Paulr181

Great thank you! yes we are CC members so ill take a look. 👍🏻

I have just had a thought. we travel down from Durham, so it’s a good 5 hour drive. As we are on board I think from Monday I think I might tow the caravan down, and stay the weekend in the caravan, then keep the caravan pitched whilst we are on board the boat for the 4 nights then go back to the caravan for the final couple of nights. This will make a week of it, and also break up the travel times etc. Does anyone know of a caravan site near to the broads?

Hello all. It’s been a little while since I have been around on the forum, infact Feb 2014 was my last visit after our trip aboard Richardson’s Carousel 3. The original plan was to return once a year, however in 2014 we ended up having our first child.....Guy was born October of 2014 and then we had another in 2017 Brooke. I also started my own business building campervans in 2015 which grew and grew until Covid lockdowns caused issues beyond being able to save the business and in September 2020 I had to cease trading. So it’s been a busy few years since my last tale on board carousel and our last visit to the broads. we have taken to caravans (my second favourite holiday, with the broads being my favourite) so that’s also been fun including rebuilding our current caravan last year. We had promised ourselves to return to the broads when the kids were old enough and decided as Guy will be 7 this year and Brooke 4 this year we would book up and get ours selves on board once more. we have Booked up with Richardson’s once more and this time have chosen Monaco P as our cruiser of choice. we enjoyed the RC45 range so much when hiring Carousel last visit, and with the split bed front cabin design of Monaco we decided we liked the security it offered with the kids being at the front of the boat and we would sleep at the back by the door. I cannot wait for our return, although the Covid situation posses a risk for bookings and pray we certainly won’t be lockdown so much that we cannot take the holiday by then. of course as before a tale will follow. We booked one of the midweek bookings this time so slightly less time on board as we want to see how we get on with the kids, but if it’s anything like when I was younger I know they will love it!! Paul

Hi and welcome Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - now Free

That's was meant to read yay I'm not the only one who does this. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - now Free

Yet I'm not the only one who does this Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - now Free

Saw the one north of the bridge two weeks ago and I assumed it was stranded due to tide but then I guess it would make sense if HW had taken delivery of some of the boats already but then why put it up there? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - now Free

Guess I have already confessed enough to embarrass me for a while in my recent tail good to see I'm not the only one though! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - now Free

Great memories sat around the fire with the hot water bottles The camera is a Canon 650D, brilliant camera glad you enjoyed the blog, hope to be back again soon to write another! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - now Free

Oh and I agree with the numbers thing, I did notice carousel 3 was the only one with the number. Such a minor thing. Also carousel 3 has a different trim colour, same infact as I think moon discovery? Maybe it was because they were built pretty much at the same time? Still it didn't change the experience in anyway Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - now Free

Carousel 3 has coats hooks and in exactly the place you suggest having just been on her only a week ago. Maybe the earlier carousels didn't? Only problem with the coat hooks being in the galley is the coats end up smelling of food. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - now Free

Is this the one you saw? Although not the mould I guess but the finished hull and superstructure ready to be assembled?

As promised a few pictures from our holiday. Ready to set off from Kingfisher Quay at Richardson's. Helens photo taken on our first day on our way to Womack Staithe Mooring outside the Herbert Woods Entrance in Potter Heigham This was the dinghy as I got it caught up! Oops Me and Helen sat on the back seat of Carousel Moored up for the second time at St Benets moorings The ducks were getting demanding with Helen I love this photo! Moored up outside the Stracey Arms Mill. Chilling out in the sun on Surlingham Broad Again on Surlingham Broad whilst out in the dinghy just being Arty and another one to enter the Richardsons photo comp Norwich, I really liked it here, very surprising but the weather helped. This was us approaching the Ferry inn, and how close to dark we made it there. Our first and only wild mooring, wish we done this more as it is the best way to get the most peace. Another of the wild mooring from the dinghy Love this Another Arty shot The Mill at How hill from our last night. The Mill again at How Hill moorings

