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Mooring Advice


Cal

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We have decided that it is finally time to move our boat. We have had 11 happy years moored at Burton Waters, Lincoln on the Fossdyke but it is definitely time to move on. We have looked at alternative moorings on the Trent and other local waterways but nothing seems to tickle our fancy. So our attention has turned to maybe looking for a mooring on the Broads.

We have always been put off mooring on the Broads by the drive and travel time to get there. But now that we are not using the boat every weekend we think that we could cope with moving it further away from home.

So we are looking for some recommendations for moorings if you don't mind please.

We are looking for a mooring with electric preferably on the northern broads but we would consider something on the south. It doesn't have to be an all singing all dancing marina with lots of facilities provided there is an electric supply that will be fine. Location we are flexible with.

The boat is 25ft x 8ft with a minimum air draft of 6'6". 

Thank you in advance for any recommendations you may have for us.

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Since we move to the Broads we have been moored in Horning Village marina, nice marina, good location for us anyway. Its not to the standards of Burton waters, no showers / toilets etc but we have those on board. It is about as secure as as anthing due to there being no land access. That is the only down side, no land access, you have row over but to be fair we dont find it an issue. There is a water taxi service in day hours and rowing boats for use of marina users. We do have water and electricity on our mooring and most of the mooring do too if not all. Some mooring have decking space etc too.

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Ferry Marina have electric, shower facilities, Pedros on site, the Ferry Inn, a very short walk to. Very friendly staff and we like being in Horning as it gives us lots of options on where to go to as we are a bit limited to weekends at the moment. 

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I would recommend Broadsedge at Stalham. We had 10 seasons there and were very pleased. Electric, two new shower blocks, workshop facilities etc.

Downside:- Being at the top of The River Ant! It never bothered us because in the summer season we travelled it very late or very early. In Winter it is the delight and and the jewel of The Norfolk Broads that it should be. But during the Summer School holiday time it can be nothing short of a nightmare , especially the Ludham Bridge area.

If the weather was set fair to mudweight we would go as far as Barton, drop the ground tackle and wait until dusk or leave at just before dawn.

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A great deal depends on how you use your boat, in my opinion. If you want space to move and really nice pubs to visit then coming South has a great deal to recommend it. 

Fifty-five years ago I had a live-aboard narrow boat moored on the Fossdyke, good memories!. No marina back then.

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For someone that does sea runs you would probably find stalham a real pita as a permanent mooring, it's fine if you want to be mostly on the northern broads and constantly going up and down the ant but in summer that would do my head in and take a lot of the charm out of the ant pretty soon, I'll get shot down by those that visit a few times a year for that bit but as a regular user it is a different thing altogether.

There's a lot to be said for a southern mooring and the occasional visit north when the rivers are quieter, sea access is easier from south too and at your airdraft yarmouth is good for most of the tide range (I need 8'8" and can get under haven for about half tide or lower), I consider a good season one where I don't see the northern rivers at all as they are just too busy for my liking during summer.

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10 hours ago, JennyMorgan said:

A great deal depends on how you use your boat, in my opinion. If you want space to move and really nice pubs to visit then coming South has a great deal to recommend it. 

Fifty-five years ago I had a live-aboard narrow boat moored on the Fossdyke, good memories!. No marina back then.

We have found that since we have moved house that our use of the boat has changed greatly. We no longer use it every weekend, it has gone to maybe once every few weeks. That has also meant that we are now just trotting up and down the same stretch of river every time we visit the boat which is becoming a bore.

Time for a change and a new cruising ground. Although we know the Broads quite well we love it and it seems the right choice for us at the moment.

Thanks all for your mooring recommendations. We will look through them all and thin them out a little.

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20 minutes ago, Smoggy said:

For someone that does sea runs you would probably find stalham a real pita as a permanent mooring, it's fine if you want to be mostly on the northern broads and constantly going up and down the ant but in summer that would do my head in and take a lot of the charm out of the ant pretty soon, I'll get shot down by those that visit a few times a year for that bit but as a regular user it is a different thing altogether.

There's a lot to be said for a southern mooring and the occasional visit north when the rivers are quieter, sea access is easier from south too and at your airdraft yarmouth is good for most of the tide range (I need 8'8" and can get under haven for about half tide or lower), I consider a good season one where I don't see the northern rivers at all as they are just too busy for my liking during summer.

