Lost A Boat!!! Or My Mind??? Oh Never Mind.

[WasJono]

Hello to All

New to the forum, bar one response, so would introduce us.

We have been boating on the Broads since 1965 when we hired Broadway 3. Seventy now and still loving it.  We wanted Loch Tarbert but in those days of filling in the paper form and posting it off to Blakes, one got what one got.

We arrived home from that holiday and straight away filled in the form for 1966 putting our choice of 6 boats down and putting Loch Tarbert firmly at the top of the list and Broadwave at the bottom. Yes! we got Broadwave again but number 1 this time. Never did get Loch Tarbert.

I have attached a list of the boats we have been on with one missing that we cannot remember the name of. We think it was from Faircraft and on the lines of a Lowliner style in about 1987. I remember we didn't enjoy it much for what ever reason. Hold it!! My wife, Val, has just read this over my shoulder and announced it was ........................Fair Lowliner!!  Da-Da  

Don't you just love it when that happens!!!

We have booked up for next year and are pushing the boat out (sorry) staying 2 weeks at Box End cottage in Horning, with a Picnic Boat for a week of that, followed by a week on Silver Serenade from Brundall for our 50th Anniversary. We spent our 25th on a Connoisseur GL2. Loved that boat but it seems to have totally disappeared.  We then have Brinks serenade for 11 nights in September so the savings are taking a hit but you can't take it with you they tell me.

I even build RC model boats and am near to finishing off a Broads style cruiser which I can post pic's of if anybodies interested.

What now? The wife called me down stairs, we have an attic work room in our bungalow. 

I don't believe it.

We spend 2 days thinking about it. I start typing and her brain springs into action. She has only found some table mats buried in the bottom of a drawer. See attached!

Well now I am in my place I will close there and thank you all for reading this and I will thank Val for saving us all from having to rack our brains.

Back to the scrap book to see what we paid in the very early days.

John

Boats.numbers

[Polly]

Well done and welcome! 

[vanessan]

 to the forum Jono. An interesting story, particularly the ‘listing of boat choice and getting what you were given’! I somehow can’t imagine that working these days! I vaguely remember that system of booking myself. You have certainly hired a great number of boats, your list includes 3 we had in our hiring days (we now have our own boat). I think the GL2s are now all in private hands. Do tell us more about your past trips (good or not so good experiences) and definitely come back and let us know about the cottage and day boat and your trip on Serenade. 

[charlesa]

Good afternoon John,

what a lovely, informative post thank you.

I am not very fond of the lowliners. Amongst other things I loathe a steering position where you cannot see over the reeds !

Your booking for next year sounds idyllic.

Where are you from in Cheshire ? I spent my first 20 odd years in Lymm before moving south.

[grendel]

33 minutes ago, Jono said:

I even build RC model boats and am near to finishing off a Broads style cruiser which I can post pic's of if anybodies interested.

Always interested in seeing models of boats

my thread is up to page 74 now, over 2 years of work on two models

 

[WasJono]

39 minutes ago, charlesa said:

Good afternoon John,

what a lovely, informative post thank you.

I am not very fond of the lowliners. Amongst other things I loathe a steering position where you cannot see over the reeds !

Your booking for next year sounds idyllic.

Where are you from in Cheshire ? I spent my first 20 odd years in Lymm before moving south.

Many thanks.

We live in Winsford and I agree on that particular lowliner. I cannot remember what it was we so disliked. We had Conway Castle last year and excluding ancient bathrooms I liked that boat a lot hence trying Brinks Serenade next September. I love being able to see over the reeds as well.

Regards

J

[vanessan]

Which waterway were you on with Conway Castle Jono?

[WasJono]

Just spent 20 minutes typing and lost it. I hate the apple mouse!!

I thank you all for your kind responses and would reply separately if I knew how.

I will try and respond on our thoughts on previous holidays as and when and will let you know how get on on future trips.

Talking of future trips we are off to Winterton-on-sea in 5 weeks in a beachside cottage  or dune side cottage really. Straight out of the garden and across the dunes to the beach and cafe for me and the 2 hooligans we own.

We then go to Rugby and pick up Eleanor. She is a narrowboat. Never been on the canals before as Val won't have the narrow locks but as there is only one on this trip with a massive 6 inch drop she said she could manage that. She is fine with the larger lochs in France and Ireland but not our canal locks so we will cruise the Ashby if there is any water left in it!!

Regards the models I needed something to do after spending 4 years doing up the old wreck of a bungalow we bought when we returned to Winsford after 15 years in Arrochar, Scotland. The midges loved me so I ran away home to Cheshire.

I started with a Pusher tug, then a kit of Schmit Rotterdam, I then found plans for Ellie, an old fashioned broads style cruiser, on line

and then blundered across an MTB and a small cruiser both in need of a refurb' so it keeps me busy as well as Val saying can you make me a ??????? what ever it is takes her mind. It's a small coffee table currently.

Some pictures attached of the hooligans and boats.

 

[WasJono]

Sorry Vanessa. It Was Conway Bridge from Acle.

[WasJono]

Sorry Vanessan. Had the auto speller on.

