Mouldy

The saloon upholstery looks relatively new. But the mattresses may be original. The worst thing about the interior, to me, is the state of the doors on some cupboards and some internal doors, which appear to have been affected by damp and sun bleaching. Not a cheap fix, even if you can match the veneers.

Looks that way, sadly. I checked the Hoseasons website and there is only Gala Girl showing as available from Summercraft for next year. Given that the other Diamond 35 has been out of a fleet for a long time and the Summercraft livery would be hard to disguise, I feel the price may be a tad optimistic, but it have been well looked after.

Phone numbers for both Somerleyton and Reedham bridges are listed on the BA website, too: https://www.broads-authority.gov.uk/boating/navigating-the-broads/bridge-heights-and-opening-times#:~:text=Bridge contact information&text=Reedham Swing Bridge%3A Tel 0330,Bridge%3A Tel 0330 858 4656.

There have been several posts on various FB Broads groups this morning, confirming that further talks regarding the renegotiation of the lease at Langley Dyke have now concluded, with no resolution and the moorings will remain closed. I guess that it’s no real surprise, with the apparent current attitude towards navigation and the dearth of moorings on the southern rivers. Granted, Cantley is relatively close, but they frequently overtop particularly during the winter months, leaving some distance between Rockland Short Dyke and Hardley Cross. So far, there has been no communication, (that I’ve seen, at least) from the Broads Authority. Perhaps Tom @BroadsAuthority would like to confirm and whether alternatives are actively being sought.

It must be a couple of years since the Whittlingham moorings were lost, so not that often, apparently. 😉

Fairly certain they’re closed now.

If you’re referring to the broads.org table, since it has been extended beyond the end of this year, all times from 2024 are listed in GMT.

The Welsh Highland Railway is better (in my very humble opinion), passing through the lovely Aberglaslyn Pass, through Beddgelert and along the foothills of Yr Wyddfa to Caernarfon. We took my late dad (and mum) for a weekend in Wales for his 80th birthday and went up (and down) Yr Wyddfa on the train one day and on the Welsh Highland railway the next. He was always fascinated by steam and in particular, the Welsh narrow gauge railways and despite the fact the the WHR was still being finished, with the last section still being restored into Porthmadog, found it an interesting journey through wonderful scenery.

No ruddy comment. Holiday next week then back to decorate the living room. Cant wait!

Gracie! It’s more than three months to the big yo-ho-ho. Mention the C word now and I’m likely to get stressed! 🤨

Phone the lads at the Yacht Station the day before you intend to cross. Based on your boat, they’ll give you the best times to pass through Yarmouth. The airdraft of our boat is 8ft 3ins and we are generally advised to pass through within 30 minutes of low water to ensure adequate bridge clearance. It’s worth noting that the river level is rising after low water, so by slack, the bridge clearance will be reducing. Looking at your dates, they are either side of spring tides, which will impact river levels and obviously no one can predict the weather, which also impacts tides and river levels. Make a plan, but have a plan B, just incase. This website will give you some indication of clearance at some bridges, including at Yarmouth: https://broads.bridgeheight.com

Love the little notice on the helm, Dan! To whom does that refer!

If it’s the one I think it is, it was a mould that had been partially fitted out and used as a liveabord on Hobrough’s Dyke. It hasn’t been on fire, no one was injured and it’s being moved to Bridgecraft for a reason that I’m not aware of. It’s a mould, rather than a mould tool.

