YnysMon

Ok, I'm stretching back a bit here, but have had such nice comments about my previous accounts that I thought you might like to read the account of our first experience of the Broads. We had hired Wood Violet, a three-berth yacht from Hunter's Yard, Ludham. On board my husband Graham, eldest son Harry, me and our dog Marvin. Saturday 4th July Left MK on a scorching hot morning shortly after seven for the journey to Ludham, stopping off at the Costa’s half way between St Neots and Cambridge for breakfast and then a stop-off at Potter Heigham to visit the legendary Lathams. Not that there was much in Lathams that appealed, though Harry spotted some very reasonably priced peaked caps with ‘Captain’, ‘Crew’ and so on embroidered on them. We got a ‘Captain’ one for his Dad and ‘Crew’ caps for us. Suitably equipped in head-gear we made our way to Ludham, parking initially by the church to have a wander around the village. Very impressed with Throwers as a village store and the butchers where we bought some bacon. Wary of buying any more meat given the hot weather and the lack of refrigeration on board Hunter’s boats. Visited the church where I was bowled over by the medieval rood screen and the font – there’s lots of stuff in Galleries and Museums that aren’t as impressive. Had a very tasty lunch in Alfresco Tea Rooms before making our way down to Hunter’s Yard. All was quiet when we got to the Yard, it was people’s lunch break after all, so we quietly had a mosey around. It’s like a living museum, lot of interesting displays about this history of the Yard. Worth popping into as a casual visitor. Once we noticed some other parties turning up also early (i.e. before 2pm) we decided to present ourselves at the office. We had a very warm welcome from Vikki, sorted out the paperwork very quickly and were taken along to Wood Violet. A very kind chap (Ian) came along with a bowl of water for our dog Marvin (by now the day was exceedingly -as Mr Kipling would say- hot), so he was relatively comfortable whilst we stowed our gear on board. My first reaction was…we’ve brought far too much gear, where will we put everything?...but it was surprising how many drawers and nooks and crannies there were on board. Once we were sorted, another very friendly chap (whose name I forget – sorry) got us to quant Wood Violet to the landing stage and then ‘showed us the ropes’. How to stow the awning and store it in the forepeak, how to set the sails and put a reef in…and then we were away! Down Womack Water on a nice steady breeze. We hadn’t really thought about where we would go (doh!), but we thought to start with that we should go with the wind, so we turned up toward Potter H and had a lovely gentle sail up to the moorings reserved for yachts to de-mast before the bridge. Looking back, I think we had beginners luck, as we hadn’t checked the tides, but we quanted through the two bridges without any difficulty, put our mast back up and continued up the Thurne with a fair wind. It was so quiet above ‘The Bridge’, and it was here that we really caught the magic of the Broads, sailing along gently with nothing but the sounds of the gentle slap of the water against the boat, the wind in the reeds, and bird song. We turned into Candle Dyke around 6pm, then on through Heigham Sound with the wind decreasing as the evening set in. By the time we got to Hickling Broad the wind was quite gentle, but enough to take us across to mud-weight not far from the sailing club. Shortly after we mud-weighted the wind died completely. It was the perfect warm and still summer’s evening. The first priority was to get Marvin to shore for a ‘comfort break’. Graham and I left Harry aboard and set out with Marv rowing the sailing dinghy to shore, finding a handy slipway in a boatyard where we could moor. Marv having been suitably relieved (and his mess meticulously disposed of), we made our way back to Wood Violet and made our dinner: tinned veg curry and rice. We left the awning back as it was such a still evening. Once it got dark we settled for our first night, Graham and Harry sharing the main cabin whilst I settled myself in the fore-cabin (sharing the space with the heads, but in a way that’s quite convenient). I quite liked the cosiness of my little cabin, though the head-room was a bit restricted as the roof slopes down from the stern to the bow.

Id like to put in a word for the White Horse at Upton...if you can get down the narrow dyke and find a mooring at the staithe. We thought it a really good local pub, very friendly, good food and beer and very reasonable cost-wise too.

