How's it going fuel wise.

[Guest]

How is it going with regards to the cost of fuel then,are people still getting some fuel money back at the end of their holidays or are they having to pay money to the boatyards over and above the £100 paid for fuel when the holiday was booked.

regards

smokesmate.

[Dan]

We did a week from Stalham in June at a steady pace going to Horning, then down south to Norwich, then Beccles and back, ran the heating for about an hour most nights and got about a fiver back.

Given the distance we'd done, fuel prices, and having had the warning letter that it might not cover it I was quite pleased with that!

Dan

[Guest]

Thanks for the reply Dan.

I'm expecting to have to pay for a bit more fuel when we get back to the boatyard.

With being a newbie on the broads i expect i'll want to see everything so i'll be chugging along quite a bit using up the diesel.

It looks like you did a fair distance though so if i get to see the places you did i'll be happy with a five pound refund.

Roll on september.

regards

smokesmate

[Guest]

Thanks for the reply Dan.

I'm expecting to have to pay for a bit more fuel when we get back to the boatyard.

With being a newbie on the broads i expect i'll want to see everything so i'll be chugging along quite a bit using up the diesel.

regards

smokesmate

I understand where your coming from but the true joy of a Broads holiday is to do not a lot .... slowly. After all you'll be on Norfolk time!

[Hockham Admiral]

We did a week from Stalham in June at a steady pace going to Horning, then down south to Norwich, then Beccles and back, ran the heating for about an hour most nights and got about a fiver back.

Given the distance we'd done, fuel prices, and having had the warning letter that it might not cover it I was quite pleased with that!

Dan

And am I correct that you used the tides to your advantage, Dan?

And if you'd topped up at Goodchilds (£1.05/litre) on the way back from Beccles you'd probably have had more!

[trambo]

Had Silver Symphony for a fortnight at the end of June. Fuel deposit was £150 and was amazed that we got well over £50 back. Especially as Symphony has a rear hydraulic engine (tends to use more fuel) and we used the heating during the first week due to chilly nights. I had planned the route to move with the tides in most cases, especially on the lower Bure and Southern Broads. Also kept the revs down (although did not crawl) which seems to have paid off but I was still more than a little surprised at the refund.

Fred

[Dan]

And am I correct that you used the tides to your advantage, Dan?

And if you'd topped up at Goodchilds (£1.05/litre) on the way back from Beccles you'd probably have had more!

Good points well made John - we did time the tides quite well and this makes a big difference, and even ventured down to Loddon (first time I've ever seen a deer on the riverbank!), and we also weren't heavy with the throttle which helps no end.

I was planning on calling in & topping up somewhere cheaper towards the end of the trip, as things are a bit tighter these days, but in the end when I was there and in holiday mode and all chilled out I realised I couldn't be bothered!

Dan

[Broads01]

I think it all depends on how many hours cruising you do and how heavy you are on the throttle - just like with the car really. Diesel charges vary as well. With Le Boat earlier in the year they ripped us off £1.60 per litre. However, just spent a week with Summercraft and we were charged 90p per litre, getting £13 of our £100 deposit back. That was from a fairly energetic week down to Geldeston and back then most of the North Broads.

[Hockham Admiral]

With Le Boat earlier in the year they ripped us off £1.60 per litre. However, just spent a week with Summercraft and we were charged 90p per litre, getting £13 of our £100 deposit back.

Well that is outright extortionate! People take note!

[Guest]

Thanks for the replies,i'm gonna have a very good week with no worries and if i have to pay for more fuel so be it.

Six weeks to go then i'll be back on the broads,1974 was the last time i was there

so its time i returned.

Can anyone suggest the best places to see plenty of wildlife.

[Hockham Admiral]

Smokesmate, Hi

Up beyond Potter on Hickling Broad.

http://www.norfolkwildlifetrust.org.uk/hickling.aspx

[Guest]

Thanks for the link Admiral.this place does look very interesting,if i can get under potter bridge are there plenty of mooring places up there and can you mudweight on this broad.

regards

Andy

[Hockham Admiral]

Andy, Hi

Give the pilots at Potter a call and they'll tell you when/if you can get under the bridge.

