Silverline Wisper

[JamesLV]

15 hours ago, Wyndham said:

Wow...I never realised yards charged extra for taking a dog, why would they do that.

Welcome and have a great holiday Wigster.

Barnes and Faircraft from memory usually want £35/week, for us we wouldn’t go away (unless flying) without our lad, and £35 is about half the price of kennels, so double bonus really.

[Paws]

We have a caravan most of the big sites make you pay for dogs so we don't use them I don't see what you get for £40.00per week when lts my van apart from some water yours paws

[Guest]

I can understand a charge for dogs, to cover potential extra cleaning time and cost, unfortunately its a case of the majority of good dogs and owners paying for the minority bad ones. Sounds like Silverline would prefer to minimise the amount of dogs aboard their boats so have set there chares higher than most.

[Guest]

23 minutes ago, 40something said:

I can understand a charge for dogs, to cover potential extra cleaning time and cost, unfortunately its a case of the majority of good dogs and owners paying for the minority bad ones. Sounds like Silverline would prefer to minimise the amount of dogs aboard their boats so have set there chares higher than most.

Why should people who clean up after their dogs be made to pay the same as those who don't. By all means make a charge of £120 but as a deposit....if the boat is returned clean of dog hair etc. then the fee is refunded.

[Wussername]

Dog hairs are a problem. Depends on the breed to some extent.

The serious issue for the hire boat operator is a flea infestation discovered on turn round. You have to carry out a deep clean with limited time available. That is when the cost kicks in.

Andrew

[Wonderwall]

My kids both suffered badly from eczema when they were young . ( Both have grown out of it for the time being, thankfully). We simply could not hire a boat or caravan back in they days, which had had dogs on board. It's an absoloute deep cleaned required to remove all traces of dog hair etc. 

So I can understand the extra charge.

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Wonderwall said:

My kids both suffered badly from eczema when they were young . ( Both have grown out of it for the time being, thankfully). We simply could not hire a boat or caravan back in they days, which had had dogs on board. It's an absoloute deep cleaned required to remove all traces of dog hair etc. 

So I can understand the extra charge.

To deep clean a boat to the condition you describe would take best part of a day and cost more than £120, if indeed the boatyard did any more than remove "the obvious evidence" that a dog had been on board. 

Those with requirements where all traces of dog are removed should maybe hire a boat that where pets are not allowed on board at all.  

[marshman]

Personally I am ambivalent about dogs on board but I think you have to accept that there are a lot of people who just cannot tolerate them. Bit like smokers really - however much you clean a boat after smokers the lingering smell remains all pervading to those who find the smell abhorrent.

I think if I ran a fleet of upmarket boats,  I think I would keep some "dog free" especially for those who just cannot tolerate them. Cannot see anything wrong with that just as some restaurants will not tolerate them either. If you do not agree with that policy, its up to the individual to make a choice, which will generally be available elsewhere.

[Paul]

We no longer have a dog, having lost Ziki last february after 17 years. I never objected to paying a charge to take her with us to cover the additional cleaning cost, assuming the boatyard actually DID the extra cleaning. Our usual yard, Pacific certainly did but I've used a few, usually larger yards where it was quite evident that they hadn't. It was obvious that they made the charge simply as a means of generating additional profit. 

I never understood why you paid a different cost for a dog for a short break / week / two weeks. After all, the extra cleaning is a one time requirement regardless of how long the dog was on board. Charging £70 per week is frankly taking the water. 

With regard to people with any kind of allergy to dogs or condition which is aggravated by them then there are plenty of dog free boats available so suggesting dogs should be banned from all boats is ridiculous. The choice is there, as marshman says. 

Returning to the OP, I personally wouldn't worry too much about the age of the boat. How well it is maintained and presented is much more important.

[Delilah]

Can I add my two penneth here as well? We have heard some strange stories from boatyard owners about people (not dogs or any other pets) leaving the boat's in an absolutely TERRIBLE state, so much so that the boat had to be "deep cleaned".... It's not the fault of the pet, not all of the time! Xx

[Wonderwall]

Just to make this clear, I also agree that if you need a boat free from any dog hair, then simply hire one that  is just that. That is what we done , it was quite an easy choice.

Dogs should of course be welcome on most boats, I absoloutley love dogs, and the ones, I have seen on the broads, like us all, seem so happy to be there.

[stumpy]

9 hours ago, Delilah said:

Can I add my two penneth here as well? We have heard some strange stories from boatyard owners about people (not dogs or any other pets) leaving the boat's in an absolutely TERRIBLE state, so much so that the boat had to be "deep cleaned".... It's not the fault of the pet, not all of the time! Xx

I'll never mind-bleach away the video Royalls put up a few years ago of one of their boats covered with human excrement after a hire! It was up the walls and trodden into the carpet fgs!

[TheQ]

Going back to the Topcraft boats, the reason for their odd layouts is they were built to carry caravans,, If you look at the stern you can see the line each side where the stern was lowered to allow you to put your own caravan on board.

You just had the forward steering cabin, and a flat area behind for the caravan.

The Idea failed miserably because the cost of hire was almost that of hiring a normal boat.. So they were converted to the rather strange layout.

[ExSurveyor]

46 minutes ago, TheQ said:

Going back to the Topcraft boats, the reason for their odd layouts is they were built to carry caravans,, If you look at the stern you can see the line each side where the stern was lowered to allow you to put your own caravan on board.