Since Simon asked for my views on the boat please see a detailed review below. I've only just written this though, and it is 10 months since we were on the boat, so if I've misremembered anything bear that in mind. I did read it out to Graham though, and it tallies with his recollection, so I don't think I've gone way off the mark. Turquoise Emblem Review Two things to bear in mind when reading this review: firstly it was our first time on a motor cruiser, so I don’t have a lot of compare it with (comparison with Hunter’s Yard boats being completely inappropriate!) other than having watched the London Rascal’s video boat reviews and having read other people’s accounts; secondly we were upgraded, so I guess that might impact on our view of things. Before booking I looked at the website of several Broads boating companies, including Richardsons, Barnes Brinkcraft and Herbert Woods. Having narrowed down on the type of boat we wanted (not too high an air-draft, thinking that we wanted to get under bridges) I did myself a little chart to compare features and cost. Ferry Marina came out cheapest apart from a couple of much older boats from other yards. Of course the final cost may not have been cheaper as we would have had some money back from the fuel deposit from other yards, but it was certainly an encouraging factor. We booked Bronze Emblem. Turquoise Emblem (TE) was not considered as it doesn’t appear in search results if you are looking for a boat that a dog is allowed on. The booking process was very easy and they answered queries that I sent by email very promptly. I received a call approximately a week before our holiday to offer us an upgrade to TE. Once I’d checked out the boat online I called back to say that would be fine, only that we had a dog with us, but that he didn't shed very much and didn't get on furniture. After a little consultation their end they said that would be fine. One of the things that we had considered beforehand was whether we should buy a buoyancy aid for Marvin. Hunter’s Yard had provided one when we hired with them the previous year. Ferry Marina advised that they had a small number of doggie buoyancy aids but couldn’t guarantee that they would have one to fit available. We decided to risk it as Marvin has slowed down a lot and we knew that he wasn’t going to launch himself off the boat to get at birds or anything. When we arrived at Ferry Marina at 1pm we had a very friendly welcome at the office, were shown where we could park our car (free parking) for the week and advised we could first bring the car up behind the boat to load on our stuff. They were also able to lend us a very good quality doggie buoyancy aid which fitted Marvin well, again for no extra cost. We loaded our stuff on the boat and started to unpack. Shortly before 2pm a very friendly chap came on board to talk us through the essentials. We mentioned what boating experience we had during this conversation, and as a result he didn’t take us for a trial run, just talked us through the features of the boat, how things worked (engine, heating, gas cooker safety), how to locate and do the necessary checks on the engine, where the lead for shore-power was stowed and so on. Whilst he was doing that another young chap came along and cleaned the windows. And so to the boat itself. We thought it very accessible, with the interior being all on one level, and Graham had no issues with height anywhere on the boat (he’s about 6’2”). Easy to get on from a stern mooring and also easy to get on from side-on mooring, with a couple of steps up to the side of the boat from the lower level bathing platform. The bow is also easy to step onto from side-on mooring, with a set of steps up from door at the front of the lounge area. There is no outside seating area on TE, but that obviously wasn’t an issue in March. It does have a split retractable roof, so the one day that we did have some sun we were able to retract one side of the roof but kept the other side closed to protect us from the wind. The boat is very easy to steer as it has bow-thrusters. We didn’t do any stern-on mooring as that wasn’t required at any of the moorings that we visited. In hindsight I wish we’d at least had an attempt at stern-mooring because this year we’re sure to stop somewhere that requires it, and with a much bigger boat! From the stern the door leads directly into the rear cabin, with a double bed to the port side and door to an ensuite loo/shower room on the starboard side. Apart from the door windows, the window for the cabin was along the side of the boat, slightly overhanging the bed, with shelf below. At the foot of the bed was a recessed area for the bed and over that some additional shelving for storage. There was a drawer or two (sorry, can’t remember exactly) and heating outlet on the side of the bed and above the head of a bed was a cupboard/wardrobe, about 3’ wide and deeper than the depth of the door. Also stored in it was a bucket and a dustpan and brush. This was handy for storing our bags, coats etc. We found the bed very comfortable, the bedding good quality. The duvet was very warm. We were too toasty when we first got into bed, after the heating had been on, but just right in the middle of the night and the morning, despite it being very chilly outside. I did get a few drops of condensation fall on my head from the window in the night, but it wasn’t a major issue and there weren’t enough drops to make the bedding damp. It’s not surprising that there was condensation on the windows…the