Northern Vs Southern Broads

[JohnK]

Ricardo’s post on another thread made me think about this so rather than hijack that one ... here we are.

 

Do you think there’s a big difference between the northern and southern Broads?

In what way?

Is there a degree of them and us?

Which do you prefer and why?

Apologies if this has already been done to death.

 

 

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[Guest]

I would say yes and its been there a long long time , that said they are vastly different especially when it come to rise and fall of the tides hence I never have a problem with anyone advising a new to boating hirer to keep it north , but if you want to escape the hustle n bustle especially in summer the the south wins hands down , iv been just about everywhere on the system with the exception of above potter but there's no way you will see me in summer on the northern side as to me stress is not what boating is about , if i end up with an employment opportunity on the northern side in summer I'd catch the train and suffer the extra traveling time n trust me I hate traveling time to me its a waste of life .

So yea I'd say there is unfortunately though does make me chuckle when folks go on about live aboards not moving round  the system and go to the same place week in and week out though that generally happens elsewhere if you know what I mean 

[JennyMorgan]

Up North, the Bure, reminds me of Lakeside car-park on a manic Black Friday.

Down South is so much more refined, bit like the locals!

Up North is not all manic, it's great above Potter Bridge.

Down South is great above Beccles Bridge and Buckenham and up to Surlingham.

[seanguest]

It depends on the time of year,i personally avoid the northern broads like the plague from may to august, outside these months it's pretty calm and there's enough moorings to go around,there is some amazing stretches of water right up the river ant and some fantastic wild moorings.The southern broads are totally different in my opinion, I've been in the middle of august and the boat traffic is alot less than the northern broads woth no mooring issues even in august.If i had to choose northern or southern I'd choose southern as it feels more like proper boating to me with the tides/fast flowing water/bridge heights and the bigger sea going boats you see around brundall and Lowestoft,plus i love the woods end pub at bramerton.

Edited November 15, 2017 by seanguest

[Chelsea14Ian]

1 hour ago, JennyMorgan said:

Up North, the Bure, reminds me of Lakeside car-park on a manic Black Friday.

Down South is so much more refined, bit like the locals!

Up North is not all manic, it's great above Potter Bridge.

Down South is great above Beccles Bridge and Buckenham and up to Surlingham.

Sometimes the river monster's pick on people from up north as well.

[Guest]

35 minutes ago, seanguest said:

It depends on the time of year,i personally avoid the northern broads like the plague from may to august, outside these months it's pretty calm and there's enough moorings to go around,there is some amazing stretches of water right up the river ant and some fantastic wild moorings.The southern broads are totally different in my opinion, I've been in the middle of august and the boat traffic is alot less than the northern broads woth no mooring issues even in august.If i had to choose northern or southern I'd choose southern as it feels more like proper boating to me with the tides/fast flowing water/bridge heights and the bigger sea going boats you see around brundall and Lowestoft,plus i love the woods end pub at bramerton.

Yep I'd agree with that , its just the mooring situation in summer that makes me cringe , boating shouldn't be stressful , countless times iv seen people when on thier first time asking what time do I need to moor by and then on the northern broads in summer yiu get the 2-3 pm maximum to get a spot , given that the average hire boat will need to have 5 hrs to recharge then that means a 9 am start , that to me is not a holiday that living by the clock something that shouldn't rule on holiday but that's just my opinion , I will completely agree though there are some beautiful stretch's of river on the northern broads and short of above potter and I will one day even if I have to use the tender go above the bridge 

[seanguest]

10 minutes ago, Ricardo said:

Yep I'd agree with that , its just the mooring situation in summer that makes me cringe , boating shouldn't be stressful , countless times iv seen people when on thier first time asking what time do I need to moor by and then on the northern broads in summer yiu get the 2-3 pm maximum to get a spot , given that the average hire boat will need to have 5 hrs to recharge then that means a 9 am start , that to me is not a holiday that living by the clock something that shouldn't rule on holiday but that's just my opinion , I will completely agree though there are some beautiful stretch's of river on the northern broads and short of above potter and I will one day even if I have to use the tender go above the bridge 

I've only ever been under potter once when i was a teenager on clear horizon (i think),all i remember about it is that it was very very quiet, just as it should be.

[JennyMorgan]

17 minutes ago, Chelsea14Ian said:

Sometimes the river monster's pick on people from up north as well.

They even pick on folk from down South!!

[seanguest]

5 minutes ago, JennyMorgan said:

They even pick on folk from down South!!

