SwanR

The first time you moor at Cockshoot Dyke and wander down to view the Broad from the hide at the end of the path is magical. We had no idea of what we would see when we opened the hatch. You can't have that moment twice but it's still a place we love to moor when it's quiet. Here's that moment for me ... June 2013. :)

Does anyone have any web sites they would recommend for traffic information? I used to always use the local BBC pages but a long while ago now they stopped their traffic service. And whilst you can check routes and journey times on Google maps, I've never found another site that comes close to the excellent service that the BBC used to provide.

We hired Zircon Emblem last October with an air draft of 8'4. The river levels were high and we didn't risk Ludham Bridge, partly because the low tide times didn't suit us when combined with the daylight hours. We hadn't expected that. But we have found river levels to be high every year that we have hired in October. Hopefully this will be different in the summer months.

Anywhere where you can hear owls is amazing ... I never hear them at home. And hearing the cuckoos is another special moment for me.

Thanks for sharing your experience Griff. We all learn from others. I know how you feel about forward steer cruisers but I’m quite glad that’s what we’re hiring next in terms of getting under the bridges this time.

Haven't been to the Bridge Inn for a good while. Can't fit in all the pubs on a four day short break! Are the moorings charged for here does anyone know?

I use O2 and get a good signal in most places. Sometimes, though, based on personal experience, I think the phone itself can have something to do with it. We have had an issue with two phones on the same network in the same place, one with no issues and the other with no signal!

I hadn't heard of this one, not being familiar with that side of that bridge!! Looks idyllic in the images I found online.

This event is some way off given that it's not until August 2021, and looks as if it's still at the planning stage, but I thought there might be some members interested in taking a look at the website now. The event will be in Lowestoft so bordering the Norfolk Broads. http://www.vesselsfestival.org I was surprised by just how close Oulton Broad is to Lowestoft when I first looked at some aerial photos even though I drive quite often between the two. Anyway ... the website mentions the 100 years of Excelsior which I have seen off the coast and it's quite a magnificent site. http://www.theexcelsiortrust.co.uk/

There are so many places. My first trip was back in the 90s with our children but I discount that and consider that really my love for the Broads started when Mr SwanR and I came back in 2012. I had the good fortune to have picked Swan Reflection from Swancraft. And my first mooring was Bramerton Common. I was so nervous about mooring but a lovely couple on a private boat helped us out. And here's a photo from that first night ... when the Waters Edge was still the Wood's End pub.

We’ve been out for a meal with some family today. Met at the O2 as it’s a convenient meeting place. But no trains into London from here so we drove part way then got on the tube. Came back through some very flooded roads as it’s been raining all day. Brightening up a bit now.

March is a great time to be out. Plenty of room for practising your mooring! ;)

Glad you enjoyed your time away even if it wasn’t quite what you might have wished for given the weather. Thanks for sharing your photos, always lovely to see the Broads at all times of year.

Love your write up Helen and the photos. Not sure if the boat you asked about was the CEFAS Endeavour that moors at Lowestoft. It’s a fisheries research vessel. You can check it out on Google.

Glad to read that you managed a cruise today Helen. It's definitely been a better day ... and finally the daylight hours do seem to be increasing little by little.

Thanks for sharing your photos Helen. Glad to hear you're keeping warm on board. :)

Glad to know that you're safely moored Griff. Certainly sounds like challenging conditions. Hope that you and Mrs G are managing to enjoy being afloat nonetheless.

Interesting day then Helen. That video of the reeds is very impressive. Hope you can get out for a cruise tomorrow perhaps. :)

Hope you're all safe aboard MS. It's certainly a very different day to yesterday. Love seeing your photos, especially Seren with her front row seat. :)

Had this issue re-occur this morning for the first time in a very long time. I hadn't done anything different, same browser, nothing cleared ... but the site was very slow to load this morning and initially came up as not secure although there is a padlock next to the url now. I did have a bad gateway message when accessing the site from my phone a couple of days ago. Have we had any updates or downtime recently?

Hope you are both feeling better and have a great time. I will be looking forward to hearing all about it. At least it's not half-term week!!

So that’s where I went wrong down Thurne Dyke in the wind. I should have thrown the mud weight out to the side!!

Welcome along

We find it a handy stop to pick up a few bits of shopping if we need anything but that tends to be just if we moor at the New Inn. We’ve never stayed overnight and wouldn’t choose to moor by the car park at the public Staithe for long. I wonder whether you can use the moorings while the pub is closed?

Always love stopping at the New Inn for lunch when we're afloat ... and sometimes when we're just out in the car as well. Wasn't going to be the same without Gus but hopefully there won't be too many changes.