Markw

Saturday 10th March Having done all the usual pre planning before we came – we had specifically booked this weekend as the tides would allow us to cross Breydon and travel through Yarmouth (something we had not done for a number of years) & subsequently upto Acle bridge where we had booked a table at Pedros for the evening - & that was the plan for today. We (well i) was up at about 6.30 – coffee in hand just taking in the quietness of the morning – bliss. Jules woke a little later – I made her tea and then we started our preparations for leaving – we had to be away at 8am to get to Yarmouth close to slack water. I decided to top the water up as the hose was on at Loddon and I was not sure where else we would be able to top up if we left it as we were still out of season and I knew from the forums that Reedham for example would probably still not have the hoses out as yet (i was right). Mudweight lifted, ropes untied and off we pottered up (or is it down the Chet in this direction), onto the Yare and through Reedham going with the ebbing tide. Whilst we were underway, Jules made the bacon & egg sarnies – blinking lovely… Loads of room under Reedham bridge (think it was showing in excess of 11’). Still no other boats around – until we got onto Breydon and saw one in the distance travelling in the same direction to Yarmouth – but had 4 or 5 pass us coming the other way – all cheerily waving as we passed – which of course we reciprocated. According to the tide tables, slack water was due at 10.50 and we turned at the yellow post at about 10.30 – tide still on way out – but certainly did not feel too strong. I was a little concerned that the clearance under the bridges was going to be tight as the low tides were actually still quite high this weekend – but I had predicted there would be about 9 and a half feet under the lowest of the two – sure enough – the height marker was showing about 9’6” – as Broom Captain is 8’6” with the tv ariel down – we had no issues. All the way to Acle – again – we were the only ones on the river. As we were progressing we were discussing the fact that we would probably get to Acle by 12.30 – but what would we do then? We decided to press on and ended up heading up the Thurne to Potter Heigham – approaching the bridge we did a quick u turn and moored up at the BA moorings – arriving at about 13.30 – some 5 and a half hours of cruising. Jumped off the boat, had a wander around Herbert Woods yard – there was at least one hire boat being loaded about to head out but the yard was obviously very full. Moored at Potter Heigham Back to the boat, had a quick bite of lunch – washing up done we decided to head back to Acle. Coming into Acle – again apart from one boat all of the moorings on both sides of the river were completely clear and we had our choice. We had actually booked a mooring with Pedros when we booked the table and decided to go into the yard where the Broads Boating Company fleet were. Again, perfectly executed turn in the yard and stern on next to one of the BBC boats (I was very proud of my mooring techniques this time around – as I kept telling Jules….). All tied up & mudweight thrown we were sorted for the night. Just as an aside here (and I have seen this commented on other boats when moored stern on) – the Broom Captain does not have any fenders on the stern – just the rubbing strake, so you can suffer from the boat ‘bumping’ the quay heading all night long – not the best for a good nights sleep sometimes. We overcame this by slackening off the stern ropes – Jules then held the boat away from the quay with her foot whilst I went to the bow and swung the mudweight as far forwards as I could – then tightened the mudweight rope on the front cleat – which then held the stern off the quay – just by a few inches – but enough to stop it ‘bumping’ all night long. Popped into Pedros to tell them we had arrived and confirm the booking for later – no problems… back on the boat for some pre dinner drinks and to get showered & ready. 7pm and we were in Pedros – we thought it would be quite quiet – how wrong we were – it was probably 3/4 full – great to see it so busy and we had a great meal – for those that have not been - they do small sharing portions that arrive as & when they are ready – we ordered 5 or 6 dishes and it was excellent. Service was brilliant and we were back on the boat for about 8.30pm – more drinks / TV and then off to bed.