River monsters  

[Broads01]

It doesn't have to be north vs south, for me it's north and south. They're completely different to each other of course, but I love them both for what they both individually have to offer. Asking me to choose between them is like asking me to choose which one of my children is my favourite. 

I love the hustle and bustle of the North, including the summer and I was there last August. Yes, mooring in popular places can be difficult but I rarely find that stressful as if my first, second and third choice spots are taken, I'll just go for my fourth choice and enjoy cruising for longer. I rarely moor for the night before 4 in the afternoon.

Whilst I recognise we're all different and the north isn't to everyone's taste,  I'm beginning to find it tiresome to keep reading negative comment on the forum about the north. 

[Maxwellian]

Love them both, although I mostly hire in the south now. Occasional trip up north to go under potter or wroxham bridge. The south is lovely. As with all water treat it with respect, prepare and take it easy and all can enjoy everywhere. We spend too much time making the tides and the south the big bogey man. Reckless peaople are dangerous in a tea cup.

[Guest]

21 minutes ago, Broads01 said:

It doesn't have to be north vs south, for me it's north and south. They're completely different to each other of course, but I love them both for what they both individually have to offer. Asking me to choose between them is like asking me to choose which one of my children is my favourite. 

I love the hustle and bustle of the North, including the summer and I was there last August. Yes, mooring in popular places can be difficult but I rarely find that stressful as if my first, second and third choice spots are taken, I'll just go for my fourth choice and enjoy cruising for longer. I rarely moor for the night before 4 in the afternoon.

Whilst I recognise we're all different and the north isn't to everyone's taste,  I'm beginning to find it tiresome to keep reading negative comment on the forum about the north. 

I'm trying not to be negative I just don't like stress , to be honest this time of yr is a little stressful with silly tides  and storms etc but I don't do fighting over Mooring's as having a dog onboard I need at some point access to land though he's very very good in that aspect , I totally agree both north and south are beautiful and each of them has an appeal for many reasons .

[Gracie]

I so agree with everything Simon has said It's North and South not North v South, There is so much to love about both, the slower and quieter pace of the South to the hustle and bustle of the North, we go for a bit of both. If we can't find a mooring by 7pm in August in the North then we just drop our weight on a Broad or tie to a tree, absolute bliss. I love the social side of the North, all the waving and meeting people in the pubs chatting away about how wonderful it all is, ok so you get the odd moaner (not like on this forum ). You don't have to be moored at a pub by 3 in the afternoon to get a meal, have an early pub lunch, then cruise off and go where the fancy takes you. Make sure there's plenty of food and wine on board for the evening, especially the wine, don't ever forget the wine, cruise for hours if you like, find a nice spot on a Broad, do some fishing, watch the sunset with a glass or two of wine (see above), play some cards or games, go have a heavenly sleep (thanks to wine and being afloat) and repeat the next day. Nahh nothing wrong with the North

As for the South, all of the above but maybe a tad quieter, whatever floats your boat, enjoy it all, that's what it's there for and the wine of course  

Grace

[Bound2Please]

No its not North v South, and sorry Darlin its North and South, aall about the broads, would the moaners about the crowds, be moaning still if quiet like now. I think they would. Some people aint happy unless they are moaning, just think np look at it this way, while said moaners are moaning about North or South they are leaving others alone.......

I really feel sorry about those that try and compare North and South, as to me both North and South make the broads what they are a tranquil place to come and enjoy, get away from technology and the stresses of modern living.

Yes Darlin one can never have enough Wine, G&T or beer come to that. Its sacrilege to run out of any.

Charlie

[JohnK]

Thanks for all the comments. You’ve convinced me I definitely need a boat that will go under Potter, I’m not one for crowds.
To be clear, I wasn’t trying to provoke an argument, just trying to learn.
Is there an official or generally accepted cut off between north and south? Breydon? GY? Confluence of the Bure and Yare?


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[rightsaidfred]

This argument always makes me laugh, its a bit like London where one part is divided from the other by a piece of water and its occupants become parochial and treat the other part as a foreign land, the broads are the broads North or South and  so is London, the Southern side has 3 rivers each one different to the others the North has 3 rivers again each one with its own attractions and all have access to different Broads again with their own unique appeal, just enjoy the broads for what they are an exceptional part of Norfolk and Suffolk and a unique part of the UK.

Fred

[Broads01]

14 minutes ago, JohnK said:

Thanks for all the comments. You’ve convinced me I definitely need a boat that will go under Potter, I’m not one for crowds.
To be clear, I wasn’t trying to provoke an argument, just trying to learn.
Is there an official or generally accepted cut off between north and south? Breydon? GY? Confluence of the Bure and Yare?


