guywilkes

Our winter work was completed last week and after a very windy trip to our home mooring, we are almost ready for the season (I hope it warms up soon - I've had the heater taken out!). This years work included replacing 4 ribs on the port side and 2 ribs on the starboard side, replacing a bearer under the cockpit, taking out a grp moulded shower tray that was causing issues and remaking of the heads floor in wood, strip back of the toe rails and making good, Varnishing the transom and renewing signwriting, replacement of 4 teak roof veneers, fixing of a leaking brass roof vent, replacement timbers on the starboard side, removing a redundant water tank and lots of other small jobs. Oh and a complete hull repaint!! The team at Landamores have done a fantastic job and here are a few photos. If I may say, she is not looking too bad for her 88th season!

I thought I would share a few photos of some of the boats we have moved to and from the Broads recently. These include a brand new Sheerline 1020 which we took to the NEC for Boat-life Exhibition, and then on to the agent on the Thames, A Princess 32 from St Olaves, A Nimbus 305 from the Thames to Brundall, A Hardy 24 from Brooms to Essex, and a Birchwood Challenger 38 from Tingdene Marina to Portland on the south coast. Today we moved a Searay 270 down the narrow lanes to Cox's Boatyard at Barton Turf!

Hello, I thought I would let you all know that further to yesterday's incident, the yacht that took on water is already afloat and back at the boatyard. The team at Hunters Yard have done a brilliant job at getting it back afloat so quickly. A big cleaning job is now underway! Guy

The yacht in question took on water in the severe winds today. The crew are safe and sound and the yacht is also now secure. As soon as it has been re-floated, it will be taken back to the yard for further assessment. I hope this clarifies things for now. Many thanks Guy Wilkes (Norfolk Heritage Fleet Trust)

I sincerely hope not. As a Trustee for Hunters Yard (Norfolk Heritage Fleet Trust) we are very keen to encourage youngsters to experience the joys of sailing and the benefits of being outside and on the water. In fact during 2023, the yard provided sailing experiences for over 360 primary school aged children from local Norfolk schools. In 2024 Hunters Yard is expanding this new initiative. The 1930's fleet is maintained by a dedicated team of skilled boat-builders so there will still be zig-zagging and flappy sails for many more years to come. Incidentally, many of the yachts you see from Hunters fleet (they are the ones with the varnished hulls) are equipped with silent electric pod engines - so zero emissions even when the sails are down!

John Loynes is often referred to as "the grandfather" of the Wroxham boat building and subsequent hire trade. He was was originally a carpenter in Elm Hill, Norwich and he built his first rowing boat in 1878. By the early 1880s he had started letting boats from Wroxham and advertisements of the time show yachts of 13ft-20ft being offered for hire. Within a few years J Loynes and Sons were offering larger yachts with paid hands. By the early 1900's the yard by the bridge in Wroxham was well established. My River Class Cruiser is one of a handful of J Loynes wooden yachts left and is relatively young (built 1936!!). The 1937 "Blakes" catalogue states that it could be hired for £5 per week rising to £7 and 5 shillings at height of season with optional electric light being 7s 6d per week.

Hello - To answer some of the comments: A ballpark figure for shifting a 30ft boat from, say St Ives Cambridgeshire to Wayford Bridge Norfolk - on the basis that the beam is less than 3.5m, would be in the region of around £950 to £1,000 + VAT. For something like a Borne 40 / Aquafibre 35 with a beam of 3.65m (where we would also have to use a pilot vehicle) from or to say River Thames (Penton Hook for example) to Norfolk would be around £1,600-1,700 + VAT. For 2024 we are reviewing tariffs as costs like insurance keep going up + fuel of course can vary. I know that we are not the cheapest company around but we aim to provide a high standard of service. This year we have invested in a new truck and carried out major trailer refurbishments. We also converted a 2nd trailer designed by ourselves specifically for transporting boats such as the smaller Brooms / Aquafibre and other Broads style cruisers. We are boatowners ourselves (on the Broads) so know that it can be a daunting process. Guy