Friday 9th March It was really nice not having to get up at the crack of dawn to then drive for 3 and a half hours as we had previously done in order to get to Brundall. So leisurely up at 8 – had breakfast then said our goodbyes and off we went to Sainsburys in Yarmouth to do the shopping – followed by Asda in Yarmouth because Sainburys did not have exactly what we wanted….. apparently…. We had previously spoken to Brooms (they ask that you complete an arrival form some 2 weeks beforehand – contact number / time of arrival if after 2pm / how many beds needed making up etc) – so we did this over the phone and were informed that if we wanted, we could take the boat at 11am – suffice to say – we pulled up in the yard at about 11.15 – happy times…. Walked into the rental reception – deserted – no one around – was just about to telephone the main reception (on other side of building) when one of the lads appeared (it was Danny – we had met last year) and we got sorted straight away. There were only 2 boats going out that day - & they had moved ours right to the end of the yard – opposite the fuel / pump out station. Drove the car down to unload alongside the boat – completed the paperwork in 2 mins and as we had been on Broom Captain before (we had the actual same boat – Captain 4 last September) – there was no need for any additional information or trial run. Car unloaded – then parked in yard and keys handed to Danny (they keep all car keys tagged in a safe now). We decided to unpack fully rather than the usual dump everything & sort later as we were not rushed being so early. Everything stowed – champagne opened (before we left the yard..) – we set off down the Yare just after 12.15 – 1st night plan to stop in Loddon NB – before we unpacked we did take some photos of the boat (as requested by a few people) which we will post up in the Hire Boat Discussion thread later. On leaving Brundall Jules turned to me and just commented that as soon as we get on the water, drink in hand, all the stress etc just goes – we really do enjoy being back on the water…..and to cap it all off – the sun was actually shining. We knew the broads would be quiet this time of year - & in 3 hours of travelling down the Yare and subsequently the Chet – we only saw 2 other boats on the river – lovely… On the Yare... On arriving in Loddon – apart from one other private boat – we were the only ones there – so had our pick of the moorings. First mooring in 6 months – stern on – absolutely perfect – stopped the boat literally 1 inch from the quay heading where Jules stepped off to sort the ropes and I headed up front to drop the mud weight. We had purchased a couple of electric cards from Brooms – so plugged in and all sorted. We had not been down to Loddon before, so we decided to have a walk around the village, familiarise ourselves with the facilities / shops / pubs / takeaways etc before returning to the boat for a restful couple of hours. We had planned to head out in the evening and go to the White Horse for a meal and then drinks back in the kings Head, but it got to about 7pm and to be honest we were both shattered – I think work fatigue had caught up with us – so we decided to stay put – snacks and drinks – bit of tv before we headed to bed. (Having not ventured out will give us an excuse to visit Loddon again when we are back in September) Moored up in Loddon Trying to be 'arty' with a pic.... Saw this fella from across the staithe...

Hi all, Not posted a holiday blog/write up before - so apologies in advance if i start to ramble....and will attempt to post some pics as well We have made 2 bookings with Brooms this year - one in September (as we usually do) - but also decided to have a few days before the season really gets underway - and we are so glad we did... Thursday 8th March. We both managed to work from home today – so, in between emails & phone calls / online meetings managed to get the bags packed and essentials boxed (for essentials basically read alcohol…) during the day. By 5pm we had the car packed, house locked and were on our way. Slightly different to previous visits to the broads as we would usually head across to Norfolk on the day of the hire, but as we live south Sheffield area and had not seen the parents for some 6 months or so – off we headed to their place in Caister – Christmas presents in hand – honestly… Great run to Caister – arriving about 8.30pm for dinner, drinks and pressie giving/receiving…..

Well done Robin... my father has his boat moored at Broads Edge (has been there for at least 3 years) and speaks very highly of David and the yard....

Well, we are here... currently moored in Loddon- apart from one private boat - we have the staithe to ourselves.... also got 4g on mobile and tv signal... lol... Will head out to the White Horse for a meal before returning to the Kings Head for a few drinks later tonight... It’s blinking lovely being back on the Broads... I will post a Holiday blog and boat review as and when we can... Otherwise...... cheers....

Wonderful - thanks for the very prompt service.... hopefully it will arrive tomorrow (should have ordered one earlier tbh) - as we are heading to Caister tomorrow night to visit parents - will stop over there & head to Brundall Friday morning... If it does not get delivered tomorrow we will make use of it when we are back in September anyhow...

Just ordered.....

That reminds me - i should really invest in an NBN burgee....

As i am currently working away - I will look forward to watching this from my hotel room tonight Robin....

