Broads01

I've often wondered the same thing Howard as it's been in Bristol for some years and this is the second time it's come up for sale in the last couple of years. Alas there's no Broads number. I once tried a conversation with the previous owner but he wasn't very forthcoming.

Enjoyed reading about your long days Jay and the photos are great. I like covering plenty of river mileage also although I have to admit not quite so many miles as yourself. I'm also with you on the dogs issue. We have a dog for the first time this year and on my recent trip I appreciated being able to take him in The Lion at Thurne.

Hi Simon. I've come to the conclusion that the height gauge at Ludham is a work of fiction (have a read of my recent holiday tale, the post about Thursday 23rd May and you'll see what I mean). Another option you have if you're in doubt on the day is wait until all's clear and tiptoe right up to the bridge ultra-slowly with a crew member positioned appropriately to make a judgement of the gap between boat and bridge. If they're in any doubt, just back up and have a look another day. I think the style of boat you hire is very much down to personal choice and for me part of the fun of hiring is having a different boat each time to fit the time of year, crew and what I want to be doing. Royale is a nice looking boat and a good choice in my view.

My impression from my recent visit was that BBC are operating a much reduced fleet of 3 boats this year. On passing Acle the first time, all 3 were in the basin and on the second passing 2 remained. They were nicely presented externally with new BBC logos on the bows. Their Facebook page is actively promoting their offering.

Great photos Jay. At the Commodore was there any mention of the £10 being refundable against food?

Great photos Jay. At the Commodore was there any mention of the £10 being refundable against food?

Indeed, Jay, I can remember the Commodore moorings being on a poor state but it's a few years since I've moored there. Certainly looks more inviting now though.

No ensuite on Jazz I'm afraid. I missed saying I used both beds, starting on the saloon bed when my son was with me for the first part of the week. The saloon bed isn't the easiest to assemble, involving a large drawer which has to be pulled out and stored within that two deep and very heavy cushions. Once you've assembled it, there's a big gap between the main sofa cushion and the additional ones, so it's not that comfortable. My son wasn't very complimentary about the double berth in the cabin but I found it just right and I slept very well.

I hired Brinks Jazz for a week in May 2019 and here are my thoughts. The boat was built in 1991 by Porter and Haylett/Connoisseur Cruisers not originally for Broads use but rather the French canals. It has dual steering, combining a fairly standard forward drive layout (with internal steering forward) with a roof-mounted external position. The bow area has a well with seating as per a 'bathtub' but unlike a bathtub the bow is pointed in shape which can make stepping aboard more of a challenge. Also a challenge are the unusually narrow side decks which resemble those of a narrow boat but nevertheless can be negotiated with the aid of the hand rail. You can tell the boat was built by Connoisseurs from the trademark side door on the port side near the stern with stern mounted engine and absence of traditional stern access door. To access the roof deck there are deep steps from the stern. Up top it's very sparse, having no windscreen and the only seating being a hard (and somewhat uncomfortable) double helm seat. Nevertheless the top steering position was the one I used by far the most as it provides fantastic views over the Reeds and far beyond. The steering wheel is the highest point of the boat and piloting bridges like St Olaves and Ludham requires some contortion from the helmsman of the top steering is to be used. Air draft is 7 feet 10 so not especially high by dual steer standards. Surprisingly, the helm view is not as good as you might think for manouvering - because the side decks are so narrow and the position so high, the extremities of all the decks are obscured by the superstructure resulting in a degree of guesswork to estimate how far away the quayside is. Access through the side door requires very steep steps inside to be negotiated. Once inside at the stern there is a cabin which can be configured either as a double or as single bunks (the top bunk simply lifts off to form the outer half of the double berth). Floor space with the double set up is fairly limited but storage is excellent with deep hanging space and plenty of shelving. Also at the stern is a toilet with washbasin. This is cramped and the toilet bowl almost comically small. However, what works really well is the separate shower just forward of the side door. This is spacious and avoids the usual issue of getting everything im the toilet wet when the shower is used. The forward half of the boat is an open plan galley/saloon area with galley across the boat and the sink area looking forward. The galley is a reasonable size with good storage, full size fridge and microwave. The cooker is dated, caravan-style, however, being a two burner hob and small oven and grill. The narrow side decks give good space inside and it feels like you're on a boat wider than its actual 11 foot. There's a long straight (not L shape) sofa which converts to a double bed. The saloon area also has plenty of storage. The interior helm has good visibility forward but almost non-existent visibility to the rear, even by forward-drive standards. The heating is variable temperature and works well. There is shore power, solar charging and an electric mud weight. Overall I really enjoyed Jazz and the combination of top steering with all the advantages of a forward drive works really well. This is one of Barnes' cheapest boats and yet the equipment levels make it excellent value. Being a compact boat it's easy to handle with the exception of lack of sight of the side decks as mentioned. It is, however, not a boat for anyone with even the mildest of mobility difficulties with its deep external steps and steep side access (give me a conventional stern door anytime!). I apologise for having taken no internal photos. I'd intended to do so on departure but cleaners were standing by waiting for me to vacate.

