Some of the comments are a bit strong

[pks1702]

Cricko wrote

This is a great forum and one where good discussions and debates take place but this is the second thread which makes this place no better than the other places

I could not agree more Clive.

We should shortly open a forum section called 'Doom & Gloom on The Broads' and consign these things there

The old saying about one swallow not making a summer springs to mind......

Much of what has been written is anecdotal and the percentage of 'incidents' v's the number of boats hired per season is minuscule.

Some here would want a return prohibition just because of a few drunken louts in town centres on a Saturday night.

Lets get back to Boating and the Broads...... its much more interesting

[Soundings]

Some here would want a return prohibition just because of a few drunken louts in town centres on a Saturday night.

I am not sure the police in Peterborough town centre would agree with that and I understand Norwich can be much the same. There also seems to be many in authority who feel drunkeness and related behaviour has gone too far. Sorry but being moored next to a boat load of drunks is unpleasant and being washed up on the bank by speeding boats likewise - and nobody can really say speeding boats are rare. True this thread has focussed on drinking but it is unruly behaviour in general that is the issue - laws are broken and there is nobody there to stop it.

[NorfolkNog]

it is generally a quiet, tranquille, pleasant and safe environment in which you are virtually guaranteed a super holiday.

Spot on I think!

[Soundings]

We are off for two weeks on 10th and will do north and south. Hopefully I will be able to report back on a great two weeks

[BuffaloBill]

[/ I`m sorry if you`re reading this Clive, and it leaves a sour

taste in your throat, but i`ve often seen this sort of behaviour going

on on some of your larger boats,quote]

Unfortunately, yes it was 2 loads of lads on Clive's boats I mentioned

earlier. When I mentioned the coming off Breydon incident, they

were all on ONE BOAT! We counted 10 of them. Their other boat

was no-where to be seen, not up the Yacht Station moorings nor

at any time going upstream to Acle where we spent the night. So

what happened to their other boat I wonder...

[BuffaloBill]

Just to Add. This is NOT Clive bashing, or any other yard. It just need

someone to start stamping out this antisocial behaviour in an area

thats supposed to be 'magical'.

[DaveS]

Almost every aspect of what has been discussed in this ‘thread’ is part of a wider problem within our society today, and one that continues to get worse.

Unruly, rowdy, and violent behaviour fuelled by drink is a national disease in this country (probably in others too), as is knife crime, and seems to increase 'year-on-year'.

Acceptable social behaviour among an element of folk in this country went 'out of the window' a long time ago, along with respect for authority, and discipline in schools.

This problem group of people did not fear or respect their teachers at school, and now neither do they the police or any other authority.

When the 'cash strapped' Police Forces do apprehend offenders, the punishment rarely reflects the crime, with the judicial system handing out 'slaps on the wrist' or 'community work'. So, there is little if any deterrent to persuade these "people" to behave any differently.

There is no solution forthcoming, things will continue as is, and likely get worse. The politicians, despite all of their 'sabre rattling' really just pay 'lip service' to the problem.

Coming back to the Broads, and the Thames for that matter, while there is an element of undesirables among the private boat owning fraternity, the number is quite small compared to those that hire boats.

However, I know that the whole infrastructure of the Broads area, could not survive on the income from private boat tolls alone. The hire boat industry is absolutely essential, and the revenue that it generates for local businesses, as well as for the BA likely far outweighs what we as private boaters contribute.

I accept that it would be a logistical nightmare for the hire boat companies to ‘sort the wheat from the chaff’ among their customers, and I’m sure that they are concerned when theirs boats are ‘trashed, and complaints are received from local businesses.

In a sense, they are in a ‘catch 22’ situation. If they significantly increased the size of the deposit imposed on hirers, while it might make the undesirables think about the consequences of their behaviour, it might deter some of the good customers, who perhaps couldn’t afford to leave a large deposit.

Rowdy and drunken behaviour does exist on the Broads (and everywhere else), but it’s not as rife as might be portrayed in this ‘thread’. At least not on the Southern Broads.

My philosophy is that if a ‘problem boat’ moors next to me, then I will ‘up anchor’ and move. Yes, this is giving in to this type of behaviour, but often ‘discretion is the better part of valour’, and at 69 years old I’m got going to confront a group of ‘foul mouthed’ drunken yobs.

Until the authorities make a firm stand against these people, which realistically will never happen before pigs learn to fly, we just have to live with it.

Dave

[Guest]

I have to congratulate you Dave.

You've covered all of my thoughts on the problem with a very clear and concise reply, much better than I could have written.

