Just Back From My 1st Experience

[LondonGuy]

My wife and I have  returned from my first experience of boating on the Norfolk Broads.  We chose Ferry Marina and Silent Emblem. It was a week of very mixed emotions!

I don’t have time to write a full review, but here are some comments:

Tried all three pubs in Horning. Though the food, service and ambiance was best in the Swan Inn.  Found the Ferry Inn unwelcoming, inefficient and food average. Found the food/service at the New Inn mediocre.  (Based on one visit each, but two to the Swan)  I managed to pick mediocre beer, in my opinion (Ghost Ship and Doom Bar).

The Ferry Marina staff were generally good, but they seemed under a lot of pressure to get boats in, turn them around and get them out again. It all felt like an assembly line to me.

Our boats accommodation/facilities were EXCELLENT.

However, several aspects of the boats design are madness in my layman’s opinion. Driving the boat from inside if difficult with poor visibility. Driving from the upper helm (the roof) offers no protection from the elements. I got soaked several times. There is not even a small windscreen to protect you.

The need to add water and pump-out regularly was a nuisance. We did our best to preserve water, but after a day or maybe 1.5 a refill was required.

I found finding berths and the required maneuvering very difficult as a novice, especially reverse parking in a tight marina. The boat felt very big at times.

Although I did do some pre-broads research, I really felt that we had jumped in at the deep end. The guy gave us a short demo how to drive the boat, but I could have done with a day course including maneuvering etc.

I thought that the free map was very poor – just a collection of lines. It gave me no insight into what to expect at places, the geography/proper location of berths etc.  I needed a large-scale map.

Though the boards signage was small and difficult to see (in time) but I appreciate motorway style signage would not be appropriate.

Berths seem very scarce everywhere (and I was pre-half term).

I was following a sailing boat which was zig-zagging in front of me, as they do. I had to slow to a few mph, for a while, until the yachtsman indicated I could pass, which I did. (I thought that was the right procedure?) However, I had a line of boats behind me, some sounding their horns at me.

I berthed at Herbert Wood’s Potter, on a Thursday evening. Planned to spend the day there on a Friday, but got a knock on the door on Friday at 9.00am telling us to leave ASAP as it was turn-around day. A tip-off the previous evening would have been nice.

Latham’s was a little disappointing and appears to sell the same goods as my local QD!

I liked Roy’s at Wroxham, but the McDonald’s inside surprised me.

I though the whole experience was very expensive. Ferry marina call it “all inclusive” but they don’t even give you a pint of milk, but they do give you one toilet roll (what an insult), a miniature washing up liquid (a few mls) and a few travel toiletries (shampoo etc.) They don't even provide towels.

However, the broads are lovely!

[LondonGuy]

..oh I did like Horning's RAF Radar Museum and the Secret Garden, Ludham.

[MrBlueSky]

In my opinion, which many will disagree with,all inclusive is an expensive way to hire a boat.Its not like an overseas holiday where you are prepaying for your food and drink.Its mainly just the fuel and I feel the average hirer will use far less than they will have paid for with all inclusive. 

[OldBerkshireBoy]

Hi, can I ask how the eco- friendly electric boat behaved regarding the batteries , did you mange 4-5hrs running in silence before the generator kicked in? You also touched on reverse mooring being difficult, were you aware of the bow thruster or perhaps it was of little help and must say the water refil every day, day and a half sounds poor if only two of you onboard.

I would say that you did the right thing when following the sailing boat by passing it when you felt comfortable to do so and in fairness to Ferry Marina they do say to bring towels.

[CambridgeCabby]

Glad you had an overall enjoyable holiday, and hope the negatives you encountered have not put you off what to many is a most relaxing enjoyable experience .

I also found the food at The Swan to be above the average bordering on good . The New Inn and The Ferry are both in their first season of new ownership so are still finding their feet , especially with the added Covid restrictions and I’m sure will most certainly improve with time and lessening covid regulations.

As far as moorings are concerned , those moorings near pubs have been and will always be at a premium and over subscribed but there are plenty of alternative moorings where self catering is required.