nights were very chilly. It was a real boon having an ensuite loo. I also very much appreciated having an electrically powered loo, rather than the manual pump-out ones we’d previously experienced. The heating worked really well too, being very quick to heat up the boat and with an adjustable thermostat. The door from the rear cabin leads to the lounge area of the boat. The engine cover being on the left with a deep shelf above that holding a microwave. Along the starboard side are kitchen units and a full-size gas cooker with oven, separate grill and hob with four rings. The hob has a glass top to it, which extends the work-top area when the hob is not in use and gives the kitchen a more ‘quality’ feel. To the left of the cooker are three deep drawers containing crockery, cutlery, pots and pans, including a good non-stick fry pan, and other kitchen implements. We thought everything was good quality and that it was a very well equipped kitchen considering the space restrictions. A shelf behind the worktop recessed below the window holds mugs, glassware, teapot, cafetiére etc. Below the sink is a small refrigerator with ice box. There was plenty enough room to store the food that we had brought with us in the drawers and the fridge. The helm is positioned roughly opposite to the sink. When we first saw the boat we thought this a bit odd and wondered if it would compromise visibility for the person at the helm. Actually it didn’t, being amidships seemed to be quite a natural position for the helm. Visibility to the rear from the helm was really bad, but Ferry Marina had fixed that by installing a rear camera. I liked that the helm seat was big enough for both of us to sit side-by-side. However, I did find it a bit tiring that the height of the seat left my legs dangling rather, until Graham came up with a solution involving the bin. At front of the boat there are two sofa seats, which could be used as extra beds as they are about 6’ long. These we found very comfortable and the pattern of the upholstery reinforced the ‘quality’ feel. We thought the colour scheme (red, cream and wood veneers and the holly and teak flooring) and materials used throughout the interior conveyed quality. Although the sofas are positioned quite high, with a bar just in front of them to help you step up, I found I was tending to curl my legs beneath me to get a better view out of the front windows. A table could be set up between the two sofas. This consisted of a single metal cylinder which slotted into the floor and the table top which slotted on to that. Whilst perfectly adequate we felt that this arrangement made for a slightly wobbly table – needing care if you were cutting up your food whilst having drinks on the table. When the table was not in place we positioned our dog’s bed between the sofas and he slept there at night. At night we found that the blinds for the lounge area windows were very easy to put up as the Marina had replaced changed the fixing for these from press-studs (which sometimes cease to work properly) to Velcro (as the chap doing our handover had explained). Returning to the yard we found everyone very friendly again. We just said hello, unloaded the boat and were off. No hanging around for any checks or fuel calculations. Would we pay extra for TE had we not had an upgrade? Yes, I think we would consider booking the boat again if it became available for dog owners. Certainly when we were considering booking a boat for just two of us this year we looked at Silver Emblem and White Emblem and not Bronze Emblem. This year we also considered Norfolk Broads Direct, as their prices and a couple of their boats are comparable to TE, and I like the idea of their loyalty discount. However, we were entirely satisfied with the experience we had last year with Ferry Marina, so they certainly have our loyalty. Ferry Marina have a 'Harry's reward scheme' with a code to pass on to friends and family which I notice some slightly less scrupulous people have posted on Trip Advisor reviews, but it would be nice if they offered a small discount for loyalty and return bookings as Norfolk Broads Direct appear to do. As things have turned out we’ve booked Royale Emblem, a three bedroom boat as we’ll be five adults and a dog. We decided on that one because the accommodation seems very suitable for a party of adults, it was an additional plus that it wasn’t as expensive as some other options and that it doesn’t have too high an air-draft. All three bedrooms have ensuite loos/showers, the front cabin has floor room for the dog’s bed (we won’t be leaving our puppy alone in the lounge unless she gets used to sleeping in her crate with the door shut). Other plus points are that the raised central helm area has a large bench for the rest of the crew to sit there with the helmsperson and there’s a really large lounge area with plenty of seating space and floor space for the dog to play safely. The fridge is also a good size. All in all you can see that we were very happy with Turquoise Emblem. We especially appreciated having an ensuite with electric flush loo, the ease of getting on and off the boat, its warmth and it being easy to steer. Graham also appreciated the head-room. Niggles (and they are very minor niggles): having a few drips drop on my head at night; having to crawl over Graham to get out of bed at night (I would probably look for a boat with an island bed in future); and the helm-seat and footrest being set a tinsy bit too far apart from each other for my short legs. Helen

