Broads01

Thanks for that Ray. Those ex Le Boat 29 foot sedans are becoming a popular 'second hand' buy for the hire fleets. That makes Pacific the 4th operator to acquire one after Richardsons, Barnes and Silverline.

This is to record thoughts and photos about Broadland Wave 2 which I hired in May 2017. The boat is available from Richardsons http://www.richardsonsboatingholidays.co.uk/boats/broadland-wave/. It's a 2 berth sedan-style cruiser, 31 foot x 12 foot. At the stern there's a well deck with seating and patio-style sliding doors to the saloon. The saloon has two arm chairs which are quite comfy. However as they're heavy to move without a great deal of space I think a small sofa (as on Escapade of the same exterior design) would work better but that's just a personal preference. There are some side units and reasonable size TV. There's a good view to the stern whilst sat in the chairs. The helm position has good visibility and theres a useful high level seat for the non-helmsman on the right side. I sometimes used this seat when moored so as to have a view forwards. There's a large sunroof which, unlike some sedans like Melody, is the full width of the boat and enables a taller helmsman like myself (I'm 6 foot) to easily stand with head outside. Down two steps takes you to a standard sized washroom to the left and a small galley to the right. This is a budget boat so no microwave but the fridge is a good size. Cooking can be a little awkward even for one person given the scarcity of surface space. In the bows there's a double cabin with a reasonably large island double bed. This is an unusual feature for a boat in this price bracket and suits the boat well. Handling was an absolute doddle. I'm not mechanically minded so I don't know the technicals of the engine and drive type but I had no issues whatsoever, albeit I only had north Broads conditions to deal with on this occasion. Handling solo I kept both bow ropes stowed part way towards the stern which enabled me to step off with both ropes with ease. Air draft is around 7 foot 6 or possibly more and so in common with other sedans it doesnt pass under Wroxham, Potter Heigham or Beccles but Ludham and Great Yarmouth are fine. This was my second hire of Wave 2 having last had her in 2014. The boat was broadly unchanged since then, exceptions being the additions of electric toilet, additional 240 volt sockets and, in common with the whole fleet, improved WiFi. It sits in Richardsons bottom price bracket so is identical price to boats such as Mermaid, Serene Gem and Crown Gem and yet is excellent value in comparison to those given its relative space and comfort. I would have no hesitation in hiring for a 3rd time, especially as it's one of the boats Richardsons make available for a 5 night break priced the same as 3-4 nights. I'll upload some photos when I can, just having some technical issues with my phone.

Hi Howard. I'm the outdoor steering type and always steer outside on a dual steer. I agree with what others have said about the outdoor steering position being the only place to be, so I would say only pick Olympic Light if you'd enjoy outdoor steering in February, at least some of the time. A nice thing about dual steers as I'm sure you know is you can switch between helms in the blink of an eye so if you get cold up top you can always thaw out for a while downstairs and then go back out again.

There's nothing wrong with learning in an automatic Robin if you did choose to do that, my wife is learning at the moment and chose the same thing. I've driven manuals since I was 18 but we changed to an automatic only 3 months ago because my wife is learning and I absolutely love it. It's so much more relaxed in modern traffic. It's true the UK is obsessed with manuals (unlike the US of course) but I can't imagine why. On the hiring subject, auto cars are almost always available in my experience and how often would you want a van anyway?

Thank you Robin, a very well written piece and I now feel better informed about some of the detail on this. The under-investment in both new moorings and lease renewals is plain to see. As Peter says you've made constructive comments and bashing is completely the wrong word.

Thanks for writing Bryan, I enjoyed reading. I'm always non-plussed by people who charge about just to get to their next overnight mooring as quickly as possible, Royal Satin on your trip being an example. Much as I loved Johnny Crowes Staithe when I stopped there recently, it's as if stopping there was the only thing worthwhile doing. Regarding the boats you saw moored at the pumping station, was there any significance in that? I've never stopped there but it looks a good spot.

That's true but Barnes don't want to know you Thursday night, Friday night or Saturday day time because they don't have enough room for their own boats on changeover, never mind anybody else's. I received short shrift from both them and Summer craft when I wanted a short daytime stop on Saturday 20th May. NBD, the Wroxham Hotel and Cafe were all full on that occasion.

Do you mean the Wroxham Hotel Ian?

I love almost everything, from bouncing across a choppy Breydon, to cruising beautiful stretches of river, to reversing a boat out of Neatishead Dyke, to the peace of an Ant wild mooring. I dislike people who charge around literally at full throttle, people who play their music loud enough for me to hear it and anything that holds me up from cruising (breakdowns and stuff).

I'm not a fisherman but I recall wild mooring spots on the Bure on the left side not very long before you reach Fleet Dyke going upstream. As you probably know the Ant is also pretty good for wild mooring spots, particularly above How Hill.

I'm looking forward to the Bronze Gem videos Robin. I remember a few years back stepping aboard one of the Bounty 37s at Stalham that happened to have the engine running and the noise was deafening. I guess it might have preceded the Nanni updates but I'll be very interested to see how you got on.

Stunning photo wherever it is.

Great start to your tale, looking forward to the rest.

Good stuff Doug. It feels such a privilege to be above Potter nowadays. I hired Bittern from Whispering Reeds for a few hours last October and it was brilliant.

Great, less us know what you finish up with.

I enjoyed those Robin, thank you. I was able to pick out Russell Thomson's boat Brinks Suncharm 1 and it's handy how your paths overlapped. It's clear from his video he enjoyed his drink with you at Ranworth. He had the same complaint as you about the lack of a rear fender and I agree it's a bizarre choice not to have one. I liked the Ranworth Island footage of the boat from the bank. Thanks for your effort on that because I can appreciate the issues with leaving the camera ashore.

Thank you Bryan for the comprehensive review. Those darned electric mudweights! I look forward to your video.

Glad to be of assistance! Probably one of my favourite boats I've hired in recent years, along with Distant Horizon and Gainsborough Girl, also dual steers.

I've never hired from Broom but I've never heard the mudweight mentioned on a handover. You make a reasonable point Dilligaf but unfortunately I doubt whether many handovers are sufficiently detailed to cover things like when mudweights are required and when not.

I think overcrowding or not is very much down to individual perception and tolerance. As you know Vaughan I was boating the same time as you and although I stayed north for 5 nights I didn't perceive it as overcrowded in the slightest. You may have read my post about my evening at Potter when there were only 3 other boats on the BA moorings. I was also on the Ant on the day you picked up the boat but I didn't think it was crowded at all. I'm not dissing your views at all, just trying to explain how I saw it.

I'm enjoying too Jayfire, very well written. You're clearly someone like myself who enjoys putting the river miles in.

I've never had any problem with electric Alan but it's interesting to read you've had different experiences.

I'm with you on the manual toilets subject. My recent hire from Richardsons was on a budget boat and yet I was very pleased to see it had an electric toilet which had been fitted since I last hired it in 2014. Electric ones are a million miles better.

On finishing my recent trip I was lucky enough to have my next two hires booked already but it didn't make it much easier.