I'd echo those thoughts too. I forgot you do sea passages, so although I'd still recommend Brundall, I'd also consider places like Pearsons marina at Reedham, and the yards at St, Olaves as they ere both less than a couple of hours from the sea. Brundall is considerably more. 

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It's worth a look at burgh castle marina to see whats going on, it's looked pretty ropey for quite a while but last year the caravan park behind bought it out along with the fishermans pub, the pub has been leased out but I don't know what the plan is for the marina, it may go even worse or it may become a good place to be, worth an enquiry and it was pretty empty last time I saw it.

 

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We are about a days cruising from the sea where we are based at the moment so as long as we are about a similar distance or time away from the coast then that is fine. Which probably covers most of the Broads. We are not put off by a long days cruising to get to the coast.

What we would like is to have a good choice of places to visit for a lazy weekends cruise on the boat. At the moment we are pretty limited on that score and it is wearing thin. So a location with plenty of choice of places to visit within say an hours cruise of base would be great.

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18 minutes ago, Cal said:

We are about a days cruising from the sea where we are based at the moment so as long as we are about a similar distance or time away from the coast then that is fine. Which probably covers most of the Broads. We are not put off by a long days cruising to get to the coast.

What we would like is to have a good choice of places to visit for a lazy weekends cruise on the boat. At the moment we are pretty limited on that score and it is wearing thin. So a location with plenty of choice of places to visit within say an hours cruise of base would be great.

I think you really need to be central then, like Horning. To get from Stalham to Ant Mouth is the best part of 2 hours.

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I  chose Horning 18 years ago for a mooring and never tire of it - too many ways to go, too many choices.

Within 2 hours, I can get to Coltishall, Barton Turf, Potter and Acle Bridge - and all places in between. OK you pay a bit more for the privilege, but I have only got one time in life!!

 

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3 hours ago, Cal said:

We are about a days cruising from the sea where we are based at the moment so as long as we are about a similar distance or time away from the coast then that is fine. Which probably covers most of the Broads. We are not put off by a long days cruising to get to the coast.

What we would like is to have a good choice of places to visit for a lazy weekends cruise on the boat. At the moment we are pretty limited on that score and it is wearing thin. So a location with plenty of choice of places to visit within say an hours cruise of base would be great.

This may prove useful.  As you will see, Horning is 4hrs 30 min from the sea at Yarmouth, Stalham is even further. Even Brundall is nearly 4 hours.

image.thumb.png.4e92747ecac6ba686af50c4696979ec4.png

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18 hours ago, SPEEDTRIPLE said:

I would recommend the Brundall ones too. Don't forget Brooms either. Toilets, showers, laundry, full engineering facilities etc, plus on site diesel too. 

We moved from Burton Waters to Brooms about a year and a half ago,  S34 airdraft and limited time meant we got tied of the run to the White Horse.

Brooms definitely aint no BW but it does have its charm,  its about the same price as BW.  Plenty of river bank and pub moorings with an hour or two. Also they are floating pontoons which when living a good distance away, Grantham in ourcase gives greater peace of mind. 

For us A47 / A17 Brundall is an easy drive,  bit further for you but we usually do it in 2hours.

Friday night drive down after work and a steak pie in the Yare is great,  time warp pub but very popular.

 

 

 

 

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3 hours ago, Poppy said:

This may prove useful.  As you will see, Horning is 4hrs 30 min from the sea at Yarmouth, Stalham is even further. Even Brundall is nearly 4 hours.

image.thumb.png.4e92747ecac6ba686af50c4696979ec4.png

Thanks.

We are a good 7 or 8 hours in either direction to the sea at the minute so almost anywhere on the Broads is quicker than that!

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What about the yards at South Walsham, Russell's boatyard is it?, plus the one before, which I don't know the name of.

Something else people haven't thought of is Oulton Broad. There's a boatyard on the southern shore, and only a couple of miles from the sea via Mitford lock. Also a short cruise to North Cove Staithe, Somerleyton, or Reedham and Beccles within a couple of hours?. 

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2 hours ago, SPEEDTRIPLE said:

Russell's boatyard is it?, plus the one before, which I don't know the name of.

I think the moorings are all one and the same and are still owned by Mrs Bondon. The boatyard is Russell’s though. 

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There's also a new yard starting up on the old Topcraft site, though I'm not sure if they're open yet. It does look like the've already got some pontoons in place. I do know who owns it, but I don't know whether they want it publicly known yet. 

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