I would second the White Horse Neatished - I would phone to book in advance though as it seems to get more busy each time we visit. I guess the word is getting around that it's good.

Postscript Marvin’s condition started to deteriorate about a fortnight after this holiday, so along with our vet we decided that it was time to say goodbye to him. We’re very glad that we had this break with him, as we have very fond memories of these few days. He’s been such a lovely good natured dog. We got him from a rescue kennels in 2000. Our vet thought he was about 7-8 years old at that time. He had obviously been much loved at an earlier stage in his life as he was fairly well trained. We think the rescue kennels had called him Marvin as he looked so miserable (as in Hitchhikers Guide…). When we first saw him he was just staring at the door to the kennels, oblivious, waiting for someone, whereas most other dogs were jumping up and barking. They told us he had been in the kennels for three months. We took him out for a walk in nearby woodland and he walked along beside us quite docilely, but with head and tail down. It took a couple of days at home with us before his outlook changed and his head and tail perked up. We do miss him.

Tuesday 22nd March: final day (sob) I woke early once again and was rewarded by the most wonderful sunrise. (Shame I still can't post photos!!) Once Graham woke we had a quick breakfast and set out about 7am, as the boat had to be returned by 9am. Graham took the helm and I packed our stuff away as we made our way up to Horning in lovely sunshine. We made good time so took the opportunity to go down Ranworth Dam to have a quick peek at Malthouse Broad before continuing to Horning. It’s been a really lovely few days and we were very lucky with the weather. We were very impressed with the boat: easy to helm, well equipped and very comfortable with effective heating. After leaving Ferry Marina we went into Horning to get breakfast at the Staithe and Willow, which we thought was really good quality, especially their sausages and bacon, complemented by very friendly service. We then spent the rest of the day driving around Norfolk visiting various churches to take photos of medieval painted rood screens. For those interested in such things, we went to the following churches: Ludham, Barton Turf, Worstead, Smallburgh, East Ruston, Potter Heigham. Then we completed our holiday by going to The Ship Inn in South Walsham for dinner before driving home. Next Broads booking July 2016 (see my previous posts on Hustler and Hustler 3).

I had another go just now of trying to load photos...still no luck. Anyway... Day 3: Monday 21st March Marvin was coughing again early morning, so I woke early again and gave him food and a painkiller. It was pretty cold overnight but we had a gleam of sunshine this morning. Set off early again up the Bure past Horning on all the way up to Wroxham with a slight detour around Wroxham Broad. It got quite warm and we even opened up one side of the roof for a while. We thought of going under the bridge up to Belaugh or even Coltishall, but the pilot service wasn’t due to start up until the following weekend, so we just turned around and chugged back down river. We noticed that the upper Bure above Horning was exceptionally quiet with very little traffic. Had a peek into Salhouse Broad but didn’t moor as some work was being done one side of the moorings. We thought of going into Hoveton Little Broad (which is privately owned) but that was closed, again opening the following weekend (we’re just one week too early for everything!). We carried on past Horning eventually deciding to stop at the moorings at Cockshoot Broad to give Marvin a walk. We had a pleasant walk and then stayed at the moorings and made some lunch. Then Graham had a snooze whilst I read. We got on our way again mid-afternoon and chugged slowly down the Bure past Thurne Mouth and down under Acle Bridge. Decided not to go further down beyond Acle Dyke, so turned back upstream and then up the Thurne and along Womack Dyke. Lovely to see Hunter’s Yard again with all the boats on the water ready for the coming season. Womack Dyke banks have been extensively re-profiled since last year, and although they looked really horrible we couldn’t help thinking it will be much easier to sail down Womack Dyke. Hopefully the reeds will have re-grown by the summer. We didn’t fancy mooring at Ludham Staithe as there were several other boats there already, and we weren’t sure exactly where The Island was until we checked out maps later, so we headed back down the Thurne intending to go to Ranworth to moor up. By the time we got near Fleet Dyke the sun was almost setting, so we decided to moor up at Fleet Dyke again. There was another boat at the moorings we used last night, so turned around and stopped at the moorings on the bend in the dyke instead. The sunset was pretty spectacular and I got some lovely photos. Shame I can't post any!

