Broads01

Just enjoyed the video, thanks for posting Griff.

Well done team again. I'm very prone to sea sickness and I've suffered on cross-channel ferries in the past. Nowadays I swear by Kalms tablets, they've worked wonders and I don't ever feel nauseous with them.

I was born in Poole myself Bexs although I haven't lived there for over 20 years. I know Weymouth a little bit. Well done crew. Plymouth to Weymouth in a day is a fair trek I feel. This thread has been very entertaining, thanks for keeping us up to date Griff and all who've done the sea charts thing. Has this broken the forum record for the most posts on a single thread in a single day?

Let us know how you get on Jay. Is this a 'free' week from a syndicate point of view and you just pay for diesel?

I understand Helen. I don't much like the long slog between Great Yarmouth and Stracey going back north. I've been in the position when I was slightly worried about daylight - I tried passing Great Yarmouth long before slack so we'd have plenty of daylight but consequently we had to battle against the strong ebb on the Bure at 2mph for a while - not nice. I shouldn't worry too much about busyness at Easter - in my experience it's not too bad, especially with Easter being early.

And you're spot on with that policy Clive. Anyway, you don't need to offer discounts because your prices are already better than everybody else's, especially when you take the loyalty scheme into account.

No I don't feel that way John. Whilst I don't contribute to discussions about the BA that often because I feel I don't have detailed knowledge on the subject matter, I do read and digest because it's a subject that affects us all. Not long ago I didn't know what all the fuss was about but through keeping up with the forum I now feel informed. I fully understand why the Broads shouldn't be labelled a National Park.

I agree using the Langford name is good but 'Harbour' it certainly isn't! I think 'Basin' or 'Marina' would have described it better.

I enjoyed reading this https://www.herbertwoods.co.uk/blog/what-we-get-up-to-over-the-winter-months.html

I went 2 years ago and enjoyed myself, especially on the Richardsons stand (very similar boats then to this year). I was tempted to go again this time when I saw the Inland Waterways section but there wasn't enough there to tempt me (it's a long trip from where I live). I'm surprised there's not more Broads-based exhibitors.

That's true and I've moored there by myself, but given that Ferry have boats starting on several days of the week and it's a popular spot, availability isn't that great.

I try and take a common sense approach. My preference is to overtake on the port side and I find most people are pretty good at keeping to the right 9 times out of 10 (when it's a powered boat). If they were drifting around slowly left of centre then if a clear view I'd give them a wide berth on the starboard side. Sailies have to go where the wind is I guess and are apt to change direction so it's a case of pass where an when is 100% safe.

Thanks for the write up and photos Robin, I enjoyed reading. What a shame about what happened at The Swan on Christmas Day, very unfortunate.

Thank you Carol, I'll look forward to watching that. It's the same year as my first ever visit to the Broads at the age of 10, so special significance for me.

When I heard the news I also thought of the mince sauce smell straight away. I'm planning on cruising to Norwich this year and I'll enjoy the smell for the last time.

Is that the one on the right fork of the river? That's somewhere I've never moored but it looks fabulous.

Here it is, with the Ant in the background.

It's on the Ant, on the right as you go upstream not far past How Hill. It's not so much a Staithe as a piece of grassy bank at right angles to the river, big enough only for one boat.

What experiences stand out in your memory of this year on the Broads? Two things keep coming in to mind for me which, by coincidence, both happened on the same day, 19th May. The first is falling in the drink at Gayes Staithe (cruising solo) and having a horrible moment when I thought my life jacket wasn't going to inflate. The second is later the same day, seeing a rare empty mooring space at Johnny Crowe's Staithe and mooring there overnight for the first time - I was in heaven.

I agree the helmsman only ever steers to starboard but it could be there's nothing wrong with the boat. Because novices expect a boat to perform like a car, they sometimes think the steering lock is like a car also and under turn the wheel big time, hence why at the beginning of the clip the boat takes so long to steer to starboard. The technique of hard lock and quick short bursts of just enough throttle is alien to novices especially if they haven't received a good handover, hence I think when the boat ends up skew to the lock gates the helmsman just doesn't know what to do. If he has a bow thruster he certainly doesn't know how to use that either.

I will Howard. Almost certainly not next year given I have 3 hires already booked but I can see myself doing it. It feels a long old winter at the moment from whenever my last hire of the year is until the first one of the next.

I enjoyed your tale, Jay, thanks for posting. I haven't yet been tempted to go boating in the winter but having always enjoyed Howard's tales and now yours I may yet change my mind. Based on your observations the river seemed almost deserted which surprises me.

Yes I agree, Aqua Light.

Thank you Vaughan. I haven't watched the film yet but when I do so I'll have your post in front of me.

I've been a Russell fan since getting in to his 3rd series filmed in March and I'm currently at the end of Day 4 of the 4th series. Like you Jean I have to watch them in short sections I can fit in to my life given that this series is even lengthier than the last, over 2 hours per day of the trip. It's well worth the effort though. I really like the fact that he doesn't feel the need to edit and he's just himself. Although his river filming is basic with just a single camera on the port side, he actually captures some lovely footage. I particularly liked the early morning sun at Horning on day 2.