NorfolkNog

I pass it every time I go to Swancraft but don’t go in every time. As Mark suggests, might be worth giving them a bell. Its as good a bet as any. Phone number is 01603 713786

Hi I don’t tend to watch TV but I’ll try to answer as best I can. The only pub on the Broads that I am pretty sure has Sky is the Kings Arms at Ludham. I’m also pretty sure that the Shed and Kings Head at Wroxham and the Sutton Staithe Hotel have Sky too. Otherwise I think you might struggle. One of pubs at Oulton Broad may have it. The problem is the ridiculous amounts Sky charge pubs which puts it out of the reach of most Broadland hostelries which are struggling enough as it is. There are not that many pubs between Norwich and Rockland and I don’t think any have Sports that I am aware of. You will struggle to catch the Woods End open in any event. You might be better to stick with Norwich, I would imagine pubs like the Compleat Angler will have Sky sports on. Sorry I can’t be more helpful, other members may have better knowledge than me!

Hi Carol Two fascinating films, many thanks for sharing with us. And many thanks to Barry too! It's great that these films can be preserved so we can all enjoy them. Looks like the doggies were enjoying themselves too! Liked the bit going through Potter Heigham Bridge as well. Looked quite tight! Brilliant stuff.

Hi B The size of tanks vary but generally you should be OK for a week. It helps greatly if you can use shore based facilities as well. Most boatyards and marinas will do you a pump out if you do find you need one.

Hi again As Dan points out, boat sizes can vary considerably. You can get a 25 foot boat designed for 2 or a 45 foot one! Depends on the level of luxury you want and what you are prepared to pay! You mention bridges – the low bridges are at Potter Heigham, Wroxham, Beccles and Wayford Bridge. Potter Heigham is the most difficult to get under and not many boats have made it this year due to the high water levels. It’s a shame because as others have said it is very peaceful. The brochures and web sites don’t give boat air drafts specifically but you can get a rough idea by looking at the boat style. However the boat descriptions will say if the boat definitely will not pass certain bridges. All the above (apart from Beccles bridge) are on the Northern rivers. The Northern Broads (ie North of Great Yarmouth) are the busiest and places like Horning and Ranworth are very popular and hence get very busy. Moorings are also very limited. I suspect that you would prefer something a little quieter and the Southern rivers certainly have more open spaces and generally less traffic. There are however fewer Broads down south although the rivers are generally wider. If you do stick to the Southern rivers you should be able to cover most of the area in a week so you wouldn’t necessarily need to plan individual places to visit. The places to go depend very much on your personal preferences, I don’t think it’s critical that you visit particular places or indeed miss any. People often say the best way to enjoy the Broads is to just set off and go with the flow and I can see what they mean. By all means have a rough plan but be prepared for Plan B or even Plan C! The tides tend to be stronger on the Southern rivers and you can save a lot of time and fuel going with the tide where possible. This site is very good as you can create your own personal tide table for the dates when you are away. It also gives you tide information at various points on the Broads which is useful. http://www.norfolk-broads.org/index.htm Please do come back to us if we can add anything else.

As a general observation, April can be quite a busy time. Strangely it gets a bit quieter in May. We go every year in December and literally have the rivers to ourselves but that may not be to everyone’s taste! As has been mentioned the Sothern rivers are generally quieter. Also many people (like me) try to moor within reach of a pub. So if you are not worried about this there are lots of moorings which have no pub access and as a result are usually much quieter. You can also mudweight on many of the broads away from the main river channels which again is quieter. Planning a route depends on where you are picking the boat up from, the tides and if you intend to go through Great Yarmouth. Good luck!

Fantastic film Carol, many thanks for sharing it with us. There were so many things to see, I had to keep pausing it! The railway trip looked to be through the Berney Arms station. I was trying to see the clearance under Wroxham bridge, looked to be nearly 8 feet but I could be wrong! Nice to see the pub shots too, the Swan and a thatched Ferry at Horning plus the Lion at Thurne. Fascinating to see how they have changed over the years. It’s a video I’ll have to play over and over again to catch it all. Brilliant stuff.

Thanks for sharing with us Gary, it’s always interesting to see the work in progress!

Hi David I can see the sense in what you are saying and the need for caution. After considering the comments which various people have kindly made I have decided to upload the video on to my own You Tube channel at my own risk. I take the view that it’s an old clip and probably the worst that can happen is that it will be removed. But that would be purely down to me. As has been pointed out there are loads of TV clips on there. I take the point about links to this site and therefore have not posted anything directly. However if anyone has a burning desire to see it, it probably wouldn’t take too much finding or I would be happy to PM them a link.

Hi Carol Thanks for that, yes I think I’ll give it a whirl. I’ve also found another clip, only about 5 minutes again but another Broads boating holiday from the same era. Forget the boatyard, Rivercraft possibly? I’d be more than happy to send you the link watch this space! If all else fails I’ll pop a CD in the post for you!

Thanks Jonzo. I might try posting it on You Tube and see what happens. The clip is quite old, must be 15 - 20 years ago, so I don't suppose the beeb should be too worried but you never know. I've tried searching to see if its already on but cant find anything, thats not to say its not on of course!!!

