Chickpea

Sounds like you covered a lot of ground (river!) We had the same issue on Sovereign Light a couple of years ago. Think it's quite a common layout. My partner got really annoyed with how many times he banged his head while trying to brush his teeth. Though, there's always somewhere you're going to hit your head on a boat isn't there!

For some reason I always forget how nice Norwich is, and I'm always pleasantly surprised when we visit. I was a student there (too) many years ago. Don't think I ever appreciated it then. Just had a look at the Red Lion's menu. Sounds great - on the list for the next time we visit!

Lovely pictures and glad you had a good time. As others have said it is addictive! How did you get on with finding mooring spots? It sounds like it's super busy this year.

I apologise if anyone is on the Broads in a couple of week's time. The weather usually takes a turn for the worse when I arrive in Norfolk! Last year it was Storm Alex and the year before that it was Storm Miguel. Hopefully it'll be third time lucky for us this time.

Indeed. Comparable in price to some more 'standard' day boats from other places further downstream too. Very handy to have a toilet on board. It did confirm we couldn't have a holiday in this style of boat though. We're both too tall (and I'm too wide!) to fit comfortably on the bed.

We decided we couldn't wait until the end of this month, when we have our next Broads holiday, to be on a boat again so hired a day boat from Reading yesterday. Probably wasn't very good practice for the Broads given there were hardly any other boats about! Also turns out I am hilariously bad at throwing the ropes around the posts at locks. Fortunately there were lock keepers to help, otherwise I think we would have got in a right pickle. We went upstream almost as far as Goring, with stops at Pangbourne meadow and Beale Park which were both lovely spots. It was such a nice day that I really didn't want to go home! The hire company is based on Fry's island and is only accessible by boat which makes for some interesting logistics around parking and luggage transportation.

It's interesting to hear there are so many differences between them. I understand only 9 and 10 are exactly the same as each other. We only had bow thrusters, no stern thrusters. The table is an interesting one too. Ours could be moved around but didn't fold away, only dropped in height to make up the bed. Before we went, I'd assumed the length of seat by the door moved round to make the infill for the bed, but it was fixed in place, which make the bed really long when made up.

I suspect they have tried to save a bit on the costs of putting together the newer versions but the quaity of everything still seemed very good. The main issue was that the backs of the seats were completely upright, which was a bit uncomfortable, but you could pull the bottoms forward to make them slant a bit. It's quite a large area of seating so there's room to sit in the corners and put your feet up which is quite nice. What I would say is that I found the seat that flips over to face forward to be very comfortable when cruising along, and it gives you a good view.

The water levels were unusually high when we were away and it was a bit of a problem. We couldn't get under the bridge at St Olaves, and had to rely on Somerleyton opening, which it did so it was fine. I would imagine it wouldn't be such a problem under normal conditions, as long as you avoided being there at high water, but others may have experience that contradicts that.

Yes, I think it probably would be, though I would imagine most boats are a challenge when you're that tall. We've stayed in a couple of campervans that had more spacious beds than any of the boats we've ever been on. I guess it depends on what you’re used to. It’s probably not as good as a decent walk around bed in something like a Silent Emblem, or a Swan Roamer. But if you’re used to a v-berth with an infill, or a bed where the foot or side is tucked under the freeboard, I would imagine it would seem miles better. One thing that might be worth mentioning is that I did make up the bed in the saloon one night as I thought I might need it due to a health niggle. I didn’t use it in the end, but it was pretty big, and really long. If you weren’t sure if you’d get on with the main bed, that could be a back-up option.

