Boat Firms Selling Out

[JennyMorgan]

26 minutes ago, 750XL said:

Does that mean that HW, Richardson’s etc can moor at WRC for free also?

If I understand correctly the answer is, or was, yes and no. Hireboats could moor up on the frontage that was used for their hireboats, if there was a vacancy, but not for free in the off-river mooring basin. In fairness to the WRC being able to use the shower and toilet block is worth the mooring fee alone.

[Captain]

The free moorings at Wrc are on the far side inside the marina towards the shower block. None of the facilities are included as you are clearly not paying. I did see a number of hireboats Inc Wrc fleet on the Pontoon opposite which has electric etc. Not sure what the cost is however I think it maybe cc £15 Inc showers/ electric? Unfortunately next year with Wrc ceasing hire the free moorings will likely cease and I guess it will revert to a pay mooring with facilities. As stated previously Broads hire boat federation members can moor at each other s yards. The only yards I am not so sure about are Martham boats and Freedom at Thorpe

Neil

[Captain]

I forgot to say all hire boat manuals have a map of all the yards you can moor at and where you can moor subject to availability and turn around days. 

Neil

[YnysMon]

There’s a list of boatyards that are part of the Federation and which you can moor at on this NBD webpage. Doesn’t mention WRC. It could be just an omission though, as the page also lists Maffett Cruisers, so it’s clearly out of date.

https://www.broads.co.uk/guide-to-the-broads/broads-hire-boat-federation-moorings/

There’s a similar list on a Herbert Woods page, again listing Maffett but not WRC.
https://www.herbertwoods.co.uk/boating-holidays/boating-guide/boat-handling/mooring-on-the-broads/where-to-moor-on-the-broads/

interesting that the lists include Eastwood Whelpton. I’ve moored there on a Hunter’s Yard sailey, but didn’t realise you could moor a hire cruiser there.

[750XL]

Found this courtesy of Vaughan. Not that it matters now they're getting rid of their boats, I suppose.

[Vaughan]

Funny, I was looking for that photo, to post yesterday, and couldn't find it on my computer!

The free mooring area is (was) on the shoreside of the basin in front of the shower block. The leccy points are on a pontoon on the other side.

I imagine that if they are no longer letting hire boats next year, they will revert to paid overnight moorings for all comers.

[Oddfellow]

17 hours ago, Broads01 said:

Yes you were. All the hire operators are members of the Broads Hire Boat Federation which has reciprocal arrangements for mooring in place.

This is wrong. 

To be a member of the BHBF, you have to be a member of the British Marine Federation (BMF). 

Alpha Craft were never members of either group to my knowledge. Freedom was a member for a short time but hasn't been a member for the last 8 years. There may well be others, but I am 8 years adrift on my knowledge... 

It would be rather stupid for any yard not affiliated to refuse moorings if they were available as that hirer could be your next customer, but in truth, location rather dictates whether anybody wants to overnight in your yard. 

[JennyMorgan]

Re the free moorings at WDC, those within the basin are, at the moment, available to all of us, privateer or hirer. The original question concerned the reciprocal mooring agreement between hire yards. 

Many years ago I was a part of the 'Fowlers' syndicate that owned the WRC in its formative years. We took our hire fleet with us when we took over but we quickly passed our boats over to Ripplecraft at Somerleyton when we realised that we were duty bound to honour the reciprocal agreement whilst we hired boats out. Digging a hole, filling it with water and charging folk for mooring was clearly the way forward. 

[Vaughan]

16 minutes ago, JennyMorgan said:

Digging a hole, filling it with water and charging folk for mooring was clearly the way forward. 

Oh, the Whitlingham gravel pits, you mean?   

[Broads01]

3 hours ago, FreedomBoatingHols said:

This is wrong. 

To be a member of the BHBF, you have to be a member of the British Marine Federation (BMF). 

Alpha Craft were never members of either group to my knowledge. Freedom was a member for a short time but hasn't been a member for the last 8 years. There may well be others, but I am 8 years adrift on my knowledge... 

It would be rather stupid for any yard not affiliated to refuse moorings if they were available as that hirer could be your next customer, but in truth, location rather dictates whether anybody wants to overnight in your yard. 

Thanks for clarifying, Andy. In my experience, the only occasions I've had difficulty mooring in hire yards is at those with a combination of limited space and changeover. The Wroxham boatyards all fall in to that category.