vanessan

Could you put that in English please Cap’n, (I do worry about you!)

South is awful and best avoided. 🤥 If you like the hotspots and plenty of other boats etc, north has much to offer. Best visited early and late season imo. The river above Beccles has to be my favourite for peace and quiet on a beautiful stretch of water. The big boats can’t get up there and, whilst it does attract some day boaters, most seem to head off downstream from Beccles. Darn, didn’t mean to give all that away!

Maybe we should scrutinise Broadcaster when it appears next year.............

No, not brave. Look around when you are next on the rivers and see how many people are actually wearing LJs or Buoyancy Aids. 38 years ago when we first hired, we were young and much more carefree and clearly unaware of the dangers around us. No internet then you see, no social media discussing mishaps and tragedies. If we had started hiring more recently, we may well have been more circumspect. I have just been looking at Herbert Woods webcam. Noticed a day boat with 6 lads on, one at the helm and the other 5 standing on the front and roof of the little boat. LJs? Of course not!

I have just checked the town council website which has up to date details for the yacht station. You certainly do get 4 hours free! Thank you for that info Jemaki, useful to know.

You didn’t use to get 4 hours free either, are you sure that’s right? I think it was £4 for an hour or something similar for short term. I know they’ve changed their pricing this year.

I have to be honest here and admit that our LJs, once issued by the hire boatyard, went into a cupboard and came out again when we returned the boat. How many are brave enough to put their hands up and admit the same?? When we bought our own boat, I suppose it was then I became a more responsible being and bought a ‘slimline inflatable type’, as mentioned by MaceSwinger above, and started to wear it. As I get older and more crumbly I realise how vital it is! I think it is probably different for sailies, in most cruisers you’re cocooned and not as near the water as on a yacht so automatically feel safer, forgetting that you eventually have to move around on deck if you’re going to moor up or whatever. Something else that Andy (Freedom) mentioned in another post, remember the one hand rule - one hand for the boat and the other for the task. (ie always have one hand firmly gripping a handrail or something else suitable.)

I seem to remember that Hockham Admiral (was that Friday Girl?) had bow and stern thrusters, all on remote too. (Maybe HA can confirm?) An absolute godsend for the solo helmsman or someone who might need a bit more help due to mobility issues. With all these things to help, it does mean people can continue boating for longer.

But I wonder how many newbies do bother. When a lot of ‘us oldies’ started hiring, there was no internet. We received booking confirmations in the post and a little later on booklets with information and advice in. I know a lot of folk, like us, used to pour over all that stuff and probably knew it off by heart by the time the holiday came round. (I feel quite nostalgic just thinking about those days! 🥺 ) With the internet, you have to physically make an effort to find all the relevant advice and it is spread all over the place, BA/Hire yards/forums/YouTube vlogs etc etc. Maybe something produced by the BA which has to be provided at some point by the hire yards? Then, what about private boats? I have seen any number of people talking about buying a boat although they have never been on the Broads. How can you ‘standardise’ something and persuade people to read it thoroughly? 🤔

I’m sure there was a picture in the media fairly recently showing a guy wandering down a street wearing a face mask - but not on his face. I must say he had the physique to carry it off extremely well, many wouldn’t!

I can’t remember having seen such an in-depth warning from the BA before where adverse weather is concerned. Hope people take notice.

I’ll second this. Waveney Forest is well worth a wander and it’s usually quiet. I was listening to Radio Norfolk one morning when the subject of Waveney Forest came up. Surprisingly (?), none of the presenters had a clue where it was.

Last month when we were out, we found the end of the week quite quiet down south. We assumed it was because hirers were making their way back to the northern rivers or back up to Brundall etc. Friday evening onwards got busy with privateers.

Sounds like he’s going to be worth his weight in gold!

For information the Broads Authority have closed the River Bure at Great Yarmouth until further notice.

Love the Broads on Facebook is indicating a fatality sadly.

I’m getting really confused as to who owns what now! 😏

We had a similar problem with our old water tank a short while ago. I think it must have been leaking very slowly for some time as the wooden beams etc it was resting on were rotten and had to be replaced. Not an easy job and quite expensive.

Rather a case of damned if you do and damned if you don’t I guess!

Poor Ferry Inn - one thing after another! https://www.edp24.co.uk/news/broads-pub-open-as-usual-after-car-crash-drama-1-6794746

Does that mean you will be spending more time on Norfolk Lady or have you other plans?

Good, that means more write-ups and pictures. How long will you be aboard?

Don’t forget the buoyancy aids!

I think Loddon have it absolutely right, smaller bins emptied daily are a godsend to boaters. The Pyes Mill bins are not large either but plenty big enough for boaters/picknickers waste. It’s places like Potter that are a let down, where they secure the bins’ lids so boaters can’t put any more than a sweet paper in!