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I tend to think of the dividing line between north and south as the yellow post at Great Yarmouth. 

A boat that goes under Potter? With water levels as they mostly are that'll be a sailing boat then, or possibly a Martham Boat. I hired a day cruiser for a few hours from Whispering Reeds at Hickling and that was brilliant. 

[JohnK]

I tend to think of the dividing line between north and south as the yellow post at Great Yarmouth. 
A boat that goes under Potter? With water levels as they mostly are that'll be a sailing boat then, or possibly a Martham Boat. I hired a day cruiser for a few hours from Whispering Reeds at Hickling and that was brilliant. 

I like the idea of the yellow post being the dividing line. I don’t like ambiguity

It definitely won’t be a sailing boat! I’m about to gain a small day boat that I think will go under but I’m thinking of trading up to something we could sleep on ... there’s a discussion with some excellent ideas people have given me on here somewhere. If what I buy is too high I could load it to the gunwales with live otters then just throw them out when I’ve gone under the bridge (JOKE)


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[JennyMorgan]

The point that I find sad is the boater that doesn't explore the Broads, that regards Breydon as an insurmountable barrier. If I can do the trip in an open sailing boat with an outboard, a quant and no frivolous gadgetry then I'm darn certain others can do it too. 

Mind you, if I had to choose then it would be down South for me but then I would be missing so much. Well, I might well steer clear of Horning during the high season! 

[JennyMorgan]

Re loading boats with live otters in order to lower the air draft, kids on Oulton Broad the other day loaded a small dayboat with sandbags to the point that it actually sunk! It shouldn't have happened but it does show that where there is a will there is a way and also that an excess of otters might create problems!

[JohnK]

Re loading boats with live otters in order to lower the air draft, kids on Oulton Broad the other day loaded a small dayboat with sandbags to the point that it actually sunk! It shouldn't have happened but it does show that where there is a will there is a way and also that an excess of otters might create problems!

It would be self managing, as soon as the gunwales let water over the otters will swim off lightening the load.

I think you’re right about Breydon. When heading out to sea GY port scares me a lot more than Breydon. Mainly because I don’t want the nasty men on the radio shouting at me


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[JennyMorgan]

13 minutes ago, JohnK said:

 

It would be self managing, as soon as the gunwales let water over the otters will swim off lightening the load.

I think you’re right about Breydon. When heading out to sea GY port scares me a lot more than Breydon. Mainly because I don’t want the nasty men on the radio shouting at me


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The 'Off' button is an incredibly useful facility!

[JohnK]

The 'Off' button is an incredibly useful facility!

I’ll remember that.
I’m loathe to admit this (especially here) but first time out on Breydon, Spirit of Breydon came alongside and called me on the radio.
That’s odd I thought. They know I’m on Channel 12 and they used no normal VHF protocol. I answered them anyway.
Yarmouth radio then told SoB and me to get off their working channel in no uncertain terms.
Turns out SoB had called me on their tannoy not the radio.
Very embarrassing!!!


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[seanguest]

12 hours ago, seanguest said:

I've only ever been under potter once when i was a teenager on emerald gem(i think),all i remember about it is that it was very very quiet, just as it should be.

 

[Vaughan]

The hire boat business has been trying to level out the traffic on the Broads rivers ever since its inception. Worth remembering that John Loynes, one of the founder members of Blakes Association in 1908, had started his boat hire business on the Wensum in Norwich and he is widely reckoned to have been the first.

When I was a boy, all the men who worked on the yards considered themselves either north or south men and those who worked on the Yare didn't know much about the north rivers. There is even a noticeable difference in the Norfolk accent, between the two areas. I grew up as a south rivers man and it still shows. There are many places up north that I know little about.

In the 50's and 60's there were serious efforts to promote holidays on the south rivers and the Jenners development in Thorpe which began in 1965 was meant to rival Herbert Woods and bring customers to the south. If the company had not run out of cash flow so early, it might well have succeeded in this.

I am always surprised that companies do not offer one-way cruises between north and south. Barnes for instance, have facilities in Brundall, which is only half an hour by road from Wroxham. After 25 years in France I am well used to one way cruises and they are easily organised. Well over 50% of our customers choose that option.

What I have noticed most, after a 30 year absence, is that the north rivers are every bit as overcrowded now, if not more so, than they used to be in the 60s. Why should that be, I wonder, when there are now around 800 hire boats, instead of 3000 before? 

Lack of shore facilities and infrastructure, perhaps?