We were on Broom Captain 9 at the end of September. I think there have been a few minor changes on the newer boats. For example, we had a window in the saloon area which seems to be missing on the earlier ones. We also only had a shower curtain, not a screen, and there wasn't a curtain in the kitchen. I also think our seating doesn’t look quite as plush as in Markw’s pictures. The tables look like they’re different sizes too, which might have implications for how the bed in the saloon is made up. All in all it was a fantastic boat and it was absolutely perfect for all the rainy weather we had. I’ve tried to list out a few pros and cons, but I would say the cons are really minor ones and definitely wouldn’t dissuade us from booking the boat again as there really is so little compromise compared to other boats we’ve had. Obviously, this is reflected in the price and I’m a bit worried that we won’t ever be satisfied with a more affordable boat in the future now! Pros The boat was very warm with an excellent heating system. I think it was very well insulated too as we didn’t get disturbed by any sounds outside at night. It had excellent windscreen wipers and a heating outlet aimed at windscreen. The battery life was great - we didn’t need to use electric points. The water was still hot enough for a quick shower in morning without running the engine first. There is loads of storage space – under the interior steps, under the saloon seats, lots cupboards in the kitchen and saloon, a massive storage locker in the floor of the rear cockpit, and good cupboards in the bathroom. The flip-up forward-facing seat for the ‘co-pilot’ a great feature. More boats should have them! The bathroom is roomy (for a boat). The toilet tank indicator is very handy. Not having to use an increase in nasty smells to tell you that you need a pump-out is great! It’s easy to manoeuvre, with good visibility, and bow thrusters. Even though the engine is under the saloon floor, it seemed pretty quiet when under way. The rear cockpit area is very versatile with fabric sides that can be rolled up or down easily. We hung up our waterproofs and left our boots in there which meant they didn’t get in the way, and it helped keep the interior of the boat clean. Everything was very clean and all the equipment all worked with no issues. Cons Could do with more lighting over the kitchen bench as it was quite dark trying to prepare food in the evening. The table is very big as it is used as the infill for the bed in the saloon. This meant we found it got in the way a bit as you couldn’t fold it away, and it was a bit of a squish to get round it onto the seating. As Markw said, it can be a bit of a struggle getting onto the front of the boat when the canopy is in place, as you have to go up a couple of steps whilst squeezing through the unzipped opening. This could be a a pain when mooring up, but I found a bit of sorting the ropes in advance solved this as you can just step off the back of the boat holding both ropes (as Hylander suggested - thank you!) The main issue for us was the bed. My partner is six foot tall and it was just about long enough for him, but the two of us together found it a little cramped. The rounded shape was a bit awkward. It was very wide in the middle but there wasn’t so much head and shoulder room. We actually found sleeping with our heads at the end nearer the door was better, even though you couldn’t reach the reading lights. The mattress was very comfortable and we did sleep well, so it was by no means bad, and it wouldn’t stop me hiring the boat again as it seems a very minor compromise when you consider how nice the rest of the boat is. A couple of pictures in case they’re of interest.

Monday 5 October We decided to go to the coast again before heading home. Aldeburgh was our chosen destination this time. And, obviously as it was time for us to go home, it was a lovely bright morning with quite a lot of sun. We walked along the beach and then just spent some time sitting in the sun watching the waves and the sun sparkling on the water. Tried to take some pictures but they don’t really do it justice. Then it was time to find something for lunch. Monday seemed to be a popular day for places to be closed so we didn’t find anything we liked the look of in the town. So, we searched google maps for pubs with gardens and the Dolphin Inn in Thorpeness looked like a good contender. The pub was in a lovely spot and had a very nice garden. The Covid measures were a bit odd as you had to enter and exit through the same door into the pub, but the garden had a separate entrance and exit from the road, which seemed the wrong way round to me. We sat in the garden in the sunshine, had a lovely meal, and were very pleased that we had chosen to do this rather than just drive straight home. Then that really was the end of the holiday. Despite the weather, we had a lovely time, and I think we did pretty well with getting to see and do everything we were hoping to. It was great to get away, and I think the change of scenery was even more valuable than it normally would be, given that we have both been working from home since March. Broom Captain was an absolutely fantastic boat. It was exceedingly practical and comfortable for the type of weather we experienced, and I wouldn’t hesitate to book it again. We’re already talking about doing the Broads again soon. Though, we might try the north and a boat that can get under bridges next time.