Having just finished our holiday on Richardson's Carousel 3, from their Platinum range, I thought i'd let you all know what I thought about the boat and how we got on. There was just myself and my wife on our trip but we like space and loved the luxury offered on board the new RC45 boats. Styling and interior: Well it goes without saying I think these boats look stunning. Out of 1000 pictures taken about half of them are with the boat in the background or of the boat itself! There were many comments from passers by and other hirers about how nice a boat she is, even the Broads Authority guys commented on how great the RC45s look. So staying on the outside the boat has loads of space to walk about the decks, all the way up to the Bow, so easy to moor up being able to gain quick access to all points of the boat. The rear end has a great design, the very back end of the boat is almost level with the river so care must be taken when stepping out and if you have kids doesn't make it so easy to allow them to sit out the back, in-fact I think Richardson's advise no-one sits on the back whilst the boat is in motion (although I have to admit we did). Access to the decks is also available through the open canopy just behind the Helm. The mooring cleats are nice and large making it easy to tie the ropes to when mooring. Hand rails are available along the entire length of the boat so when walking the decks you can hang on, however as with any boat with a canopy the rails move with the canopy! so care must be taken when walking about the decks with the canopy down. The canopy on the RC45 is large! meaning on a nice day lots of the boat is open to the air. Again this is something that many passers by would mention as many canopy style boats have a small canopy. The Canopy folds back over the top of the rear superstructure, it folds down pretty low as well achieving the low air draft of only 6’9”. The canopy is electric which at a press of a switch it will fold back. Carousel has a new safety device attached which is well thought out. The safety shut off is to prevent anyone getting there hands caught up in the closing canopy. So for example if you have kids onboard this will prevent accidents from happening. One thing to note the pressure required to stop the canopy from moving is low, because of this the curtains can get snagged and stop the canopy from going any further. We found the easiest way around this was to move the curtains all the way to the front of the canopy and then as it moves back towards the roof of the rear cabin lift the curtains over the top. The engine cover is at the back however as it’s a new boat we were told we didn’t need to do anything over the week so we never touched it! Also the gas is stored in a compartment at the rear, these covers double up as the rear exterior seat. Finally a nice little touch for the exterior night time illumination, some low level blue LED’s along the back which illuminate the rear deck and steps nicely. Interior: The whole interior is very luxurious and fitted to a high standard with no exceptions. Starting with the front cabin, this cabin is very spacious with a nice sized bed, the only thing I would say with the bed is that due to the rounded mattress you must sleep as far up the bed as possible especially if you 6ft (like me) so that your feet don’t hang of the bottom, to be honest it’s a small point as the bed was nice and comfortable and I am just used to a superking sized bed at home J There is plenty of storage for clothes with draws etc, and on one side is a little mirror which was perfect for Helen to get ready at each morning. There is also a second TV in here for those nights watching a film in bed. The lighting is ample with warm LED lighting in the ceiling, these illuminate the room very well, but if you fancy something more subdued then there are also LED strips set into the curtain lines so you have the option for some nice soft lighting. The cabin is very well sound insulated and does a good job of keeping engine noises out from other craft. The first shower room/toilet is in the front cabin and is plenty spacious with enough head room for even me to stand up in (6ft 2). Moving into the main cabin and the space is a nice open plan setting, the U shaped seating can be turned into another double berth but of course we only used it as a seating area, this was comfortable and very spacious. Opposite is the TV cabinet with the Sat Nav inside and inverter control panel, this also contains the heating controls. Steps, which lead to the outer decks, are also in this area used when the canopy is fully open. There is a further large cupboard underneath the helm, great for hanging your clothes in as it’s pretty tall. Again further storage under the seating in the form of draws. Leading down the steps into the galley there is a nice spacious seating area, its great having a table area so that you don’t have to fold the table away after each meal. The galley is very spacious with a great gas hob and oven/grill. The fridge is smaller than I have seen on other boats but still large enough to contain the essentials. You won’t go short on storage in here, lots of draws and space filled with crockery and pans etc but behind the table is some large cupboard spaces, very good use of space which would otherwise go wasted. Again plenty of light in these rooms which are also all LED so low power consumption, however I would say that it’s a shame there is no softer lighting in the main living cabin, as on an evening the main lights are pretty bright, although it’s enough to ask when the lighting is in the canopy even if it does move (lots of other boats with canopies rely on side wall lights as they can’t put the lighting into the canopy itself) so it is a nice touch to have overhead lighting. During the day the view from this part of the boat is great, plenty of height and you can see through the back windows easily and the large panel windows at the front give a great forward view. The side curtains are alittle long so when open do bunch up blocking a lot of the window, they can be removed but I don’t think its ideal as the fittings probably won’t last long if you keep removing them. The rear cabin is another bedroom with a double bed, again a great size for a couple and has plenty of space around the bed, there is also loads of storage including a wardrobe and shoe rack. It is in this cabin that the ground anchors are stored in a nice glass cabinet complete with mallet. The fuel Stopcocks are in this back cabins and so are the battery isolators, everything has been thought out well and does not stand out like on other boats, although they have a purpose they disappear well into the background. Finally the rear toilet/shower room is accessible both from the rear bedroom and the galley/dining area. The finish on these boats is the best I have seen with nice finished surfaces and walls. The fittings are a nice touch including the handles and switches. Although there is vents in the canopy I will say I think there should be a window that can open on the galley side, there is a large opening window on the opposite side but when cooking in the evening there is not much to get rid of the steam etc. (again a small point and nothing really that bad). There are a couple of floor hatches but these do not need to be accessed so no need to have to worry about putting things in the way of hatches which need lifting each morning! Another point I will make is how well everything fits, other boats the canopy can have huge gaps letting in cold air on those autumn nights, well not the RC45 range, everything is fit with small tolerances meaning it is very air tight for this kind of boat design, there are a couple of gaps which I can