Richardsons Acle

[BroadScot]

Rather than have two threads of the same discussion I have merged them.

Iain

[VetChugger]

Was there not some talk a while ago about Richardsons intentions to have a yard on the Southern waters, maybe around the Brundall area??

[ChrisB]

Did Sutton Staithe also expand the number of moorings? And the wayford area and above has  good number of craft, not forgetting Coxs.

It is only guess work but I would think there will be about 1500 boats north of Irstead.

That is over 10% of all registered boats using the Ant before the rest start visiting, as they will, if only to get to Tesco. 

Tuesday on the Ant can be as bad as Friday and Saturday as the food brought from home runs out and they make for Stalham.

[ChrisB]

Of coarse we all think of Richardsons Boating. They are however big players in other forms of holiday and leisure as far south as Bracklesham Bay in West Sussex. 

[littlesprite]

Clive could just be busy, I haven't been on for a while because life has been a bit hectic, maybe he will find time once all the boat building and such is complete. I know he has also been doing a lot to the Seacroft site at Hemsby as well as all the boaty stuff.

[kfurbank]

There is a planning application to demolish the old managers chalet on site and rebuild it as a holiday let. I suspect the hire boat operations are being moved for one year rather than operate in the middle of a building site.

Some quite ambitious plans at Horning as well which will keep them very busy. Still at the planning stage at the moment, and I suspect likely to receive some attention from the environmentalists.

 

[LondonRascal]

This went 'viral' on Facebook Groups where Clive has personally posted to regarding this, however the site is tiny - and the majority of the boats are moored along the river bank - then having to be taken to the basin on handover days for customers, with then returned boats serviced and cleaned and taken back to the river bank and so on.  A lot of work.

Every year the fleet has to be moved to Stalham for engineering - there are no facilities, crane or slip at the base at Acle. One complete the boats have to be moved back to Acle more work.

So I can see why the base might make sense to close, though having hired with them several time did find the 'small yard' feel welcome, along with the beds being made up upon arrival.  It would make a tiny marina so perhaps Bridge Craft next door would buy or lease it for some of their boats - freeing up space and keeping the moorings within a hire fleet, so at peak times when most of the fleet is out in the summer such moorings can be used by visiting boats from other hire yards.

 

[ChrisB]

It would make a very nice marina exclusively for sailing craft opening up as it does to some of the best "reach" sailing on the Broads. By "reach" I mean in both sense of the word, the point of sail and stretch of river.

[JennyMorgan]

52 minutes ago, ChrisB said:

It would make a very nice marina exclusively for sailing craft opening up as it does to some of the best "reach" sailing on the Broads. By "reach" I mean in both sense of the word, the point of sail and stretch of river.

I didn't realise that Acle was on the Southern Broads! Cantley to Coldham, for example, offers far better sailing than ever does the Bure, in my honest opinion.

[ChrisB]

1 hour ago, JennyMorgan said:

I didn't realise that Acle was on the Southern Broads! Cantley to Coldham, for example, offers far better sailing than ever does the Bure, in my honest opinion.

I did say "some" Peter. Acle Bridge to just short of Womack is the best river sailing on the North Broads. The south is I agree better river sailing overall but lacks the open waters of the likes of Barton and Hickling.

[SPEEDTRIPLE]

7 hours ago, JennyMorgan said:

I didn't realise that Acle was on the Southern Broads! Cantley to Coldham, for example, offers far better sailing than ever does the Bure, in my honest opinion.

Absolutely spot on Peter.  I did consider moving Mistral to the Broads, and was thinking about the southern rivers, and how good the sailing would be between Reedham and Postwick viaduct, though any further than Brundall, and the river is pretty well sheltered by trees, unless you`re sailing between Surlingham Ferry  House, and  Postwick viaduct in a Northerly wind?.

[JennyMorgan]

A worthwhile plus for those of us sailing down South, apart from anything else, is that there are far fewer motor cruisers to dodge and weave in between. Now if we are talking about sailng on the actual Broads then I agree that Hickling can't be bettered. 

[JennyMorgan]

9 minutes ago, SPEEDTRIPLE said:

Absolutely spot on Peter.  I did consider moving Mistral to the Broads, and was thinking about the southern rivers, and how good the sailing would be between Reedham and Postwick viaduct, though any further than Brundall, and the river is pretty well sheltered by trees, unless you`re sailing between Surlingham Ferry  House, and  Postwick viaduct in a Northerly wind?.