I woke early around 5am and had to crawl over Graham to get out of bed. Gave Marv some food (which seems to help lubricate his throat and lessen the coughing) and a painkiller, got dressed, wrapped myself in a blanket and settled down to read. It soon started to get light with a very noisy dawn chorus. I think the most noisy elements were pheasants in the woodland surrounding the staithe. Graham got up around 7am and we put the heating on for a while to warm the place up. There was a lot of condensation on the windows and doors which we wiped down before making breakfast. Whilst I was preparing breakfast we saw a heron on the opposite bank trying to down a very large fish it had caught. It took it quite a while to swallow the fish, resting its beak on the ground in between attempts to get that huge fish down its gullet. The morning was very quiet. Just after 8am we set off back down the dyke to Barton Broad, this time turning left to head on up the Ant up to Stalham. There was one space right at the entry to Richardson’s boatyard which we moored at, before walking into Stalham. There didn’t seem to be much in the high street (perhaps we didn’t explore far enough), so Graham popped into Tesco for a few things before we headed back to the boat. The Museum was closed – opening the following weekend (Easter weekend). Back on the boat we headed back down the Ant, past How Hill, through Ludham Bridge and then turned left to head down the Bure, past the mouth of the Thurne to Upton Dyke, intending to go to The White Horse at Upton for lunch as it had very good reviews. We ran into problems getting down Upton Dyke though as it is pretty narrow and a stiff wind was blowing the boat onto the port bank (fortunately not the bank that had moorings along it). Most of the starboard bank was marked off as ‘private’, so we looked for a section that wasn’t. We eventually moored up and turned the boat around on its ropes (with a little help from the bow thruster), only to be told (quite kindly) that it was someone’s private mooring and that there was space to moor up right at the head of the dyke. So we had to turn the boat around again and found a space opposite Eastwood Whelpton’s boatyard. Then we realised that we’d left the sailing dinghy that we’d hired with the boat behind so Graham had to walk back to get it and row it down the dyke. By this time it was almost 2pm and we were worried that we would be too late for lunch at the pub. We walked really quickly up to The White Horse. Fortunately they hadn’t stopped serving and we had really excellent tasty roast beef with yorkshires and beautifully cooked veggies which was very reasonably priced too, sat by a roaring fire. Good beer too. It was getting on for 3.30pm by the time we left the pub, so we didn’t want to go too far from Upton to find a mooring. We headed back up the Bure and passed a wherry just before Thurne mouth. We continued up the Bure and then turned down Fleet Dyke to South Walsham Broad, getting there about 5pm. Initially we mud-weighted on the Broad and we each had a go at sailing the dinghy before pulling up the mud-weight and turning back up the dyke to moor at the mooring closest to the broad. We’d moored in the same spot last summer on Wood Violet (a Hunter’s Yard sail boat), but that time we bagged the last space whereas this time we had the whole stretch of moorings to ourselves. Lovely! Had haggis, mash and veg for dinner, and turned in for an early night. Although we’ve got a telly and have brought DVDs with us we were happy reading (or in my case messing about on an iPad). Graham has been switching on the TV in the mornings for the news and weather, but we haven’t used it much otherwise. I was going to add a couple of pictures, but they won't upload for some reason. I wonder why? Helen

Perhaps I should add that they don't normally allow dogs on Turquoise Emblem. They only allowed Marv on as an exception since the boat that we'd booked wasn't ready, and we had assumed them that Marv is short haired and that he was trained not to get up on sofas or beds.

Thanks everyone for the feedback. It's really good to have such a range of opinions and options. I won't rule out going into Norwich and staying overnight, but will see what the rest of the crew prefer. There are always future year's trips too! Even if we don't get to cruise into Norwich this time around I'm determined to do it in future! Found Robin's video really helpful...it's good to be able to get a sense of the 'lie of the land' (or perhaps I should say land and water). Helen

Yay...Norwich mint sauce with Welsh lamb...can't be beaten! Though personally I like a dollop of redcurrant jelly alongside the mint sauce. Yum. Dont get me started on food...