understand can’t be dealt with but the heating system is very efficient so soon sorts that out. Helm: The helm is no much more different to other boat in that it has the same as most! The dials include oil pressure, engine temp, RPM counter, Fuel gauge, Water Gauge and a waste tank warning meter. There is also a battery consumption metre in the form of a line of LED’s in green, amber and red, these indicate when you need to run the engine etc. You also have a large LCD display which shows the speed and mileage trip via GPS and a second LCD display with the view from the rear of the boat from a small camera which is attached to the Stern. Electric windscreen wiper and horn complete are the only two switches on the dash. You then have the Bow and Stern thrusters control, very easy to use! Basically push the control in the direction you wish the boat to move you can either use single thrusters or two at the same time either both on the same side or in diagonal corners giving most options for maneuverability. Switches for individual electrical devices are all stored in a nice little glass fronted cupboard at the side of the Helm, this is out of the way as you won’t really need to access this. The helm seat is very comfortable with arm rests that can be lifted up for easy access, it is a true captains chair as you can spin it around to use it as a seat when not navigating. You can also move the seat forward if required. There is a footrest at a good height to allow fitting for many people. When the canopy is open you can easily stand and see over the top of the screens, which during a nice day makes this an ideal navigating position. There is a little space down the side of the helm seat, which is ideal for you map and a cuppa! J Features: The heating system on this boat is very efficient and is separated into two. The split is a little confusing as really there are three parts to this boat, There is a hot air vent in each cabin including two in the main seating area and one in behind the table dining area. There is also a very handy hot air vent at the windscreen infront of the helm which is very useful in the morning to de-mist the screen! The split for the separate controlled heating is the rear of the boat including one of the vents in the main seating area and then the other system includes the front cabins and the second vent in the seating area including the windscreen vent. They are simple to use, just switch them on! It is advised to have the engine running for the first few minutes whilst they start up, they do start up without the engine but a couple of times I tried this (due to not wanting to disturb others with the engine running) they started up then stopped giving hot air. So run the engine it was from then on just to get them going. Apparently eat heater will burn 0.8 litres of per hour and of course there is two of them so they will burn a fair bit in the colder seasons. The TV is sufficient for an evenings entertainment should this be what you are after, there is a built in DVD player and the TV channels are provided via a SatTV box which is fed via a satellite dish (pod tracking device) which sits at the front of the boat. There are plenty of channels available as it is freeview. The TV in the front room is connected to the same box so you can watch the same thing in the front cabin, however the signal is not as clean up the front end but is fine to watch. This TV also has a DVD player built in. The only drawback of the SatTV is it needs a strong signal to be able to watch anything so if you moor in amongst the tree’s then you won’t be watching tv that night. There were a few times we had no signal, but nothing to complain about as we didn’t come the the broads to watch TV J. The only other thing I will say is whilst watching TV in the front cabin you can hear the satellite tracker…tracking every so often. The Electric Canopy is a god send, it basically means you can approach a bridge and easily have the canopy down in seconds. Then on the other side of that if it suddenly starts raining then the canopy can be up in no time. The toilets onboard are just like your normal household toilets, no pumping required, just a switch which electrically pumps the water through. The Showers onboard (two) are simply amazing, they are just as powerful as you would expect from a good household shower. Once the water is heated when the engine has been run you get plenty of hot water. The entire plumbing system onboard is first class. Electrics are great, no thought is needed really as the batteries hold the charge very well. There is a clear indicator on the dash at the helm to indicate the state of the batteries but I never saw this drop below the three amber lights once, so we never had to run the engine for power, and this was during longer nights! so no hook up required either! The only reason the engine was needed during the night was to get the heating going. Performance and Handling: These boats are not made for speed but there is plenty power in reserve for those times you may need to go against the tide. Although Carousel is 44ft long she handles very nicely, interesting in tidal areas like the south but as she is 44ft long you will always find this but the bow thrusters come into play here. I believe the drive is hydraulic but still feels very responsive, you need to be confident with the power when turning or slowing down. One thing to note is that if you are using the thrusters then remember that these take some of the power away from the main drive (I guess this is to do with the fact everything is Hydraulic? Maybe Clive can answer this). So an example of this is if you are reversing and decide to quickly adjust the boat with the Bow thruster then as you let go of the thruster all the power will go back to the Prop, this can catch you out if you have forgotten that you had it in full reverse etc. I don’t think this is boat specific but more just the way all boats with thrusters act, it should also maybe be mentioned in the hand over? With the thrusters this boat is easy to control, I even moored the boat myself many times, both piloting and tieing up. With the GPS speedo reading you can see a true speed reading so when against the tide if you wish you could push to get the actual speed limit, as mentioned above there is enough power to go 6mph against the tide, we ended up doing this coming from GT Yarmouth, but it does get thirsty in this scenario! So be warned. Fuel consumption: This is a big boat and therefore will always take more to get going and stop etc, so as you can imagine will drink more Diesel. At a guess the tank will hold about £300 so maybe about 180-200 Litres of Diesel (again maybe Clive can answer this), but I am guessing due to my recent usage. We used about 151 Litres which cost us £239. The Fuel gauge was showing between the empty and the ¼ mark. With a week hire your looking at £150 of fuel deposit, I recon if you don’t want to use more than this then make sure you use less than half the tank on Carousel! But the best way to look at it is the way I do, I budget an additional £100 for Diesel, this way anything I spend under that £100 is a bonus, and if you get some back from your deposit then even more of a bonus. This way the fuel gauge will not control your holiday. Try not to navigate against the tide this will help lots. Overall we loved this boat, it is so well finished and worth every penny we paid for it. You pay premium and get premium in return. I love the broads and it doesn't really matter too much which boat i'd be on to enjoy this amazing place but the RC45's added a nice level of luxury and comfort. When you consider how much you have to pay for most hotels these days the price really isn't that bad.

