Broads01

I remember that very well and long after the coasters were gone.

Thank you for the information, Paladin. The mooring has always been called Crowe's here so I've come to know it as that but I stand corrected.

Fascinating photo and insights, thank you. Coasters were before my time in the main but as I recall there was guidance about giving way to them (as they must have needed plenty of width)? Would it have been the 1980s when they ceased?

Thank you for sharing, Kate, I'm glad you did. I frequently hire solo but whether solo or not I always wear a life jacket for both mooring and unmooring, regardless of location and conditions. I was never more glad of that when I fell in at Gayes Staithe in 2017 after coming in to moor stern-on on the end quay. I stepped off safely with both stern ropes and then promptly proceeded to step too far to my left so my left foot went over the quay at right angles to where the boat was. It was a wet day so I was togged up with raincoat and my auto life jacket did it's job, albeit after a brief moment where I was scared it wasn't going to. Fortunately there was a couple on hand to haul me out as in the water I felt like I was covered in lead.

Glorious indeed and not just in the summer. https://photos.app.goo.gl/7j9n7EXJouKP8gJN9

I didn't know there used to be a sign saying that. So hire boats had to turn by the Rising Sun?

Yep, they maintain everything brilliantly so it all "just works" and makes the whole hire stress-free. In 2 hires we've had nothing go wrong bar a suspect tv aerial.

Lovely. Looks like all the sailing boat fleet are tucked up in bed for the winter.

For me the appeal of a good pub is good food and the taste of what's on draught. Needing gluten-free it's rare to find a pub with beer on draught I can have (though thankfully there are exceptions) but thankfully I like draught cider almost as much. Cans and bottles are never quite the same.

What a brilliant photo, thank you, it answers my question. I smiled at the orange forward-steer nose first into the staithe. My late dad used to do that because he hated reversing in to a space. Dom, forgive me if I've missed this in a previous post but what was your job in those days? Did you work for Faircraft as was?

I assume you moored at Salhouse earlier, Howard. Any other hire boats there?

It's fantastic to see the photo Vaughan. For some strange reason, I still remember having to fight my way through crowds of people in the bar to make it to the gents, which goes to show how busy it used to be on a Saturday night. My earliest memories of Ranworth are of mooring on the Broads Tours quay (opposite the public moorings and now private moorings) I had no idea there was a Broads Tours quay at Ranworth. Does anybody have any photos?

How times change, especially as I recall that was a particularly wet summer. Just look at the amount of clearance that Bounty had.

Booking ahead so the crowds ahead of you don't take up all the space 🙂?

Barnes Brinkcraft have reduced prices by 5% for bookings before 31st January. I recall they've done this in the past but this year they seem to have taken longer to offer the discount. https://www.barnesbrinkcraft.co.uk/norfolk-broads-boating-holidays/boat-hire/?start_date=2024-09-14&nights=7&guests=2 Slightly annoyed I already have two 2024 bookings with them and I've missed out.

Good to see you're back aboard, Howard. December wouldn't be the same without hearing from you.

I do hope so or else mooring at Rockland will never be the same.

Excellent write up and photos as always, Helen, thank you. I'm guessing as you have a largeish estate but you still need a trailer Pozzick and Seren need a fair bit of luggage. I always surprise myself by how much gubbins I need just for a small dog.

One hireboat this year, that's mind-blowing. What the hell has happened since the days it seemed everyone with a low enough air draft could pass through? The last time I managed passage through Potter was 2013. That seems a like a very distant memory.

Wow, the photos of Cockshoot are striking, Helen. I've been to the Co-Op at Acle but didn't like it much, to be honest. I found the prices too high.

I agree, plus something that doesn't make the boat messy with the gravel you inevitably tread in. No need to apologise for the length of the posts, Kate, they've been good to read.

My elder daughter is 6ft 1 and seems to struggle with headroom no matter what the boat, Lowliner included. I'm only an inch shorter and yet rarely have a problem. I think all hireboats were designed assuming no human could possibly be more than 6ft tall.

Not sure which boat you mean specifically, Roy but I do like low level dual steers like the Af38s and Alpha 42s, another best of both worlds option. They were built in reasonable numbers around the early 90s but seemed to fall out of fashion quite quickly as far as new builds were concerned. I'm not really sure why that was.

I'm enjoying your daily tales, Kate. I have to say, walking from Horning to Hoveton in preference to cruising there by river is something I shall never do so so take it as a compliment I enjoyed reading about it .

Yep, forward steer boats are great for oop North, dualies are great down sauf. It's not clear cut though. If I go to Beccles, I tend to want to go to Geldeston as well and I'd rather not worry too much about St Olaves or having to be bang on low water at Great Yarmouth. Centre steers give you the best of both in many ways but don't give you the viewing height of a dualie.