[BroadAmbition]

Welcome.  Cracking first post by yersen.  Loved seeing the model too.  Thanks for sharing

Griff

[ranworthbreeze]

2 hours ago, Jono said:

Hello to All

New to the forum, bar one response, so would introduce us.

We have been boating on the Broads since 1965 when we hired Broadway 3. Seventy now and still loving it.  We wanted Loch Tarbert but in those days of filling in the paper form and posting it off to Blakes, one got what one got.

We arrived home from that holiday and straight away filled in the form for 1966 putting our choice of 6 boats down and putting Loch Tarbert firmly at the top of the list and Broadwave at the bottom. Yes! we got Broadwave again but number 1 this time. Never did get Loch Tarbert.

I have attached a list of the boats we have been on with one missing that we cannot remember the name of. We think it was from Faircraft and on the lines of a Lowliner style in about 1987. I remember we didn't enjoy it much for what ever reason. Hold it!! My wife, Val, has just read this over my shoulder and announced it was ........................Fair Lowliner!!  Da-Da  

Don't you just love it when that happens!!!

We have booked up for next year and are pushing the boat out (sorry) staying 2 weeks at Box End cottage in Horning, with a Picnic Boat for a week of that, followed by a week on Silver Serenade from Brundall for our 50th Anniversary. We spent our 25th on a Connoisseur GL2. Loved that boat but it seems to have totally disappeared.  We then have Brinks serenade for 11 nights in September so the savings are taking a hit but you can't take it with you they tell me.

I even build RC model boats and am near to finishing off a Broads style cruiser which I can post pic's of if anybodies interested.

What now? The wife called me down stairs, we have an attic work room in our bungalow. 

I don't believe it.

We spend 2 days thinking about it. I start typing and her brain springs into action. She has only found some table mats buried in the bottom of a drawer. See attached!

Well now I am in my place I will close there and thank you all for reading this and I will thank Val for saving us all from having to rack our brains.

Back to the scrap book to see what we paid in the very early days.

John

Boats.numbers

Hello John & Val,

Welcome to the NBn forum.

Regards

Alan

[oldgregg]

Here's your spreadsheet converted to Excel.

Boats.xls

[Polly]

Hiya, I love Winterton! Do be aware of the possibility of your hooligans running into an adder in the dunes.

Are you hiring from Stretton under Fosse? It’s a lovely stretch of canal.

[charlesa]

Polly are adders something of an issue this summer ( more so than usual) ?

[Polly]

Not sure, I think they are always there in small numbers. Dogs seem to find them?

[WasJono]

Thanks for the warning Polly.

We have been to the beach via the car park several times so was not aware of the adders. Maybe keep them close until the actual beach.

We are hiring the narrowboat from Clifton Wharf (Clifton Cruisers) and Eleanor is the newest addition. 

 

Oldgregg - Many thanks for the XL.

John

[webntweb]

2 hours ago, Jono said:

Thanks for the warning Polly.

We have been to the beach via the car park several times so was not aware of the adders. Maybe keep them close until the actual beach.

We are hiring the narrowboat from Clifton Wharf (Clifton Cruisers) and Eleanor is the newest addition. 

 

Oldgregg - Many thanks for the XL.

John

Hired from Clifton 3 or 4 times. Good Company.

[WasJono]

On 02/08/2018 at 10:54, Polly said:

Not sure, I think they are always there in small numbers. Dogs seem to find them?

I found this just for information.

http://www.greatyarmouthmercury.co.uk/news/two-dogs-suffer-adder-bites-winterton-dunes-1-5625388

[Polly]

A bit of care and it's still a wonderful place to be.

[Kron]

Very envious of your pending anniversary trip! Trying to plan a big one for us next year as I have a 'big' birthday and it's our silver anniversary the following year. 

We also hired a Connoisseur with my in-laws in 1992. Also loved the boat and the amount of space there seemed to be.

[jimbob88]

Great to see an old photo of one of the original lowliners faircraft ran. I absolutely love this design of boat so if you have anymore photos of it I’d love to see them if you don’t mind. 

[LondonRascal]

Great post, and another boat model maker on the Forum too.

I have a soft spot for the Lowliner, as a young boy my parents always had 'bath tub' style boats as they were safe and comfy but I always longed after a 'proper' looking boat. We had a then weeks old River Tamar from Stalham Pleasurecraft - this was a huge deal at the time to us, and our first 'Blue Chip' cruiser from Blakes too. 

It ticked all the boxes - it could get under Wroxham Brridge, but you could also steer it outside, it retained an almost single floor throughout, and had those nie wide side decks to walk along without a high free board. The issues it did have was a lack of easy entry and exit, later semi-resolved with the mark II model with stern door. These were amongst the last of the 'angular' cruisers before Alpha Craft brought us their interpretation of a fly bridge - and it was very curvaceous and since then that is how almsot all boats (Broads or not) have gone with a bow that while pointed never really comes to a point, and windows that have at least one side which has a curve in.

 

[jimbob88]

would be nice if we could leave behind these rounder designs and go a bit more angular for a change. Think the old river Tamar was recently up for sale. 

[vanessan]

28 minutes ago, jimbob88 said:

would be nice if we could leave behind these rounder designs and go a bit more angular for a change.

Why?