Captain

Vaughan, Sorry I don't mean to contradict you. I should have said they were independent in 1974 and to the best of my knowledge had been previously, doesn't mean that that they weren't in Blake's at some previous point Neil

Hi My first boating holiday was on Glenmore 2 in 1974 R430. Moore's were independent upto and including that year. Believe they were sold shortly after and joined Blake's in 1975 Neil

Hi Paul, I hired no 1 back in 2011 and luckily I did manage to get under Potter however it was very low at the time which is rare these days. Boats like dual steer lowliner 38s and Alpha 42s centre cockpits were getting under which I imagine is unlikely to happen nowadays. If I remember correctly she needs 6ft 8 according to the pilot at Potter if that helps at all. Either way she won't have any problems getting under Wayford and Wroxham should be possible with the pilot which I believe Woods include in the price. Have a good time. Neil

Hi Mm, I am not sure which ex Richardson A/F 42 you are acquiring however if it's one the ex Thames design s I believe Richardson list them as 7ft 3inch see San Bernadette which is a Barnes version of the same style. The earlier mk 1 s are I believe a little lower 6ft 10 ish for Superior Gems etc. Boatyard s tend to build in a few Inches when stating airdraft however I suspect she could need 7ft for Wroxham if I she is a Crusader/Corsica. Now bearing in mind Connoisseurs needed between 6ft 6 and 6ft 8 and they were having issues in the later years of Wroxham operation I would say you could easily get stuck under their for a chunk of the season. Happy to be proved wrong as it's undoubtedly a nice area, personally I wouldn't chance it with that design, although maybe with NYX mk 1 Neil

Unfortunately I am pretty sure they don't allow single helms which is a shame. I imagine it's fairly easy to handle and 3 of the 5 built come with bow thrusters which would make life easier for single helms if they were allowed. Still an elderly couple or first timers shouldn't have any troubles with them particularly with the low aft step and sheerline/freeboard. My only concern is with the slightly narrow decks and being narrow beam they are a little cosy inside, still as has been mentioned they are a very comfortable modern alternative to the Hampton 25. A classic Mini of a boat which personally only the Sheerline 740 has got close in terms of space and practicality for its size so far. Neil

Always been tempted by this design. It's good to see a small relatively affordable boat being built in times when virtually all other new craft are flybridge, 45 ft or fitted out like an apartment and priced accordingly. One day I may hire one as it has one of the lowest air drafts of any recent hire boat and the ability to go under Wroxham and possibly Potter is a rare opportunity these days. So far I have never quite got to booking it as it is slightly compromised when it comes to space and comfort, so far I have stuck with the Opal 28 and Heritage 286 craft which are just that bit wider and longer whilst being only an inch taller when it comes to getting through Potter although these days that could be vital. Woods have 5 of these so far 2 Adventuring 2017, 2 Princes 2019/20 and 1 Ruby 2020 although I suspect atleast 1 more Ruby is in the pipeline at some point. Plus they have 9 Starlight day cruisers and a number of private builds including 1 based on the Fens whose owner was very happy with it. Neil

Yes there were 3 Fair Ambassador s. One I believe went end of 2019 replaced by Fair Consort, looks like another is going end of 2020 via Nbs, leaving 1 on hire for 2021 of these popular oldish timers dating from 1990-2 the oldest boat in the Faircraft fleet. I believe their popularity and relative affordability has kept them on fleet longer than many newer boats. The lack of new small low height affordable boats has probably helped to. Neil

I agree Barnes have sold all their Diamond 35's which is a shame however they have introduced 8 Serenade s which are effectively larger Diamonds between 2017 and 2019 although they are of course. more expensive. As to New boats they appear to be working on 46 footer presumably Alpha based and Waterways Holiday s lists Tempo 4 and 5 for 2021. Herbert Woods have Gleaming Light 2. Not sure what is happening with the 3 moulds at Richardson s ( 2 Monaco s and the Wayfarer sedan) as they appear to have been mothballed even though 2 must have been close to finishing. Fair craft usually have a couple of New boats however with the Wrc boats mostly new in 2018 and 2019 moving to Wroxham and covid I suspect they may be nothing new? Ferry have a mould for a 26 foot aft cockpit similar to Garnet however with a more practical roof arrangement apparently. As to 60 odd boats leaving I know Freedom are stopping, Richardsons are selling 15 I believe. With the Wrc fleet moving to Wroxham they may sell a few at Nbd. Silverline have sold 2 inc Serenade and Mystaire I think. So at the moment even if Barnes shrink slightly we are looking at closer to 35 according to my calculations perhaps I am missing something Neil

I forgot to say all hire boat manuals have a map of all the yards you can moor at and where you can moor subject to availability and turn around days. Neil

The free moorings at Wrc are on the far side inside the marina towards the shower block. None of the facilities are included as you are clearly not paying. I did see a number of hireboats Inc Wrc fleet on the Pontoon opposite which has electric etc. Not sure what the cost is however I think it maybe cc £15 Inc showers/ electric? Unfortunately next year with Wrc ceasing hire the free moorings will likely cease and I guess it will revert to a pay mooring with facilities. As stated previously Broads hire boat federation members can moor at each other s yards. The only yards I am not so sure about are Martham boats and Freedom at Thorpe Neil

Hi, Can I just say that some yards have offered skippered charter in the last few years. Herbert Woods had spark of light for day cruises and Brooms had skipper hire I think it was cc £150 a day both lasted about one season. An interesting Idea however if Brooms can't make it work at the premium end of the market then it is unlikely that the demands is there I am afraid. Neil