Thanks for posting this update as we will be crossing Breydon on both Saturday & Sunday this weekend - will give a wide berth to all works...... Mark

Hylander - yes - it is both a gas hob & gas oven - there are storage facilities in the galley - i will do my best to try and take some decent pics of as much as we can as there seems to be very few decent internal pics (apart from website) anywhere - as we take over the boat on Friday - before we throw all our stuff around the place... Only 3 days to go - glad we did not book for last weekend & although forecast is looking a little damp - at least the temp will have picked up somewhat - really cannot wait...

Hi all, Was not sure whether to post this here - or in the holidays section... However, i know some of us enjoy clicking on the various webcam feeds from around the broads - so hopefully this might appeal to some of you. We are fortunate enough to holiday in Fort Lauderdale for a couple of weeks for the past 2 years and are getting to know the area really well. We are back again in May this year and cannot wait. For those of you that dont know - Fort Lauderdale is on the east coast of the states - in Florida approx 30 miles north of Miami and as well as the atlantic coastline, sits on part of a large intracoastal waterway system (some 3000 miles of navigable waterways around the whole south eastern US). I will post some stories and pics in the holidays section as & when i get chance - but it is advertised as the yachting capital of the world (typical america!!) and we rent a lovely villa directly on the waterway so we get to sunbathe with drinks in hand, whilst we watch a multitude of boats go past. We also hire a boat for a day or two whilst we are there. So, along the waterway are many live webcams and this one is great to stick on the laptop / tablet on a Sunday evening (or any evening) and watch the world come & go (in 30 degrees) in Florida. Dont forget - they are 5 hours behind us in the UK!!. Not sure on rules of posting links - but google the following; 15th Street Fisheries in Fort Lauderdale This is a restaurant we visit - when the page opens you will see a lovely pic of the restaurant (there is a fuel pontoon in front of it) taken from the opposite side of the waterway - check out the boats you can see just in that pic - then click on Dock Cam - this will then give you the pics from the restaurant overlooking the fuel pontoon / waterway and the 15th Street road bridge (that lifts every 30 mins to allow the yachts to pass). Hope you like this one for a change of scenery - there are many other webcams in the area - including ones where you can watch the huge cruise liners leaving port - they pass within 50 feet of the shoreline - quite an impressive sight.... Mark & Jules

Robin, Did not realise you had posted the 2nd episode just last night - i was stuck in a hotel in the frozen north east and thoroughly enjoyed watching that immensely. Listening to the instructions to aid you whilst mooring reminded me of a lovely hour or so i spent on my friends Fairline 43 in Hartlepool marina last summer. Having never skippered a twin engine boat before, he gave me a hands on lesson in the basin on how to maneuver the boat using just the starboard & port engines - quite opened my eyes on how responsive the boat was without touching the helm and just on tickover... Look forward to seeing more...

Better late than never.....

Definitely under average for me.... & glad to be so....

From what we remember - toilet is electric flush / shower can be a little cramped / the bed is circular - set in the centre of the forward cabin - raised quite high, and you sort of have to climb up the side to get in it.... as there are units / shelves built in along side it - not the most practical (and difficult to describe)... to get out / off the bed - you sort of have to sit up & shuffle your way down the the end What we will do is try and take some pictures of the forward cabin / bed and the shower when we are on it in 3 weeks time and will post them up here...

This will actually be our 3rd time on Broom Captain - we have previously also hired larger boats from Faircraft (been on Fair Sovereign 3 times or so - both with family & also just the 2 of us), and for us, for a short 3 night break, we find Broom Captain to be ideal. We like the configuration of the Broom Captain - especially the saloon area with the large folding doors that you can open fully - and when you also open all the rear canopy - it feels very spacious and whilst open you are still protected from the elements. A couple of nice touches we like are the reversable seats - the main seat across the rear of the boat can reverse so you are sat facing the stern - also one of the seats in the saloon adjacent to the skippers chair also reverses meaning the both of us can be sat side by side (small gap in between) at the same height facing forwards as we cruise - then you reverse the seat to make use of the dining table (if need be). As there is only 1 cabin at the front of the boat - storage can be a little tight (we always take way too much with us) - but there is space in a large locker under the rear deck - i was initially concerned that this area may have some water ingress - but having used this twice now (only for storing bags / cases / fishing gear) - it stays bone dry. Handling wise - cannot fault it - very easy to moor stern on as you can simply step off the rear transom (no steps) - but if you moor side on - the rear transom is the only access on & off the boat. All are fitted with bow thrusters etc (interestingly a couple of the models were fitted with both bow & stern thrusters - definitely no. 7 as we had this one previously) - but i believe they only fitted these on a couple of boats. Cooking facilities are fine - fridge is actually a decent size with ice compartment and door space large enough to hold full size bottles... and shower is good as well. I would have liked it if there was an sunroof / larger opening roof as the only opening whilst cruising is a sliding door / panel / window (not sure what you would call it - but you can see it on the pictures on Broom website) - that is nice to open when underway (i used to enjoy the outside/upper deck helm on the Fair Sovereign). if i remember correctly, they are fitted with a sliding roof but these are disabled / locked closed. if there is any specific info you would like (or some pictures etc) - happy to provide... but, for us, this is an ideal size / layout etc. and Brooms are great to deal with. Mark