Okay, perhaps this is a bit soon after posting up the tale of our July 2016 holiday, but I've been working on diaries of our three Norfolk Broads jaunts for some time now. This was a much-needed break for Graham and I. Through 2015 we just had one week’s holiday away from home, thanks to my dear cousin who came to stay in our home to look after my elderly Mum whilst we took our first holiday on the Broads. We knew that we wouldn’t be able to ask my cousin again though, as my Mum’s mobility subsequently deteriorated . Thankfully, we were granted Adult Social Care support for a certain number of respite care days for 2016, so our March break was the first opportunity to take advantage of that. Saturday 19th March Just me, Graham and our dog Marvin on this trip. We’ve hired a boat from Ferry Marina, Horning. We originally booked Bronze Emblem but got upgraded to Turquoise Emblem as it was the first week of the season and not all the Marina’s boats were ready. Looks a newish boat, so hopefully it will have good heating as it’s still very cold this time of the year. We’re hoping Marvin will be okay. He was diagnosed with an oral cancer just after Christmas and is on painkillers and antibiotics. He’s still eating tinned dog food okay and is enjoying his walks but gets bouts of ‘huffing’. We started off from home early, aiming to get to Norfolk about 10am, stopping off for breakfast at Costas on the way. The weather looks okay with sunny spells. Made our way to Wroxham and visited Roys for the first time. We had brought most of our food with us, so we only picked up a few bits and pieces in Roys. Had lunch in one of the Fish and Chip shops. Very nicely cooked haddock (best I’ve had for a while, a decent amount of fish within the batter, not overcooked and very moist), a huge portion of chips, mushy peas, bread and butter and tea. After lunch we went to the Marina, getting there around 1pm. The boat was ready for us, so we unloaded our gear and got ourselves settled in. We had to wait a short time for the handover and eventually got underway around 2pm. Rather odd to be driving a motor cruiser rather than sailing, but its lovely to be on the river and good to be under cover, even though it’s not raining. I chickened out of taking the helm to leave Ferry Marina, and left that to Graham, as he’s had a lot more experience of boats than I (he used to help out in his Dad’s boatyard at Trearddur Bay as a teenager, both with sail boats and helping to man the rescue launch for races). I soon had a turn at the helm and after a couple of very slight zig-zags got the hang of it. We headed down the Bure and then turned up the Ant, the aim being to check out what the Ant is like before we attempt to sail up it later this year. Just after Ludham Bridge we tried to pass a slower moving privateer to port but they wandered across our bows. I guess I should have either fallen back or beeped them but instead tried to pass to starboard. Big mistake, as they then wandered back across our bows again, so I did beep them, only to have them shout that I was passing on the wrong side. Humph! Lesson learnt…and chill. It’s very pleasant cruising though, with very few other craft on the river. Several long stretches where we have the river to ourselves. There appeared to have been quite a lot of cutting back of trees along the upper stretches of the Ant. Whilst this seems a shame on one hand (I love trees), the sailors in us thought it might make sailing up the Ant a little easier (actually, when we sailed up the Ant later in July the gaps weren’t that evident, it seems that a lot of the cut-back trees had sprung new growth very quickly). It was late afternoon when we got as far as Barton Broad. We cruised very slowly down (the very narrow) Limekiln Dyke and moored at Limekiln Staithe. It was just us and one other boat and very quiet. We set off with Marvin to the pub and managed to get a table in the bar area where they allow dogs. Got chatting to the couple at a nearby table who were from the other boat at the staithe. They had lost their dog recently and were very sympathetic about Marv. The meal was really excellent, both of us having Confit Duck Legs with Gratin Potato, Fricassee of Bean and Pea and Redcurrant Jus. Walked back to the boat around 8pm and put the heating on for an hour or so before turning in early. The bed is quite cosy and comfortable – a bit too snug initially as the duvet was very thick. Very chilly getting up to go to the loo in the night. Marvin was coughing a bit in the night and woke us once or twice.

Thanks everyone for the excellent advice. Lots for me to consider. I won't rule out staying overnight in Norwich, but will observe the advice to avoid the weekend (probably best to avoid Bank Holiday Monday too methinks). Will bank all the advice and consult with my fellow sailors that week. Helen

Thanks for the details of the Commissioners Cut location Howard. I'm starting to think that a good option might be to look for a mooring in the Commissioners Cut and then get a bus into Norwich from there, and if it's full just continue into Norwich. Ay well...all options remain open. One of the delights of a Broads boating holiday is the freedom involved to change your mind about where to go...and change it again. At least by thinking it through beforehand we should be able to make sensible decisions regarding tides and so on. Helen

I do fancy travelling all the way up to Norwich myself (I thought that Robin waxed really poetic on one of his videos about the industrial remains vs new development), but I'm not sure whether my fellow passengers (newbies to the Broads) will like long cruising days...will just have to see how they feel. Like Simon I feel that time off the water is rather wasted, though I'm looking forward to visiting Norwich. The Commissioners Cut or Brooms sounds like a good option. Where is the Commissioners Cut exactly? Helen

Yeh,..but with fields of sheep..in York? Mind you York is just grand as it is. Perhaps I shouldn't ask where you keep your wallet... Helen

Thanks for the feedback so far...reinforces my doubts about the wisdom of mooring overnight at Norwich - there are some really good suggestions too. I like the thought of Thorpe but will check the tides and clearance. I emailed Ferry Marina to check the air-draft of Royale Emblem and was advised that its 6'10", so I'd sort of ruled out Thorpe on that basis. The Commissioners Cut and a bus sounds a good option, I've been studying maps and am not sure where that is exactly though. Another option that occurred to me was a train from Reedham to Norwich on the Sunday. Slack water at Yarmouth is about 8.30am (an early start from Stokesby perhaps) so I was thinking that it might be possible to make it to Reedham in time for the train just after 10.30...perhaps not? Evensong on a Sunday is much earlier, which would be a plus. On the other hand my original plan had been to make for Rockland St Mary and then go on to Norwich. I really fancy visiting Rockland. I guess we could play it by ear, get the Reedham train if we get there in time or go on to Rockland if we don't. Another option would be a train from Acle. Not sure whether that would mean mooring at Acle more than 24hrs though, which probably isn't allowed. Just so many options... I've been writing up various cruising plans - up to 10 so far. It's all part of the fun! Yes, I did say I was obsessed! Helen