You make a good point Robin, one I touch on in my boat review about the hydraulic drive etc. also a good point about the overall experience on the broads is not always about the boat your on. I remember when I was younger all you had was the little gas fire heater things and then it was down to hot water bottles Like you say hire a larger boat expect to pay more on fuel. Same as a premium boat comes with premium prices but for good reason. I love the older boats as well, mainly for nostalgic reasons and bringing back good memories from my younger years. One of the biggest differences I notice with carousel is the level of detail and build quality is very high. Things like the showers, they are better than most houses have which is outstanding for a boat. I love all boats but really liked this one and although I know I won't be able to afford this style every visit I will certainly hire one again. With regard to the fuel cost it sounds shocking but we did do a lot of cruising and had a great time. So I hope it wouldn't put anyone off hiring them. Like you say Robin larger boat, larger engine equals more fuel usage. Clive we had a fantastic time and I am busy righting up a boat review. Great boat! Miss it already :-( Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - now Free

Yeah the fuel cost was a little bit of a surprise. Up to Thursday morning we had used one half of the tank and then 1/4 of the tank on Thursday getting back to the north. I also think about 30 odd litres was probably the heating, although it's only 0.8 litres per hour in consumption there are two heaters and say we ran them at least 3-4hours a day ( mainly to stop things getting damp really) so that's probably eat part of 30-40 litres by itself. But in all honesty we didn't want a holiday controlled by saving fuel as that's pretty much all we do normally with cars! So I'm glad we budgeted extra to allow us just to do what we want. So I think the lesson is always assume you will use more fuel and if you get some cash back then all the better Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - now Free

