Broads01

Thanks for that Robin, as always you explain yourself very well. Like Jean and no doubt many others I'm missing the boating vlogs. Yes it's true others have come along and I really enjoy those too but yours was always really enjoyable. I don't think I'd ever tire of them, even if you were on the same boat every time (which was never the case). However, I completely get your desire to do your own thing and explore pastures new. Your recent traveling away by car reminds me I could take the opportunity to do so more often myself.

Roy, yes I guess it's a matter of the expectations associated with the period. It's the same as in the automotive world, at one time, air conditioning and ABS were luxuries for the priveleged view whereas now both are the expected norm.

Looking in more detail at my 1975 brochure it's amazing how primitive some of the boats were by modern standards. Many boats had no shower and/or no heating. A small minority didn't even have a fridge, only an ice box. Tvs were optional extras. This 2 berth from Jack Powles was one of the most primitive.

Richardsons operated on the Thames in the 90s until 2002 under the name New Horizon Holidays. At one time they had 3 Thames bases at Thames Ditton, Wallingford and Benson. I think it was 1998 when they dropped Benson and then for the last season in 2002 it was Thames Ditton only. I have happy memories of Benson in the 1990s, starting two Thames trips there and visiting on other occasions with it being so much nearer to my home than Norfolk. There was a gap of a few years between Richardsons leaving Benson and Le Boat coming in. There was a day boat operator there briefly.

Griff I must have missed the link for that. Please can you repost so I can take a look.

Thank you Vaughan as ever for all your information. It's remarkable considering so many boats were built in a hurry that the Bountys have stood the test of time. And you're hiring Ultimate this year for the second time?

And this one's for Vaughan, the new fangled Ultimate Gem I know he was involved with. I would imagine a 44 foot forward steer was a bit out there back then.

I've just won myself a Blakes 1975 brochure from Ebay and it arrived yesterday. There was still plenty of 50s and 60s craft around in those days but mixed in with new boats popping up everywhere. The Bounty 37 Gems still in Richardsons fleet today were already established by then. Here's Magic Gem, in those days priced for its full capacity of 7 but with only a single toilet (nowadays has 2) and with the old style saloon drop down bed.

I hired Gainsborough Girl from Summer craft in 2010, I think the same boat you had as Yare Sunlight David? It's a 32 foot dual steer and still with that lovely Brister interior and the tinted windows. I loved it.

It could be a mistake but it's a straightforward price list and it looks to me like it's deliberate with Friday boats starting 3rd May and Saturday boats the day after. I would think it unlikely they were already fully booked for April, Howard but I know I'm speculating.

Looking at Pacific Cruisers price list for this year, the first date listed is 3rd May. This is a surprise because it seems they're not hiring for the whole of March and April, Easter included. Perhaps they have a lot of boat improvements they want to make and are planning extra time for the work.

Thanks again David. Some of those boatyards I'd forgotten existed. Who remembers Babik Boats at Wroxham? Brister Craft were innovators in their sat and fitted out to a high quality. Yare Moonlight must have been one of the early Aquafibre 38s. It didn't stay on the Broads long because it moved to the Thames and became Thames Moonlight which we hired in 1999. It's still available from Caversham Boat Services as Caversham Emperor. By the look of the interior photos online the distinctive light blue Brister upholstery is still in place.

Alas Neil, I know for sure Herbert Woods don't allow solo hirers. Indeed they set that policy many years back, long before Richardsons moved the goal posts. On the North Broads, as has already been mentioned, those that will hire to solos are Barnes Brinkcraft, Bridge Craft and Martham Boats. Maycraft may do for their one small boat but I've not asked them.

I can't agree with that. I'm a non-smoker and yet having hired Richardsons budget boats many times I've never once smelt cigarette smoke. Richardsons must have a reliable method of removing the smell I feel because by the law of averages there must have been a smoker on board before me a few times.

Thanks for posting photos again David. Wow, what a treasure trove of 1970s hire boat history those pages are. I wonder if Wishing Waters was the first ever dual steer? Funny to think that Amber Gem, still on hire over 40 years later of course, was ultra-modern in those days. I learned something from the houseboat page because I had no idea wherries, including Hathor, were used as houseboats at Martham. What happened to Bramble?