By your description in waiting behind a tacking yacht until you were comfortable in passing you were doing exactly the correct thing , you can cruise as slowly as you wish and no amount of impatience and horn sounding from other craft should force you speed up (assuming you are traveling over on the far right of the channel) .

Herbert Woods , like other hire yards do not like other yards boats to moor up during their change over days , I believe this is commented on in the “Captains Manual” which I presume is still aboard a hire cruiser.

Any dual steer cruiser is always a compromise and rarely will the steering position be as convenient as a dedicated fly-bridge or sedan cruiser, on the whole Ferry’s cruisers are of a high standard but any boat without some drawback is very rare.

The “all inclusive” package offered by Ferry applies to no extras such as fuel deposit, parking etc (as opposed to supplies) which most other boatyards charge.

I hope you do return to The Broads again , it is a magical place .

 

[oldgregg]

34 minutes ago, LondonGuy said:

Latham’s was a little disappointing and appears to sell the same goods as my local QD!

Yep, Lathams has been part of QD for a long time... They used to be a Norwich-based company.

[LondonGuy]

Thanks oldBerkshireBoy, I never went for four hours, did shorter bursts. Always used shore power, so the generator never kicked in. Ferry marina did give me ten shore power cards (free). Used zero fuel.

Bow thrusters are a great invention, but I needed practice.  Learning my mistakes could involve hitting outer boats!

My wife and I shower every day (quickly) so I guess that uses water up quicker. I'd say you might reach two days without filling up water, but I worried  after 1.5.

I did know to bring towels. it just seems mean to me.

[OldBerkshireBoy]

16 minutes ago, LondonGuy said:

Thanks oldBerkshireBoy, I never went for four hours, did shorter bursts. Always used shore power, so the generator never kicked in. Ferry marina did give me ten shore power cards (free). Used zero fuel.

Bow thrusters are a great invention, but I needed practice.  Learning my mistakes could involve hitting outer boats!

My wife and I shower every day (quickly) so I guess that uses water up quicker. I'd say you might reach two days without filling up water, but I worried  after 1.5.

I did know to bring towels. it just seems mean to me.

Guess you can now throw away the red learner plates and use the green provisional plates next time  (Subject for a new thread or has it been done before?)

Thanks for an honest write up from a first timer and have to agree with CC and the pubs getting up to speed again probably with new staff as many didnt return.

[marshman]

Part of the trouble as I perceive it at Ferry, is that yes they are very busy and still expanding and as a result fast running out of space for parking etc! Under the ownership of Len Funnell (now NBD ) things were unquestionably better and more organised - I think they now run 43 boats and that seems to just too many to cope with and corners will undoubtedly be cut. I do hope they know when to draw the line - always noted previously for top notch boats and service.

We will see how that progresses but whether the newer owners will operate to the previously highest standard still remains to be seen....!!!!

[SwanR]

So interesting to read your honest review of your experience. It reminds me of how tricky I found things the first time that we hired. I think that you gain confidence every time you go and it’s easy to forget how daunting that first time can feel. 

We hired Zircon Emblem which I think is a similar design but not the same electrical setup. Did the yard recommend hooking up to shore power for that kind of boat? You certainly would have been restricted for moorings if you were looking for hookup every night. In my opinion many of the best quiet moorings definitely don’t have that facility. 

I found the inside helm view really good, the best I’ve had on a dual helm cruiser. But the domestic flush style toilet definitely used a lot of water. I think you would find this much less of a problem on other boats. 

We’ve enjoyed hiring from Ferry Marina but haven’t been there since it changed hands so it’s interesting to hear how the service is now. 

I also found it hard initially to remember that a boat doesn’t steer like a car especially when reversing. It does take practice but generally if people can see you struggling they will help. 

Putting everything aside, if you enjoyed it enough to come back then I would recommend taking a good look at Richardson’s. With their size fleet there are all styles of boats to suit all kinds of budgets. And although they are a large operation we have found it well run if a little less personal than you get from a smaller business. 

I do think that prices have gone up this year so it is worth checking out the various boatyards and comparing them. 

[LondonGuy]

Thanks everybody. I obviously cannot compare my experience and level of service, ease of driving the boat with ANYTHING else.