Just to add some more confusion here, I believe there were several Lady Beryl's. George showed my Dad round one in the late 40's or early 50s when it was moored at Herbert Woods I believe it may have been built by Woods. I don't think it was a Windboats design, I am sure he said it was a large sedan , revolutionary at the time. Unfortunately I don't have any photos and my Dad is no longer around to question. Neil

I wouldn't take too much notice of reviews, they are very subjective and usually the critical one's come from people who have never been on a boat before. The water was wet, it was cold in March, it leaked (usually condensation). The batteries went flat, yes it doesn't have Mains electricity Therefore don't expect to run all the electrics and leave the lights on 24/7. Okay some are honest and if loads of reviews state the boat is a dog I would be wary but most I take with a pinch of salt. A couple of Silver line boats have completely different reviews and scores yet they are identical boats built and refitted within a year of each other. Neil

Just noticed on the Ferry FB page that the new boat for 2021 will be a soft top version of Garnet Emblem, as suggested I suspect a much better option than the current roof arrangements on Garnet 1 and 2 Neil

I would say it must be financially viable as 2 to 4 berth. You only have to look at Brooms fleet to see which is more popular. Brooms have 12 2 berths and 1 4-6 berth. It wouldn't surprise me if Brooms insisted that Woods built a 4 berth as part the sales deal so as not to hit Brooms bookings. Either way good to that it is finally being built especially in the current uncertain circumstances Neil

I read some time ago either on Ferry's social media or website that the next boat to join the fleet would a be small sedan. Probably delayed due to covid but nonetheless not unexpected and likely to be similar to Pegasus Neil

Hi Tim, I was thinking of hiring Dawn this year as well until heard she was sold and booked Princess as well. I had a look at Diamond which appeared to be a nice boat however the 360 degree vision and comfortable seating position on Dawn was preferable IMHO. I see Richardson's have a similar boat to Princess called Contessa which is listed as 8ft 4 therefore believe you wont have any issues with Ludham although maybe worth trying around low water for safety's sake. I will be staying South so wont have too many low bridges, Beccles is out of it unfortunately, St Olaves maybe a little close depending on tides. My first Dual Steer on the South, hopefully be a good view which will make up for the Bridge issues. Have a good trip. Neil

Hi, When I spoke to Fiona at Pacific last year, I nearly hired Spirit however I stuck with Princess as the new boat is a Friday start, in the short term it takes the place of Dawn however in the future it should replace Princess and will become a Saturday start. My understanding is it was a private boat formerly Thyme off or something similar? As suggested the photos appear to be Crown Blue Line/ Le boat pics, perhaps it originated in France? I hired a Tamaris on the Thames a couple of times which came from France although was originally built in Somerleyton in 1993, whether or not it's one of these we shall have to see. It does have few extras though Inc 240v shore power and a bow thruster. As an aside Gainsborough Girl would have made a good buy, a 1999 boat maintained by Summer craft for around £40k either way another good addition to the Pacific fleet. Neil Neil

Hi, Just an update on Pacific Cruisers. They have added another cruiser to their fleet, it is an Aquafibre 32 Sapphire dual steer named Pacific Spirit. I understand she will eventually replace Princess although she is still on hire for 2020 at least ( I am booked on Princess for May and Sunshine in June). Confusingly Dawn has been sold however a like for like replacement is yet to be found. She doesn't appear on their website yet, although pricing and details can be found on the Waterways site using library photos. As usual pricing is competitive coming in around £100 and £250 less than the Stalham equivalent plus it has 240v, shore power and a bow thruster. Sorry if this comes across as an advert it's just good to see small yards and Southern river operations investing and thriving particularly friendly well run operations who still have to compete with the big boys without their budgets. Neil

Hi, According to the Horning boat database she was originally Skipper 6, H683 from 1975. Not sure if that helps Neil

I have to agree a great entertainment show, the BBC comes in for bashing from all sides and I think this is one of the best programmes on Tv. The whole show is filmed on a Saturday night, for some reason the results are split into Sunday and they make out it is filmed on the Sunday. Neil

Vaughan, Interesting you should mention Wroxham to Brundall one way cruise. I believe Connoisseur in the late 80s may have tried that for one season or at least it appeared in the brochure but then my memory maybe playing tricks, the yard was going to up near Norfolk yacht agency. Herbert Woods and Hearts did try with 2/3 classes as suggested by Broads1, Delight and Knave of Hearts plus Tropical Heart and Ray of Light. Neil

67% + of hire boats have shore power? That is indeed a very large number. If you look at the overall hire fleet of 750 or so boats. Richardson have 290 boats of which say 90 have shore power being the platinum and some of the classic boats. Herbert Woods have 121 boats, cc 30 have shore power (Elite and and standard boats) so thats 290 straight away without it or 39%. Interesting to hear where that figure comes from. Certainly atleast 2/3 have invertors/ 240v I am sure. My calcs could be wrong though!

No problem, It is very rare to get bow and stern thrusters particularly on a small boat and they certainly come in handy for mooring. Adventuring Light 1/2 (new 2017) at Herbert Woods needs about 6ft 5, Brinks Encore (2 new 2017 1 in 2020), Royal Velvet 3 and Silver Coral (new 2017) plus Bolero 1 and 2 at Brooms all have bow thrusters and need 6ft6 just in case you are interested. Neil

Hi Johnash, I believe Rose Emblem has an airdraft of around 6ft7 however due to its width and the shape of the bridge it needs about 6ft10. I hired Jade Emblem in June 2013 a similar Alpha 35 mould and we couldn't get through however a boat moored next to us Gala Girl (an Aquafibre Opal 28) did get through. If you like Ferry Boats then White Emblem (the same as Gala Girl) or Turquoise Emblem need about 6ft6 for Potter although you will have compromise on space and comfort and it still wont guarantee passage I am afraid. Neil