Considering Joining A Syndicate At Some Point

[YnysMon]

1 hour ago, Broads01 said:

That's perfectly understandable, Alan. We all enjoy different aspects of the Broads and that makes things all the more interesting.

Yes, we all have our different preferences and priorities. Graham and I have perhaps sacrificed the views you get from a boat like Ranworth Breeze that has a higher air draft, but even when we hired we had mostly opted for the lower airdraft type boats as getting under most bridges was on our wish list. 

If you are looking to buy into a syndicate have a good think about what’s important for you before looking at any boats. The good news is that there’s a good selection out there. 

[oldgregg]

My personal view is that the centre-cockpit boats like Moonlight / Evening Shadow are the best compromise for the Broads.

You have a raised steering position so you're not staring at the reeds all day, have good visibility for mooring and in the summer the roof (and screens) come right back and you have the best of the weather. Plus you get under almost all bridges, some with the roof up.

When conditions are inclement, you still have a decent driving position and provided upgrades have been done to minimise draughts then you don't get too cold.

[Mouldy]

34 minutes ago, oldgregg said:

My personal view is that the centre-cockpit boats like Moonlight / Evening Shadow are the best compromise for the Broads.

You have a raised steering position so you're not staring at the reeds all day, have good visibility for mooring and in the summer the roof (and screens) come right back and you have the best of the weather. Plus you get under almost all bridges, some with the roof up.

When conditions are inclement, you still have a decent driving position and provided upgrades have been done to minimise draughts then you don't get too cold.

They are great boats.  I think my favourite centre cockpit craft is the Connoisseur C45 (or 40).  In their day, they weren’t luxuriously appointed, but extremely roomy, quiet underway with the engine at the stern (although they were noisy to anyone within earshot) and with thoughtful storage solutions.

Bathtubs are fine, easy to live with, but with really restricted views.  My first Broads holidays were on Caribbean, Bermudas and Calypsos, but with one exception have avoided them since.

When we looked to buy our boat we went for a sedan style.  Obviously, there are limits to our cruising area, but without the sliding canopy, there’s less to go wrong.  Before Moonlight Shadow had the canopy repaired (which wasn’t cheap), it used to derail regularly and frequently necessitated call outs to fix, which made us cautious of that style of boat.

All that said, each to their own.  It’d be boring if all boats were the same.

[oldgregg]

28 minutes ago, Mouldy said:

They are great boats.  I think my favourite centre cockpit craft is the Connoisseur C45 (or 40).  In their day, they weren’t luxuriously appointed, but extremely roomy, quiet underway with the engine at the stern (although they were noisy to anyone within earshot) and with thoughtful storage solutions.

They're a fantastic boat, and I think that slightly clinical fitout has actually aged incredibly well. Go aboard one today and they're still a very pleasant place to be.

[Mouldy]

6 minutes ago, oldgregg said:

They're a fantastic boat, and I think that slightly clinical fitout has actually aged incredibly well. Go aboard one today and they're still a very pleasant place to be.

We had a look over one in Woods yard a couple of years ago.  Sadly, it looked a bit neglected, probably not helped by economies made when they were built, but I was reminded of how incredibly roomy they are.  I think one would make a fantastic syndicate boat, but it would take a chunky financial investment to update one to the standard required.

[PaulN]

32 minutes ago, Mouldy said:

They are great boats.  I think my favourite centre cockpit craft is the Connoisseur C45 (or 40).  In their day, they weren’t luxuriously appointed, but extremely roomy, quiet underway with the engine at the stern (although they were noisy to anyone within earshot) and with thoughtful storage solutions.

Bathtubs are fine, easy to live with, but with really restricted views.  My first Broads holidays were on Caribbean, Bermudas and Calypsos, but with one exception have avoided them since.

When we looked to buy our boat we went for a sedan style.  Obviously, there are limits to our cruising area, but without the sliding canopy, there’s less to go wrong.  Before Moonlight Shadow had the canopy repaired (which wasn’t cheap), it used to derail regularly and frequently necessitated call outs to fix, which made us cautious of that style of boat.

All that said, each to their own.  It’d be boring if all boats were the same.

I wouldn't be derogatory about your choice of boat. So please don't dismiss choices that people like myself make as 'Bathtubs'. Single level boats have a lot going for them and they are very popular in the hire fleets as well.

Very rude!!

[Mouldy]

5 minutes ago, PaulN said:

I wouldn't be derogatory about your choice of boat. So please don't dismiss choices that people like myself make as 'Bathtubs'. Single level boats have a lot going for them and they are very popular in the hire fleets as well.

Very rude!!

That wasn’t the intention and as I said, each to their own.  Personally, I’m not a fan of single level boats for the reason of restricted visibility, but I don’t think the comment was rude.  Other have commented that boats that don’t permit passage under certain bridges wouldn’t suit them, but I haven’t been insulted by those bearing in mind we own a sedan style cruiser.

[oldgregg]

30 minutes ago, Mouldy said:

We had a look over one in Woods yard a couple of years ago.  Sadly, it looked a bit neglected, probably not helped by economies made when they were built, but I was reminded of how incredibly roomy they are.  I think one would make a fantastic syndicate boat, but it would take a chunky financial investment to update one to the standard required.

