 

The really low bridges are Potter Heigham and Wroxham if you are staying on the northern broads. There is also Wayford Bridge but not many venture up that way. The last boat we hired on the Broads (Swan Ranger) wouldn't go through Potter or Wroxham and we didn't find that restrictive at all. 

 

If you are not overly bothered what boat you have you can get some really good last minute deals from the yards but it will literally be whatever boats they have got left.

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Naughty Cal said:

We have hired Viscount previously. It was a tidy (ish) boat at the time although we did have battery problems.

 

The really low bridges are Potter Heigham and Wroxham if you are staying on the northern broads. There is also Wayford Bridge but not many venture up that way.

 

The day I took this picture from the rear cabin of Viscount the wind was howling along the river at How Hill, hence the waves and the following night it kept dislodging the canvas infill at the rear of the wheelhouse and snow started to drift gently around the inside.

 

It was at that point l said to Mrs M_JG, sod this we're taking this boat home in the morning and heading for home.

 

Winter boating is fun, we used to enjoy it on our own boat. But its not much fun when its winter both outside the boat and inside it.

 

 

 

As for above Wayford, yes its quiet up there and the staithe at Dilham is a nice place to moor. If a boat will go under the lowest part of the cambered road bridge, its worth a pootle up there.

 

 

 

Edited March 28, 2023 by M_JG

[Naughty Cal]

We quite like this one. Will probably hire it next time we fancy a trip on the water.

 

https://www.richardsonsboatingholidays.co.uk/boats/swan-renown/

[Guest]

4 minutes ago, Naughty Cal said:

We quite like this one. Will probably hire it next time we fancy a trip on the water.

 

https://www.richardsonsboatingholidays.co.uk/boats/swan-renown/

 

Way nicer than Viscount and the engine in the rear will make for much quieter cruising.

[peterboat]

We were out in March last year, fortunately the heater in our boat was ok, on reflection though we would have got a bathtub Type Broads cruiser which can go through Wroxham bridge. I think we will go down again maybe in September as well  unless we enjoy our new campervan more

[Guest]

4 minutes ago, peterboat said:

We were out in March last year, fortunately the heater in our boat was ok, on reflection though we would have got a bathtub Type Broads cruiser which can go through Wroxham bridge. I think we will go down again maybe in September as well  unless we enjoy our new campervan more

 

At the correct state of water levels other boat types will clear too but not the type you hired back then.

 

I suspect that would not have cleared Wayford either.

 

Sometimes even Ludham Bridge can be an issue for taller boats.

[Naughty Cal]

11 hours ago, M_JG said:

 

At the correct state of water levels other boat types will clear too but not the type you hired back then.

 

I suspect that would not have cleared Wayford either.

 

Sometimes even Ludham Bridge can be an issue for taller boats.

We only just scraped through Ludham with Swan Ranger due to unusually high water levels the last time we were on the Broads.

 

Getting on and off the boat proved rather difficult at times. That boat was only about 7'6" tall from memory.

 

Nice boat and we really liked the layout, even in cold weather it was super warm and cosy due to the lack of sliding roof sections. Would have been an ideal boat for the Trent.

 

Bit pricey to buy new though:

 

https://www.norfolkboatsales.co.uk/boats-for-sale/heritage-35/

[Paladine]

Be aware, particularly if you want to eat in the pubs, that, like everything else, mooring costs are going up. For example, the Swan Inn at Horning charges £10 between 11am and 5pm and £20 from 5pm onwards and overnight (not refunded against food), and at Ranworth Staithe, a popular spot for boating visitors as it has the Malsters pub, St Helen's church tower and the Norfolk Wildlife Trust Visitor Centre, and was previously a free mooring, the Broads Authority has imposed a mooring charge of £5 (10am - 5pm) and £10 overnight.

 

Please ignore the bit on the photo that says 'Broads National Park'. The Broads is NOT a national park, and never will be. It's just that we have a delusional Chief Executive.

 

Edited March 31, 2023 by Paladine
added info

[Naughty Cal]

They have also introduced mooring charges at Reedham Staithe.

[Paladine]

No, they WANT to introduce a charge at Reedham, but they lease the quay from Broadland District Council and BDC don't think a charge would be lawful and have told the Broads Authority to provide legal evidence that it would be. The present lease, which expired in 2002 and has been 'held over' since then, says that there can be no charge imposed for the first 24hrs. The latest from BDC, as of today, is that they don't agree to a charge being imposed.

9 minutes ago, Naughty Cal said:

They have also introduced mooring charges at Reedham Staithe.

[David Mack]

3 hours ago, Paladine said:

Please ignore the bit on the photo that says 'Broads National Park'. The Broads is NOT a national park, and never will be. It's just that we have a delusional Chief Executive.

Or as Wikipedia puts it:

"In January 2015 the Broads Authority approved a change in name of the area to the "Broads National Park", to recognise that the status of the area is equivalent to the English National Parks, that the Broads Authority shares the same two first purposes (relating to conservation and promoting enjoyment) as the English National Park Authorities, and receives a National Park grant.

This followed a three-month consultation which resulted in support from 79% of consultees, including unanimous support from the 14 UK national parks and the Campaign for National Parks. Defra, the Government department responsible for the parks, also expressed it was content that the Authority would make its own decision on the matter.

This is the subject of ongoing controversy among some Broads users who note that the Broads is not named in law as a National Park and claim the branding detracts from the Broads Authority's third purpose which is to protect the interests of navigation. In response to this, the Broads Authority has stated that its three purposes will remain in equal balance and that the branding is simply for marketing the National Park qualities of the Broads."

[Paladine]

Every time the Wiki entry is corrected 'someone' changes it again. For example, the Broads Authority does not receive a "National Park Grant", it receives a grant from the Secretary of State by virtue of s.15 of the Norfolk and Suffolk Broads Act 1988.