Tractorted

Hi We had two weeks on Swan rapture and travelled from Stahlam as far as Rockland St Mary, Loddon , coltishall, potter & a points in between, pushed the tide some of the way coming back up through Yarmouth heading north. We had the heating on for about couple of hours for about 4/5 nights in our second week as it was colder & damp. I fully expected to have to pay additional to our £150 fuel deposit, chatting away to the richardsons guy as he refuelled the boat and noticing the price on the pump asked if that was the price we would be paying, £122 so £28 pound refund, I had been expecting to pay richardsons as we'd had the heating on, also got reimbursed on a pump out from Bridgecraft- this was new , never been advised of this in the past. Having hired Calypso 3 years previous and done much the same travelling around, don't remember what heating we used, but we paid about £20 over our deposit (£150) then, maybe we did less miles this time or a newer boat but diesel are far higher now than then

We are just back from two weeks on Swan rapture ( still working my way through a write up) & was speaking to the Richardsons guy that fills up the diesel on the last morning about the new fuel, part of the reason that they are using it is that it burns cleaner with no fumes but they are finding that it eats the seals on the older diesel engines. I got £28 back from a £150 fuel deposit- don't know if that was down to the new fuel or what, it paid for meals stops on the way back up home.

We spent the night at pies mill at London as the staithe was full, early next morning we ventured to the staithe as a few boats had passed, one space so reversed in, swan rapture is so much better to reverse moor than calypso & that’s without using the bow thrusters, a walk up the village to find out he butchers, good call, Rosie’s was shut but found an excellent scone and coffee in the middle of the village , the one with the really high entrance step, can recommend the cheese scone with chutney. After stowing the supplies we headed of somewhere new to both of us, Rockland St Mary had been suggested to us by a boater when we had been moored at Acle, so turning right at the mouth of the Chet we headed up the Yare past the sugar factory. Rockland broad was quite magical combination of the slow speed all he wildlife and in the summer with all the water lilies flowering it must be breathtaking, we continued towards the staithe missing the floating walkway in the river, there was one space left at the staithe next to the slipway, selected reverse with a bit of helpful guidance from a fisherman & a minute touch of bowthruster we were in, so tea was going to be at the inn, nothing spectacular about the meal, just normal pub menu , expected a chicken curry with sauce but it was a dry sauce but tasty non the less. Left the staithe late morning heading for Acle, before we entered the broad a kingfisher was sitting on a lower branch and very happy to be admired while we passed, usually a flash of blue and they are gone, moored up at Hadley cross for lunch and watched water rail go by. Nearing the end of Breydon we watched a seal playing in the water. Now at Acle on the broads bank mooring, nobody been round for cash yet and the light is fading fast. Tea dishes are calling to be washed before they join tomorrow’s breakfast ones.

Yesterday was spent travelling down the Ant, it’s been good to appreciate the Ant without thinking it was the end of the holiday, couldn’t have arrived at Ludham bridge at a better time, no queues at either side of the bridge, quick blast of the horn and we were through. Mooring decision taken we’d try Fleet dyke, nope all possibilities taken, St Bennett’s was also filled, next option Ranworth, mudweighting or mooring, ended up on the island, today was from there to Acle moored up at about 11.30 spent the rest of the day watching boats & reading( luxury nose in a book for a few hours) Alex tried fishing but nothing biting. watched the service from Windsor, off to watch Only Connect - might get one question right if really lucky, Tomorrow through Yarmouth & up to Loddon

Well we’re made it, picked up swan rapture yesterday for two weeks & moored up at paddy’s lane for the night after a quick trip round Barton to charge the batteries. Today made it as far ludham bridge spying NYx when we left paddy’s lane and followed water rail down part of the Ant, she’s a much bigger boat than I thought but lovely, Richardson’s came out to sort a wobbly toilet seat & showed us how to operate the shower, we tried everything apart from pulling up the **** but we live & learn and we are both now cleaner. Now moored back at paddy’s lane ready for a trip to Richardson’s tomorrow to collect the car to go to a vintage tractor ploughing day at bacon, real friendly crowd as we found out 3 years ago. Not sure sure where Sunday night will find us but planning to cross Brendon on Tuesday, rest of the holiday awaits

I’ll be interested to hear about your checking in procedure , haven’t heard anything from Richardson yet only a time of 1pm on the original booking conformation, we’ll be picking up swan rapture in 4 weeks, already packing essentials- sharp knife , frying pan with lid etc