Sunday 4 October It was chucking it down when we woke up, and the forecast was now predicting rain for the rest of the day. How depressing. We debated whether to cancel the day boat but decided to give it a go anyway as it’d be our last chance to get out on the river for a long time. The handover at Hippersons was friendly and efficient, despite there being a couple of other groups of brave souls taking boats out at the same time as us. The boat did have a lot of dog hair in it though, so not sure if the boats get cleaned very thoroughly between uses. The boat was really easy to manoeuvre and, being electric, very quiet. The only tricky thing was gauging the speed. We knew the boats were limited to 6mph so assumed that was ‘full gas’ with the lever pushed all the way forward. Beyond that it was all guesswork. We decided to head downstream first to give North Cove Nature reserved another go. The water levels were much more manageable this time, with all the fishermen on their platforms, and we had the moorings to ourselves. It took a bit of time to work out where we were going (the mobile app Komoot proved to be very useful in helping us identify the right path) but we were soon on our way along the river then across the fields. The nature reserve is a delightful little place. I understand Beccles Bird Society recently took over management from Suffolk Wildlife Trust and there were clear paths and lots of evidence of maintenance, but not another soul in sight. The habitat is described as ‘wet woodland’ and it certainly lived up to its name! My partner was particularly smug about his decision to wear wellies when my supposedly waterproof walking boots started to leak. We walked back to the moorings via the road and, as there was a break in the weather, took the canopy down and had tea and a snack while enjoying the peace and quiet. Then we headed back upstream to Geldeston Locks. Presumably due to the rain, we only passed three or four boats all day, and two of those were the other day boats from Hippersons. We knew the Locks Inn had shut down, but it was still a bit depressing seeing it so quiet, but the moorings proved to be another nice peaceful spot to have our lunch. We cruised round to the Geldeston Village branch of the navigation, then headed back towards the boat yard. My partner bravely stood out in the rain for most of the trip, on his final attempt to get a photo of a kingfisher. The mission was accomplished, and I think he did pretty well, given the incredibly dull rainy weather and the fact that kingfishers don’t like to stay still for long. Back to our apartment to dry off and warm up. We ordered dinner from the Waveney Inn to be delivered to us. We made the mistake of ordering online first, which didn’t work as they were having internet issues apparently (or perhaps forgetting to check for orders?) We had a fairly basic (and very unhealthy) meal of pizza, chips and onion rings which was just right after a cold rainy day and the perfect lazy option since we had to finish packing that evening.

Saturday 3 October We had a lazy morning watching all the comings and goings of the boat yard and just had a very short walk to the church and back. After lunch we decided to go to Southwold. I’d not been there before and found it to be a really lovely place, and it was interesting to discover that all the little green spaces that give it its unique character were as a result of a fire in the 1600s. We had a walk along the beach and onto the pier, and picked up some bits from a delicatessen for a picnic the next day. Presumably because it was the weekend, it was really busy, and it was quite difficult to keep a reasonable distance from other people. The one-way system they’ve implemented on the high street does help though. Despite the less than ideal weather, lots of people were getting ice creams – I guess it’s compulsory when you’re at the seaside. There was one shop that was selling churros which seemed a brilliant idea and much more suited to the temperature. Then it was back to our apartment and a discussion about what to do the following day. The weather forecast was looking better, with some sun, so we decided to book a day boat from Hippersons in Beccles. We wanted to do the stretch of the river up to Geldeston, and it would be one final chance for my partner to get a photo of a Kingfisher.

Yes, I guess it minimises contact if you leave it after it's washed, and it gives guests confidence that everything has been cleaned properly. Having had experience trying to make an office Covid-secure, all I know is that there are many different ways to interpret government guidance. I can imagine it's the same, if not worse for holiday lets!

Not many good pictures from this day. A few nice views from our apartment (albeit a bit dull and rainy!)

