andyg

No quite sure what the big deal is, I guess it's in capitals to bring it to you attention. Let's say you wild moored on your first night and don't discover something is missing till dark. What would you expect the yard to do about it ?? It takes 5 minutes so no drama in my opinion.

Yes he was quite a defender of there beauty. Each to there own...

Hi Vaughan, I recently came across your YouTube videos, what great memories you must have. I really enjoyed them thanks for taking the time to put them together. The logistics at hearts must of been a nightmare and a lot of hard work transporting everything across to the yard. My parents only hired from there once, roving heart I think it was an old wilds Bermuda. I remember the yard ending up being a bit of a boat graveyard for richardsons with quite a few of there old thames moored. A unique location for a yard and of course the mtb moored there.

They've built a few of that design now, both the bigger and smaller versions. Very nice looking boats.

Yeah sorry, got the size wrong, I can't see them selling 4 boats without replacing some of them. They are a very popular fleet, must be something in the pipeline. They do normally post on fb if they are building a new boat. I bet they will be a good buy for someone very well maintained boats.

They have been adding at least one new boat each year for quite sometime now. I've just noticed a couple of there current alpha 35ft are showing no availability for next season even in late October 22,so there may be one or two new boats in the pipeline. Personally I think they are the best looking fleet on the broads always immaculately turned out. I've only ever moored there I've never hired from them, they have always been More then welcoming.

I remember lady fishcake, she always looked very well looked after. Very smart looking boat.

There you go. Part of the cordon rouge fleet, I think that's what they use to call it..

Wasn't astral light originally with NBD at Wroxham, like a few of woods fleet. I would totally agree with the comments about the older boats interiors.. I hired florida light once and it was bloody awful inside and out the engine really had seen better days. The smoke it chucked out on cold sart up was dreadful. Me and the yard manager had quite a disagreement ( I believe it's still the same guy in charge now ) about the engine. Luckily I'd moored by the bridge pilots office the night before we returned the boat and the girls in the office saw all the smoke, whilst they were waiting outside the office that mooring and backed me up. He wasn't impressed.

I didn't realise there was still that much traffic, like grendel says Hickling is a beautiful area to visit and all the better for not having hundreds of crusiers charging about.

And no doubt if it had gone wrong it would of been the yard or The BA fault. Mindless stupidity in my opinion. Have fun by all means but don't endanger a child's life..

With so few boats using that stretch of river and I'm guessing marthams boats are the biggest, will this cause a problem with navigation in terms of lily grown weeds in future years. Surely the increasing water level must be a concern for martham and future hire boat operations.

Most yards are struggling for cleaners this season, I've seen adverts on all yards social media pages looking for cleaner's. So I guess this is going to impact takeover times. Frustrating if your in a rush to get away. I think I'm right in saying contractually, yards are obliged to have your boats ready from 4pm on a week's hire and 2pm for short breaks. The early takeover times for platinum or elite boats is just a marketing gimmick in my opinion so doesn't bother me. But like has been said so many things can impact the turnaround of a boat and problems won't be discovered until the boat is returned on that morning. I've know and seen a boat returned to royalls on a busy Saturday morning with substantial damage to the stern. The Skipper didn't think he had to report it or pre warn the yard. So they had about six hours to repair the damage and get the boat cleaned and ready to go again. No easy task with a small workforce and their own high standards. Apparently temporary repairs were Carried out and she went out again that afternoon. I guess this happens on all yards week in week out.

When we had starlight for the day, the handover guy said they do take them through on occasions. But I got the impression that they are not overly keen on the idea. Like has been said a dayboat is your best bet I guess. Martham ferry have a couple on nice picnic boats that quite easily go under the bridge,but for me Hickling and the surrounding area are a great place to spend a day on the water so apart from the fun of going under the bridge I wouldn't bother.

I'm not sure if that info is upto date as there is already nine starlights in service, I'm pretty sure there's two ruby lights as well. The next starlight will be the 10th.

The difference between the picnic boats and the cruisers is the platform at the rear and of course the fit out, so the guys at woods told us but basically the same mould/ boat. They let us look onboard adventuring light 3 which had literally just been put in the water. They are very compact but plenty big enough for a couple. They are fitted out to a very good standard, there was no soft furnishings onboard as she was still waiting for her final clean down after coming out of the shed. For me they are a moden take on a Hampton safari and seem to be very popular. They told me they have built nearly 20 of them so far, both picnic boats cruisers. There is a new mould sitting in the shed awaiting fit out. Apparently they hadn't made the decision on weather it would be a cruiser or picnic boat.

From what I can remember of the layout when she was Orient star. She had a double cabin midships and a sit bath and shower at the rear the saloon was pretty much the same as all these boats are l shaped sofa etc. Can't remember if the saloon seating converted into a berth tho. The galley ran along left hand side of the boat. I do remember the sit bath wasn't much use tbh, but it was an exceptionally cold week we were aboard. All in all a very nice boat..

Apologies Simon, yes indeed the new Inn, I was trying to be sarcastic. Childish I know. 😁

Only time I've had to have a pump out was when one of the kidds hadn't shut the water off properly on a top liner. Stopped at horizon craft they didn't charge me as he said it was just water they were pumping out. Must admit I got close with Gainsborough girl, the loo in the back cabin really wasn't the most pleasant smell. Do yards flush out the holding tank over the winter time. On rely on the chemicals to do the job...

Hired one of these from woods last week, obviously not to this spec. But they are a very good compact boat. Idea for a couple.

Same here, you might be lucky and it could be earlier. I've booked a mooring at the 12.5% inn for our first night hope we can make it. We did a trial run a couple of weeks ago. Took us 2.5 hours in one of there picnic boats, just hope we still have enough daylight

The little hatch to the left of the rear door was the gas locker when I hired It, had the smallest gas bottle in it I've ever seen. But a very comfy boat for a couple. It was a particularly cold April and I remember the heating worked really well. I would quite happily hire her again.

Yes I got the lenth wrong. I've actually hired this boat when it was with go boating. Nice boat

Its there Andy I'm not sure how to upload the photo. It comes up at the top of the page in there picture story thingy. I've had a reply to my msg asking if it's there new boat and indeed it is.

They haven't added it to their website yet, it's a single level Alphacraft 35. If you have fb there's a picture of it on their timeline. No idea of its name, pacific...something lol...