Hi Both Good ideas there, I'll do some investigation! Many thanks!

Richard, I wish!!!! Mind you I've bought my Euromillions ticket already, so watch this space!!!!

Thanks for that Mark, I’m not a great You Tube aficionado by any means so I’m never sure what’s allowed or appropriate! The clip I found was quite interesting but I suppose what you and David are both saying is that I could probably get away with posting it on You Tube but not to post a link on this site? Would this be a fair assessment?

Hi Bigray and welcome Gaye's Staithe and Neatishead are popular moorings – having said that in September (particularly if it’s after the school holidays), you should stand a reasonable chance but this is not guaranteed. Get there as early as you can. If you are picking the boat up that afternoon you could always call at the yard a little earlier, the boat may be ready, its worth asking. That way you can get away a little earlier. Gaye's Staithe is an easier mooring as there is more room to turn. Neatishead is a little tight with a 37 footer but quite manageable if you take it steady. You mention water – not sure if you mean available generally or at Neatishead? There is water at Neatishead Staithe (don’t think there is any at Gaye's Staithe). But water is also available at many locations and boatyards. Ludham Bridge, Ranworth, Horning, Womack, Potter Heigham, Salhouse to name a few. As John says you may not need a top up but I think in 4 days it would be pushing it. I would look to fill up after a couple of days to be on the safe side. The boatyards advise filling up daily but this is a bit excessive unless you have 3 showers a day! We’re always happy to try and help if you have any more questions. Have a good trip!

Even though I am a Yorkshireman, I am very pleased to see that Norwich is claiming the title of real ale capital – 254 beers, I could start to get a thirst on!! Nice one http://www.eveningnews24.co.uk/news/nor ... _1_1427286

Thanks for that David, better to be on the safe side - knowing my luck I'd probably be the one to get nicked!!!

Hi All I would welcome some advice particularly from legal and You Tube experts! I have been looking through some old video tapes and have come across an extract from (I think) a BBC holiday programme about a Broads holiday aboard the Wherry White Moth. I’m guessing this would date from the 90’s. It lasts about 5 minutes. As it looked quite interesting, I considered posting it on You Tube but I am wondering if I will be in breach of copyright if I do that. There is some blurb on You Tube – this seems to be the pertinent bit (although it does mention US Law) Some examples of potentially infringing content are: TV shows Including sitcoms, sports broadcasts, news broadcasts, comedy shows, cartoons, dramas, etc. Includes network and cable TV, pay-per-view and on-demand TV Music videos, such as the ones you might find on music video channels Videos of live concerts, even if you captured the video yourself Even if you took the video yourself, videotaping a concert of your favorite band does not necessarily give you the right to reproduce and distribute the video of the concert without permission from the music publisher (who represents the song writer). Movies and movie trailers Commercials Slide shows that include photos or images owned by somebody else So I am a bit confused! To post or not to post! Any advice would be very welcome.

BTW - Stalham to Burgh Castle is about 28 miles. At an average of 4mph it would take 7 hours overall. I would allow a little more to be on the safe side.

Not a daft question at all! It can be done but is a fair hoof. It would be a lot easier if you hit Great Yarmouth around slack water, you will then have the tides with you. This is a really good site for tides info. Click on the tides link. http://www.norfolk-broads.org/index.htm If its not clear, do come back to us

I would agree that the Bridge Inn is excellent and very family friendly, they have amusements and play equipment as well as a big riverside garden. The Dog Inn just up the road from Ludham Bridge is also an excellent family friendly pub which you will pass by assuming you are hiring from Stalham. How Hill is a pretty spot to moor and Salhouse Broad has woods and grassed areas running down to the water and is a great place for kids. Care is needed if you are thinking of mooring at Great Yarmouth although there are Broads Authority staff there who will help you. Plenty to do at Oulton Broad and again you can moor at the yacht station where the staff will assist you.

Ahhh point taken, I wasn't sure if a running yacht would need to use one side of the river or other. I suppose with a motorised craft, yes there is no wrong side as such but convention would dictate that you generally stick to the right.

In my experience most yacht helms are very helpful and when tacking will frequently indicate where they would like you to go. The key is, if in doubt, hug the starboard bank and move slowly. On occasions where the is some doubt and we don’t get a signal, the first mate (Mrs Nog) will hold up her hands and this usually elicits the necessary directions. They key also is never to attempt to cross in front of a tacking yacht, always behind. They often get up a surprising spurt of speed when they have turned. The only thing that does confuse me a bit is when a yacht has the wind astern (is this called running free?). In such circumstances the yacht can be in the middle of the river or even on the wrong side. The helm is often obscured the by sails. I usually just give the yacht a wide berth, if necessary going over to the other side if I am in doubt. But to be fair I have encountered very few unhelpful yacht helms. In fact we had quite an entertaining encounter with a guy tacking down Meadow Dyke, not the widest waterway on the Broads. We followed very slowly for a while but to be fair the yacht soon pulled in and let us pass. It was all very good humoured.

Hi Trevor PM sent