PLEASE HELP!

[Guest]

We have just bought a boat at Sutton Staithe boatyard and need to get it to Beccles. Can anyone help with journey times etc? How long would it take on the broads, where can we moore-up over night. Am very grateful for any kind of information. Thank you!

[NorfolkNog]

it’s a fair trek! 46 miles near enough.

It depends on when you transit Yarmouth, if you go down on the ebb tide it would take about 5 – 6 hours to get to Great Yarmouth. If you set off for Beccles on a rising tide it would take about the same. Great Yarmoth is the mid point so a good stop off might be Berney Arms (super pub) or Burgh Castle.

But do check the tides (this is good)

http://www.norfolk-broads.org/tides/broadstides.asp

Oh, and welcome!!!!!

[Guest]

Thank you very much, NorfolkNog!

We now have at least an idea how long it would take us to do the whole journey. It will be a great adventure ... LOL ...

[NorfolkNog]

You’re very welcome! Good luck and please let us know how you get on.

Just as an example – if you set off today, slack water at Great Yarmouth is at 2.30pm. So if you left Sutton at say, 8.30 – 9.00 you will have the tide with you (easier). Keep checking progress as you go, it should take about 2 – 21/2 hours from Acle, so you could moor up if you are ahead.

Go through Yarmouth at 2.30 approx (better later than earlier) and it shouldn’t take more than 1 – 1/1/2 hours to get to Berney Arms. Moor for the night. If you could set off early ( 6 ish say) you would get the advantage of a rising tide to Beccles. It’s not critical but it will cut your journey time down if you go with the tide (use less fuel too). This is just an example. Have a study of the tide tables when you want to go and you can plan your times from there.

Good luck!!

[goodall_m1]

Welcome to the forum.

And just to push home the Nog's point: If you havent been down through Yarmouth before the best time to go through is at slack water, the times are shown on the tides site that he has pointed you to.

At that time there will be maximum room under the bridges and you will have more control than if you get there with the ebb still flowing (and it does flow fast there).

It will all depend on when slack water is on the day that you decide to go but another option would be to stop at Acle Bridge, or Stacey Arms, and then leave there at the right time to get to Yarmouth for slack, you will then have the flood under you up Breydon and the Waveney.

That would let you use an earlier slack time, whilst the Nog's earlier suggestion to get through Yarmouth and stop at the Berney Arms or lower Waveney would be ok for one around lunch-time or later.

Depending on the air-draft (height above the waterline) of you new boat you may also have to check on the tidal height for the Yarmouth bridges,

conventional Broads Cruisers don't have much trouble (as long as they get the timing right), some of the taller dual steer jobs have to take more care with their planning and aim for days when there is a spring tide as the the tidal range is greatest then (higher high water but lower low water).

I have done Beccles to Acle in a day once, but not the other way around.

All I can say is that I made great time down the Waveney, got to Yarmouth about an hour early, when the Bure was still ebbing and struggled to make headway up the Bure, with the engine on full power.... If I had been coming the other way at thet state of the tide it would have been a case of shooting through the bridges like doing a canoe salom.

I hope you have a good trip (and keep safe).

Martin

[Hockham Admiral]

We have just bought a boat at Sutton Staithe boatyard and need to get it to Beccles. Can anyone help with journey times etc? How long would it take on the broads, where can we moore-up over night. Am very grateful for any kind of information. Thank you!

MD, welcome aboard!

Just a quick question... what sort of boat is she?

[Guest]

Thank you both very much!

We will pick the boat up on Wednesday morning, so will go with your suggestion, Nog. It's just a 20tf cabin cruiser, so we shouldn't have any problems with the bridges. We've done Braydon Water (comming from south) last year on our speed boat, but this time it will be much more relaxed and we will take our time to plan it all very well.

Thanks again for your posts and help. I will be back and post photos as soon as I can.

[Guest]

Here is a picture of our boat ... hope it works:

[Hockham Admiral]

Here is a picture of our boat ... hope it works:

http://picturepush.com/public/5975282

She looks a pretty trim craft!

Here's the Met Forecast for Wed: Wed 29Jun Day Sunny 20 °C N 9 mph gust20 mph Excellent

Night Partly cloudy 11 °C WNW 8 mph Very Good

And the tide tables show slack water at GH 16.22 but I always try for an extra half hour on top so that you get a good push up Breydon!

[Guest]

Thank you very much, John!

We should be leaving Sutton Staithe some time between 10 and 11.00 am on Wednesday, so will get to Braydon hopefully just about the right time.

Oh yes, she's a lovely little boat, just needs some work inside to upgrade the luxery ...

I can't wait to spend our weekends and holidays on the broads again. Our "old" speed boat was great, but this one is much more comfortable and easy to sleep in.

We just got married end of May and this weekend will be our first little honeymoon.

Thanks for all the great advice. I'll be back on here much more and am very grateful for any help from all you experienced "boat men" ...

[VetChugger]

That looks very much like a Norman 20. Great little boats and very capable. Curious as to what engine you have on the back?

If you want to know anything about Normans! A wee bit of advertising!

Trevor

www.normanboats.co.uk

[senator]

Loved the response to we have just got married and this will be our honeymoon "That looks like a Norman 20" Just shows you how a boaters mind works.

Congratulations and welcome to the forum