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Aboattime

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Posts posted by Aboattime

    Good Or Bad Year?

    in Broads Chat

    Posted

    17 minutes ago, kpnut said:

    As I was reading this thread and getting things in my head, I was going to post that the Broads area is scruffy compared with lots of holiday areas. Now, I don’t mind that at all, (although I do think even in the past 6 years the place has gone downhill), but if you’ve spent out £2000 I think you would be. 
    We, who are regular visitors see the place with different eyes to a first time holiday maker. And we realise that some of the scruffiness is just the wild nature of the environment. But some basics like screened off rubbish facilities, well positioned picnic benches with neatly mown grass on some moorings and the like go a long way to a good first impression. Definitely not saying that all moorings need this, but ask why Ranworth and Womack are so popular - they are little central hubs, picturesque (even with the goose poo)! Coltishall is another place with a sort of ‘continental vibe’ to it - nice pub, nicely kept green space, village nearby. 

    In many places I’ve visited on the continent, you get somewhere next to a river/lake etc and it’s inviting. A little parade of shops, selling icecream and drinks, somewhere to sit while the kids entertain themselves with a swing or seesaw. Go to Reedham or Acle Bridge, or Ludham Bridge and it should be the same. But somehow it’s not. 
     

    I personally don’t need these things, but even the ‘outdoor types’ mentioned above that should be a target group, might have experienced these things abroad and be impressed by the same here. Consider the ‘aire’ at Wroxham, opposite the stern on moorings. In France there are plenty of these riverside/canalside stop off points for motor homes etc, with nice neat pitches, sometimes marked out with low growing hedges. In Wroxham you are in the corner of a rough piece of concrete. 
     

    To attract holidaymakers the area has to be attractive to them. Tart it up with casinos, nightclubs etc and it becomes alien to many, while attracting many others, but providing nothing doesn’t really attract anyone. 

    Thd real beauty of a broads boating holiday should be adventure, and nature mixed in with that holiday vibe of a few picturesque scenes and a few treats along the way. Lovely photos of sunsets are not the only thing people want on a costly holiday. 

    Ive often thought for some time that up stream of Wroxham bridge is very tatty. The riverside front from the King Head up to and including the park is very un loved. The Park has more fenced off area every time i visit, i will be back on Monday to see what work has been done to improve it but i wont hold my breath.Opposite is the old Connoisseur yard, the old reception office reception office is a real eye sore,but there are new rubbish bins!The moorings above the railway bridge and bridge broad are lovely,but im not sure Wroxham should be called" The Capital of the Broads".

    • Like 4

    Good Or Bad Year?

    in Broads Chat

    Posted

    So back in the day when the broads were busier and double mooring at places was common place,i remember there used to be arguments about if the doubled moored boat was liabel to pay a mooring fee as well as the boat tied to the quay.:27_sunglasses:?

    • Like 1

    Good Or Bad Year?

    in Broads Chat

    Posted

    Could not one reason be for a bad season be......... i have a significant birthday next year the family said what would you like to do in May to celebrate?A short break for all of us{6 aduilts 2 under 6year old and a dog} on a boat} i thought,3 nights on a very tired older cruiser £1700.....So i decided against it,still gonna go to Norfolk,but not on the broads.

    • Like 1

    Broad Ambition - Underway on the H2O

    in Holiday Tales & Blogs

    Posted

    2 hours ago, BroadAmbition said:

    Hire craft out of the channel by 100yds on t mudflats. I tried assisting them using loud hailer. I nearly got them off but they just wouldn’t listen to instructions. Then SOB arrived, totally unsuitable craft - too much draft. Rangers useless, no loud hailer, no having line either! Then they instructed hire craft to deploy mudweight over the BOW!  They should of course put it over the stern so they could ledge off on a rising tide. 

    I have to ask mysen if the rangers have actually had any training or common sense? Not having a heaving line or a loud hailer is criminal

    I left them to it before I lost it

    I have often said to mysen we really should have a heaving line onboard, not for our benefit but to assist others. Therefore if we get to a chandlers this trip I’ll purchase 50m of 8mm and splice a weighted monkeys fist on one end and make up a decent heaving line. Then of course instruct my skippers how to correctly deploy one 
     

    Griff

    Bit like the 2 Rangers/helpers at Ranworth who walk around brandishing a boat hook, who try and close gaps between moored boats simply by tightening the stern ropes,(no thought of using a mud weight),

    Water Rail Out And About.

    in Holiday Tales & Blogs

    Posted

    3 hours ago, grendel said:

    its normally about 3 1/2 hours, from Margate up to the Dartford Crossing will be about an hour (then depending on how long the queue is at the dartford crossing (anything from a few minutes to half an hour is normal) then for Stalham, I would use M11, A11 as that is dual carriage way all the way to Norwich, should be just under 200 miles (its having to drive west from kent to cross the thames that eats up a lot of miles- Margate to dartford is nearly 60 miles) technically I live less than 20 miles from southend, but its a 70 mile drive.

    my main advice is dont aim to hit the dartford crossing at about 8.30AM or 5PM (as that is the worst time for holdups.)

    Avoid the Dartford crossing on a Friday,its carnage,i live a couple of miles away from it and its a night mare. The loss  of the toll booths have made no difference to the congestion from Kent to Essex,even on a good day its very poor often tailing back to junction 3 or 4.Ive tried the Blackwall Tunnel a few times and thats not much better, rumour has it the London Mayor wants to put a charge on that as well.:default_blush:

    • Like 1
    • Thanks 1

    Hire Yards Of Yesteryear

    in Broads Chat

    Posted

    4 hours ago, StillCruising said:

    In the 70's we started our broads experiences with boats from Moore's. Starting with a Moorehen then Glenmore, Benmore, Rexmore and Merrymoore in subsequent years. 

    Back in the day they used to provide a tin of varnish just in case you had a little ding and feit guilty about it !:default_hiding:

    • Like 2
    • Haha 2

    Cornwall 2023

    in The Broadscot Lounge

    Posted

    3 hours ago, addicted said:

    I've visited Cornwall a few times over the years.  It's very beautiful and its coastline always reminds me very much of Jersey another place I've visited a few times,

     

    Carole

    Were of to Jersey in August, 2nd visit,Its stunning.:default_biggrin:

    • Like 1

    Cornwall 2023

    in The Broadscot Lounge

    Posted

    We were in St Ives this week last year, had a really gteat holiday,the best bit was a day trip to the scilly isles,what a wonderful place, a must visit for anyone.My parents used to take us on holiday either to Cornwall or the Broads, or if my Dad had a good year BOTH!Have a great time Malcolm.       Kevin:27_sunglasses:

    • Thanks 1

    Any Suggestions For A Private Mooring.

    in Broads Chat

    Posted

    4 hours ago, CambridgeCabby said:

    As has already been said , if your air draught is low enough to pass Wroxham , or even Potter then moorings the other side of these bridges are often lower priced 

    Try the old connoisseur yard up stream of Wroxham bridge,they used to be the cheapest in Wroxham.

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