Mystic Horizon

[Wonderwall]

Happy days , I've booked mystic horizon for a week late September. Just me and the gaffer but my sis and bro in law may get a boat at the same time  .

Spent a week darn sarf last year, so this time it's oop north, can't get under the bridges so just lots of lazy cruising , feeding some fish and I might taste the local liquids , 

So, any tales about the boat let me hear them, and anyone planning on being around then?

Had a wee spring in my step today, so I did 

[SwanR]

Always nice to have something to look forward to.

[Broads01]

Nice boats, Ive hired the same design on the Thames twice. I like the fact they have good weather protection but I can get my head out of the roof. The rear deck is nice.  They don't fit under Wroxham or Potter but Ludham shouldn't be an issue - if it is then ask Richardsons to swap you to another boat. 

[Matmod]

Nice boats, Ive hired the same design on the Thames twice. I like the fact they have good weather protection but I can get my head out of the roof. The rear deck is nice.  They don't fit under Wroxham or Potter but Ludham shouldn't be an issue - if it is then ask Richardsons to swap you to another boat. 

Hi I’ve also hired one for august this year is ludham bridge passable at high tide or just low tide? Just trying to plan route atm. Many thanks



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[RS2021]

Richardson's would base it at Horning and not Stalham if Ludham was a problem

[MotorBoater]

From Richardsons boat details, you may have missed it.

"Will not pass under Potter Heigham, Beccles, Wroxham, Wayford and Thorpe Railway bridges.  The boat requires 8ft 6in clearance on all other bridges at low water only."

[Mouldy]

We own a Broom 29 and came under Ludham Bridge at 8ft heading from the Bure on Monday.  Our boat has been measured at 8ft 3ins and we came under with about 3ins clearance.  We checked the height marker heading towards the Bure and it read 2.5mts, so as long as we have that, we will get under.
We like the design.  The helm is high, so you will get a view over the reeds and the heads are cosy, but adequate.  Being tall, they can be affected by crosswinds, but they handle well.

The London Rascal still has some videos on YouTube of one of his trips on Mystic Horizon.  If you haven’t seen it yet, it will give you an idea of what the boat is like.

[oldgregg]

5 hours ago, RS2021 said:

Richardson's would base it at Horning and not Stalham if Ludham was a problem

This

There are plenty of boats at Stalham which people worry won't fit through Ludham, and all of them do.

[Broads01]

Yep, Ludham Bridge has the most useless height gauge anywhere, being so pessimistic I tend to take little notice of it. It would take exceptional conditions not to be able to pass through with Mystic Horizon. 

[RS2021]

9 hours ago, Broads01 said:

Ludham Bridge has the most useless height gauge anywhere

 

10 hours ago, oldgregg said:

people worry won't fit through Ludham

This is exactly why adding a few inches to the gauge and to the height of the boat is a bad idea. Customer's don't have the correct information to know they can get through Ludham the majority of the time. You come on holiday to relax and even before you arrive you are worried by misleading information. Regulars know the information is misleading and adjust for it. Newcomers can't. I suspect Many a booking has been lost and many a customer disappointed because of this.

10 hours ago, oldgregg said:

and all of them do

As oldgregg says all the boat at Stalham do, so why give customers misleading information.  Richardson's even operate boats from Stalham with a quoted airdraft of 9 ft - but they still go through Ludham regularly.

[oldgregg]

16 minutes ago, RS2021 said:

 

This is exactly why adding a few inches to the gauge and to the height of the boat is a bad idea. Customer's don't have the correct information to know they can get through Ludham the majority of the time. You come on holiday to relax and even before you arrive you are worried by misleading information. Regulars know the information is misleading and adjust for it. Newcomers can't. I suspect Many a booking has been lost and many a customer disappointed because of this.

It's a tricky one, but I would assume if in doubt people would just call Ricko's before booking?

The reason the gauges are like they are is because there are plenty of idiots turning up in the likes of Broom Explorer and assuming that they can probably chance it and get through.

[RS2021]

23 minutes ago, oldgregg said:

The reason the gauges are like they are is because there are plenty of idiots turning up

Problem is the gauges treat people like idiots so they act like idiots. You quickly realise the gauges are so inaccurate you have no choice but to chance getting through. If you knew the gauge was accurate you would know not to chance it. The pilots at Potter don't rely on an inaccurate gauge do they.

Problem is now if you did make them accurate they've been so bad for so long no one would believe them...

28 minutes ago, oldgregg said:

It's a tricky one, but I would assume if in doubt people would just call Ricko's before booking?

I suspect most newcomers don't realise Ludham Bridge exists until after they've booked. I didn't.

[oldgregg]

2 hours ago, RS2021 said:

I suspect most newcomers don't realise Ludham Bridge exists until after they've booked. I didn't.

I guess so. Actually I think Ludham Bridge is a prime candidate for getting the 'Acle Bridge' treatment.

Those 1950's concrete bridges (Wayford being another) create an unneccessary bottleneck on the system and we'd benefit from something closer to the new Acle bridge.

If the bridge were wider we wouldn't have one-way river traffic there and that would make a big difference. Naturally, it should be a bit taller, too.

[oldgregg]

Of course, if you made Ludham Bridge less of an obstacle then you'd end up with more river traffic congesting the top of the Ant.

Plenty of moorings at Ricko's during the week, though.

[Malanka]

Change boat design not the bridge. 
 

m

[Matt]

I guess so. Actually I think Ludham Bridge is a prime candidate for getting the 'Acle Bridge' treatment.
Those 1950's concrete bridges (Wayford being another) create an unneccessary bottleneck on the system and we'd benefit from something closer to the new Acle bridge.
If the bridge were wider we wouldn't have one-way river traffic there and that would make a big difference. Naturally, it should be a bit taller, too.