As I said, the generator never kicked in as I did short journeys, a couple of hours at a time. I also moored with shore power each time. (They did not recommend it as such, but suggested it was preferable).  If you bert without shore power, you have to isolate the generator before you go to bed as it might come on in the middle of the night!

The generator on this boat is actually UNDER the bed!  I don't mean under the floor, under the bed. If you lift the mattress up, it is under the bed!

The generator only kicks in when the batteries reach 60%. Mine never go that low.  The boat really is almost silent (apart from the bow thrusters).

My wife used to go camping as a child, then her family upgraded to a little touring caravan. As a result, as an adult she likes some luxury. I picked the boat as the accommodation look first-class, with a real toilet and real shower and a real doable bed with access each side. The accommodation certainly ticker her boxes.

It is quite easy to over-steer a boat, it would seem. It is definitely NOT a car!

A worker at Ferry Marina said they had 43 boats and at times they did not know where to put them all. He said that ideally they need less boats or a bigger marina.

By the way, a Ferry Marina worker called "Ian" (grey beard/jeans) was so kind and helpful. Keith (an ex-Fireman) was also a bit of a character.  He drove a Harley!

[SwanR]

Have met Ian a number of times. Usually very helpful and friendly. My list would be similar to your wife’s! 😂 And with my hubby being tall the walk round bed is the one thing we never compromise on. Closely followed by having bow thrusters. They really do help when there’s just the two of us out on a boat. 

[LondonGuy]

SwanR, the boat was very maneuverable, in slightly more experience hands than mine.

It's such a pity that the water moves and the wind blows!

I felt like I had just had my first car driving lesson, then was required to drive solo to a multi-story car park, two hours away, negotiate it and reverse park into a tight space (without ever doing so before). 

it is not easy for me to find that relaxing!

Somebody at the boatyard told me that the boat was worth half-a-million. That information did not help me. 

[SwanR]

I felt the same on our first hire. I truly wondered why I had agreed to a holiday where we’d got to move every day rather than staying in a hotel. I do the mooring and hubby handles the ropes. It just comes with practice but your analogy is a good one. I used to be at my most relaxed once we had stopped! 😂 Now I love the cruising as well. But it has taken time and many return trips to practice! 👍

[WherryNice]

1 hour ago, LondonGuy said:

The generator on this boat is actually UNDER the bed!  I don't mean under the floor, under the bed. If you lift the mattress up, it is under the bed!

Hiya LondonGuy, the Generator being under the bed is pretty much 'par for the course' on a boat, engines, pumps, batteries, chargers etc etc etc all have to go somewhere

The engine on my own boat is under the main saloon seating area which is also a bed if you want it.

There is a lot of woodwork missing at the moment but this will give you a flavour.....

It's the blue thing, bottom right(in case you aren't familiar).

[ZimbiIV]

After many years of hiring then 10 years of owning.

The best visit we had was the first.

Ignorance was BLISS!

The more we learnt the more we needed to learn!

Be very careful if you are thinking of a second visit, now it maybe too late and you have been bitten by a very nasty/expensive bug.

During that second visit you will discover boat sales yards and go do some aimless fender kicking.

Then maybe just a little boat------too late, all you can do then is look forward to being both happy and VERY broke.

Relax only joking,

I can remember saying that.

paul

[ranworthbreeze]

12 hours ago, LondonGuy said:

SwanR, the boat was very maneuverable, in slightly more experience hands than mine.

It's such a pity that the water moves and the wind blows!

I felt like I had just had my first car driving lesson, then was required to drive solo to a multi-story car park, two hours away, negotiate it and reverse park into a tight space (without ever doing so before). 

it is not easy for me to find that relaxing!

Somebody at the boatyard told me that the boat was worth half-a-million. That information did not help me. 

I know that feeling well when I first took Ranworth Breeze on its second week back in 2001 over 30 years of hiring Narrow Boats counted for next to nothing now I was introduced to wind and tides. Steering the boat was not an issue, but mooring the boat always took several attempts so the boat was protected. 

It takes time to develop skills which only comes from experiences that we have. Nobody is perfect and at times we have all made mistakes and anyone who says otherwise are kidding themselves.

I am glad you have a good week.