That's correct Howard. Also the 35 is a bit longer...

Cheers Vanessa. No I didn't eat at the Fisherman's. I walked up to it and externally it looks completely unchanged but I didn't go in there.

This was the most interesting ex-hire for sale - R644 sister to Broad Ambition and also ex Star Supreme/Superb Gem. Yours for £29950. It's flanked by Alpha's 42 foot 2 berth Jaguar and Teal 1 which has been brought back from hire life in Scotland.

Friday 24th May Barnes Brinkcraft had a slightly chaotic feel about it as I was packing up with moving boats, cars and lots of customers and staff jostling for space. The site is bigger than it used to be with the pontoon moorings but nevertheless feels cramped compared to others. The staff were friendly and attentive which was pleasing to see. I was very pleasantly surprised by how little fuel I'd used - all of £47.50 for going to Norwich and back and more besides. That weedy engine had a plus side. The journey home seemed to take forever, this being the Friday before a Bank Holiday and choosing the M25/M4 route was a big mistake. It took me until 5pm to get home and I was tired but overall very happy with my week.

Thursday 23rd May It was the last full day today and time to make more good use of the fantastic sunshine. Rollie was fascinated by the animals which are kept by the shop at Stracey Arms but the donkeys and ponies intimidated him a bit, particularly one pony who chased us all the way back to the gate! We were soon on our way up the Bure. When we stopped at Acle for water I had a conversation with a novice hirer who told me he was disappointed with how brief the handover was at Barnes. I told him about my handover experience which I also considered too brief even for a Broads regular because it took no account of the individual aspects of the boat and the onus had been all on me to ask questions. On we went to Fleet Dyke and a dog walkie stop at the mooring on the bend. That mooring was almost empty but walking to the one nearest the Broad it was near full even at around 11am. We continued by boat to the Broad and chugged around before returning down Fleet Dyke and headed for the Ant. I know the subject of the Ludham Bridge height gauge has been discussed on here before but I was reminded again that the reading it gives is complete nonsense - it may as well not be there. It read 8 foot, I needed 7 foot 10 but we had so much room there must have been over 9 foot available. I wanted to make a quiet lunch stop at a wild mooring and I found a lovely spot just above How Hill. Despite the fact the rivers had been quiet all week (albeit I'd spent some of the time south) both Ludham Bridge and How Hill moorings each only had one space available. Ah, so this is where all the boats have been. People tend to think all of the North Broads is busy all of the time but that's not the case in my experience - it's patchy busyness dependant upon time and location. Returning past How Hill around 3pm it was unexpectedly only about 50% full and there were spaces at Ludham also. I do like a pint in the sun and so I decided to head all the way to the boatyard for the last night and sample what Wroxham had to offer. I bagged a spot at Barnes at the downstream end of their main river (side on) moorings and that was the cruising done for another trip. I enjoyed a drink in the sun outside the Wroxham Hotel which has gone up market since I last visited a few years ago. I had a very ordinary dinner in the King's Head which seems to have gone in the opposite direction unfortunately. I enjoyed perusing the boats for sale, not because I'm thinking of buying but because I'm interested in the history of the numerous ex-hire fleet boats on offer.

I agree David, with some minor reservations which I'll explain when I write the boat review. The top helm position is a fantastic asset.

Ah but it depends when you're there. I made the same trip last Wednesday around 6pm (not long before low water). I think I saw one or possibly two boats coming the opposite direction and then between Great Yarmouth and Stracey Arms I was the only boat going anywhere. Today I suspect a little thing called a Bank Holiday came in to play.

