Broads01

Definitely.

This Brooms brochure captures the period well. I particularly like the boatyard photo at the bottom of photo 7 of the listing. The former Brundall Riverside Stores is visible on the left - happy childhood memories for me. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Brooms-Norfolk-Broads-boating-holiday-brochure-1987-/284431549830?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49286&mkrid=710-127635-2958-0

And as I recall, Malcolm, your favourite south Broads pub is also the same as mine.

The Lion is my favourite pub, I never fail to enjoy it.

I'm in Scotland this week, boating on the Great Glen (holiday tale to follow). The weather has been amazing so far, I had shorts and sun cream on today.

Yes I spotted that on eBay a couple of weeks back. Full details in the listing. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Boat-share-on-the-Norfolk-Broads-LIGHTNING-43ft-7-berth-cabin-cruiser-/255089286108?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49286&mkrid=710-127635-2958-0

Are you able to share the photos, Andrew?

Is that the former Aston Sunbird?

John, I feel for you in this situation which must be very upsetting. Like you, in situations where I know someone else is in the wrong I still take it upon myself somehow, so I know how hard it is. However, move on and be assured you're in the right.

What a fascinating historical insight, Vaughan, thank you.

Dear old Hoseasons, I do wonder if they ever look at their own website. I'm trying to work out where the sundeck is on Silverline's cruiser... https://www.hoseasons.co.uk/boat-holidays/silverline-marine-silv/silver-sapphire-bh2706?start=27-08-2022&adult=2&nights=7&range=3&sortorder=12

Looks absolutely superb.

I think you're right but you don't have to turn to reach the water point, you can reverse all the way out to where it's safe to turn.

Thanks Vaughan for resurrecting this thread. I'd forgotten just how informative it is.

I've moored at the Surlingham Ferry House a few times and I've been fine but I got in a pickle last month at Bridgecraft. I underestimated the effect of the tide and we ended up several boat widths along from where they wanted us but no harm done. To correct, with both stern ropes held, I was advised to give the bow thruster some bursts to help move us along the quay and with quite a few bursts it worked fine.

In a few days I'll be off to Scotland with my daughter for our first ever trip on the Caledonian Canal. Caley Cruisers ask you to watch an instructional video beforehand which includes advice on boat manoeuvres. Their advice on stern mooring highlighted the tendency for the boat to go towards the right in reverse and I recall from a previous thread this is called "prop walk". They advised, when reversing to only use short bursts in reverse gear in between allowing the boat to drift back in neutral (and therefore more likely to go straight). I must admit, this differs from how I've always reversed because I've tended to think too little reverse throttle equals too much tendency for drift due to wind and tide. I'm guessing the degree of prop walk is impacted by propellor and hull design so is it a case of test it out in practice and learn from that?

I love it myself, just the hussle and bussle of the place in the summer. Yes, there are challenges but in 40 years I can't think of a major issue.

Yes, inexperienced boaters don't realise they need to turn around well before the bridge. Sometimes a combination of wind, tidal effects around the narrow bridge and inexperienced boat handling can drag them on to the bridge and they find themselves pinned there.

Another brochure from the Richardsons Thames era https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-Horizon-Norfolk-Broads-Thames-boating-holiday-brochure-1993-/284409525400?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49286&mkrid=710-127635-2958-0

Maid Florinda looked just like this externally https://www.donedeal.ie/boats-for-sale/banham-discovery-33-river-cruiser/28604095

Thanks for sharing all your photos, Roy. The Wallingford one takes me back to my teenage years when I went with my parents from there on our first Thames holiday. That was in the pre-Richardsons Maidboats days in 1985 and we were on Maid Florida, a 33 foot centre cockpit (Discovery 33?). When the cockpit roof was closed, entry and exit was by narrow central hatches (no stern door), the one on the port side being more or less blocked by the helm seat!

I hired from them back in 2002 on a boat they still have, "Avalon", a Bounty 34 centre cockpit. They were (and still are I think) a husband and wife team and at that time operating from the lawn of a riverside pub (The Trout Inn). We had a great trip though, being aboard 16 nights we went all the way to Teddington and back. Looking at their website now I'm disappointed Avalon has an unchanged interior 19 years later and hence it's looking tired.

Yes, Le Boat really take the mick, an all inclusive price it's certainly not. They've got worse since I hired from Benson in 2016 it seems. When I hired their in 2011, their fuel price was way over the top, so in 2016 I filled up elsewhere to save money. However now they've switched to the European way of charging by engine hours, so you can't fill up elsewhere and they can charge whatever they like.

Ooh er, wouldn't want to do that in a public place. Thanks for the info on the Beauchamp, sounds encouraging and I wish them well. A coat of white paint over the blue would help enormously.

Thanks all for contributing information. I have happy memories of Richardson's (or New Horizon as they were branded then) Thames fleet in the 1990s. I hired from Benson twice and also stayed at the touring caravan site there. The Richardson's Thames fleet gave the Thames affordability and choice it lacks nowadays sadly. They finished hiring on the Thames in 2002 and it's never been the same. Happily a small choice remains and Kris Cruisers are the pick of the bunch in my view so I'm booked with them for next year.