In general, I’d agree with everything you say, but mooring charges are a bit of a moot point. Until the Blessed Authority imposed a charge at Ranworth, no one seemed to complain. Now, don’t get me wrong, as a toll payer, the fact that it happened is still a source of annoyance, but as long as they don’t come up with any bright ideas about sourcing mooring revenues at other BA ‘free’ moorings, I’ll live with it. I see so many comments about the cost - £5 for the day and £10 overnight, but is it really that much? We go to Costa/Nero/Starbucks and think nothing of shelling out £5 for a skinny vanilla latte with an extra shot or £8 for a cold burger from the Golden Arches, yet £5 to moor is extortion? Mooring at Salhouse has been expensive for years and the island with no access to anywhere, is the same cost. Ranworth (Goose Poo) Island has been a paid for mooring for as long as I can remember, but no one batted an eyelid at mooring at either of those. Charges have been imposed at Yarmouth, Norwich, Oulton and Beccles Yacht Stations and we’ve quietly accepted all of them too. Ranworth, however, seems to have been the straw that broke the donkeys back (as they say). As I said before, the biggest issue was and still is, the fact that it was a free mooring, but I’ll live with it if I want to moor there, but only during the day. The only time I moor overnight at Ranworth, is during the winter, when I don’t have to bump fenders with other stern moorers.

Hmmm. Given that the WRC has been taken over by Tingdene and public moorings have given largely way to brokerage space, other than a swimming pool and a pub, what else does it offer? There are already regattas held several times a year and there was the annual paddle board race earlier in the summer. Several pubs hold their own beer festivals. As others have said, there are plenty of options for other things to do around Wroxham/Hoveton and assuming when you refer to ‘our fine city’ you are talking about Norwich, how much more boat access would you like? Is there not already a yacht station? Perhaps niceties such as picnic benches at some moorings would be good, but I do wonder how long they’d last, given the mentality of a certain section of our population. Rubbish facilities could be better for the tourist, too, but the local council doesn’t think that the tourist pound is worth consideration when allocating their monies. People go to National Parks for a number of reasons, to climb, to walk, sightsee and generally enjoy their leisure time. There isn’t a theme park half way up Yr Wyddfa, or in the middle of The Lake District, but people still go. Does The Broads need more tourist attractions to maintain its popularity? Personally, I think it’s fine as it is.

Was it actually burnt out, or was it a mould with a few windows fitted and some missing?

If you’ve not moored there before, Hardley Mill is a cracking overnight stop. After the river traffic, which is fairly light anyway, has died down, it’s peaceful and is ideal for a wonderful sunset. Being a pontoon, there’s no issue with tidal rise and fall either.

South, Kate? Mind the sea monsters! 😉. We’re heading up on Friday afternoon for a week, which will probably ensure that it’s wet and windy for the duration. Sorry! 😬. My plan will be to head north on Saturday morning. We’ll look out for you - our paths may cross somewhere. Have a good one!

We used toll roads, because of the distance we travelled. We went to the Ardeche a couple of times, keeping off the toll roads, but spent on overnight hotel accommodation instead. I know about the standing charges for keeping a boat. Keeping a motorhome isn’t free, either. Tax, insurance an£ running costs all need to be taken into consideration, and we wouldn’t be allowed to keep one on our drive either, it would need to be stored elsewhere, at cost. I agree that eating out in the UK is expensive, some places more so than others. Two regular cod and chips to take away in Looe, Cornwall, earlier this year cost £24. However, even with a motorhome, you’ll still take breaks in the UK surely, so will still suffer the costs experienced over here anyway at times. Im not buttering up the UK as a holiday destination, but it is not as one sided as your original cost comparison would have us believe. My point still stands, if you compare like for like, the cost differential is not as great as you suggest, due to you owning the vehicle in which you took your holiday and to be fair, for a lot of people, investing upwards of £60,000 in a similar motorhome, is way out of reach.

What facilities or activities would you suggest for the area? Surely, if you want a theme park, you’d go to Yarmouth. Hoveton may seem a run down mess to you, but what do you expect? Like most towns in the country, online shopping and out of town shopping centres have affected the the area. Our own local town is full of charity shops. Things are hard enough for businesses to survive in these times, never mind tourist influenced ones. You mention high prices for food, but we’ve eaten in a pub local to us and there doesn't appear to be any difference. Pub staples like a burger, pie or fish and chips seem to be similarly priced at riverside pubs as they do local to me. As a hirer, there are more places to moor than for owners. A holiday afloat is different to a land based one, so if land based is your preference, just do it and don’t knock The Broads for what it is. I’ve been visiting for more than fifty years and it is quieter than it was back in the sixties and seventies, but boat ownership has increased whilst the size of hire fleets has shrunk. I don’t need amusements to keep me happy and nor do others, reading a comment from a first time hirer on Facebook. I’d post their comment, but it would be in contravention of our TOS, but to quote: ‘Got back yesterday from a wonderful week on the Norfolk Broads. This was our first ti e and we loved it, it was the most chilled out holiday I’ve had in a long time. 100% will be back to do it again.’