 

[CambridgeCabby]

Also don’t forget , when you make the most perfect pinpoint mooring there will be absolutely nobody watching or even seeing you do it.

When you make a complete cock-up however................

[BryanW]

I wasn't going to comment on this thread since others have said it all, however couldn't resist.

Most dual steer boats leave a bit to be desired when using the inner helm but having had one last year you do get used to it.

As far as water is concerned we can easily go 2 days and could probably stretch it to 4 days if pushed but we do tend to be economical with it and only flushing the toilet if necessary (do a Griff "if it's yellow let it mellow, if it's brown flush it down"), the modern toilets do use a lot of water.  Takes even longer to fill up at Womack!!

I will also comment about all inclusive, I don't like the idea since we usually get a fair bit of our fuel deposit back but if you intend to go South from the North ten you will probably get your moneys worth.

[andyg]

You don't see nowhere near as many boats double or even terrible moored outside pubs nowadays. I remember back in the 70s and 80s is was common practice. Even the yacht Stations Yarmouth and Norwich, marine quays would all be the same. We sat outside the ferry inn Horning a couple of weeks ago and part of there moorings are for day boats. So a difficult situation just gets worse. Ferry marina had loads of there boats moored on the opposite bank to the yard. I hadn't realised the fleet had grown that much since len departed. They also still had the aft cockpit boat sitting on the car park all wrapped in plastic. Not sure if that's another addition to the fleet. The mooring situation in the North must be quite frustrating for ppl new to boating. The booking agencies make a big thing out of being able to pull up outside a pub grab a drink or something to eat in reality it's not quite that simple. You have to book weeks in advance at some riverside pubs, restaurants. Maybe old gus at the ferry should rack em and stack em... how longs he been there ? Obviously not at the new Inn anymore. 

[DAVIDH]

59 minutes ago, andyg said:

The booking agencies make a big thing out of being able to pull up outside a pub grab a drink or something to eat in reality it's not quite that simple. You have to book weeks in advance at some riverside pubs, restaurants.

I really think the moorings situation is going to damage the desirability of a Broads holiday to returnees. It was just about excusable in the summer school holidays, to have pressure on moorings, but since this situation is now the norm from June through to late September (possibly into October too) then I expect a great proportion of first timers will make their minds up to go elsewhere in future. There's no fun in cruising mile after mile trying to find somewhere to moor up, if you're expecting that riverside meal and drink. In fact, you only need to read some of the Facebook forums to learn how stressed these first-timers are about finding somewhere for the night. What to do about it is another thing. As Andy has said, in the past, more people would double moor outside pubs. But in today's climate where people value their personal space (for all sorts of reasons) that won't be attractive. I guess the market will just find it's own natural level, gauged by how easy it is to find a mooring in the shoulder months. I think it will be a missed opportunity to grow the market again, following these two staycation years. 

[andyg]

Funny thing is I don't remember a great deal more moorings back then, but I do remember 3 times as many boats. I also think nowhere near as many boats travel.south these days. Everyone heads to Roy's  etc ( why would you go on holiday to walk round a supermarket  !!! Beyond me ) There seems to be a fear of crossing breydon and many more ppl are on short break so there just isn't time to go south. Covid is obviously having an impact on ppl thinking and being close to ppl they don't know. But it's sure looking like a mad summer up north...

[ranworthbreeze]

We are not supposed to say that many people do not venture to the Southern Broads, we do not wish it to become such a pain in the busy months as it is on the Northern Broads.

 

[CambridgeCabby]

It seems to me that the insistance of being outside a pub is a major factor for too many people .

Often you will find Neatishead staithe full whilst there is only one or two boats on the far more peaceful and IMHO nicer Gayes staithe .

Womack staithe full with others mud weighted in anticipation having passed  spaces on the dyke on approach .

[LondonGuy]

My trip was the week before half-term, but attractive mornings seemed rare.

I did not expect to berth outside a pub, but getting one anywhere near was also rare.

Our first ever jaunt after picking up the boat at Ferry Marina was to Wroxham, did not find a mooring, so came back again to Ferry Marina! Very disappointing!

If I had found a morning, in a busy boatyard, it probably would have been very challenging for a beginner to negotiate.