SwanR

Some very good ideas there MM. :)

Have a great time. I'm looking forward to reading your posts and seeing your photos. But warm temperatures? Not today!! Unless your love is keeping you warm. ;)

Lowestoft certainly does come to a standstill every time the current bridge is lifted.And that seems to be quite a frequent occurrence from what we've seen. I can well understand that folk who live there must find it extremely irritating. We've sat in queues of traffic there most weekends that we visit. The only alternative, as far as I know, of going via Oulton Broad, seems to be equally bad if not worse. Always seems to be clogged up - the last time we attempted to get there we abandoned our efforts and turned round. So for those whose everyday life means getting backwards and forwards across the river I would think they would feel that this is very much needed. Drove past an area a couple of weeks ago that had a sign saying that the land had been acquired for this project. I'm sure it will be a long time coming to fruition but it seems to be needed. Much as I love the Broads and the rivers, and see the equal frustration of boaters needing the bridges swung at Reedham and Somerleyton, does anyone have to get to and from work or school by passing under these bridges twice a day in a boat too high to do so without them being swung? There's always competition for funding and East Anglia often seems to lose out to other parts of the country in terms of infrastructure so if new bridges at Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth go ahead, then that's something to celebrate!

Love your stained glass Helen. What pretty colours. I think a separate post is required with full updates of your classes and photos of your projects.

Brilliant write up. Amazing photos. That’s what a Broads holiday is all about! Sent from the Norfolk Broads Network mobile app

Congrats to you Griff and Mrs Griff. :) Sent from the Norfolk Broads Network mobile app

Thanks for the update Jay. Grace we miss you but "real life" is more important than this place ... which will still be here when you're able to pop by. I hope your dad is adjusting and that you and the rest of your family are well.

We've been out on the rivers at the same time as the HW school group in October before now. Last time they were intent on squashing every boat in on the staithe at Womack Water. I can't tell you how glad we were that we were moored down the Dyke instead.

Wonderfully descriptive piece of writing there Paul. :)

Beautiful sunrise. I absolutely loved being at the helm of this boat although I really missed having a bow thruster! I see what you mean about the canine viewing position though!!

Aha ... I will be very keen to read your tale Helen given that we had this boat at the same time last year. Isn't it odd how you can feel very proprietorial about boats you have hired, just like you mentioning seeing Fair Regent 3. :) You certainly made the most of your first day to get down to Stokesby.

This is one style of boat that we haven't tried yet so I will be interested to see how it comes out.

But booking moorings means a certain amount of planning ... and that's what we try to avoid these days. Even having the caravan has meant not having to plan our weekends away but being able to arrive whenever we want to. :)

We like to moor close enough to somewhere to get a meal at lunchtime and then move to a much quieter spot for overnight. But so often when I talk about the Broads to anyone who hasn't had a boating holiday, their impression is that it's all about "the riverside pub"! How wrong they are. Someone also asked me once "What do you do while hubby is fishing?" The reply? "Nothing ... absolutely nothing but watch everything around me. Do you know how many hours you can spend doing nothing at all?" :)

I think that it's about the boat giving you a certain level of comfort while still wanting to experience the tranquility of the Broads. When you pay a premium, that's for the standard of your accommodation, not to expect anything different out on the rivers. Perhaps it's a bit like any other kind of leisure offering - you can choose one star to five star on any kind of holiday accommodation but that won't change the resort itself.

Great photos to show the boat. I think getting on and off would be an issue for me .... but we try to remember to take a step stool with us these days! Lol! Certainly does look a very well turned out and comfortable boat inside and out. And that inside helm does look as if it would give quite reasonable vision.

And our best wishes to you as well Bern, I am sure. The forum is always here for people to dip in and out of, depending how they feel and what they are looking for at any time.

The other thing about Sandersons is that their boats have very poor review scores on Hoseasons. Now I'm not commenting on whether that's fair or not as I've only ever passed them on the rivers, I've never looked inside. But as someone who scours the websites trying to decide what I might want to hire next, that will definitely put me off.

Thanks for the update Neil. Always interested to hear of changes to hire fleets on the southern rivers.

The one thing in my kitchen even at home, that I wouldn't feel that I had to replace if it failed, would be the microwave. The same is true in the caravan. It's a nice to have but not a necessity. Now for me, my wishlist hireboat kitchen item would be a toaster! We have toast for breakfast every day and toasting it under the grill is a complete pain!!

Weather is looking quite decent for the next few days. Have a lovely time. :)

Lovely write up and I will look forward to hearing how you get on aboard Moonlight Shadow. Your reflection on Summercraft is interesting ... I think that we each form our own relationship with the yards that we hire from, especially if there is one that we find suits us best. It's nice to feel that you are a regular and valued customer. And I always enjoy reading such positive reviews.

Beautiful photos, well done to all the photographers ... including those who didn't make the final cut. :)

Thanks for posting this Howard. I'm always interested in hearing about new hire boats. It does look very much like the Broom Captain.

We went into Beales in Lowestoft a couple of days ago. Went upstairs to be greeted by a fully dressed Christmas tree and all the decorations and gifts on sale. I daresay it's the same in other places. Noticed the Christmas department in John Lewis was up and running when I went in there a couple of weeks ago.