oldgregg

Indeed it is, and with some proper pontoons etc it would surely be even safer. I don’t know many experienced boaters who would want to moor at GYYS (for a variety of reasons). We’ve all said time and again how dangerous that mooring is and I doubt many of us would want to try and turn round there. Mostly the yacht station seems to be visited by less experienced crews and infrequent visitors who want a bit of activity in their week, so why is it situated in the most dangerous part of the whole system? It just doesn’t make any logical sense. As for the bridges, yes let’s lose that rusting pile of junk (or lift it out of the way) and consider raising the other bridge. At least people could have the option of going out onto Breydon and having lots of space to turn (with big signs on the narrow section saying don’t turn in the river).

Actually, Mermaid has had that name for a long time - Circa 1989!

It's on the website under the budget tab https://www.bcbm.co.uk/boats/broads-cruisers-page-127.html Not quite sure why the two MS shares are on at circa £5K. Needless to say that's the asking price and you'd have to be mad to offer that. Here's the monthly cost.

It does seem a hovercraft would make a lot of sense for Breydon. Airlifting people off a Broads cruiser with a search and rescue helicopter is just ridiculous.

I'm curious to see how this one turns out. I think the extra couple of feet and the integrated flybridge seating have improved this mould a bit, and the layout looks quite flexible. Hybrid systems are also pretty mature now, with lots of canal boats being built that way now (some builders are now only accepting hybrid orders) so there are better off-the-shelf systems available than there were when Brinks Rhapsody was being designed.

This is so relatable!

One would assume so.

Close.... It's Buckenham. Though that is the other side of the river technically.

I don't think Pacific Star will be terrible on fuel... I've found the Bounty 40 a bit wayward but not terrible on fuel even with the hydraulic drive. And most newer boats are also hydraulic drive anyway.

Also am I the only one to think the shape of the flybridge seating is.... Strangely familiar

I'd tend to agree. I personally wouldn't hire it for pretty much that reason. It's just too much to spend on a week in Norfolk, as much as I love the Broads. And in fairness to NBD, the fitout is decent as I think the vast majority of theirs are. These were not originally their mouldings and they have done a good job with what they were given. The use of black vinyl to create the appearance of a continuous upper window line (the front two are windows but the rest of it is not as the build pictures showed) is essential to making the design a little more balanced. But when you can go somewhere hot for the same price (and go all inclusive) you just would.

My thoughts were that I hope they got the mould tools for it because they'll want to be making up a few replacements. It's got 'reversed into a bridge' written all over it.

Yep, everyone I've spoken to about it has said it looks like a trip boat. I think it kind of looks like a chinese copy of an Alpha Lowliner and an RF45 all in one riverbus.

I assume it's one of the revised 46' variants given that Barnes reworked the mould tools to produce those?

Just don't try to take her under Potter Heigham Bridge...

Indeed, quite a selection of cookware on that cork-tiled bulkhead. I think my favourite feature has to be the flue for the stove, though.... I don't think I've ever seen one done like that

There's some impressive sheds there. The FTO and the Elise are 'special'.

Just found another one as well while looking on ApolloDuck https://www.apolloduck.co.uk/boat/dawncraft-dc30-for-sale/681278 This was a 'shed of the week' thread wasn't it?

I've seen two boats like that this week.... Check this beauty out https://www.apolloduck.co.uk/boat/narrow-boats-widebeam-for-sale/692862 I'll have to find the other, she was on an FB sales group. There's also this one. I think the front cabin might be a bit much for some to 'pallet' https://www.apolloduck.co.uk/boat/connoisseur-1275-for-sale/692133

Is that the one with the convertible rear end? She does look clean and tidy but I just don't get why people decide to put tongue and groove on boats. That's the third bathtub I've seen this week that's had that treatment and it never looks anything other than awful. On that one it is at least a neutral colour.

But a decent percentage of people aren't going to listen, care or understand. This is why as engineers we have to take the problem out of the hands of the user and provide a solution which keeps things running even if they're doing a couple of hours cruising per day. If an engineer doesn't have to jump into the transit and bring a sack barrow full of batteries then I'd say that it reduces fuel usage overall? Hybrid powertrains are more expensive, but buying a set of AGM batteries each year is too. Been there, got the T shirt.

She's a dual steer, but doesn't have the extra stick-on moulding for the upper windscreens. I think she looks better not having that. In the current market I'd say £80K is about right for that boat as she's in good condition. Yes, she's an ex Moores / GoBoating hire boat. And no, I don't fancy the running costs of a 43ft boat either. It's a good 12% on top of something like a Pearl 38 which is probably big enough for most people.

Agree - I just don't get why so many boats have just the one alternator. If people need to do 5-6 hours cruising a day to put back what the fridge, lights, water pump etc use then it's not going to work. Many boats do 2-3 hours gentle cruising on the North each day and that just isn't enough. Increasing the charging capability so that the batteries can be replenished within a couple of hours and you remove the need to send engineers out to the middle of nowhere with a sack barrow piled up with batteries. Personally I'd fit something along these lines https://betamarine.co.uk/he-hybrid-propulsion/. Not so much for the electric running (although that'd be nice), but there's a big genset which will cover all the electrical needs. Sure it'll use a bit more fuel, but no call-outs for batteries has to be worth it?

A lot of the connoisseur boats always were owned by investors, so that could still be the case. I thought HW had acquired at least some of the boats, though. They had quite a sell-off to raise cash so that seemed to be what had happened. Either way, their boats have looked shabby for years. I don’t know why anyone hires from them, but each to their own.

Prices are higher than they were and it's not great, but I still think we're quite a way off Thames prices. I've compared two Bounty 40's for basically the same week... One is here and the other on the Thames (it should be apparent which is which). Similar boats, similar age (Monte is a bit newer, but the Moores fitout is a bit nicer). Big price difference.