You can also notice the current slows you down a fair bit as you pass under where it narrows.


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[MaceSwinger]

16 hours ago, Malanka said:

Change boat design not the bridge. 
 

m

I totally see the logic there, after all the designs of Broads cruisers had always been dictated by the rivers they're used on (with the exception of some of the huge monstrosities currently being built)...but I suspect the thought of smaller boats would put many off visiting all together. That may be a welcome thought, after all les boats means easier moorings doesn't it? Less visitors also means less revenue, and less revenue means less investment. From a personal stand point I wouldn't mind too much for just me and my wife, but our big family holidays with 8 or 9 of us would definitely go for a Burton!

The point could be made that plenty of people already holiday on the canals where lower air draft and narrower beams are standard, but they make up for that with length instead. Could you imagine how long a 42' 8 berther would end being if you made the height and beam smaller? Given the navigation bylaws on vessel dimensions you'd end up with boats that wouldn't be permitted up the Ant in the first place.

[OldBerkshireBoy]

12 minutes ago, MaceSwinger said:

I totally see the logic there, after all the designs of Broads cruisers had always been dictated by the rivers they're used on (with the exception of some of the huge monstrosities currently being built)...but I suspect the thought of smaller boats would put many off visiting all together. That may be a welcome thought, after all les boats means easier moorings doesn't it? Less visitors also means less revenue, and less revenue means less investment. From a personal stand point I wouldn't mind too much for just me and my wife, but our big family holidays with 8 or 9 of us would definitely go for a Burton!

 

Two or even three boats?

[RS2021]

16 hours ago, Malanka said:

Change boat design not the bridge. 
 

m

I think the point is the boats (with very few exceptions) are designed to go through the bridge. It's just that someone adds a few inches to the height of the boat before publishing it's details and then someone else adds a few inches to the gauge and all of a sudden they look like they are too big.

Imagine the same principle applied to the narrow canals. You build a boat which is actually 6'10" and then add a few inches so you say it's 7'4". The CRT then say we don't want any one trying to get through our narrow locks in a boat that's too wide so just to be safe we'll take a few inches off and call them 6'8" wide. All of a sudden you have potential hirers wondering where they can actually cruise.

[Mouldy]

42 minutes ago, MaceSwinger said:

I totally see the logic there, after all the designs of Broads cruisers had always been dictated by the rivers they're used on (with the exception of some of the huge monstrosities currently being built)...but I suspect the thought of smaller boats would put many off visiting all together. That may be a welcome thought, after all les boats means easier moorings doesn't it? Less visitors also means less revenue, and less revenue means less investment. From a personal stand point I wouldn't mind too much for just me and my wife, but our big family holidays with 8 or 9 of us would definitely go for a Burton!

Hmmmm!  Not entirely sure I agree with all of that.  Do you really need a 40ft two berth boat?  The problem I see is that folk now expect hire boats to have the space and facilities of a luxury hotel room, rather than regard it as what is essentially a floating caravan.    For use of space on board, I don’t think I’ve  seen better that the last shape Connoisseurs, now operating from Herbert Woods.  Spacious and airy, with the advantages of a sliding canopy and low airdraft.  Such a shame that they are getting on a bit and looking so shabby now.  

[Poppy]

19 minutes ago, Mouldy said:

Hmmmm!  Not entirely sure I agree with all of that.  Do you really need a 40ft two berth boat?  The problem I see is that folk now expect hire boats to have the space and facilities of a luxury hotel room, rather than regard it as what is essentially a floating caravan.    For use of space on board, I don’t think I’ve  seen better that the last shape Connoisseurs, now operating from Herbert Woods.  Spacious and airy, with the advantages of a sliding canopy and low airdraft.  Such a shame that they are getting on a bit and looking so shabby now.  

The same is happening in the touring caravan market. People have forgotten what is essentially a camping holiday is meant to be like .  So on the roads as well as on the rivers we see behemoths which are being used by just two people. 

Status symbols ?  Or perhaps they really just don't like each other....

[grendel]

1 hour ago, MaceSwinger said:

Could you imagine how long a 42' 8 berther would end being if you made the height and beam smaller?

This is a 43 foot 9 berther and passes under Potter Heigham bridge regularly

[grendel]

so 50 years ago they could build boats that are similar dimensions to modern ones, yet they still fit through Potter heigham with ease., so its boat design that has changed over those 50 years.

[OldBerkshireBoy]

25 minutes ago, grendel said:

so 50 years ago they could build boats that are similar dimensions to modern ones, yet they still fit through Potter heigham with ease., so its boat design that has changed over those 50 years.

Are you allowing for the bridge sinking?      

[Malanka]

We used to rent the Silver Jubilee’s regularly. The height is gained with the floor being almost level with the hull. Just like in Malanka but even lower. 
 

Great heritage boats and absolutely no reason why they couldn’t replace all the fly bridge monstrosities apart from the 350k build cost and massive maintenance issues compared to Tupperware. And wait for it. Sustainable too.... lol 

The desire of some to look down on others is evidenced all over the place, cars, boats all places. There are consequences and the current fad for fewer bigger more luxuries may end and a traditional approach for the leaner wallet may return. 
 

who knows. 
 

the ratio of boats to size is a matter of demand and ROI. Simple as really.. 

As soon as folks begin to understand bigger is not always better, and modern isn’t always better either, more choices will result. If you want to see that in action look at the range of boats Richos have on offer. Don’t think they make more from the monstrosities because they don’t. 
 

m