Pigs will indeed learn to fly before any firm stand is taken against these people, the unfortunate face of modern democracy.

[C.Ricko]

Dont worry, I dont take offence at these threads, I dont beleive that anyone who has expressed a major issue with all male/ female/ young parties actually knows what deposits we take and how, I also know that I have never seen on a forum (although I may have missed it) any account of how we deal with problems of this nature either on or off the yard.

Informed or not, it is very easy to post on a forum and as a member of the public it does not matter wether the content is accurate but although I try and post as an individual (in most cases) I can not say what I really think of business, people and authorities etc as I am representing a business and what I may say in the pub is not what I would write in stone on the web, however I do like to read what people think wether I agree or not.

[Guest DAYTONA-BILL]

Hi Clive, please don`t think i`m having a go at you, or any of the large fleets, because that`s the last thing i want to do. If it was`nt for families such as yours who`ve invested millions in making the Broads available to all, then i`d never have been able to enjoy boating as i do, so if my postings come across as unfriendly, i offer my apollogies. What i HAVE read in sevral posts on this thread is that SOME forumites adopt the attitude, "that`s the way it is" and don`t seem to be bothered. Well i am bothered about things such as this, and am just thinking on a screen as to ways of how to drastically reduce it, and saying, that maybe ANY fleet operator, big or small, or agency or independant, could do more to alleviate this sort of behaviour by looking very closely at who they are prepared to hire to. As for my comment about "3 strikes and you`re out", it was used as an example only, and not meant as a definate method. I can remember seeing "regret no all male/all female parties" at the end of the boats texts in the hire brochures, and at the time when Broads boat hire holidays were at their peak in the 70s with about 2,000 hire boats available, and this sort of behaviour was a lot less than it is now. Sometimes, a lot can be learned from history, but it seems many people think that going BACK to the way SOME things were 30, 40, or even 50 years ago is a bad thing. Well, i beg to differ, and say that if going BACKWARDS leads to better behaviour, then that`s good enough for me. The trouble is, would OTHER people have the decency to admit they were wrong?. I doubt it. Regards to all ................. Neil.

[seaboater]

An interesting thread, and one which is arousing some passion. From my own experience on the northern broads, I can say that I see examples of this thoughtless behaviour EVERY time I venture out. I do see it from all types of people and boats, but it has to be said that large parties on hire boats are the chief offenders. I have no solution to offer, but political correctness in saying you can't generalise about large parties, is to ignore the facts which can be experienced day in, day out.

[andyg]

An interesting thread, and one which is arousing some passion. From my own experience on the northern broads, I can say that I see examples of this thoughtless behaviour EVERY time I venture out. I do see it from all types of people and boats, but it has to be said that large parties on hire boats are the chief offenders. I have no solution to offer, but political correctness in saying you can't generalise about large parties, is to ignore the facts which can be experienced day in, day out.

ho seaboater, i couldnt agree more, my worry is that now cheap weekend breaks to spain etc etc are harder to find large groups of guys and girls will venture on to the broads, as they have outstayed their welcome in many of our seaside resorts ( i live in one and am only to aware of the problems that can be caused) but i think the yards (and im not pointing the finger at anyone yard) need to take a much harder line with large parties. we are all aware of the booze culture in this country but to ignore it and brush things under the carpet is a big mistake. i dont advocate banning single sex groups or large parties but big hurdles need to be put in place to try and deter things like i witneesed from happening time and time again, yards should not allow crews to depart from their yards whilst openly drinking this to me is totally unexceptable and is only opening the door for future issues. im not trying to knock anyone or any yard but we hear to many reports around the river network of this kind of issue and in the last several years i have seen an increase of this type of behaviour. i also think this is the right place to have a healthy debate regarding this issues as this is a forum full of folk ( both young and old) that enjoy and love the norfolk broads.

[senator]

On the Southern Broads we very rarely encounter this sort of behaviour, probably due to the lack of hire boats, but if one does make its way onto the system then it's ability to upset many, especially over a week, means that the problem appears far worse than it is. This is one boat out of maybe a couple of hundred making its way around the Southern Broads just with a much bigger and more annoying presence, of course that makes 199 boats that could be potentially effected.

In defence of the big boats, we often see them going past at Reedham and lots are in high spirits, outfits, mankinis and my personal favourite hen party's in very small bikinis. Many will be drinking and not many will be wearing life jackets while jumping around inebriated on the roof of the boats but is that not just the stupidity of youth? believe it or not most survive.

[NorfolkNog]

Quiet and peaceful at the moment

[Hockham Admiral]

And even on Riverside, Howard!