My hubby was taking the dog for a walk alongside the Grand Union Canal yesterday when he heard a very odd 'Crash...scrape...rumble' sound. It was a canoeist trying to make his way along the frozen canal. We can only imagine that his canoe had been a Christmas present and that he just couldn't do without a weekend paddle (or perhaps that should be smash). Helen

I'm having endless fun planning out places to visit when we next visit the Broads on Royale Emblem for a week from Saturday 29th April, taking into account tides, distance charts and so on. We haven't been 'down south' before, and given its a bank holiday weekend I'm thinking that it would probably be best to get down to the Southern Boards asap, at least for the early part of the week. Some members of our party are keen on church choirs, so we were thinking of going to an Evensong in Norwich Cathedral. That doesn't finish until about 6.15 or 6.30pm, so the two following questions are going round my head: a. What have the moorings at Norwich Yacht Station been like recently? I've heard some scare stories about people being cast adrift and so on, but don't know whether the situation has improved or has it got worse since there seems to be an entertainment area nearby. Has anyone stayed there overnight within the last year or so? Also, how noisy is it? I can see that it looks like it's right next to a busy road. b. I was wondering if a better plan would be to leave Norwich after evensong and make our way to somewhere like Brammerton Common moorings (sunset being approx. 8.15pm that week), or might that be a bit dodgy if Brammerton moorings and other moorings nearby were full (and are they likely to be on bank holiday Monday or later that week)? Also if we're not leaving Norwich until early evening, would we have to pay for an overnight mooring? I'm not sure up to what time a daytime mooring fee covers. thanks Helen

Guide To Hustler 3. I was going to call this a ‘review’, but it seems a cheek to ‘review’ such a lovely cherished 1930’s boat. Maybe some people might like an ‘inside view’ though. If you want to get a good view of what the Hunter’s Yard boats are like have a look at ‘The Coot Club’ video, as they used one of their 4 berth ‘Lullaby’ class yachts for that. Hustler 3 is slightly smaller, with only two berths. You step on board into the well of the boat, which seats four people comfortably as you sail along, though it’s easier with just two as with four it can be a bit crowded for manoeuvring the tiller. Underneath the seats in the well are four drawers, containing willow-pattern china, mugs, tea pot, chopping boards and cooking implements, cutlery, plus room for storing food supplies. There’s a cubby-hole containing saucepans and frying-pan. There’s also an aft-locker containing two water containers, washing-up bowls, bucket etc. We found this generally stayed fairly cool even on the hottest days. On the port-side of the well there’s a hinged lid in the seat covering a two-ring gas stove. On the opposite side the gas bottle is in a boxed-in area above the drawers. When moored you raise the cabin roof, first the forward section, which raises about 6” and is secured by pins though the metal struts that hold up the roof, then you raise the stern edge about 2’, secured by wooden struts each side, so you end up with a sloping roof. Plenty of room to stand at the entrance to the cabin (at least if you’re only 5’4” like me) but not so much when you visit the heads at the forward section. There are double wooden doors leading from the well to the cabin, with a canvass sheet which hangs down to the doors when the roof is raised and which rolls up when not needed. There are two comfy but narrow bunks with lovely thick duvets and pillow with sheets and covers provided, unless you bring a dog with you, in which case you provide your bedding. There’s a folding table which you can either use between the bunks in the cabin or between the seats in the well of the boat. Each bunk has two drawers underneath and two shelves along the side of the boat. Above one of the bunks there’s the only light source for night-time, a gimbal paraffin lamp. We found that using the paraffin lamp had a bonus – we were far less troubled by mozzies at night when it was lit. Another set of double doors lead through to the heads, where there are more storage cupboards and cubby-holes. When moored you drape a canvass awning across the boom, the end of which rests on a set of wooden cross-trees, then you secure the awning around the mast and then unroll it so that it covers the whole of the cabin roof and the well. Nice and cosy. When not in use the awning is stored in the forepeak (a storage area in the bows topped with a hatch). We found the forepeak handy for storing our portable BBQ too. For me, being on a Hunter’s boat is a bit like camping, the lack of running water and electricity is part of the charm. It’s a lot more comfortable though! The boats sail like a dream, turning on a pin. There are times when you think ‘an engine would be handy just now’, but on the whole it’s part of the fun being without one; having to plan your day much more carefully to take account of the wind and tide and the relative narrowness of the rivers (I’m especially thinking of the Ant here!). One advantage for me is that I don’t feel seasick on the Broads. We’ve been sailing several times off Anglesey, but I always end up feeling queasy, even on a relatively calm day, which doesn’t add to the fun! Oddly I don’t feel seasick when canoeing on the sea…I wonder why…? Not that I’ve done that for a while… For those who haven’t been sailing before but who would like a taste, Hunter’s Yard do 2-hour skippered sails where a volunteer will take up to four people on a day boat for a very reasonable cost. They also have volunteers who can teach you to sail. For those interested, further information is available on their website. (I’m not sure what the etiquette is of providing website links, so I haven’t). Photo...skippers eye view. 2nd photo, skippers eye view from my son's boat (not that he drank any of it until moored up for the night)...