Wednesday 22nd June Rollie's first walk of the day completed, as per usual I couldn't wait to get going, this time Loddon-bound. I'd long been looking forward to the views from the top steering on the Chet. I wasn't disappointed and the Chet was fairly quiet with no craft visible in my direction and only 3 or 4 passing the opposite way. I moored at the Staithe and made a short stop to top up the water and visit the shop. I would probably have visited Rosie Lee's if the weather hadn't been quite so good but I could hardly wait to get going again. My original intention for today was to finish up at Burgh Castle via a detour to Somerleyton or possibly Oulton Broad. However things didnt work out that way. I chugged away from Loddon and just past the Pyes Mill moorings when the engine warning alarm came on. I was able to pull in at the Chedgrave Common moorings just downstream and on checking the dials downstairs I found a sky high engine temperature. I called Barnes straight away and described my location. I had to wait just over 2 hours for the engineer to arrive (I think I was 3rd in his queue). He was a little confused about where I was and phoned me from Maffetts Cruisers, soon after which he arrived on Maffett's 'Titan' boat piloted by Maffett's owner John. The engineer and John evidently knew each other well and the three of us engaged in conversation as the engineer attended to the problem. The issue turned out to be a split pipe from the impellor which was preventing water circulating. Soon all was fixed and I was on my way again, albeit having been at Chedgrave around 3 hours in total. At that point I changed my plan for the day. As I no longer had time to visit Oulton Broad, I decided to make the most of low water at Great Yarmouth that evening and head all the way to Stracey Arms for the night. One of the really good things about coming this time of the year is the flexibility you have from the long hours of daylight. Having passed Reedham I had time to go the long way round towards Great Yarmouth via the New Cut and St Olaves. I did so just for the hell of it having come the Yare route on the way down. I had time for a decent break, a doggie walk and some food at Burgh Castle. I left Burgh at 6 with low water at Great Yarmouth being 730, so too early for slack but OK for decent progress I thought. The engine on Jazz is a little on the weedy side and so across Breydon with the outgoing tide we made little more than 7mph. As I rounded the yellow post at Great Yarmouth I got that slightly scary feeling of being swept sideways by the strong tide but made it safely on to the Bure where initially against the tide we were doing no more than 2mph on full throttle. I've never very much fancied the idea of spending the night at Great Yarmouth and I was half tempted due to the tide but plodded on nevertheless. Gradually we picked up a more respectable pace and with the outdoor temperature cooling I switched to downstairs steering and whiled away the time listening to music. We arrived at Stracey at 8-15pm with a lovely sky in view.

Thanks Jean and yes I'm intending to write a review in the hire boat section once I've finished the tale. Tuesday 21st June It was easily the sunniest and warmest morning so far and the weather stayed lovely for the rest of the trip. Whilst Cian had been with me, Rollie had stayed inside the boat rather than venturing up top. This morning, however, as I stood in the galley making coffee just before setting off he came and sat on my feet. I couldn't bring myself to leave him alone whilst I helmed up top so I put his doggie life jacket on, led him upstairs and secured him to the railings. Being a companion dog breed he was very happy being by my side up there and it became his default position whilst on the move from then on. I wanted to spend some time mud weighting on Surlingham Broad (or Bargate if you're a purist) and it was a sunny, peaceful cruise getting there. Before turning in to the Broad, however, I stopped off at Church Fen mooring to give Rollie a chance to stretch his legs. The Broad was as peaceful as I expected. The only thing which slightly for me was despite all the Broad being available for mud weighting, a boat came and plonked themselves what seemed like 20 feet away from me which meant I was more concerned than usual about any possibility of drifting from my position. I had intended to head for Loddon tonight but the lure of a river side pint in the sun was too great, so I chose to head for Reedham Ferry instead. Out of curiosity en route I made a short doggie walk stop at Cantley, mainly because having passed it many times I've never actually stopped there. It's not a bad stop but the factory is so close as to dominate the view I feel. I arrived at Reedham Ferry around 1630 and I think there was only one boat there. Although the former pontoon moorings upstream of the ferry are closed now there's still a reasonable amount of mooring space remaining in front of the pub and just downstream. I enjoyed my drink in the sun.

That's one of my early Broads memories, from the same year. I have an image in my mind of our first hire boat, bows on the mud. By the time we visited Salhouse a second time the mooring quays were there and it didn't seem quite the same.

Monday 20th May With Rollie walked once again, off we set for Reedham. There was plenty of space at Reedham Quay where we made a brief stop for water and the shop at the top of the hill. I think I'm right in saying that with the Post Office now being combined with a tea room there's no longer a shop on the Quay which seems a missed opportunity somehow. We set off quickly again to make the most of the still incoming tide. We headed for Rockland but had a scary moment on Rockland Dyke as we neared the Staithe. When a boat appeared in the opposite direction I slowed to almost nothing and positioned myself on the far right, only to hear the crunching sound of us hitting the bottom. I waited for the other boat to pass and then went hard in to reverse and hoped for the best. Luckily we extricated ourselves without issue and were able to proceed to our peaceful resting point on the Staithe. Today was Cian's last day aboard before catching a 5-30 train from Norwich. Not having cruised in to Norwich for some time I was more than happy to cruise all the way to the Yacht Station. The number of new flats to our right as we neared the Yacht Station is ever increasing with new building work still going on. I can remember previously having good views of the Norwich City football ground but no more. Having said goodbye to Cian I decided to stay put overnight having previously only visited for a short stop. I was the most upstream boat of those staying and so I had an excellent view of Bishops Bridge and across to the cathedral.