There Are Four Season In A Year

[Andrewcook]

 Here's this Topic for the NBN Forum as We have Four Season in a Year I.E. Winter/ Spring / Summer / Autumn does the Broads still looks nice in those Seasons?  I do like coming on the Broads in the Spring when things comes to life such Baby Swans / Ducks  / Daffodils' / Tress as well People starts coming on the Broads for their Summer Holidays . In the Autumn is slows down quite a lot with Boating and all the Birds Immigrate with Leaves falling of Trees mind you there are some lovely Colourful Tress up the Ant near Stalham. As to the Hiring Fleet starts they start to wine down It's a shame they don't do Hiring all the Year round? As to coming on to the Broads in the Autumn I find it very peaceful fresh Air wuth some nice Pubs around to chose from and able to take things in the Slow lane as to where I live in Towns it's all rush rush.  

Andrew Cook     

[Chelsea14Ian]

We come up all year round up to about nov/Dec then hotels over the winter.Each month is dfferant and well worth coming. Some yards do  let out boats over the winter.

Ian

[ExUserGone]

The depths of winter can be lovely as long you have good heating onboard and aim for places you can plug in shore power, the realy clear cold days are the best for plenty of sunshine, remember the sun is about 1.5 million miles closer at the winter solstice than it is at the summer solstice, it just doesn't get as high for so long.

Also less leaves on trees and hungrier wildlife means you are more likely to see it.

[ExMemberBobdog]

There's a magic to kayaking across a totally deserted Hickling on a crisp, cold December day.

[ChrisB]

My most hated place in high season is Ludham Bridge. 

However in mid winter I love it. I fill an open necked flask with baked beans and sausage, take some bread and butter and after a walk up Hall Road eat my lunch and return to Broadsedge.

I can not claim this as mine as I got it off a friend who spent some time in the States where it is common practice but this makes an excellent snack for day boating/sailing in winter.

You need a good quality hot dog roll split and pre mustarded and ketchuped. Warm a large frankfuter sausage in a pan of simmering water then transfer to a Thermos flask water and all. If you can get some freeze dried onion like caterers use dump that in as well.  And you have it a hot dog for lunch in a sailing dinghy, fishing dory or whatever.

PS. Best to have a separate food flask, sausage and onions can taint coffee, tea etc.

[Katie]

1 hour ago, ChrisB said:

My most hated place in high season is Ludham Bridge. 

However in mid winter I love it. I fill an open necked flask with baked beans and sausage, take some bread and butter and after a walk up Hall Road eat my lunch and return to Broadsedge.

I can not claim this as mine as I got it off a friend who spent some time in the States where it is common practice but this makes an excellent snack for day boating/sailing in winter.

You need a good quality hot dog roll split and pre mustarded and ketchuped. Warm a large frankfuter sausage in a pan of simmering water then transfer to a Thermos flask water and all. If you can get some freeze dried onion like caterers use dump that in as well.  And you have it a hot dog for lunch in a sailing dinghy, fishing dory or whatever.

PS. Best to have a separate food flask, sausage and onions can taint coffee, tea etc.

Mmmm coffee and onions --- yet to try that! But there's always a first time 

[Katie]

We're looking forward to being on the boat out of season - we may need a few pointers 

[Maxwellian]

My most hate place on the Broads is Ludham Bridge in high season on a windy day. Chaos.

[Polly]

Mine too since the 'unpleasantness' during the 3RR . Day boats had pulled the marker out of position, leaving it too near the bank. We set up to gybe round it as another came through and got in the way. The guard ship team were shouting at them to back off and change course, but no joy. Then as we finally cleared to gybe a gust grabbed the main, jammed the sheet between the tiller and the coaming  and piled us nose first into the bank...hard!  I gather a number of others also hit the bank, had it been a 'pass to starboard' marker we would have been fine.

We changed our rigging after that.