So we are back home and its as if we hadnt left already :-( Holiday blues setting in and all I can do is reflect on what a great time we had this past week. This morning started a 7AM getting up out of bed for the last time on Carousel. Kettle on and I was on to opening the curtains and storing the front and back curtains in the cupboard. Then finally started the engine to get the windscreen de-misted (the heaters blow onto the screen). So it was casting off time for the last journey up the river Ant from How hill leaving at 7:25AM. The sun was rising and it was a such a perfect ending to the holiday. Up over Barton broad and up the river towards Stalham. A line of boats formed as we neared the boatyard and we all took our time to go to the correct Quays. Kingfisher Quay was the correct place for us and as I turned the corner it was a Hive of activity. Lots of boats returning and being filled up. I lined up and was directed to stern moor at a specific point. I lined up to commence my final mooring, it was pretty perfect nice and slowly in and didn't even pump the boat off the quay. The guys tied her up and were straight onto filling the diesel tank. I knew we had used lots as the fuel gauge was under 1/4, what I didn't realise was just how much a tank could hold. So the first sign on a hefty bill was when the guy needed to change pumps, he commented "you guys have used lots!" it ended at about 151 litres!(I think) amounting to a hefty £239 in value so thats an additional £89 over the deposit.... well I was expecting it to be more than 150 but 89 was alot more, still I think considering the hours of cruising we done and the heating used etc etc it wasn't bad going. Just to make clear where we went for this amount of fuel. Day 1 - Stalham to Womack Staithe Day 2 - Womack Staithe to Potter Heigham, Potterheigham to ranworth, Ranworth to Salhouse Day 3 - Salhouse to Wroxham, Wroxham to Hoveton Little Broad, Hoveton L/B to Horning, Horning to ranworth Day 4 - Ranworth to St Benets, St benets to Thurne Dyke, Thurne Dyke to Potter Heigham, P/H to Stracey Arms. Day 5 - Stracey Arms to Reedham in Southern Broads, Reedham to Brundall (also visiting two broads) Brundall to Bramerton Common Day 6 - Bramerton Common to Norwich, Norwich to Gt Yarmouth (against the tide most the way), Gt Yarmouth to Ferry Inn (against the tide) Day 7 - Ferry Inn to Ranworth (against the Tide), Ranworth to Horning, Horning to Ludham Bridge, Ludham bridge to How Hill Day 8 - How Hill to Stalham. Plus heating each night (two heaters on this boat). So a busy week of cruising and a fair bit of mileage, also this is a large boat. We have had a great time, the boat was great and Richardson's first class, I will write up a Carousel Boat review in the Hire boats section as I think this should seperate. I really have come to love the broads again and can't wait to return already. Not sure when it will be at the minute. I shall post some pictures up shortly to show some of what I can described above. I hope it all makes sense as most of it was typed out on my phone each night and predicative text does alot of "correcting" I hope you have all enjoyed reading my tale. Paul and Helen