Boat Transport – Some handy information If you are thinking of changing your cruising area temporarily or are about to purchase a boat that is on another waterway, then in most cases you will have to think about how to transport it to (or from) The Broads. I have put some useful information together and some things to consider when looking at options. It is worth mentioning that modern road transport is governed by a significant amount of ‘regulation’, mainly for safety reasons. Responsible transporters will always keep within the regulations and will advise you on what is and is not possible. When choosing a transporter ask to see insurance details and check they have the right experience and equipment for the boat that you are asking them to move. Afterall this is your pride and joy and if not properly supported on the right trailers, significant damage can occur which might not be immediately obvious. Don’t be afraid to ask as many questions as you like to get comfortable. A boat that has a beam up to 2.9m wide can be classed as a normal load. Boats with a beam of over 2.9m wide are classified as wide-loads. If your boat is wider than this, then by law, the transporter is required to notify the Police force in each county through which the route will pass. The Police require two clear working days notice together with the exact dimensions, weight and height of the vehicle and load, the collection and delivery addresses, the date(s) of the move, and the route. The Police may delay the movement times in the interest of road safety or if it may hold up other road users (for example rush hour) and in Norfolk and Suffolk for example travelling in the hours of darkness is also not allowed. This is worth noting if you are moving your pride and joy in the winter months as it makes the driving day quite short and may mean the transporter needs to take more time than usual. Sometimes it is necessary to provide an escort vehicle for the load if the police require it, and boats over 3.5m wide require an assistant to travel with the load usually with an escort vehicle. The overall height of the boat needs to take into consideration and sometimes it will be necessary to remove or lower items (e.g. radar arches, light masts, aerials, deck gear) from the roof to ensure the traveling height is as low as possible. This makes routes easier to plan and can keep the distance travelled lower. Things like canopies and aerials don’t react well to transport, and ideally should be removed to avoid accidental damage or coming undone during transit and becoming a hazard. When you know that you are moving your boat it is a good idea to prepare it as best as you can for transportation. Disconnect/Isolate batteries Check and turn off all water and fuel tank valves. Remove any flammable substances – paints, thinners etc… Close and secure all windows and hatches. Close drawers and cupboards. Store and/or secure all loose items. (Internal/External) Remove and store ropes, fenders, life-rings etc. Remove canopies. Lower or remove any antennas or radar arches. Tilt up outdrive units for loading. For yachts - mast rigging and cabling must be removed or securely attached to the mast. Bottle screws should all be removed and stored safely on board. Any wind instruments/ roof mounted Nav light masts must be removed. If the boat has been in the water for a long time, it is worth arranging for the keel to be power washed when it is lifted out as weed and growth can cause problems on the roads for other road users if it drops off plus there is the environmental side of things to think about when moving from one waterway to the other and possible cross contamination. Cranes / Lifts Lifting of the boat has to be co-ordinated for transport day. We are lucky on the Norfolk Broads with a number of great marinas that offer cranage with easy access for lorries and large articulated trailers on both the Southern and Northern side. Depending on the size of boat, some yards have lifting capacity restrictions or in some cases access restrictions for certain types of trailers. Some transporters will offer to arrange a package with both the lift on and lift off + the transport included in the price. The transporter will arrange the times with the Marina directly (for a small fee) while others will liaise with the boat owner who arranges the lifts directly with their chosen provider. Insurance Always good to check what insurance is in place to cover your pride and joy while it is being moved. Most professional transporters will have a specialist goods in transit policy that covers their service on an ‘all risks’ basis. This is the most comprehensive cover that can be applied. There will be a standard so it is important to check the level in place. If your boat is over this value, a very small additional premium will be required to ensure full cover. It is still advisable to have full comprehensive insurance on your craft whilst in transit. Most marine policies will cover the transport by road on the basis the insurance company is informed beforehand of the move. Costs of Transport Costs of the transport will vary of course depending upon the distance to be travelled, the size and weight of the boat, the number of days the move will take and any additional services the transporter provides (such as cranage). There are online sites that offer anonymous bidding services for transport but be careful that your chosen transporter knows how to handle boats, where to support them and even has the right kind of trailer. In Norfolk and Suffolk there are several really experienced and professional transport companies who specialise in small boat movements or indeed larger craft. Here are some pictures of our own recent moves to and from Norfolk Guy

We had the pleasure of transporting this Aquafibre 35 from the Thames to Potter Heigham yesterday. We arranged the cranage at Chertsey and then loaded the boat on to one of our specially built trailers. Once safely strapped down it was off to Norfolk via the M25 / M11 and the newly re-opened A11 (before we had to take a long diversion) and then the A47 to Acle and accross to Potter Heigham on the back roads. On arrival at Potter Heigham we had a delay due to a number of parked cars being left around the yard preventing access but we offloaded this morning. Due to the width we had a pilot / escort in attendance for the journey as sometimes we have to use 2 lanes. One happy owner and great co-operation from Herbert Woods staff.