New Hire Boats For 2022

[andyg]

Not sure if the booking calendar is correct as they are offering Mon Tue Wed Fri and Sat as start days. That would suggest 3 boats required to operate that booking schedule if I'm correct🤦

[garryn]

On 09/06/2022 at 21:15, garryn said:

Richardsons have got a new boat, Little M unless they change the name  I think its the same boat as Bella Vita 

Little M is now Bella Vita II

[andyg]

Really nice boats, personally I think small boats look better with a white hull. They really need to sort out the Web site photo it's all squashed up...

[DAVIDH]

More internal images have been added on Hoseasons of Fair Regal. Looks much better than I thought it would. Those wrap around windows looking forward from the helm give it a quite space age look. Sure James T approves. 
https://www.hoseasons.co.uk/boat-holidays/fair-regal-bh2725

[CambridgeCabby]

Doesn’t seem as if the interior helm position offers good vision though 

[andyg]

I've surprised myself, I saw her last week out on the river and I actually like her. I was chatting to the bridge pilot at Wroxham back in May and he said she's very luxurious inside and NBD had chucked a shed load of money at her during the build. Proof is in the pudding I guess and she appears to be letting very well even at the premium tariffs. I'm sure the 2nd one will be launched before the years out. 

[Vaughan]

I notice that the feature that Hoseasons describe as a "semi traditional stern" now has a full width wrap-around guard rail.

I hope they have some spares in stock.  From the photos it doesn't look as though you can see the corners of the stern from either helm position.  I would guess they are going to get a few of those rails wiped off on the bank.

[andyg]

Don't think it would matter if you could see the corners Vaughan ppl seem to to use banks and quay heading as a brake. I think most of us know why the gaurd rail's have been fitted. After seeing the cctv and photos of the tragic accident at Yarmouth I'm of the belief a gaurd rail wouldn't of stop the outcome unfortunately.

[Vaughan]

36 minutes ago, andyg said:

I think most of us know why the gaurd rail's have been fitted.

I think we should try not to offer opinions about that particular accident at this stage but there is no doubt those look like guard rails and not just handrails.

I just wonder why these "semi traditional" aft ends are considered such a good idea.  The full length French doors and windows give no privacy in the aft cabin and if moored stern on you would have to have the curtains closed. Stern on mooring can only be done at very low level.  It would be difficult to get on and off in some places, especially on the south rivers.

There is no access to the side decks except by the back door or rear flybridge steps.  So the only way up forward from either helm position is out via the stern and then all the way up the side decks.  Not a boat I would like to drive single handed, especially in a wind or tide.

I have no doubt it is fitted out to the highest standards and the accommodation looks very comfortable indeed.  I just wonder whether this is really a good design of Broads hire boat, for first time novice customers.  Will they really enjoy driving it, or will the stress of it detract from the enjoyment of their holiday?

[RS2021]

29 minutes ago, Vaughan said:

"semi traditional"

is a very common stern layout on narrowboats. I wonder if its appearance in this description is merely Hoseasons 'cut and paste' editing. 

[Vaughan]

1 minute ago, RS2021 said:

s a very common stern layout on narrowboats.

Excuse me, I don't think it's anything like a narrowboat, where the stern deck is the same height as the rest of the hull and it is also the helm position.

If this boat were of the Sedan type, where the aft deck is also used as an extension of the saloon and outside living area, I could perhaps understand the point of it.  In this case, the deck is simply an aft platform, that serves no other purpose. 

[Mouldy]

5 hours ago, CambridgeCabby said:

Doesn’t seem as if the interior helm position offers good vision though 

I’ve said previously that forward visibility must be like peering through a letter box.  I can’t imagine that the bow can be seen - the windscreen is at quite a shallow angle.  Pity the poor canoeist or paddle boarder that may be in the way of that one!

Rear three quarter vision through those side windows must be very restricted.  I fear that stern mooring will be hit and miss, with the emphasis on hit whatever is moored to either side!  Sorry, but I think it’s style over substance especially for the ‘look at me’ holidaymakers, who need to be seen in the very latest and most expensive hire boat available.

[RS2021]

11 minutes ago, Vaughan said:

Excuse me, I don't think it's anything like a narrowboat

Completely agree. Its just I have never heard the term 'semi traditional' applied to a broads cruiser stern before, so I thought it may have been applied by someone in an office who doesn't know the difference between a cruiser and a narrowboat.

[DAVIDH]

Probably the nearest database description they had without writing a new one. 

[Broads01]

I'd need to see it in real life but from the photos I wouldn't feel comfortable at all steering from the lower helm, especially in poor visibility conditions. I had a similar issue when we hired Grecian Girl a few years ago. That boat had a very low interior helm seat set a long way back from the curved bow windows. Thankfully we only had one wet day that week - I tried the interior helm for 10 minutes and the view was so bad I couldn't wait to get my coat back on and return up top.

[OldBerkshireBoy]

21 minutes ago, Broads01 said:

I'd need to see it in real life.

Agreed, camera lens can distort all manner of things. As for the comments re single helming I dont see why one would hire a craft like this but may be that is just me.

[Mouldy]

10 minutes ago, OldBerkshireBoy said:

Agreed, camera lens can distort all manner of things. As for the comments re single helming I dont see why one would hire a craft like this but may be that is just me.

Frankly, looking at another internal photo, there’s not much chance of poking your head through the helm window when going astern to see what you’re going to hit.

Not only that, but those window covers on the windscreens won’t help forward visibility either.

[OldBerkshireBoy]

Agreed, however I currently fail to see why you have quoted me.

[Vaughan]

Surely, quoting someone is done for ease of context in making replies. I don't think it implies any criticism, if not we would all be at each throats!

1 hour ago, OldBerkshireBoy said:

As for the comments re single helming I dont see why one would hire a craft like this but may be that is just me.

I hope I can quote this, however, as I am a hire fleet operator (albeit well retired!) and I look at a new design on the simple basis, that if I can't drive the blasted thing safely, then I can't expect my customers to be able to.

[WherryNice]

Is that a rear view camera screen I can see on top of the 'dash'? 

[Vaughan]

24 minutes ago, WherryNice said:

Is that a rear view camera screen I can see on top of the 'dash'? 

That at once reminds me of Shakespeare : Is this a dagger which I see before me?

When thinking of trying to moor that boat stern on with a reversing camera, I can perhaps quote from later in the speech by Macbeth :

I see thee yet in form as palpable as this which now I draw. Thou marshall'st me the way that I was going; and such an instrument I was to use.

Mine eyes are made the fools of the other senses ; or else, worth all the rest, I see thee still.

 

[OldBerkshireBoy]

1 hour ago, Vaughan said:

Surely, quoting someone is done for ease of context in making replies. I don't think it implies any criticism, if not we would all be at each throats!

I would agree however I can see neither agreement nor disagreement in the reply so why add the quote.

[BuffaloBill]

https://www.hoseasons.co.uk/boat-holidays/horning-pleasurecraft-ltd-rhmb/streamway-bh2731 

I believe that this has been out on hire now, so has anyone hired her and what was she like?

I looked around her 2 weeks ago and she's well fitted out as you would expect from Clive.

[Broads01]

For those with access to Facebook there are some interior photos https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid0ZQNm3amQJHuuuXsGTHCL8DsZ4DgGPiKrmiiEc5LRoXtfNmRbZ2W2CQp7yPqEUt4Jl&id=110557400763374&sfnsn=scwspmo

[garryn]

It looks like Maggie Jane the wooden Judith class boat has been taken out of the Horning Pleasurecraft fleet and is up for sale on Boatshed.