Fri 2 October We were very sad that it was time to hand the boat back. Whilst it was a seven night holiday, it was only really six days of being out and about on the boat, and that didn’t seem enough. The only consolation was that we had three more nights before we had to go home. It seemed to take a long time to do our final bits of packing, and then it was a bit of a faff retrieving the mudweight, so we got back to the yard a little later than the requested 9.30am. Didn’t seem to matter too much as another boat was just finishing at the kiosk, and then we had to wait a short while for our fuel refund to be processed – a whole £17! We were ready to depart by 10 and decided to go back to East Hills café for a cooked breakfast, only to find it had closed, citing the current Covid situation. A shame and something that is obviously affecting a lot of businesses. We went back to the café at the Oaklands hotel/Blofield food hall instead and had a good breakfast on their terrace. You order using a mobile app. Not sure if it is a Covid measure or just meant for efficiency but, if it is meant to minimise contact time with staff, I don’t think it was achieving much as most tables had to get someone over to help them use it. We weren’t due at our apartment at the Waveney River Centre until 5 so we had to decide what to do until then. I know it wouldn’t be everyone’s number one choice, but we decided to go to Great Yarmouth as neither of us had been there for years. We parked up near the Venetian Waterways and walked through them as we headed down towards the pier. I remember the waterways from holidays as a child and it’s lovely to see them back again with very well cared for gardens. It was a very nostalgic visit for me in general. Walking along the beach in ‘bracing’ weather was a feature of childhood holidays, staying in places such as Caister and Scratby, and Joyland still seemed to have exactly the same rides as I remember. Couldn’t resist going in a couple of amusement arcades and having a go on the 2p machines (fully masked up and hand sanitiser’d of course). Definitely a bit of an odd quiet atmosphere given the pandemic situation, but it turned out to be a fun way to spend a few hours. By mid-afternoon we were finally starting to get a bit hungry again after the big breakfast, so we had a quick scour of google maps to find somewhere roughly on the way to WRC where we could park up overlooking the sea and have our packed lunch. The North Beach car park at Gunton ended being our randomly chosen spot and we sat there watching the waves while we ate our sandwiches. We also had a flask of tea with us, which prompted me to comment that we had turned into my parents. We arrived at WRC just after 5, stayed in our car and called reception as per the instructions. A very friendly lady answered straight away and ran through how to get into the apartment, what to do when we check out, and where to find things, such as crockery and cutlery that was all in the dishwasher, having been put on a very hot wash. All of this gave a quite a lot of confidence about their Covid procedures. The cleaners were also just finishing up in the next-door apartment which suggests they definitely needed the later than usual check in time. We were in the Oulton Penthouse which was very spacious and has views of the river and marshes on three sides. Some of the fixtures and fittings were a bit tired though, and the mattress in the main bedroom needed replacing. The kitchen was well equipped, apart from there was no electric kettle, just an old fashioned one to use on the gas hob. Seemed a bit of an odd decision, unless it was something to with Covid. It didn’t matter though; we were used to it having been on a boat all week! Didn’t do much that evening apart from enjoy lounging on a proper sofa and watch tv.