Bridge Pilots

At Potter Heigham you must use the bridge pilot from Phoenix Fleet boatyard. Pilot service available 8.30am-6.00pm, depending on tide and weather conditions. Telephone 01692 670460.

[andyg]

hi andy.

weve had suncharm no2 a few time now and she is a really nice boat. iv found her to be quite heavy on fuel spoke to the guys at richos and they asured me its the nanni engine she is fitted with and the heating system. they have made some changes to the heating system for this season so no more instant hot water (no real prob tho) just stick to the 1200 rpm sit back and watch the world go by. we got her under potter bridge and took sarha royalls advice and went up to horsey to see the seals on the beach great day out, nice walk aswell. have a great trip

andy

[Guest]

Thanks for the replies guy's and thanks to andyg for the tip about keeping suncharm 2 at 1200 rpm.

regards

Andy

[Guest]

Well that is outright extortionate! People take note!

Well we are back after a lovely relaxing week that was over all too soon but I can confirm that LeBoat at Horning are also charging £1.60 a litre & a £150 fuel deposit not £130 as the invoice states.

How much we got back I still don't know. We got back to the yard friday night but the yard was all ready filling up. Sat morning there was a huge que for refuelling (with only 1 pump working) & as we paid by card were told the boat would be refuelled later & the amount put back on our card unless we wanted to wait.

I will get back when I know how much, but I expect a fair bit back we only did 15hrs boat cruising according to the dial.

One of the staff was telling me LeBoat wanted to make them charge hirers in boat hours as they do on all their european yards but the staff all refused, saying it would cost most hirers far more & they would never be able to compete with all the other hire yards.

I know one of the Emperors got just over £30 refund of their £150 they seemed quite pleased. I was quite shocked although I imagine they did a lot of cruising.

[Dan]

...One of the staff was telling me LeBoat wanted to make them charge hirers in boat hours as they do on all their european yards but the staff all refused, saying it would cost most hirers far more & they would never be able to compete with all the other hire yards...

I remember on one of my holidays with them in France being told it was charged by the engine hours as the company didn't think hirers should pay for the heating element of the usage. This was rather amusing & not overly plausible given how far we'd gone and the amount charged (which could have seen a serious injury if you weren't sat down when told the total cost!)

All the best

Dan

[Broads01]

Hi CalamityJ4ne. I was already very disinclined to hire from Le Boat ever again but after your post I'm totally certain now! I can't believe how disorganised they were in making you choose between a lengthy queue for a fuel check or going home. Richardsons have far more boats than Le Boat do and I've never known a problem like that.

The engine hours means of paying fopr fuel is a horrible rip off. How ever many hours you've run the engine for, whether it's 15 or 115 in a holiday, the relationship between that number and the amount of fuel you've actually used is not fixed because it depends how much throttle you've used in those hours. Totally unfair and biased in favour of the hire operator in my view.

[Hockham Admiral]

Well we are back after a lovely relaxing week that was over all too soon but I can confirm that LeBoat at Horning are also charging £1.60 a litre & a £150 fuel deposit not £130 as the invoice states.

Just how can they justify that if another place (Goodchild at Burgh Castle) can make a reasonable profit when charging £1.05/Litre?

Fill up at Boulters next door to LeBoats (was £1.10/Litre recently) before you take a boat back to them... perhaps then they'll see some sense...

[Guest]

Hi CalamityJ4ne. I was already very disinclined to hire from Le Boat ever again but after your post I'm totally certain now! I can't believe how disorganised they were in making you choose between a lengthy queue for a fuel check or going home. Richardsons have far more boats than Le Boat do and I've never known a problem like that.

The engine hours means of paying fopr fuel is a horrible rip off. How ever many hours you've run the engine for, whether it's 15 or 115 in a holiday, the relationship between that number and the amount of fuel you've actually used is not fixed because it depends how much throttle you've used in those hours. Totally unfair and biased in favour of the hire operator in my view.

Well finally £103.60 has gone back into our account so we used 29 litres of diesel @ £1.60 = £46.40.

