SwanR

Having picked up the warnings about the traffic through Wroxham we are planning on approaching Stalham from the other direction via Acle when we come up to Richardson’s. Was planning on lunch at the Wayford Bridge Inn but am guessing that would mean getting past the resurfacing .... twice? Alternative lunch plans now being considered for our journey.

That is a feeling I remember as well but don't tend to have so much anymore. The worst experience I've had was a rough overnight crossing from Weymouth to Jersey back in the 1980s. Some passengers were taken so ill that there were ambulances waiting on the quayside in St Helier when we docked. It was the Sealink ferry Earl William. Only a few years later, with prisons overcrowded, it was used as a detention centre for Tamils arriving from Sri Lanka!

We have been recycling on a grand scale for many years in our area. Black bin collected fortnightly for ordinary household waste Brown bin collected fortnightly for garden waste Little green bin collected weekly for food waste One sack for cardboard A different sack for paper Other sacks for plastics including tetra packs and plastic bottles and lids and bags and everything else they take Green bin for tins, glass and clothes

Hope you are ok and get sorted out Thiswan. It certainly looked like a very blustery week on the water whenever I looked at the webcams.

It is a little unpredictable at this time of year but glad to say that so far the forecast is looking fairly decent for the week ahead ... or at least the part of it when we'll be afloat. Layers are usually the key ... just in case!!

I just called Norfolk Broads Direct to ask. The bridge pilot doesn't start until last week of March probably, much closer to Easter.

Glad to hear you've been back to the boat Alan. Hope it was a good trip ... many memories I would imagine.

Welcome DJB. We're out soon so your information about the bridge pilot is most welcome as well as the issues finding water. Did you happen to venture down Fleet Dyke to South Walsham Broad at all? I know there is a notice about dredging down there and I'm wondering whether this is having any impact at the moment. We intend to eat out most lunchtimes if we can so I've been looking at the websites of The New Inn, The Bridge Inn and one or two others to try to see whether they are doing food all year round.

Has anyone been in this area recently? Are they active down Fleet Dyke does anyone know? And the stretch of the Bure mentioned, is that between Acle and Stokesby or between Acle and the Thurne?

The first egg has now been laid at Norwich. :)

I don't really have a problem paying for moorings, as long as they are of a decent standard. You just need to make sure that you have some cash with you rather than be caught out. We don't spend much else while we're away so it doesn't bother us.

Looks as if there is a peregrine falcon in the area. Caught this snap of one feeding at Norwich. Incidentally there are reports of two eggs already at Bath.

I think you have misunderstood me. All I meant was that if you have a part share in a boat then you have a definite responsibility to do your best to get something fixed for the next owners. It's your boat after all. And on occasion, from the holiday tales I have read, that means sacrificing a day or two of your holiday if there's a problem. Mouldy did say that they would end their break prematurely on the Friday. Yes, hirers can encounter breakdowns as well. And yes, hirers will naturally have to do their best also to get to somewhere where an engineer has land access and can come out. We've done that ourselves three times but only been inconvenienced for a couple of hours. I wouldn't expect to have to end my holiday early in order to give the yard time to investigate something for the next hirers. Just a slight difference.

Welcome along! I've hired Brinks Sonnet. It's ok, a bit draughty so depends on time of year as to whether this is an issue. Not my favourite boat but comfortable enough. Took number 1 out a couple of years ago and it felt a bit tired inside, very much in need of some tlc despite being classed as one of their elite fleet.

Shame about the problems with the heating. I guess that's all part of syndicate ownership. More lovely photos. :)

Beccles to Loddon is a cruise we have done a few times. Always lovely to turn onto the Chet after the New Cut and the Yare through Reedham. Great photos. Enjoying seeing where you went

Beautiful photos again. So lovely to see the Broads in a different season.

We will definitely be staying north. Obviously starting from Stalham as we're hiring from Richardson's. Other than that really no idea where we will end up so will have to keep in touch if you get onto the northern side. We tend to find a pub for lunch and then move on somewhere quieter for overnight. Must check which places are open and serving food given how late Easter is this year. We were caught out by one pub that wasn't serving food yet when we went in March three years ago. Hope your arm is ok Jay. Maybe we'll be lending you a hand if we see you looking to moor somewhere.

Oooo ... watch out then. I'm on Swan Reflection, number 1 I think, 19th to 23rd March. Now I didn't get out on more than a dayboat last year so I might have a little work to do on my mooring up skills!!

Lovely photos. Especially loved the reflections at Brammerton and Norwich.

Always have found the food good at the Wayford Bridge Inn. Might have lunch there next month when we pick up the boat at Stalham.

Very glad to hear that you have managed to work your way through this Monica. I have a remote hard drive that backs up some of my files. However with the amount of photos and videos I've accumulated, the external drive is not big enough to take full backups and I manually backup what I need. I'm considering whether I should simply buy a bigger external drive or start paying for a cloud backup. Oh for the days when the cloud was just that thing in the sky passing over when it rained!

And by the way ... if you get back up to Scarborough again, make the time to go to Filey. It's absolutely beautiful and I fell in love with it when I visited ... and yes, I made a couple of videos of my trips up there!

Many thanks for taking the time to reply Robin. Your answer is so honest and open and very interesting. The Broads is one of those places that holds a fascination for so many people. But I understand what you're saying about what boating gave you at the time. Making videos can become a little addictive. My videos have become a hobby of mine but it sometimes means that you spend your time looking for the opportunity ... and other days you need to leave the camera behind so that you can just enjoy being out.

I'm curious ... do you miss being out on the rivers Robin? It sounds as if you've had so much going on with all the work on all your fleet plus your car, that you've not done much cruising in a long while. In past years we all eagerly awaited your next hire boat and subsequent blog. Clearly you've no need to do that now but I am one of the many who learnt a lot about the Broads courtesy of the Captain's Blog. Is it yet to return in something more like how it used to be?