My quote was for a two berth motorhome. I have no doubt that a larger, more commodious vehicle would cost more. You can justify your choice any way you like. You’ve had a boat and moved on, but some people, me included, have a preference for a holiday afloat. Until I retired and reached the age of 65, I’d held an HGV licence from the age of 21. Admittedly, I’d moved into management and hadn’t driven for a living for over 25 years, but I’ve still driven more miles in my lifetime than most folk who haven’t driven for a living, at times driving more than 2000 miles a week. Personally, I find no joy in driving, especially on our pot-holed, congested roads and can think of better ways to spend my leisure time. Again, driving in France is much easier, but if you use the Autoroutes, can be exceptionally expensive. Our last trip to the Gorge du Verdon in 2016 was one such example, when using a toll tag we came home to a bill of over £200. As for the weather, we went to Argeles sur Mer in 2017 for two weeks and it rained every day. The temper one day was a dizzy 14 degrees c. It doesn’t matter where you go - the weather isn’t guaranteed anywhere. When hiring a boat that has cost over £200,000 to build, how much is a reasonable cost to hire, maintain and clean it?

Quote for 17 nights below, obviously bearing in mind that these dates are later in the year and will be lower than for when you started your trip. Add in vets, tunnel, food, eating out, charges for overnight stays etc and it is still not a cheap holiday.

The difference is the fact that you’ve made a capital investment in your motorhome. If you’d hired a similar vehicle at say £150 per day, added insurance, cleaning costs, sat nav hire etc, you would have added probably around £3000 to your bill, making the holiday truly comparable. We spent two weeks on our boat in July. Pump outs x 2, 82 litres of diesel, food and eating out cost around £500. Yes, if we hired a similar boat, it would have cost a lot more, but like you, we’ve made a substantial investment in the vehicle we used for our holiday, even if it is one of the ex Le Boat craft that from a previous comment, you found inadequate. Jumping on the ‘The Broads are too expensive’ bus is easy, but if you make a comparison, make it like for like.

Exactly, Ray. There are surely a certain type of people who would never entertain the idea of a ‘self catering’ holiday, preferring to be waited upon, to have their beds turned back and not have to worry about anything other than enjoying themselves. No matter what you do to The Broads, they will never attract that sort of people. That’s not to mention the lack of kudos at a dinner party or the golf club. Imagine the conversation: ‘Where did you go for your holiday?’ ‘We went to Cape Verde’ ’We went to the West Indies’ ‘We went on a Mediterranean cruise’ ’We went on a hire boat on The Norfolk Broads’ Just like buying a Skoda, which is after all these days a rebadged Audi or Volkswagen (oh, yes it is!), is just an unacceptable alternative, there is a certain value in some social circles to a badge, label or holiday destination. The Broads will never compete, no matter how attractive you tried to make them. And a good many were lost when the EA re-profiled the river banks a few years ago, for flood defence reasons. In the process, they ripped out a lot of piling and quay heading, where it used to be safe to moor. A few locations have been reclaimed - there are a couple on Fleet Dyke, near the junction of The Bure, where the reeds have been hacked away, but it seems that the modern boater doesn’t have the appetite for creating more.

Absolutely correct. How many photos and videos are there on YouTube showing clear footage of buildings and people all over the world? We must all have been guilty of taking photos of riverside properties on The Broads, without a thought for the privacy of the occupants. What about users of dashcams? Have they asked my permission to film me? It seems that some folk only worry about data protection and privacy when they feel like it!