Loddon sounds like a gem I meant - not blinking London....

Thanks for all the advice everyone... London sounds like a gem we have missed out on over the past few years... As we are only able to get to the Broads twice this year - we have no issues with cruising for 6 hours or so on each full day (hence the thinking of crossing Breydon as the tides are right etc...) and as we have done Bramerton to Beccles in one hit a couple of times previously - time wise there is not much difference (London to Acle that is), and for us this is just as relaxing... Appreciate the thinking re Norwich, but, as we spend much of our working lives in London and other big cities, the last thing we really want to do is to end up in another city on a Saturday night... Plans however may well change when we wake up on Saturday morning, but we will definitely head for Loddon on our first night... Alan - we will look out for Ranworth Breeze and give you a wave if we see you. Paul - very funny re the milk... sort of thing we would do.. Mark

Hi all, We have booked a couple of long weekends with Brooms again this year - first one being Friday 9th March - Monday 13th March - Broom Captain - cannot wait..... Now, we have previously done the following (when only on the river for the weekend); Friday - Brundall to Bramerton (Waters Edge) Saturday - Bramerton to Beccles Sunday - Beccles to Rockland Monday - Rockland to Brundall (for 9.30 am boat return) However, we fancy a change this time and may well do the following; Friday - Brundall to Loddon (will be away from Brundall 2 pm very latest - hoping 1pm) Saturday - Lodden to Acle (slack water at GY 10.37) - weather permitting - plan b will be to head for Beccles and not cross Breydon Sunday - Acle to Rockland (slack water at GY 11.51) Monday - Rockland - Brundall So, a bit of advice would be welcome from the more well informed re Lodden as in all our years of visiting / holidaying on the broads - we have never been down the Chet to Lodden (poor form i know..). Where is best to moor and which pub would be recommended for an evening meal - (bear in mind we are just at the beginning of the season on a Friday afternoon / evening mooring wise)? Having looked at the BA moorings - i see a few moorings at the end in the staithe / lots of mooring at Pyes Mill and a few moorings at Chedgrave. I see good reviews online for The WhiteHorse in Chedgrave but would welcome any advice.... I assume the walk into Lodden / Chedgrave is not too far if we decide to moor at Pyes Mill? As always we cannot wait to be back on the water again.... Mark

And a welcome from us (relative) newbies as well....

Well done to ZimbilV - quite happy to have come second (even though no prize...) - only 159 litres off.....

if we may add our guess to this - 2750 ltrs Mark

Hi all, Sorry for late reply as only just catching up on here.... Brooms are definitely running some of their fleet over the winter months this year. As a previous hirer we were asked our opinions and if we would consider this time of year - including Christmas and New Year. Booking is only available directly with the yard (another improvement following customer feedback) - rather than going through Hoseasons site (in fact the winter months are still blocked out on Hoseasons site until March). Might be worth a look - contact number - 01603 712334 We were considering another short break (3 nights) before Christmas - but as we are having 2 weeks in Gran Canaria from 11th Nov - cannot really justify it with work One question i did consider when thinking about hiring during winter months is how would you get on with refilling with water if hoses frozen etc (only basing this on how often my garden hose freezes during winter months) - or is it not an issue? Will be booking for March & September again though very soon. Mark

We always make a point of having a meal and mooring overnight at the Waters Edge - always had a great welcome, excellent service and very accommodating all round - we will be there tomorrow night - cannot wait...