Got to admit that it is many a long year since I have been above Surlingham under sail so I'm not the best bloke to have an opinion on that one. Surlingham from Oulton Broad is a grand sail, especially when the wind is free and a sail across Rockland will always be on my agenda.

[Vaughan]

The Frostbites sailing club at Thorpe had a big argument with the BA about the Whitlingham gravel pits (sorry - "broad") as they wanted to plant a nice line of trees all down the bank behind the island and round the bend. We all wrote letters, from the Wherry Trust as well, to say that this part of the river had always been kept clear of trees by the wherrymen, so as to have a clear wind.

In the end, we won!

[JennyMorgan]

'Round the bend,' about sums it up!  

[oceandawn]

Hi It is my understanding that the Acle site will close at the end of the year Mick the manager retires. Such a shame ,great yard and great staff . Another one gone. i wonder what will happen to all the river front moorings?

[BroadScot]

On 15/06/2016 at 5:20 AM, ChrisB said:

Tuesday on the Ant can be as bad as Friday and Saturday as the food brought from home runs out and they make for Stalham.

Perhaps now is the time to rejig as in widen Ludham Bridge during the off season? This would hopefully reduce the log jam that is there now, and can only become worse with even more craft wishing to pass through this bridge ! Just a thought.

Iain

[riyadhcrew]

Good idea Iain. I think there is enough room on either side to make it more than adequate for 2 boats to pass in opposite directions at the same time.

[Broads01]

I do hope that the Acle yard doesn't close permanently. I love hiring from there because of the location and the personal service. Don't get me wrong, the service from Stalham is fine and they handle a high volume operation very well but at Acle the guys recognise my face as a returning customer. The location is great, partly because I like the vista at Acle and the Bridge Inn is lovely for a last night meal and partly because if the tides are right you have the option to head south immediately and stop at Burgh or Berney for the first night (which I've done a couple of times). If you're North, Acle is an easy place to which to return. I'll watch for developments with interest.

On a related point, neither Far Horizon nor Prisma pass under Ludham Bridge so Stalham ain't a great place to start! I assume these boats will be sold.

[riyadhcrew]

Hi Simon,

If they took the tops off and made them sedans, they would still be nice boats and would get under the bridge. IMHO.

[SPEEDTRIPLE]

59 minutes ago, riyadhcrew said:

Hi Simon,

If they took the tops off and made them sedans, they would still be nice boats and would get under the bridge. IMHO.

Hi Eric,

Far Horizon is only a few years old, so i doubt they would want to cut it about?. I think it would be far better to offer it to a Thames yard, and restricted to the river BELOW the low bridges at Oxford. Osney and folly i think they`re called?.

[SPEEDTRIPLE]

As for Prisma,  i personally think it would be a good idea to completely chop off the high top structure, and convert it to a very large, and spacious aft cockpit 2 berth boat. That would be something diferent, and probably not expensive to do at all?.

[SwanR]

This does slightly spoil my possible plans for next year. Loving the southern Broads as I do, but Swancraft no longer being in operation, I came up with a cunning plan. Hire from Acle for ten days with plenty of time to go south - I've never done Breydon Water preferring to hire one side or another and stay there for up to one week. So I booked Moon Beam via Richardson's for September this year for just a short break, to see if I like the boat (as it is another ex-Swancraft boat renamed) and then I was going to book it for next year. 

That's that idea out the window! Moon Beam is a flybridge cruiser so no guarantees about getting under Ludham Bridge.

[NorfolkNog]

Must agree with you there Jean, particularly re Swancraft. I hired form Bridgecraft in December and I must say I was very impressed with them and their friendly customer service. I take up Simon's point too. I've never hired from Horizon but had several dealings with them for pump outs and general assistance. Friendly and nothing too much trouble. One of their guys even thawed out their hose for us one December a few years back. Good as the bigger yards are, they just don't compete with the small yards IMHO  when it comes to personal service. And to me that is very important.  

[Broads01]

Jean, I agree with Jonzo about Ludham, there are boats at Stalham with higher air drafts than Moon Beam and Ludham is never an issue.

Its an interesting point about the Thames because I agree both boats are more suited to there and in fact Prisma originated from the former New Horizon Thames fleet where it was until it closed in 2002. For the Broads I could never see the point of a holiday on the north without the Ant but on the Thames they would have all the miles below Oxford.