If we had been charged at engine hours it would have been just over £68. So to the staff for making a stand.

We too have already decided we won't use LeBoat again. The yard & it's location in Horning are lovely, the staff are lovely.

The boat wasn't ready until after 5pm due to hirers returning late & also only getting 5 cleaners turn up when they ordered 15.

Again it wasn't a problem for us as we were staying in the yard that night. But there were a few itching to get out on the river.

I did look a bit flushed after a few vodkas in the pub though waiting it out.

Apparently the last 2 Capri's have been sold, we were told 2 weeks so I assume they are on their last hire this week, I think he said the Caprice too but they

all still show as being available to hire until Oct.

It seems LeBoat (as a company) are more interested in the European market France, Venice etc & I don't think Horning will see any new boats in their fleet

and we wouldn't entertain the 40' Swallowtail (massive for 2 people) but at £400.00 more + fuel than the Capri definately not.

[Dan]

I find Le Boat an unusual operation.

The yard and staff seem good, but I think some strange differences crop up, which I always put down to the fact they are such a big company and a lot of the people at the top, based at head office are experts perhaps in their field but are often experts in business and/or the holiday industry and not necessarily boating people.

The two could go together (I like boats and have qualifications in the holiday & leisure industry for example!) but I think their unusual or different operation setup/company structure to every other Broadland yard I can think of results in some very different decisions. Some could be considered good, some bad.

For me I doubt I'll ever hire with them on the Broads. Their irratic, inconsistent & high boat pricing alone is enough to put me off.

I do use them on other waterways though and have always been happy with the booking office staff and base operations and the boat's have been reasonably OK... but the fuel bill's always been high

All the best

Dan

[Broads01]

The boat wasn't ready until after 5pm due to hirers returning late & also only getting 5 cleaners turn up when they ordered 15.

Heck, my worst nightmare if I was hiring! Again, there's absolutely no excuse for that. I've been hiring for 20 + years and I think the latest time a boat has been ready (big yard or small) is 2-30pm.

Incidentally I wrote a complaint email after my Thames holiday about the fuel charge but I've never received a reply - utterly abysmal.

[Oddfellow]

Our newly revised Skippers handbook contains a whole section on Fuel Conservation and we often cover it as part of the hand-over too.

Overall, most people this year have been receiving some money back from their deposits, but there are still too many who end up owing us money. Some surprise us by only sipping the fuel but then comment on how the batteries kept running down. Others leave us gobsmacked with fuel consumption in the 180 litre mark for 7 nights.

It's all about how you use the boat; I saw one of my boats punching a huge spring tide in Yarmouth last tuesday; he's gonna have a shock when he returns to the yard.

[Hockham Admiral]

Exactly, Andy.. but do they know any better and are they told? Can a new skipper even begin to understand tides?

I doubt it...

[Guest]

Heck, my worst nightmare if I was hiring! Again, there's absolutely no excuse for that. I've been hiring for 20 + years and I think the latest time a boat has been ready (big yard or small) is 2-30pm.

Simon their take over time is 4pm & as they had 33 boats to get out & 10 cleaners not showing + boats being returned late a tall order.

Last year we went mid september out of season & they rung us to say the boat was ready early.

As for fuel, from many prices I have seen posted theirs does appear to be the most expensive. I don't think it's that much on any garage forecourt.

Exactly, Andy.. but do they know any better and are they told? Can a new skipper even begin to understand tides?

I doubt it...

I think a lot of the 1 week cruising guides on the net don't help as they all tend to cover north, G Yarmouth & south broads.

Maybe what they should say it is not recommended to in-experienced boat handlers.

Although I'm sure there are many newcomers that have done it without incident.

Being our first time last year I had printed off a route which involved going through G Yarmouth. It was only mentioning it to our

demonstrator that he said we could go where we wanted but he didn't advise it for first timers due to the strong tides etc.

Having since then seen so much on the net & youtube about boats hanging from moorings & stuck on Breydon water. I think it will be a few more years

before we would attempt it.

When we are ready to visit the south I think we will just hire from the south.