Broads01

Well I was waiting for ice breaking action and River Blog 14 certainly delivered that! It was fascinating, once again, to see on film an aspect of the Broads I've never witnessed, being a frozen Malthouse Broad. I assume you would have been stuck there if it wasn't for the fact a boat had previously carved a channel (they must have risked damage to their boat)? Did the boat you were following have to break ice near the Staithe in order to reach the channel?

Yes, but the clearest, most useful signs on the road are the ones so obvious you don't need the Highway Code to look them up.

I enjoyed blogs 12 & 13 Robin, thanks again. The Salhouse spit view was brilliant and I'm starting to see the benefits of winter trips. I loved the shots of Thurne Mill sails turning (never seen that in real life) and the stuff you did at Irstead.

As Bryan says, top marks to Barnes for listening to feedback re the helmsman's seat. Not having hired a 'regular' Diamond I hadn't appreciated the engine is under the helmsmans seat. That sounds noisy & horrible to be honest, I likes me engines shoved out the back as far away as possible!

I accept its an international system but it's still a poor one. If I'm navigating, novice or not, I shouldn't have to consult a manual or a map to work out where the safe channel is. Here's the posts used on the Erne navigation in Northern Ireland. It's instantly obvious which side of the posts you should pass.

I accept that the BA may not have authority to change the system but that doesnt make it the right system. Yes OK you can learn the rules but it would be so much better to have a system that's clearer and unambiguous. I want to look at a single post and know instantly which side to pass, not have to work out whether I'm going upstream or downstream and remember a mnemonic.

I can understand your confusion ginbottle. I've always disliked the red-green system because its not intuitive which side of the posts you should be. The red-green system relies on you being able to see red and green together, which is simple for a straight channel but not so where the channel turns or meets other channels. I strongly believe this is why so many people go aground on Breydon. I would prefer a system whereby just by looking at a single post, you can see which side of it you should pass, either from an arrow or by use of a dual colour scheme (e.g. red and white post and you pass on the white side). I've raised similar in the past and been shouted down on the basis that the red-green system is the established marine norm. - that doesn't wash with me because the system is flawed.

I enjoyed Christmas blogs 10 and 11 Robin. It was really good to see Ranworth Staithe as it looks in the winter. I'm looking forward to the next instalment and some ice-breaking action!

Shades of Hearts Cruisers, which is nice. Yes I know it's day boats and it's the Green and not the island but it's nice anyway.

Maybe that's the sort of boat hire yards should hire out in the winter. The trouble is the cabin space looks rubbish.

I'm saddened by this news. Iain came across on the forum as a gentleman.

There is something to be said for smaller boat dimensions. When mooring space is scarce, a 29 foot boat can be squeezed in to a gap a 35 foot one can't. Similarly a 10 foot beam could come on handy for a tight stern on gap. But would I choose a smaller boat over a larger one with more internal space? Probably not, if I'm honest.

That's the price inclusive of damage waiver and fuel deposit but yes, it does look silly, especially when there are some lovely 2 berths around for much less and with much more space.

The price looks on the high side unless the interior is exceptional. Herbert Woods do tend to price high then discount later and I've always wished they'd keep things simple and just offer the lower price in the first place (like Richardsons).

New 2 berth boats have become something of a collectors item in recent years, with hire operators tending towards going large to recoup their investments. Adventuring Light breaks that mould. Not only is it 2-3 berth, its old style dimensions being 29 foot by 10. I think it's got potential, even though I can't work out why the saloon berth doesn't extend to a double. https://www.herbertwoods.co.uk/boating-holidays/our-boats/adventuring-light.html

I tend to agree with your comments about the helm seat Bryan. I've never hired a Diamond but I always liked the look of the double seat. For crew not helping its good to have the option of a seat with a forward view.

Barnes Brinkcraft have added some interior photos of the new Brinks Serenade to their website. It looks rather lovely in the main, except perhaps the front v-berth cabin which looks a bit ordinary in the context of a luxury boat http://www.barnesbrinkcraft.co.uk/our-boats/detail/47/

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=183737935428263&id=112489389219785

At last there's an update on the Broads Boating Company Facebook page. The new owners have just picked up the keys to the premises and they've bought two Fair Regals from Norfolk Broads Direct. I'm pleased things are happening.

Thanks Howard. So Prisma Horizon plus a little collection of Stalham boats then. Hopefully all have been sold to the new owners who at some point after Christmas will return and get on with the business of preparing the boats for next season. I guess as they've bought Richardsons boats in hire until October 2016 there won't be a huge amount of work to do. I'm still hoping it works out. After four happy holidays from Horizon I don't want the basin and moorings still to have a winter look when I next visit in May.

Hi Mark. There is more than one San Carlos so I suspect the boat at Acle has been sold but Richardsons are retaining the remainder. It's unlikely Richardsons would leave it there otherwise. I believe it was always the plan to sell Prisma which couldn't transfer to Stalham because it doesn't pass under Ludham Bridge.

Thank you springsong. I'll look at that turning area on a new light now. Much has been written about the huge reduction in hire operators over the years and I'm always fascinated to learn about locations where now you would never know a boatyard once existed. Something in the back of my mind says Viva Boats were briefly at Great Yarmouth (long before Line Azzurro). I'm not 100% sure.

There can also be issues in the opposite direction with boats charging from the dyke back to the main river. Visibility isn't that great, especially upstream and yet common sense goes out the window sometimes.

I've recently acquired a Blakes brochure from 1983 and the Viva Marcella class (including Viva Michelle) is listed as Viva Boats, Neatishead. The Neatishead Boatyard at Wayford Bridge was a separate concern, at least at that time, offering the Alanta class (Ocean 30). I'm intrigued if anyone could tell me whereabouts at Neatishead Viva were located? Were they squeezed in where the turning area is beyond the moorings?

Herbert Woods have restored Spark of Light for the 2017 season https://www.herbertwoods.co.uk/boating-holidays/our-boats/spark-of-light.html There are no internal photos yet apart from the cockpit view but it looks very appealing. Alas for 4 people for a week in peak season you have to part with £2177! As mentioned on previous threads, Richardsons have Jomaric for next year (I wonder who's copying who?). I guess these boats are vinyl records (popular at the moment I know) in a world of digital downloads so it'll be interesting to see if they're a success and more classic boats become available for hire.