DAVIDH

If it helps. The moorings in the foreground are for The Bell Inn, and are post-bridge in the case of your journey. The BA moorings (pre-bridge) are in the distance, next to the wooden windmill you can see.

Saturday 19th March I was back aboard Goosander for the week, a week as it turned out, where the weather was unseasonable warm, and all round fantastic for the time of the year. I wondered how "busy" the Broads would be at this time of the year, having not been on Goosander any earlier than April. I could see from Hoseasons that around 100 boats were available to hire in the weeks leading up to the week, and that only went down by 3 or 4 as the holiday approached. So I guessed it it would be fairly quiet. Then, what clothing to bring? I had seen the weather forecast, but you can't trust them, so I packed a mix of clothing..... but no shorts! The journey down from Leeds was fairly painless, except for the queues of traffic either side of Sutton Bridge. The road works there are going to cause chaos if they do go on into August, as has been forecast. I arrived at the boat around 1pm, unloaded the car, at which point the shock absorbers let out a collective phew! Normally on arriving, I just unload as fast as I can, before high-tailing it back to Wroxham to find somewhere to watch the Leeds footy match (Usually, at the Kings Head), but today, there were no matches due to the up-coming World Cup Qualifiers/frendlies being played. So after a leisurely unpack and a meal deal I'd bought from Morrisons in Norwich, I got back in the car and went for a wander around Roys town. There were lots of people around, and even a boat moored outside The Wroxham Hotel, but not much moving. I finished with a coffee at McD's then returned to the boat. By 7pm, it was time to see what the fayre at the newly re-managed Ferry Inn was like. I would say it was more than half full, so a good sigh at this time of the year...... just one boat was moored outside. I had a Southern Fried Chicken Burger, with stringy chips and coleslaw. The portion was huge and good value. If you've read my previous "logs", you will know I have a fondness for cheesecake. Well, so large was the main course, I couldn't entertain one this time. Nuff said! Back to the boat by around 9pm. It was cold... very cold. Thankfully, I was still on Goosander's home mooring, so her umbilical cord to the electric post, was still transmitting life preserving heat! Not many images today, as little time to take them. Some stonkers (in my opinion) to come though!

I really do think some of the yards have taken advantage of the last two years, where the British public has been more or less landlocked. It's not just boatyards either. I can remember last year, doing a comparison cost for a luxury 8 berth cruiser against a luxury 8 berth caravan in the summer school holidays, and the difference was small. In 2020, the "season" didn't start until early July, and last year, it was April. The yards lost some some business in those months, but i contend overall they did quite nicely. Both those years saw every boat booked and out right through until the end of October, at prices they would not have been able to get away with in 2019. A normal year would see a sell out only in the summer school holidays (and maybe, over the Spring Bank holiday). So I don't agree with those that say they are only trying to recover money lost over the lockdowns. In the end it's business supply and demand. Who wouldn't sell their goods for the highest price they can get? But 2022 does not look like another boom year (unless Covid reappears of course), and the prices for the current season don't look to have dropped back at all. It seems so short-sighted. As others have said, keep the new customers who have come to the Broads over the last two years. Don't get them comparing boat hire costs with the prices of holidays abroad. It's too late to lower your prices once the customer has gone elsewhere. This is going to be a tough enough year as it is, with the cost of living rises we're seeing at the moment.

Sorry this is late Andy, just come in. I've been on the Richardsons site, and it does show 44 boats available. I searched 2 people for 7 nights commencing 2nd April, with a 3 day range. I noticed that 10 boats show on the first page, but there are subsequent pages. Or perhaps you put down more occupants than I did? https://www.richardsonsboatingholidays.co.uk/search-results/?hsid=2277&hsa=true&hso=0

Yes, that corresponds Ray. I had forgotten that nothing was open in Reedham on Mondays and Tuesdays. I stayed overnight anyway. The only thing missing was the tumbleweed blowing down the quayside.

I was really lucky last week.

I think Richardson started a couple of weeks earlier this year - mid February. I was on the boat last week, and there were some (not many) Richardsons, HW and the odd Bridgecraft boats about. I went south, and was surprised how many Broom Captains were out. I saw three - not together - within an hour at the St Olaves moorings. Richardsons have 40 boats for 7 nights starting this week on Hoseasons, from tomorrow. The range to look for is over 3 days. Is that what you looked at on Richardsons Andy? Strange how there's a discrepancy. https://www.hoseasons.co.uk/boat-holidays/hickling-stalham?adult=2&child=0&infant=0&pets=0&nights=7&range=3&start=02-04-2022

Many boats still available to book Andy. I've just counted 63 boat classes represented by Hoseasons (about 25% of the fleet), 31 with Ferry Marina and 17 (out of around 100?) with Herbert Woods, all for 7 nights starting this weekend. HW seem to be doing the best, probably on price discounts, though they seem to have a confusing April Fools Day promotion on at the moment. When you click it, the discount is zero .