The spectators loved it of course 

[ChrisB]

I have just had a look at the mslp analysis of the North Atlantic and would suggest a very deep reef is needed this week especially for Wednesday.. The low centred over us at present is 974 which is very low for this time of year. In fact the UK is surrounded by lows with others chasing in behind. Autumn has arrived.

[Timbo]

I can't find the photograph, I'm hunting through hard drives, it must be somewhere but....

I'm walking the Beagle Brothers along the bank of Fleet Dyke. It's around 9pm on a bitterly cold November night. Frost lies hard on the ground coating the reeds, the moon is low and bright. I'm hot and tired from walking but my fingers and toes are cold. Up ahead Royal Tudor is moored with a glorious soft golden light peeping from her cabin windows. Magical.

15 hours ago, Katie said:

We're looking forward to being on the boat out of season - we may need a few pointers 

Keeping warm and boat ventilated is the key Katie. Lots of layers for bedding, especially underneath you. I've had bunk mattress liners made so that they don't slip off. First of all a microfleece cover goes on the bunk. Then the liner made from 10 tog duvets then another layer of fleece. I then use double duvets for single bunks folding it so that you sleep on half and pull the other half over you. Then a blanket on top. I use a similar system when camping.

Finally, before getting into bed I apply hot water bottles to warm the bed through. You could try the rubber ones filled with water. Mine are white black and ginger and covered in fur. The Beagle Brothers are trained to act as winter warmers on the boat. Dylan wraps himself up in the crook of my knees while Toby sprawls between my back and the side of the boat. If it's cold the beagles won't move from under the duvet. In summer I play chase the duvet as Dylan is continually getting out of bed when he get's too hot and drags the bedding with him.

Air your bedding during the day if you get the chance, and then there's that old Yorkshire saying 'Take thee coit off indoors or tha waint feel t'benefit'!

Best accessory to buy...your NBN woolly hat available from the store. I have two. One for the day and one for when I'm in bed!

I'm knocking on you know!

[Springsong]

I have bought a memory foam topper from Dunelm. Really warm and comfortable.

http://www.dunelm.com/product/teddy-bear-memory-foam-mattress-topper-1000052734

[ranworthbreeze]

2 hours ago, Timbo said:

I can't find the photograph, I'm hunting through hard drives, it must be somewhere but....

I'm walking the Beagle Brothers along the bank of Fleet Dyke. It's around 9pm on a bitterly cold November night. Frost lies hard on the ground coating the reeds, the moon is low and bright. I'm hot and tired from walking but my fingers and toes are cold. Up ahead Royal Tudor is moored with a glorious soft golden light peeping from her cabin windows. Magical.

Keeping warm and boat ventilated is the key Katie. Lots of layers for bedding, especially underneath you. I've had bunk mattress liners made so that they don't slip off. First of all a microfleece cover goes on the bunk. Then the liner made from 10 tog duvets then another layer of fleece. I then use double duvets for single bunks folding it so that you sleep on half and pull the other half over you. Then a blanket on top. I use a similar system when camping.

Finally, before getting into bed I apply hot water bottles to warm the bed through. You could try the rubber ones filled with water. Mine are white black and ginger and covered in fur. The Beagle Brothers are trained to act as winter warmers on the boat. Dylan wraps himself up in the crook of my knees while Toby sprawls between my back and the side of the boat. If it's cold the beagles won't move from under the duvet. In summer I play chase the duvet as Dylan is continually getting out of bed when he get's too hot and drags the bedding with him.

Air your bedding during the day if you get the chance, and then there's that old Yorkshire saying 'Take thee coit off indoors or tha waint feel t'benefit'!

Best accessory to buy...your NBN woolly hat available from the store. I have two. One for the day and one for when I'm in bed!

I'm knocking on you know!

Hi Tim,

Similar to our bedding for out of season, we however have a topper under the bottom sheet, hot water bottles for airing the bed up to an hour before before we go to bed (if needs be top them up with more hot water before getting in bed) we also have a large fleece to cover the duvet. Any condensation forms on the fleece that can be aired during the day. 