Just took a couple of photos whilst passing the other day will put then up later. Looked very similar to the current fly bridge design but like you say I hope the garden furniture is not on these ones, they should follow Herbert woods example on their elite range of fly bridge boats Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - now Free

Hmm not sure id agree with you about tide coming in? The yellow post is easy to navigate when the tide is against you but with the tide pushing you in I think i would not have tried that. Also going up towards the bridges, you would have to be pretty confident about the height as stopping the boat when going with the tide I don't think would be as easy as the boat would want to swing side ways?. Where as going against the worst that would happen is you go really slow and burn a lot of fuel and you can slow to a stop at the very least. Not sure what others think. Anyway guys maybe we should start another thread about such things. Maybe I was freakishly lucky as it was no bother what so ever, or maybe I was making it seem much worse in my head and was already prepared for the worst case so was ready to counter act the movements of the boat? Who knows, what I do know is that I agree that going south in the short days is not the greatest idea but I am still glad I done it and wouldn't change abit of my holiday. Those who got stuck under the bridges must have either ignored the signs or just had no idea what was going on with the tides etc, there are plenty warnings long before the bridges from both sides. The bridges as far as I am concerned aren't the issue as everyone knows the height of the boat and should understand what the tide is doing (so only having a ft with an incoming tide might be a little hairy if its a fast tide). The main worry about the whole going across at any other time other than slack is the current where the two rivers meet (basically the yellow post). Obviously my opinion. Anyway the update is coming soon along with the hefty fuel bill :-( (was totally worth it though). Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - now Free

No offence taken Ian. Like I say I didn't want it to sound like I was having a rant as I understand what you guys are saying as well. I'll update later about the round up. Paul Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - now Free

Great to meet you Robin. Sounds like you had a nice last day. Also the weather picked up eventually. Hope the return to reality goes ok, I know I'm not looking forward to it much. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - now Free

Oops presses the end button by mistake! Anyway as I was saying I enjoy a short cruise on hand over day, also gives a chance to get some hot water on the go to get washed etc. so tat in mind I was looking to find somewhere that Allowed this and was also close to a pub! Oh and was no more than about one and a half hours away from Stalham. So a steady and enjoyable cruise back towards the river Ant and then towards Ludham Bridge, it was decided we would stop and How Hill and then walk to the Dog Inn. I like this mooring although it does get narrow along the far end of the moorings. With the sun setting I captured some great pictures of the windmill just after we moored up. We then made a move for the pub, it was a fair walk there but the food was ok and it meant we didn't need to cook having packed the kitchen bags etc. A long walk back to the boat and here we are with a rum and coke and watching tv. I'll write the boat review either tomorrow or Sunday as I am very tired. We have had an amazing week and all I want to do now is find work down here so we don't have to leave totally gutted its over. I'll do a round up tomorrow with fuel costs etc. Thanks for following so far! Paul and Helen. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - now Free

