tim

Thanks, we had her last September, didn't go north, but did Norwich and down to Beccles twice, as we had to get people back to Loddon during the week! We punched a couple of tides and went over our deposit by about £20! It didn't break me!

The world would be a boring place if we all liked the same things! I just don't like these new designs they just don't look right to me, but I suppose I'm a traditionalist, I live in a near 100 year house with a big garden, I don't want a box with my neighbors house in my garden! I drive a big Volvo Estate, I really can't stand these new pretend 4 wheel drive lookalikes! And I hire a 30 year old boat from Pacific Cruisers, a lovely small company where nothing is too much trouble! Maybe, I should move with the times but I just don't want to I've just paid the balance on my holiday in July, total price including dog charge and a dinghy is £1290 for a 40 foot boat with microwave, bow thrusters and electric canopy! I looked at Ferry Marina, the nearest comparison I could find was Royale Emblem, add dog charge and dinghy and the cost be be over 2K and is an older boat Now I except I will be paying a bit more for the fuel when I get back from my week, but that's a £700 difference! Even at today's prices that's a lot of fuel!

Went there last September, beer and food were excellent and good value We were on a 40 foot boat so chickened out of the dyke and moored by the locks Had a drink at The Locks pub and walked to the Wherry, didn't take long, then had another drink at The Locks on the way back! Well, it would've been rude not to!

You are absolutely right to tell it as you see it, I was just a little shocked, because whilst what you said wasn't a real criticism it's just the worst I've heard about the place

Me too, It's my favourite pub on the broads Been there loads of times, normally food and beer is excellent Then add the bookable moorings, the garden, helpful staff and it's very dog friendly means I always find time to stop there!

Really enjoying your tale, but really saddened it's without Rollie, it must have been really tough for you and especially when you are on your own? Some people don't get what dogs mean to you, I still have sad moments for a dog we lost four years ago!

Really sorry for your loss, any dog with cocker in it, will give you personality character fun and cuddles in abundance! Enjoy Bramble she looks a cutie

We've moored outside the Waveney House Hotel a couple of times, not overnight but lunchtime and in the morning waiting for clearance under the bridge There is a sign up with a number to book moorings but we never booked, just moored up and asked if ok, both times they said it wasn't a problem, but we did buy lunch drinks/coffee Drinks pricey in there and if you have a dog its garden only My favourite is the Bear and Bells which is very dog friendly, the beer and food is always good and the owner is a bit eccentric but good fun

I feel for your loss Simon, we had to have our 13 year old cocker put down 5 years ago, broke my heart, I still have tear in my eye when I think about her People who say it's just a dog, just don't get do they? However we got a rescue cocker, 6 months later and she has eased some of the pain! Amber will never be forgotten, but Lottie brightens our life!

Just checked my invoice for my boat in July with Pacific Cancellation Protection £20 Damage Waver £20 Fouled Prop £10 Rowing Dinghy £25 Pet Charge £45 Fuel deposit £95 No charge for parking 2 cars no charge for dog life jacket! Not sure how this compares with other yards but seems reasonable to me

I would tend to agree, however last year we returned to the boatyard with both of our hires (first time ever) In late June, we returned the following day as the dog badly hurt her leg and I wanted the car to get to a vets in Beccles In September, the other couple that came with us had to return home on the Wednesday as they had grandchildren to look after On both occasions, Richard at Pacific Cruisers pumped out both toilets and filled my tanks up with water while we were out! I didn't ask or expect it, he just did it! I don't know why I was surprised, it's just another thing that makes Pacific's service so good

On the subject of the anti vacation people, Mandy is an ANP in a doctors surgery near Bromley in Kent, she has a patient that has been waiting for a kidney transplant for 3 years, due to her vulnerability she hasn’t left home for 2 years apart from hospital visits just before Christmas a kidney match was found, surgeon booked Theatre booked ITU bed booked for her recovery the operation was then cancelled hours before due to a lack of beds in ITU they were full of covid patients many unvaccinated! She is 35 and one of those selfish b@stards have probably signed her death warrant as matching kidneys don’t grow on trees I can’t express my anger and I don’t know the girl personally

My sincere condolences for your loss

I've had an auto for years, and will never go back to a manual especially as I travel from Kent to Essex every weekday and have to use the Dartford crossing! However, just bought Mandy an auto, her fuel consumption has gone up! That's probably because the car drives itself better than she does!

You'll be fine Helen, its always the first mooring I do after picking up the boat from Pacific at Loddon, so despite being a bit rusty as a once a year boater (although twice this year) I've never had a problem! However, that might be due to The Ferry House being my favourite pub on the broads and my desperation and determination to get in there kicks in!

As someone who uses the pubs for all their meals (except breakfast) I don't have a problem who is on the pub moorings day boat or cruiser as long as they are using the pub! My gripe is punters on these moorings with no intention of spending money in the establishment that maintains them If I owned one of these pubs I'd charge a reasonable fee and deduct it off the bill! I know the New Inn is controversial with it's service charge, but no table booked no mooring!

We don't normally go on the broads in September, this is a last minute thing I was basing my figures, on the prices late June/ early July I had seen plus the post where 3 nights on a premium boat was over 2K, which turned out to be the normal price It does seem that the prices in September are far more competitive, so I stand corrected. I still prefer the smaller yards though like Pacific and Bridgecraft, they just seem more attentive to their customers needs from the experiences I've had with the larger yards Just my opinion

I'm not sure we want we want broad hire companies to behave like airlines! However, all I said was it didn't sit well with me, I'm sure HW will get by without my custom, everyone has a choice and mine is a small independent, I get the pick up time I want and with a saving of 1-1.5K I can buy my own hamper!

I don't think they charged us a service charge for the drinks we had in the garden Just to put my experience into perspective, we did have excellent service, I would have tipped anyway but probably 10% The mooring was free with help to moor, you can also pre-book which for somewhere like Horning means you can visit the village, there are places where you pay a mooring fee which isn't deductible from your bill and you have no help to moor! So overall, the experience was pretty good and I will book again! However, should the service not be good I would ask to have it removed

It might be the norm in caravan parks and other places, but it doesn't change that it doesn't sit well with me I would not use HW if they used the hire cost to 'grade' their customers I doubt Richardsons do that, or maybe they do?

When it was just me and Mandy for a week we never had a pump out, last year both our adult kids came with us, this year my daughter came with us So we decided to have a pump out on both last year and this, just to be safe! Pacific Princess had two holding tanks, so we had them both pumped, the extra tank was only an extra couple of quid!

I don't think I've ever picked a boat up later than 2.30 pm We were given a 1.30 pm time in June on Pacific Princess and we have a 2 pm pick up in September on Pacific Star! Not sure it sits well with me that you can have an earlier pick up if you hire an elite boat! I think I'll stick with the smaller boatyards

We had Princess in late June all in about a grand and we’ve got Star in September for £1100 Pacific prices are always very reasonable

I saw her when we returned to Pacific in June she was called Bella then, Richard said he wasn’t sure what to rename her then I too wish them well with the boat, really nice people with great service, in fact we’re back with them in September on Star!

Maybe it's me, but I would imagine that boat is 2.5K to hire? That's a lot of gripes for a boat costing that kind of dosh! I think I'll stick with an older boat with 'traditional features' and save myself £1500! Mind you most of that 'saving' goes on beer and food in the pubs, but I find the more I drink the less I notice the 'gripes'