Leaving the cabin door open also reduces any condensation in the cabin.

Regards

Alan

[Malanka]

Best ways to avoid masses of condensation in winter:

1. Don't breathe. (not recommended)

2. Get a wooden boat and leave the windows open (recommended)

We still get some condensation of course but it doesn't drip on us, it runs down the sides of the inside of the boat as it is designed to do and then into the bilges from behind the mahoganny panels. The ledges are all tilted towards the sides for this very reason. And we don't get damp bedding either. What we end up with is dry insides but wet behind the panels just the job.

We also employ the same below as above philosophy for bedding which as Timbo described it works a treat. Hot water bottles are a must too as is a warm partner preferably not one of the dogs to cuddle up to. The latter is highly recommended for staying cosey warm.

M

[MauriceMynah]

People recommend option 1 to me. :(

[Katie]

Many thanks to you all, looks like we'll need some more bedding/ hot water bottles and i'll tell Simon to keep his mouth shut and try not to breath 

[SueH]

We also have lots of layers.  The middle one of which is a spare heated blanket that has been dedicated to the boat.  Obviously that does mean we are dependent on mains power.  It does not like the inverter.

SueH

[NorfolkNog]

We've been out In December and February for the last 11 years and would echo all the above.

I cant say we've ever had a problem with condensation though (hire/bathtubs/warm air heating) . We always ask for two duvets and are always snug as a bug. We don't have the heating on overnight and just put it on in the morning for a few minutes before we get up and the boat soon warms up. Just take some warm clothing but it really isn't an Arctic expedition!

Its a magical time to be out.

[ExSurveyor]

Heating overnight,  whats that.  A thick quilt,  a blanket,  a pair of thick wool socks because my feet hang out the end of the bed.  

The window is wide open and the blanket and quilt are regularly thrown off,  the joys of a wife of a certain age.

Our boat is well insulated and does keep its heat in well.  We tend to use a 1kw fan heater to heat the whole 32' boat and turn it off overnight.

[finny]

i love winter boating and i cant disagree with the advice given .........the only downside for me is having to get up in the middle of the night for a Pee ...................so dont drink to much 

 

Finny

[Guest]

Having been a 365/24/7 guy for the last 12 years , I'll agree multi layering bedding and hot water bottles are the way to go , plugged in the the electric blanket gets used and possibly the fan heater  , but  since iv the most reliable for of heating  (ie nothing to break ) in the form of a stove then possibly that it depends where I am , which way the wind is and if others are around , down side is obviously fuel for the fire but producing that gets you warm anyway , ventilation is important agreed but in fog it let's in a lot of moisture , I really can't see any difference between wooden boats and GRP or even steel its all down to insulation , my steel narrow boat was as warm as toast basically because it was spray foam insulated , best advice is have more than one way to heat the boat , one will always let you down when you need it most and most importantly take extreme care its far more easy to slip and trip on boats in winter especially in wellingtons .

Winter cruising is just magical to me but iv got to the stage where I can't do with the hustle n bustle so I guess it would be  .

[Gracie]

We have been out in all the seasons except winter, something we would very much like to do once the kids are older and off hand. If you need convincing of trying it, watch Howard's wonderful Quiet and Peaceful series, a delight to read and most certainly will wet your appetite to give it a go. The only problem I think they encountered was the hair dryer not working, Mrs Nog with her beautiful long hair was advised to stick her head out the window when underway lol

An absolute joy to read bring on December, eh Howard?

Grace

 

 

[NorfolkNog]

You're a sweetheart Grace, thank you    bring it on indeed  looking forward to it already and mental note to check hairdryer before we leave the Boatyard 

You really must try it Grace when you can. I don't do the fishing bit but I imagine that would be good too - you certainly wouldn't be disturbed ( except by me - ha ha)  

[Gracie]

You can disturb me any time you like  I will make sure I've got plenty of Stella on board

Grace