How do you express a 'tears running down ones face type LOL'? I do love this forum...

Those concrete cows! I admit it...I live in Milton Keynes. Never thought I'd like living in a city, but I do like MK, mainly for its green space. I can cycle from home to work along the river Ouse past fields of sheep (and lambs in Spring)...what other city can you do that in? Nothing can beat sailing around the Broads though! Helen

One more photo...

Day 6: Friday 8th July. Our last day’s sail. Shortly after I woke at 5 it started raining. It had been a very windy night and was still windy in the morning. I could hear it raining on and off until around 8am when I got up and went for a shower whilst Graham continued to doze. Woke the boys up and I made breakfast for the four of us (fried spam with beans). It was getting on for 11 by the time we got on our way. By this time the sun was out. It was very windy and gusty though, so we put two reefs in again and were very glad we had done so by the time we joined the Thurne. It was exhilarating sailing. We had to beat out way up the Bure, but we found that it’s much easier tacking in a stronger wind. We even managed to sail most of the way up Ranworth Dam. Once at Malthouse Broad we mud-weighted and then used the dinghies to get to Ranworth Staithe. By that time it was just after 3, after the time that the Maltster’s stops serving food, so we had a quick drink in the pub and went to the Staithe Tearooms for lunch. A very nice lunch too – huge serving of stilton with crusty bread, salad and pickles. After lunch Graham stayed by the Staithe whilst the boys came with me to St Helens’ Church. They went up the tower whilst I took lots of photos of the rood screen with my ‘good’ camera (I’m very interested in medieval art, having done an OU Art History course a couple of years ago). Back at the Staithe I had a momentary panic as there was only one dinghy tied up instead of two, but Harry pointed out that his Dad had taken the other and was having a grand time sailing on the Broad. He returned when he saw us waving, and we all made our way back to the boats. It was well past 5pm when we set off, but we had quite a quick journey back down the Bure, mostly with a following wind. It wasn’t as gusty though, so Graham took out one reef as we passed St Benet’s. He was having difficulty getting the second reef out though, so we put our bow into the reeds to that I could hold the sail into the wind for him. The boys passed us whilst we were doing that and we then followed them up the Thurne, the wind dropping steadily but we managed to get back to the Yard shortly after 8pm. It’s been a glorious week’s sailing.

Day 5: Thursday 7th July A beautiful morning again with a fair westerly wind. We left Hustler 3 at Deep Go Dyke and tied both dinghies behind Hustler and put Hustler 3’s quant onto Hustler so that we’d have two quants for the journey back through Meadow Dyke (having had a real struggle last year to get back against the wind). We had a lovely sail through the dyke and around Horsey Mere before taking our sails down as we approached Horsey Staithe. Once there we went to the National Trust shop for a coffee and cake and then went back to the boat. The boys each took a dinghy out on the Mere and enjoyed themselves sailing around in the stiff breeze whilst I took photos and Graham relaxed in the sun with a book. When they returned to the Staithe we walked along the road to the Nelson Head pub and had a really lovely lunch, Graham and I both had their Cheese Steak Philly – a huge portion of steak in Ciabatta with chips, coleslaw and salad. Feeling very stuffed we decided we could do with a longer walk than just the return to the boat, so we followed the pathway toward the dunes and watched the seals from the beach. On the way back we found a path which took us back to the Staithe through fields rather than along the road. Rather than sail the dinghies again we reviewed the tide table and decided to try to get through Potter Heigham on the falling tide (high water being just before 3pm). We had a brilliant sail tacking Hustler across the Mere. The boys then double-quanted through the dyke, passing just one other boat on route. We picked up Hustler 3 again and went on our way back through Candle Dyke and then tacked down the Thurne without any problems. We were able to get thought the bridge without problems too, although there wasn’t much clearance. We thought the water levels were higher this year than they had been last year, not sure whether that was because of Spring tides or all the rain that we’d had over the past few weeks or a combination of both. The sail down to Ludham was lovely. It’s much quieter on the river after 6pm, though the wind always drops away toward sunset. We reached Hunter's Yard by 8pm. We weren’t that hungry after our enormous lunches, so I just made corned beef hash for the four of us.