tim

I can sympathise over the back as an ex club cricketer and opening bowler both back and left knee totally shot! However If the back is up to it Sutton Hotel is a short walk from Ricko’s and without the car you can indulge in the best pain relief I’ve ever found! 🤣 If enough pain treatment is administered the walk back will be a doddle! 😉

The only other pubs I know you can book moorings are on the southern rivers The Ferry House at Surlingham and the Reedham Ferry no charge I believe you can book a mooring at The Waveney River Centre which is chargeable we popped in there lunchtime a few years ago and had to take out a mortgage for Mandy’s Pimms! 😉

We’ve booked a mooring in the past there and you had to book a table with the mooring so they couldn’t say they didn’t know

That’s always our plan get moored before 4pm you should be ok my cooking skills are limited and it’s Mandys holiday as well, tbf boat galleys aren’t big enough for her creations. 🤣 we always have a couple of tins of something to go with pasta as an emergency but in 10years haven’t had to use them

That's probably my biggest gripe with the Broads! Boats on pub moorings not using the pub! Not sure I'd want to upset the landlady of the Stokesby Ferry!

When we were allowed to go to football on a Saturday, Mandy used to refer to me and my mates being a cross between Men Behaving Badly and Last of the Summer Wine! She's a cruel woman!

I cant add anything to the above, all excellent advice! Just think back to when you first learnt to swim, ride a bike or drove a car! At first you think I cant do this, but yes you bl**dy well did! A bit of practice and in a couple of days you'll wonder what you were worried about If you really are that concerned, as someone said above ring Richardsons and ask for a bit more tuition, but I doubt you'll need it You can do this

Can only speak about July when we were up there, all the pubs we used (and there were a few) had good covid precautions (some better than others) the weather was better so outside was our preference The best (and I'm very biased) was The Surlingham Ferry, where even before these latest restrictions were in place were doing table service. Could become your local being only short cruise from your home mooring!

Just caught up with your tale and very enjoyable is was, thank you I must do another next year when we are back on the Broads I was a bit concerned with the lack of pubs featured! My adventures tend tell to be more on the lines of The Nogs and Jay!

Just had a look to see how many posts I'd made to find I actually am a Full Member, quite a few of my friends and colleagues already knew that! Some of my posts must have been sensible then! Wow, humbled and honored, I shall raise a glass tonight!

Try this for tides This will give you low water at certain places add 5h 15m on for high tide so you can calculate the flow, however as I once a year boater, sometimes the rivers dont do what they are told! Dont be afraid to pull out of mooring if you dont feel comfortable and do it again, no-one will laugh at you, if they do they are idiots, we all make mistakes! Take it slow http://www.norfolk-broads.org/tides/tide_report.asp

Oh should have said re Bridge heights, not Potter Heigham and Wroxham will be on the advise of pilot

You'll be fine, make a list and ask at your handover, if unsure ask again, bridge heights wont be a problem with that boat! You'll find tide tables in your captains manual (assuming you get one in these times) there is a website which is great for tides, if no-one posts it I'll post it later, down load the app 'aweigh' which is great Take it slow and enjoy yourselves and welcome!

Yup 🤣

I have booked again for next year June 26th I picked this week as if gives me the most reasonable times to cross Breydon without going 'really silly' early or late enough to struggle getting moored by 4pm (my golden rule) However, I'm doing the opposite cruise to you South to North! I find it a bit boring staying in one part so we always do South and North, also it's nice to get the contrast between the two areas

Miscommunication? There's nothing like leaving a mooring perfectly, then look round and find your beloved waving at you from the bank with a full beer garden cheering!

I'm a once a year boater, I now consider myself competent but clearly not as good as people who helm every week, I know that so take extra care when mooring! Our first hire was back in 2010, well, I had been before as a 'fire proof' 20 year old with mates and our girlfriends back in 1981, but we wont go there! We had hired San Luis from Richardsons an Ocean 30 an aft cockpit, we did the hand over and was instructed how to moor etc, did the trial run everything was good, I felt wary but reasonably confident at the same time, I did work at a small boat yard as a teenager, so had some experience of boats, but I was a notice, a newbie! We had crossed Barton Broad, the sun was out it was glorious, Mandy and our old dog Amber were sitting at the rear, Amber was watching the ducks, I suddenly heard a big splash and Mandy screamed, I looked round to find I was towing the dog on her extending lead behind the boat! My instant reaction was to put it in neutral checked nothing was around us and turned the engine off, this all happened in a split second, I managed to pull Amber towards the boat, then leaning over the back I managed to pull her onto he boat by her collar. She wasn't wearing life jacket, my dogs do now! The point I'm making is although she was only a dog (we loved her) and I was a novice I wanted that propeller to stop moving asap so I could rescue the dog, that was my instant reaction

We had one on Pacific Princess this year

Got to agree with you there, first time I went down there I came out the same way as I went in, despite it being better for me to go the other way, as I wasn't confident I was in the right place. Now it doesn't bother me so much, but I'm very careful Breydon, on the other hand has not presented any problem to me whichever way I approach it, although the first time I crossed it I was very wary beforehand, read every article and thread watched every video but found it a doddle if you follow the simple rules, which I do!

Mandy, me and dog stopped at the Waters Edge 5 years ago ish, en route from Norwich to a booked mooring at the Ferry House. They had half built the decking area if that helps date it? As it our habit, we found a table outside sat down whilst Mandy decided which beverage she fancied (this sometimes takes a while) after about 90 secs a guy approached us asking asked if we were going to buy a drink and told us we couldn't take the dog inside, it was a hot day we were both in 'casual' T shirts, shorts and flip flops! I replied, yes we will and you can see we are outside, I went inside to get a Pimms and a beer, and waited while the same guy discussed something with a member of his staff! It was only when I commented, that the dog was still outside and we would like a drink or two he came over and served me in a manner that didn't make me feel welcome! 20mins later we were off to The Ferry House which we have used numerous times and is imo the best pub on the broads and the complete opposite to our one and only experience at the Waters Edge Been passed it numerous times since and never felt any inclination to stop, so he missed out on someone who spends fortunes in pubs on the broads when on holiday!

Generally I agree with your post, however if you live in a low infection area why the same rules as a high area i believe, and tbf I’ve lost the plot on all this, local councils can instigate local lock downs if they believe it’s necessary, so if you live in a area where things are ‘ok’ why is the ‘rule of 6’ nationwide?

Hmmm Gracie, 5 ladies, pub, East Sussex not far from me and a spare seat! 😉 Sounds like my kind of event!! 🤣

It is confusing but even if in a restricted area I believe you still can but the pub (assuming you are going to one) will close at 10pm! i think that’s the rules?

Last year I left a mooring leaving Mandy still on the bank! 'Honest guv' it was a mistake, she still brings it up in conversation and asks if a did it on purpose!

Tbf that’s the option I usually go for and 10% off on my camra membership! although it doesn’t help much on my bar tap for the week NN! 😉