You just had the forward steering cabin, and a flat area behind for the caravan.

The Idea failed miserably because the cost of hire was almost that of hiring a normal boat.. So they were converted to the rather strange layout.

Thats how the first 3 models with the four poster evolved.   Subsequent models evolved to the twin cabin style. The four poster version has the wash basin in the cockpit area,  never really understood that.

The standard of joinery on the later model is top class.

[Hylander]

1 hour ago, stumpy said:

I'll never mind-bleach away the video Royalls put up a few years ago of one of their boats covered with human excrement after a hire! It was up the walls and trodden into the carpet fgs!

Shame there isnt an emoji for a disgusted face.

[Wigster1966]

Hi Wigster,
Forth Bridge is an Aquafibre Lowliner 38, and was regarded as THE boat to hire in its day. The inside helm position is very good, but from the outside helm position, you can see all the outside of the boat, so mooring is much easier.  Lightning is a similar style, but is 5ft longer, and that extra length is ahead of the upper helm, so you have to stand up to see the bow, but on Forth Bridge, you WON`T have any problems.

Sorry for the long delay responding to you and thank you for the information. Just out of interest is the engine outside on the back of the boat on the fourth bridge or is it inside the boat? Just wondered how quiet it will be while cruising. Thank you


Sent from the Norfolk Broads Network mobile app

[Meantime]

Fourth Bridge 2, I would assume 1 is similar, has the engine in a compartment alongside the galley, in the centre of the boat and under the outside helm area. There is a couple of doors in the galley that allow access to the engine for reed filter checks etc. From memory is was very quiet from the outside apart from the occasional splash and burble from the exhaust which was along the port side just below the outside helm position.

Cannot really remember what the noise was like inside as we always cruised it from outside even in a slight downpour. We just put rain coats on and got on with it. One downside of the centre cockpit sliding roof boats is that you have to put the roof up to stop furnishings from getting wet and then it can feel warm and claustrophobic.

I assume Fourth Bridge 1 and 2 are similar although Fourth Bridge 2 joined Bridgecraft later as it came from the neighbouring yard Anchor craft when they retired from hiring boats.

[Wigster1966]

Fourth Bridge 2, I would assume 1 is similar, has the engine in a compartment alongside the galley, in the centre of the boat and under the outside helm area. There is a couple of doors in the galley that allow access to the engine for reed filter checks etc. From memory is was very quiet from the outside apart from the occasional splash and burble from the exhaust which was along the port side just below the outside helm position.
Cannot really remember what the noise was like inside as we always cruised it from outside even in a slight downpour. We just put rain coats on and got on with it. One downside of the centre cockpit sliding roof boats is that you have to put the roof up to stop furnishings from getting wet and then it can feel warm and claustrophobic.
I assume Fourth Bridge 1 and 2 are similar although Fourth Bridge 2 joined Bridgecraft later as it came from the neighbouring yard Anchor craft when they retired from hiring boats.

Thanks for that, I was just curious. We have had Conway bridge before which was nice because it has a sliding roof. This time we quite fancy the option of the outside helm. I guess if we don’t like it in future we can go back to something like the Conway. We were certainly impressed with Bridgecraft the last time we used them so happy that we have chosen them again and the prices are very reasonable. Also quite like the fact that they are based in Acle which was a nice starting point.


Sent from the Norfolk Broads Network mobile app

[NorfolkNog]

Yes, big thumbs up from me for Bridgecraft, excellent yard, they really look after you. Enjoy and let us know how you get on! 

[Guest]

3 minutes ago, NorfolkNog said:

Yes, big thumbs up from me for Bridgecraft, excellent yard, they really look after you. Enjoy and let us know how you get on! 

Seconded

[deebee29]

And a third from me. Brilliant yard.

we had Fourth Bridge 2 in 2014 & loved it. The engine is indeed inside below the upper helm and was well soundproofed, I don’t recall it being excessively noisy.

The only slight downside for us was the access for mum (now 87) was a bit tricky with the back being very high and having to get along the decks to the upper helm and down the steps to get in. But other than that we loved the boat.

we were last with Bridgecraft for a week in April on Westminster Bridge and have it booked again for 2 weeks in September (can’t wait) and the same for April & September next year

[Guest]

We had Westminster Bridge as the first boat I helmed and since booked with them a number of times.

Great boat, great yard where nothing was too much trouble

 

[Meantime]

One thing that has always struck me as a little odd, is that Fourth Bridge 2 has the inside helm on the normal port side, whereas Fourth Bridge 1 has the inside helm on the Startboard side!

[Broads01]

I love the design of the low level dual steers, having hired Soprano from Richardsons and loved it. They're low enough to fit under Wroxham and Beccles in the right conditions and yet you have that fantastic outside helm, brilliant. 

[Meantime]

14 minutes ago, Broads01 said:

I love the design of the low level dual steers, having hired Soprano from Richardsons and loved it. They're low enough to fit under Wroxham and Beccles in the right conditions and yet you have that fantastic outside helm, brilliant. 

Had Fourth Bridge 2 up to both Coltishall and The Locks Inn at Geldeston in the same week. I need to check my pictures, but I think we even had it through Potter Bridge one year!