SwanR

In that case Ranworth Island really does sound like a good bet.

A sensible decision to stay north I think. Where to go partly depends on whether you need anything such as shopping or water top up. If not then I would cruise back up the Bure, maybe turn down Fleet Dyke (opposite St Benet’s Abbey)so you get a look at South Walsham Broad, which is beautiful. Then come back up and carry on along the Bure to the turning for Ranworth. Now instead of heading for the Staithe go to the Island. Yes you have to pay to moor there and there’s no facilities or land access other than stepping off the boat really. But it’s less likely to be busy, especially in the morning. Probably plenty of room to moor stern on without trying to slot into a tight space. And if you struggle you can even just get one rope on then pull the boat round into place if you’ve ended up side on. Then you can switch off the engine and relax for the day. Always lots of comings and goings to watch as well as all the wildlife. It’s been my saviour on many occasions especially when I arrive and there’s no one else there! 🤭

I felt the same first time out. Difference was that we had a boat with bow thrusters which just gives you a bit of confidence that you can keep the bow into the bank when mooring while your other half gets the ropes on. With only the two of you it’s not as easy as it is for larger parties. You really need one at the helm and one to be confident to step off with the ropes and both have your buoyancy aids on. The one at the back who will get off with the ropes needs to shout clear instructions to the helms person as to how far back you still have to go or how close you are to the bank or other boats. At least that’s how we do it. Given how I felt in those early days we quickly decided that it was better for my other half to do the ropes and I took the helm. We also cruised early morning and then the rest of the day was stress free relaxing on the boat. Good luck! You’re probably doing far better than you think you are. And we all still make mistakes and mess up our moorings. If it’s not going right pull back out into the river or broad, circle round and start again.

Crossed with your post and do understand how you feel. I wouldn’t go any further south than where you are. Maybe head back towards Ranworth and Salhouse for a day or two and see how you feel come Monday.

At this stage of your trip I think it’s either a trip back to the boatyard for extra bedding or back to PH to see what Latham’s have or on into Wroxham for Roy’s. But bear in mind that Saturday is busy in the yards so they may or may not have spare moorings. It was very cold last night for early October. But we always take sleeping bags and hot water bottles. Dressing gowns are also good to slip on while sitting on the boat on chilly evenings. The forecast is for 8 or 9 overnight for most of the rest of your trip. Shouldn’t be too bad.

It’s a beautiful morning. Best part of the day.

Just to be clear ... I was at a lovely cafe on the seafront at Lowestoft called Flying Fifteens.

Had a nice black coffee and lemon drizzle cake this morning.

Ha ha ha ... I don’t drink tea either!

Ha ha ha ... got to have some pleasures in life ... and I’ve never had gin to drink ...

Hotel Chocolat chocolate is amazing.

Sounds as if you are growing in confidence from when you first posted. I do hope so. But if not then I would abandon the idea of Great Yarmouth. That’s just me. Took me a while to enjoy Barton Broad!! 😂

Shame about Womack Water but Jay is spot on that it’s best not to stress about trying to moor if you’re not comfortable with the space available. A good time to get in at popular places like that is around 10.30 to 11 once the previous night’s boats have moved on and ahead of most of the lunchtime trade. An early start will still mean you’ve had a good cruise first. Personally I’ve not been further than Stokesby and wouldn’t do so unless desperate to moor at Great Yarmouth. The rise and fall is several feet between high and low tides. And the currents are strong. But other people can advise better than me on that one. It just might not be the most comfortable mooring overnight.

Glad you made it Ian and Marina. Been the best morning in a long while. We’ve been along by the sea at Lowestoft. Clouded up now and rain forecast for later but not too chilly at the moment.

Sending you hugs Grace. We need a forum reaction button that indicates caring about someone. You can’t click Love to send them love as it will look like you love that they’re having a hard time!

Welcome to the forum Doc. I like stern on moorings for ease of getting off the boat but they can be tricky depending on the kind of boat you’re on and the helm view.

What she said! Your posts are definitely not boring Jay. There have even been a few sensible ones recently.

For the record I have never walked to Potter Heigham from anywhere. 😂 I don’t know how long it takes, just in case we are giving the impression that it’s round the corner! But it is a nice walk along the Dyke to the junction with the Thurne or back the other way into the village of Ludham.

So glad to hear that the day worked out well. Womack Dyke and the Staithe are favourites of ours too. Peaceful and great for watching the world go by.

Good size boat for your first trip. Hope you feel better about things soon. Do let us know how you get on. :)

Oh dear. I remember wondering why I had agreed to a boating holiday for a few days the first time. Why didn’t I stick to a hotel rather than all this moving on and finding somewhere new to moor up each night. But I was still hooked. Remember that as a hire craft you can moor in the boatyards and they may be good places for getting shopping. And if you’re anxious about the day ahead, get up early, leave your mooring, cruise until late morning, then grab a mooring and enjoy relaxing on the boat for the rest of the day. I don’t want to ask you to name the boat you’re on if you’d rather not but it would be helpful to know what kind of boat you’re on. Ask for help if you need it. And if you’re really nervous still then you could always go back to the yard and ask for more tuition. Two weeks is too long to be stressed on your holiday!

If I was ever solo, even on the Broads, I would be asking the boatyard to moor me up on the end of a quay, plug me into the electric and just spend a week watching everyone go by!!

Great write up Helen. Even with having to wait for February you're going to be afloat before me!! We usually get out in October but are giving that a miss this year. So hoping for March ... perhaps. :)

So a slight aside, but I have looked from time to time at the canals but not had the confidence to want to book anything. Is the Lancaster canal enough to do a few days holiday? Lock free cruising is what I would be looking for.

Those photos certainly tell a story. It was almost unbelievable how the weather changed. September certainly felt like it brought autumn along sooner than other years. Already got the heating on in the house every day now.