Thursday 1 October Off to Norwich this morning with a couple more kingfishers, which remained determined to avoid the camera. There was a reasonable amount of room under Trowse bridge, but it wasn’t high water yet, so we decided just to cruise in and out of Norwich without stopping as we didn’t want to get stuck. Moored up at Whitlingham and went for a walk round the broad. It was very busy with lots of families with young children, dog walkers, and children having canoeing lessons on the broad. It made a change to have a walk on a tarmac path, with no wading through mud required. As we were walking back along the river, we spotted the moorings at Commissioner’s Cut, and that sparked an idea to try to go to a pub along the Thorpe Branch of the Yare as the weather seemed to be staying dry. The moorings were still free when we got there, apart from three grumpy swans. The river level was getting very high again, and as I fiddled about trying to lower the fenders to stop the boat bumping against the quay heading, the swans hissed away at me but didn’t come too close. Someone had told me that the Rivergarden pub did indeed have a nice riverside garden, so we headed off there. Unfortunately, there were no signs of life so I assume it has shut down. So back to the Rushcutters Arms, which had lots of seating outside, and good Covid arrangements. They have some slightly smaller dishes available for lunch which seemed like a good idea as we were hoping to go to the Surlingham Ferry pub in the evening. On the way back to the boat we spotted a sign for the Blofield food hall at the Oaklands hotel. This is a fairly new venture apparently, making use of some function room space that the hotel can’t use for things like weddings at the moment. There was lots of local produce and a café with an outdoor terrace which we thought looked quite nice. We took the opportunity to buy a pint of milk, cakes, beer and some gift-y things to take back home. Then it was back to the boat. The grumpy swans were off being grumpy elsewhere, so we were back underway with no issues. I had tried to phone the Surlingham Ferry a couple of times to book a mooring and there had been no answer, but we decided to try there anyway. There was plenty of space when we arrived so there had been no need to worry. A nice couple on another Broom Captain helped us to moor up, which was a bit tricky as the current was flowing quite fast, and as a consequence all the boats were moored at a jaunty angle pointing downstream. The couple had been stuck in Thurne Dyke a few days earlier in the week due to the winds. The weather really was playing havoc with everyone’s holidays. The sun came out so we had tea and cake sitting on the front of the boat, admiring our lovely surroundings. Just as we decided to go for a walk, the heavens opened so it was a quick dash into the pub to get a drink and ask about dinner options. It was quite crowded in the pub and I didn’t feel comfortable in there so, having confirmed we could get dinner brought to our boat later, we took our drinks back to the boat and did some packing. After a while it stopped raining again, so we took a quick, very muddy, sunset walk along the river to the bird hide at Surlingham Church Marsh, then back through the fields and along the road to the pub. We were glad we’d got out as it was a lovely evening. Ordered our food and had our meal brought to the boat. They have a pretty basic menu but the food was nicely done with generous portions. Some final packing then to bed on another completely quiet and still night.

Wednesday 30 September It was a glorious sunny but cold morning. We sat on the little seat on the front of the boat with a cup of tea and watched the birds. We were visited by a family of swans. I’d read somewhere that things like oats were better for waterfowl than bread, so we tried feeding them some, but they were mightily unimpressed with that! So, leftover sourdough from the farm shop it was, and they liked that much better. Must have been middle class swans. Popped back to Broom for a pump out as the indicator was suggesting we weren’t going to quite make it through the week without one. Then down to Rockland Broad. The weather was still lovely as we cruised through the broad then round to the moorings on the dyke. Moored behind another Broom Captain and while having a bit of a chat discovered they didn’t have a window in the saloon like we did, but they had a proper shower screen, whereas we only had a curtain. I think the kitchen layouts were a little different too. Walked into Rockland St Mary past the bird hide (which was shut due to Covid) and went to the New Inn for lunch and sat outside in the sun. We decided to do the Wherryman’s Way Claxton circular walk in reverse as we’d already done part of it from the boat to the pub. Saw marsh harriers, kestrels, a Chinese water deer and lots of dragonflies. Not a very long walk but a bit of a slog towards the end due to the boggy conditions underfoot. Decided we wanted to go to Norwich the next day so back up the Yare and moored at Bramerton Common. There were only two other boats there so it was lovely and quiet. A quick walk as far as the Waters Edge then it started chucking it down so back to the boat to settle down for the night.

Tuesday 29 September And it was raining again! Never mind, on with the waterproofs and off for a muddy walk into Loddon via the church. Then we walked into Chedgrave to check out the White Horse as a lunch option for later. Picked up some bits and pieces from Canell’s farm shop and headed back to the boat and moved it up to the staithe. Topped up with water then headed back to the White Horse. They were very friendly and seemed to have good Covid measures in place. Had a lovely lunch sitting outside on their covered terrace while watching the rain continue to pour down. We weren’t sure where our destination was going to be that evening, maybe Hardley Mill or Langley Dyke. But once we were underway, I looked at the weather forecast and saw the wind was due to drop right down so I suggested we try to make Surlingham/Bargate Broad to have a go at mudweighting. This turned out to be a great decision. We had the broad to ourselves and it was so peaceful sitting in the rear cockpit watching the herons, cormorants and grebes go about their business. Just as it was getting a bit too dark, and we were thinking about moving inside, an otter swam by and that just made the evening.