Interesting Development At Thorpe!

[MBA Marine]

12 minutes ago, Vaughan said:

Was she the deputy manager with the big . . . . . . . . . . . smile? 

Smiley lady yes.

[JennyMorgan]

6 hours ago, marshman said:

Not sure that was the reason Mark pulled out - more like he found the number of passengers requiring the service pretty limited! 

It is always nice to see people try new ventures but actual lack of demand is often key. On a warm sunny day on a weekend, there may have been a limited demand, but on most others i guess little, if any, casual trade was forthcomimg - sadly.

There is a huge, indeed massive customer base in Norwich itself. The river itself is full of interest. There are three excellent pubs within range of Thorpe. I really don't know why both Mark & City boats failed to create & sustain the interest that the Upper Yare & Wensum deserve. 

[vanessan]

7 hours ago, marshman said:

Not sure that was the reason Mark pulled out - more like he found the number of passengers requiring the service pretty limited! 

It is always nice to see people try new ventures but actual lack of demand is often key. On a warm sunny day on a weekend, there may have been a limited demand, but on most others i guess little, if any, casual trade was forthcomimg - sadly.

EDP 8th November 2016. 

Mark Wakelin launched the Great Yare Ferry Company just over a year ago from River Green, in Thorpe St Andrew.

The hourly service takes people from the banks of the River Yare across to Whitlingham Country Park and into the city.

But Mr Wakelin has now decided to shut down the operation due to what he calls “unfair” pricing of new river tolls.

He said: “I never set this up to make money, but I also didn’t do it to be made a monkey of by the Broads Authority.

“On the 22nd day of the season this year, the total of all my takings equalled my annual toll. 

“You don’t have to be a business man to realise this does not make sense.”

The 62-year-old said he paid around £625 each year in river tolls, 

Under the new changes, Mr Wakelin claimed that while his toll would remain the same, hire boats of the same size will pay significantly less – despite making more money.

[JennyMorgan]

What was incredibly unfair on both City Boats and Mark was that whilst their ferries, by their very nature, only used a fraction of the Broads yet they were both expected to pay a toll to use the whole Broads system. I know that City Boats argued this issue at a Broads Authority Public Meeting yet it all fell on deaf ears. A hire cruiser works for a full day, a day-boat works by the hour. If Marks argument is sound then perhaps the recent toll review overlooked this issue.

[MBA Marine]

If you have good vehicle access and can park coaches then you can market correctly and arrange coach parties at a time and fill your passenger boat then you are onto a winner.  But if you fail with access, coach parking or marketing, any one of the three then a trip boat will be a very difficult enterprise.

City boats also had the huge problem of wooden boats that cost a fortune each year, not a viable option im my view.  

[Oddfellow]

Thank you all for your comments and good wishes. 

Freedom has been hiring Day Boats from Thorpe for the last three years (we didn't bother the first year we were there). We have two Day Boats, pod and new for this year will be a bare-shell refitted 20ft Siesta picnic boat which will seat nine and also sleep three. We also hire cruisers for the day too. 

In addition to this we have six new (to us) boats in the joint venture with Mark. We anticipate three or four of these will be electric with two diesels. These boats are new to the Broads but not new. There's a video of one of them being tested on our facebook page (shot from the helm). 

As Mark says, it's early days yet with the potential Thorpe River Green site, but the Town Council is keen to support the idea which met with no negativity at all at the recent meeting. I would doubt that the BA planners would have any objections for change of use of some of the river green quay heading. It's all about making it work in time to make it financially viable for this year. 

 

[BroadAmbition]

Well I for another hope you succeed.  Is there anywhere in the centre of the city by the riverside you can put up a few advertising boards? as had been stated earlier there is a huge potential customer base there, but if they don't know about your day boats how will they find you?

Griff

[BroadAmbition]

Just another thought, maybe some of the riverside eateries / pubs may display your leaflets for you in return displaying theirs at your base or on your boats?

Griff

[MBA Marine]

9 hours ago, BroadAmbition said:

Just another thought, maybe some of the riverside eateries / pubs may display your leaflets for you in return displaying theirs at your base or on your boats?

Griff

That one is already a idea under development, and not restricted to just river side eateries I have a contact that manages a chain of pubs around norwich and I hope some mutual advertising is possible.

To attract customers to something new means that you have to be proactive, you can have the best website in the the world but if they're searching for boat hire then they have already had the idea, its probably not new to them, I want to plant the idea into those that would not have thought of boating as an activity and the only way to do that is to catch their eye (or ear), thats one of the plus points to river green, its visual to those passing by, those that stare out of the bus window on their commute, visible as they travel back and forth to sainsburys.  If and i must stress if, we had the go ahead then I hope Luke would do a follow up story in the EDP with a picture of the boats in use, all good promoting without spending heavily.

[BroadAmbition]

Well if you need a hand or 'B.A' on station for some sort of push / publicity promotion thing - You only have to ask

Griff

[MBA Marine]

6 minutes ago, BroadAmbition said:

Well if you need a hand or 'B.A' on station for some sort of push / publicity promotion thing - You only have to ask

Griff

Very kind thank you.

The NBN will be high on the list to inform with news, good or bad. But for now the work continues behind the scenes, design, development and execution, sadly no pay!! 

[Wussername]

53 minutes ago, BroadAmbition said:

Well if you need a hand or 'B.A' on station for some sort of push / publicity promotion thing - You only have to ask

Griff

The Wherry Hathor perhaps to join B.A.

Talking about BA: Broads Tourism works in partnership with the Broads Authority to provide a strong unified voice for Broads tourism-related businesses.

An opportunity for the latter to make an identifiable contribution towards a positive and viable venture.

Andrew

[MBA Marine]

Should have some news for you all one way or the other very soon.

[MBA Marine]

Ok, well I had not intended to say anything until all was rubber stamped but Thorpe st Andrew town council have moved first by publishing things in their news letter so if they're happy I guess I am too. 

It looks like we might be going ahead, the plan is for a temporary site office this year with a more permanent office from next.  An arrangement has been made with the Buck Inn and they are very kindly allowing us to use a limited number of their parking bays, but parking is available at Freedom and I encourage those travelling by car to take the boat from that starting point.

There is still so very much to and it's doubtful I will have the full complement of boats going this year but try I will and we build for next.

 

[Polly]

Good luck.

 

[BroadAmbition]

All the best with it

Griff

[Vaughan]

Nice to have some good news coming out of Thorpe for a change!

All the best Mark.

[MBA Marine]

9 hours ago, Vaughan said:

Nice to have some good news coming out of Thorpe for a change!

All the best Mark.

Thank you for your advice, kind words and general words of wisdom along the way, I have invested a lot of time and money over the past 5 months, its nice to see it might finally come to something and with more hard work and a touch of lady luck I hope we have a little success.

No excuses now next time you are over, a meet after work in the Buck and we can chew the cud over pint (better make mine a shandy i will be driving), Wussername and all more the merrier. 

[GoneRoaming]

On 1/2/2017 at 7:34 PM, MBA Marine said:

Beats me perhaps its a pay per view round the gardens!!

I might however make myself available for selling tickets.