In response to YnysMon's request , Our first trip to the Broads stated with a choice of holiday put to us kids by our parents - the Broads or Butlins, myself and my eldest brother decided on the spot if the outcome was Butlins we would be staying at home ( we were 16 & 17), we had no idea what the broads were but they had to be better than Butlins, apologies to all those that love Butlins. The summer of 1980 saw us make the long trip from Scotland to the broads (parents, two brothers & me), starting out about 3am, made even longer by massive roadworks somewhere possibly about Newark- new road building with excessively long queues and static for long periods of time - long enough for people to get out their picnic tables and chairs on the side of the road- we just sat on the muck heaps in the sweltering sun till the traffic moved , made Norwich for lunchtime with look at the mustard shop , arrived at Richardsons in time to pick up the boat at 4pm along with the groceries that had been ordered, Don't think the smell of the boatyard on arrival has changed much over the years. Tideway 5 was our boat for the next two weeks, navy and grey in colour same design as San Paulo but without the metal grate over the single cabin window, hand over & trial run completed we headed off, Jarrolds book open at the correct page, think that was the name of it- following every twist of the river, with advise from the boatyard we headed for the pub at Wayford bridge, across Barton , up past the mill & cottage, and through the bridge- wild moored to the bank & scrambled off for chicken in a basket, always remember the pub looked something from out of the wild west with a wooden built veranda facing the water, a horse tied to the railing wouldn't have been a surprise, memory thinks it was an all wood structure- not sure how reliable that is. It wasn't a big boat for 5 but my two brothers had the forward cabin with the escape hatch in the roof, me the single cabin and my parents the kitchen table conversion. We covered a lot of the broads up to Coltishall where we watched sandmartins fly in & out holes in the river bank, saw a coypu but didn't identify what it was for another couple of years & I suffered sunstroke, not a good idea to get your haircut short for a holiday on water, through Potter Heigham bridge to Hickling so that my fishing mad brother could try and catch a pike- never succeeded but a highlight of the afternoon was when a Perch caught to use as bait jumped out of the basin they were in & jumped back into the broad, the basin was then quickly moved from the top of the aft well to the floor to thwart any further attempts at perch escape, we visited Beccles, Geldestone, met a coaster between Reedham & Cantley, moored at Marina Keys, Yarmouth, hired canoes at womack for the day and paddled around up the tree covered river at the top end and down to see the black hull of the wherry, fed an insane amounts of bread to the ducks etc, mum had to be quick securing the bread needed for meals or the ducks had it- this was in addition to the bread that was bought daily especially for the ducks- this habit has remained although it's now seed and not bread. The broads bug was well and truly caught. At the end of the holiday we had breakfast in Richardsons cafe looking out at all the boats and feeling flat that it had all ended & we now had a long trek back to Fife. I returned a few years later.

Great looking rolls, add a bit of bacon & water rail will surely go to the top of the votes, spectacular varnish and gorgeous doggies help garner votes but good food tips the scales

As you saying helping to get boats through Potter Heigham bridge was a highlight to the holiday, We were on a family holiday on a gold gem in the early 80’s and remember waiting to through the bridge in the late afternoon along with about 5 other boats, the pilot looked at the water levels said he was going home for tea and would be back. He returned after a couple of hours & we all took part in a pied piper style tableau, piling on to one boat to get it through the bridge then back to get the next, there was a wee lad of about four taking his role seriously but it wasn’t, getting under the bridge that made his evening, it was all his new found friends getting on his boat!

Yep, confirmed what we know, in the words of my partner seven years ago after his first broads holiday” the most relaxing holiday he had”,

Loved the write up & the photos but one question is the A74 route quicker?from Perthshire we tend to use the A1 & stop overnight somewhere, depending on other commitments it’s been Berwick , Newcastle or Newarkish. The last trip had two overnights as we went in search of vintage plough parts which allowed us the morning to visit the horning butcher for treacle bacon with no mooring issues & arrive at the boatyard without frantic calls asking when we would arrive Looking forward to the next instalment

Hi to everyone, I’ve been reading this forum for about 6 years & now plucked up the courage to say hello. Enjoy all the posting especially the renovations and holiday tales. First visited the broads on tideway 5 from Richardson’s in about 1979 on a family holiday and have been hooked ever since, Norfolk is a long way from Scotland but worth the drive. Will be back on the water next September on swan rapture, crossing of the months but not the days just yet, tractorted