This is the problem with anything at Woods really - They don't look after their boats at all well unfortunately.

But yeah, some of the Connoisseurs have not aged well. The ones which came back from France (typically a suffix H registration give or take a couple of years) will have very tired and chalky gel coat because of years sitting in the harsh sunlight.

Those with a prefix 'N' registration (or thereabouts) have always been on the Broads and the British climate has been much kinder to them.

[PaulN]

23 hours ago, Mouldy said:

That wasn’t the intention and as I said, each to their own.  Personally, I’m not a fan of single level boats for the reason of restricted visibility, but I don’t think the comment was rude.  Other have commented that boats that don’t permit passage under certain bridges wouldn’t suit them, but I haven’t been insulted by those bearing in mind we own a sedan style cruiser.

Agreed. Calling it a single level cruiser is fine 

[Bikertov]

50 minutes ago, PaulN said:

Agreed. Calling it a single level cruiser is fine 

I think the "bathtub' moniker can be seen as derogatory towards the single level style of cruiser, but personally I see it as a term of endearment.

[Mouldy]

1 hour ago, Bikertov said:

I think the "bathtub' moniker can be seen as derogatory towards the single level style of cruiser, but personally I see it as a term of endearment.

Interesting that the owner of a single level forward steer cruiser refers to it as a bathtub without retribution.

[Lulu]

I’ve always thought the term is odd. Bathtubs should be full of water.  Boats shouldn’t! 

[OldBerkshireBoy]

21 minutes ago, Mouldy said:

Interesting that the owner of a single level forward steer cruiser refers to it as a bathtub without retribution.

 

Whilst some do refer to a boat as such others don`t.

[Mouldy]

45 minutes ago, Lulu said:

I’ve always thought the term is odd. Bathtubs should be full of water.  Boats shouldn’t! 

Hmm, but Tupperware should be in a cupboard in my kitchen, not afloat with me in it. But I’m not offended by owners of biodegradable vessels referring to my fibreglass boat as such.  Much the same as I get called a cockney, because I speak with a London accent.  I’d have needed ears like a bat to have heard Bow Bells from where I was born.

Life’s too short to be offended by such things in my opinion, but what do I know? 

[Bikertov]

1 hour ago, Mouldy said:

Interesting that the owner of a single level forward steer cruiser refers to it as a bathtub without retribution.

How do you know that Heron wasn't actually referring to the view from an actual bath tub ?

Maybe they didn't have a shower at home, so sometimes hired a bath tub as its gives a different view of their bathroom. And liked it so much they then remodelled the bathroom and got one.

After all,  the comment doesn't actually mention a boat 

[Mouldy]

1 hour ago, Mouldy said:

 

I don’t want to be a pedant, but I think it does ‘you have a good all round boat.’

Anyway, I think the thread has drifted far enough now.

[Smoggy]

Best not mention stinkies and raggies or dare I say it "wafi's". 

[Ally]

With Ranworth Breeze is it ever possible to get to the north broads? 
thanks, 

Ally. 

[Broads01]

I seem to recall Alan (who runs the syndicate) saying it needs 9 foot 6 so you're OK at Great Yarmouth at low water.

[Ally]

Thanks 😊 

I also read above that being syndicate boata they may be able to travel in the dusk? 

[Tempest]

30 minutes ago, Ally said:

Thanks 😊 

I also read above that being syndicate boata they may be able to travel in the dusk? 

Moonlight Shadow has navigation lights and we have used her in the dark

[Ally]

Is it nerve wracking? It must be lovely though travelling when others are moored up and you’ve the river to yourself! 

[YnysMon]

45 minutes ago, Tempest said:

Moonlight Shadow has navigation lights and we have used her in the dark

We have too recently. There was a bit of confusion the first year after we’d joined the syndicate, the word got around that we weren’t insured for night navigation. However, that has been cleared up. We are insured, but some years ago the members at the time thought it should be discouraged. Membership turnover means that’s no longer the case. 

During our November fortnight (documented in my ‘Carried away’ thread under Holiday Tales) we had several pre-dawn early morning starts. One morning we set off at 6, sunrise being around 7, so there was a glimmer in the east but the majority of the sky still very starry. As we were making our way from Acle down to Great Yarmouth we got the full benefit of a wonderful sunrise.

One of my favourite days on the Broads so far. 

[YnysMon]

Just now, Ally said:

Is it nerve wracking? It must be lovely though travelling when others are moored up and you’ve the river to yourself! 

Sorry our posts crossed. It was for me before we started off for our first night nav. I was really nervous. However, we had such good visibility once under way that it was a joy. We had our nav lights on but didn’t use any other lights. Moonlight Shadow has a large hand held mega torch stored in one of the cupboards but we haven’t used it.

The other great joy of cruising on the southern broads out of season is having the rivers to yourself. We often comment how few other boats we’ve come across. Even in high season it’s quiet compared with the north, and very wide too, unless you go up the Chet or beyond Beccles. 

[Ally]

It sounds absolutely beautiful. That’s when I love cruising the most is when the suns setting and everyone’s moored up. Trouble is I usually end up panicking then looking for somewhere and all the spots have gone. 😂 we have started wild mooring though which was lovely. 
 I love the broads so much. Didn’t manage to get the shares last year and still can’t but one day!