Day 7 - 25th October 2013 Woke up relatively early this morning but didn't get up straight away as I knew we were just chilling out mostly. So I finely got out of bed at about 8:40. I already knew it was raining as I could hear it hammering off the boat but one look outside confirmed it looked as though it would be a miserable day. Kettle on and some toast under the grill I sat and took in the morning and just tried to savour the moment. It wasn't long before we were casting off and moving on up the river passing Acle and up towards the Thurne mouth. We carried on on the Bure and ranworth Staithe being our goal for the morning showers and cuppa and most importantly the last water fill up. As we approached the Staithe I noticed Mystic Horizon moored up, which could only mean one thing, Robin was about somewhere. I felt the pressure on me as I started the stern on mooring, everyone watching! I didn't do too bad a job, not hitting other boats even with a gap just wide enough for Carousel. We met Robin and had a chat, very nice guy and comes across the same as he does on his blogs! Wishing him well and it was time for a shower cake and a cuppa well I did say chill out day! We decided we wanted to find some slow berries to pick which would likely require a wild mooring somewhere, so the hunt began. Around the first corner after ranworth heading back towards Horning we found loads of bushes with sloe berries in, then a spot that looked like a great wild mooring. Thrusters on and I eased her in slowly and got to use the ground anchors for the first time this week . Moored up we found some sloe berries and picked them, we even got into the dinghy to pick some. We decided to visit Horning for the last time and moored in the same place as previously in the week and rowed over to the shop for some bits. Once back on board it was time to decide where to moor over night. I like a little cruise in the Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - now Free

I fully understand what you are saying and that my post may sound like I am making the crossing sound easy and that going against the correct tide times is nothing, believe me that is not the case. I planned both journeys and fully intended to run against the tide on the Thursday in order to get back north for a last day in the north. (As my post explains). I planned loosely the days we were to go south long before the holiday based on the predicted times, which by the way mean pretty much nothing as the weather can effect the tide a lot! So the broads authority website with the latest times is best. I was fully aware of my actions before Proceeding, as I mention in the tale I checked the bridge height board before crossing Braydon. It was at over 8ft with the tide going out! Carousel is 6ft9" the average gap at high water is 7' which would still allow the correct amount if height allowance (ok I wouldn't try it at that height not a chance). So before crossing I was aware of three points, the tide clearance was not a concern and would only improve in the 40-45 minute crossing, the tide would be still coming out from the Bure when I finally turn into it but I knew it would only help with bridge manoeuvring, and the current at the yellow post would be fighting in two directions. I also knew Carousel had plenty in reserve power wise even if it would only mean doing 4 mph. So please don't think I didn't think this through and just risked it, I would never disrespect someone else's property like that, especially 250ks worth of boat. What I will say though is there really was no issue crossing Braydon, the current although carrying me was manageable and a number of times I tried slowing up just incase before the bridges which she done with no issues. When at the yellow post I turned quickly and powered hard to get her moving against any current and waited for the stern to kick out being carried with the tide, which it did but I was there ready with opposite steering and some power and we were through, the bridges like I mentioned were no issue. Even against the tide Carousel was very capable of achieving the speeds. (Don't forget there is a GPS speedo on board). So most people would just stick it to the revs that they are told for that speed which in turn would mean against the tide they would be lucky to hit 3mph so more power required. Once through Yarmouth and onto the 6 mph stretch I was doing 6mph, ok this was nearly max for carousel but still managed. So as the speed was the same I assumed the timings given would be correct, but just incase I measured how long it took to get so far (comparing to the previous days times) and set myself a point to return to Yarmouth if the timing was out. I gave myself an extra 20 minutes before darkness (measured the average time from sunset to darkness over the week and maximise navigation so I knew Stracey arms mill was manageable. When passing Stracey arms it was not very busy so I must admit I was just hoping there would be space at the ferry inn however it really isn't that busy this week so I kind of knew it shouldn't be an issue. And if worst came to worst I reckon I'd still be able to turn back and get back to Stracey arms mill, which is only about 10 min cruise away. The worst thing is once I was moored up a private owner cruises passed in pretty much pitch black with no navigating lights, and the moorings were empty and they carried on! Anyway don't want this to sound like a rant or anything but felt I needed to say my bit to back up my actions. Anyway going to write my last full days diary Paul Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - now Free

I must apologies for the many typo's in my post. My predictive text on my phone has taken over as I type so changes a few words. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - now Free