Logic would tell you that as the new owners of the pub also own nearby moorings, some would be set aside to serve the business.

Perhaps the bikes can be adapted to paddle the boat, to save on diesel costs.

White Heron just added to the Hoseasons site. It's a Broom Captain by the looks of it, but for two people. The fuel inclusive icon is not currently showing, but it is new, and will probably be added when Brooms rfeview it. https://www.hoseasons.co.uk/boat-holidays/broom-holidays-limited-brmb/white-heron-bh2728?adult=2&nights=7&range=3&start=23-10-2021&sortorder=12

The sunset photo is stunning Jean. I bet you're pleased with that. I've been on Swan Reflection 2 (when it was at Swancraft). Very similar externally to Goosander.

I've just come through the Bridge works, coming home from Norfolk. I was queuing for about 25 mins. The sign says lane closures in operation to July. OMG

2022 bookings have slowed down to a trickle since the beginning of the month. There are currently 767 boat weeks available to sell on Hoseasons for Spring Bank, the summer school holidays and the October Half term. That compares with 325, over the same dates in 2021, at this time. I've not included Easter figures, as UK self contained accommodation was only allowed to reopen on the 12th April last year, which affected advance bookings taken up to the 16th March - my comparison date. Though advance bookings are well down on 2021, the boatyards will have benefited from holidays starting up to and including Easter this year - as there were none last year. Bookings over the last two weeks in particular have been poor. No doubt much of this is due to the wall to wall coverage of the fighting in Ukraine. It doesn't deter people from going on holiday, but it is mesmerizing, and diverts attention. I'm sure it will have slowed overseas bookings too. Prospects for 2022? With cost of living increases starting to bite, there won't be as much disposable income around. I can't see some of the super-luxury boat prices holding at the level they currently are. It won't be another bumper year that's for sure...... or will it? Who knows what will happen next?

I think they let the pictures do the talking nowadays. Many more photos (usually) online. Information such a the engine make, and mattress type, wouldn't interest 90% of today's customers. Having said that, I can remember a time when I would take note of which craft had petrol or diesel engines, back in the 70s (when I first started visiting).

That's right. We hired 3 of them in the early 70s. Lovely little boats. 20 feet long, and i too always said they were ahead of their time. Even though it was a sedan, I can't recall ever having trouble getting under the bridges - even Wroxham. Here we're moored at Yarmouth - not the Yacht Station - the bit that's now set aside for Yachts.

That's right Ray. He had two, one of which was in a much worse state.

I think his name was Bill Maxted. Here's an image of the finished article. Sadly, it never seemed to change hands and just slowly degenerated. I think it's out of the water on the adjacent land now. Also, another image of Sandersons one Saturday morning.

Horning it is, at the Ferry

No!

This one too. A Sanderling. Any guesses where it's moored? Some time in the 70s.

The right way up

I suppose that as flying is dynamically priced, any fuel increase can be added in to the purchase price as they go along. Airlines usually buy their fuel forward, which means any short-term fluctuations are negated. It will make a difference once that pre-purchase period ends. The strange thing is that it seems the vast increase in oil prices has met little resistance in terms of companies ceasing to trade etc, so far. The OPEC oil producing countries naturally want the highest price they can get for it, but can't just charge what they like, as they realise putting up business costs in this way will just shrink their own market, as more and more firms stop trading. Perhaps at some point, OPEC will see this, and pump more oil into the market to reduce prices.

It's the pricing that's ridiculous. If you look for availability on a given date (I've looked at 7 nights from the 10th September) In ascending price order, Tranquilla and Bella Signora (2 berth cruisers) are listed after Broom Captains (4 berths and all inclusive), Fair Royale (6 berths and all inclusive), Sephora (4 berths) and Silver Solitaire (4 berths). All these other boats match Tranquilla and Bella Signora in the comfort stakes, and take more people. It's almost as though the prices were formulated when they first bought them, and haven't been looked at since. They stick out like a sore thumb!