Hey Everyone..absolute New And Inexperienced..

[DeeBee]

My brother owns a Maxum 2400 SCR..Hes got years of experience on the Broads..I havent..

So..(hes shown me the controls and i understand them and i had a little practice at Broads Edge) ..But whats your advice..and im totally worried..Its his boat..and he said i can take it out, whenever

I know real experience is everything..

So..What books can i get?..and what advice can you experienced "Broadsters" give me..Cos i feel im being thrown in at the deep end, with a privately owned boat..

Any links to help, on this forum would be great..as im really a bit worried..

Thanks..DB

 

[grendel]

the best advice I can give is dont panic, dont be too afraid, and take things slowly. all of us had a first time, so thats nothing new.

reverse is your brakes.

when coming into a mooring note the tide direction and wind direction, you want to be heading into the tide,  (and for preference the wind too)this way you can keep some revs on and approach as slowly as you like, if you go with the tide, it will carry you forward when you want to stop.

accept help from others, and try and follow their advice, if you are mooring at great Yarmouth or Reedham during the season there are broads rangers there who will talk you in to a mooring.

its always easier to reverse out, keep a bow rope ashore (I usually throw a loop round a post and back to the boat,)  and a bit of forward steering towards the quay heading will kick the stern out, release the rope, and reverse into the middle of the river, you now have all the space you need to manouver.

 boats steer from the back, so when turning, keep an eye on what the back of the boat is doing, are you close to another boat, will it swing into them are things you should consider.

[DeeBee]

Grendel... Thanks..Exactly the kind of advice i need to know..Ive watched the vids (i think Richardsons made them..or the Broads Authority)..its the 'actually doing it' ..

Im worried about moorings as well. How do you know where you can moor up and how do you pay?

So much i need to learn..(but its a totally enjoyable learning)

Best bit..A lot of you seem to know each other, personally and thats nice..

[Happy]

11 minutes ago, grendel said:

the best advice I can give is dont panic, dont be too afraid, and take things slowly. all of us had a first time, so thats nothing new.

reverse is your brakes.

when coming into a mooring note the tide direction and wind direction, you want to be heading into the tide,  (and for preference the wind too)this way you can keep some revs on and approach as slowly as you like, if you go with the tide, it will carry you forward when you want to stop.

accept help from others, and try and follow their advice, if you are mooring at great Yarmouth or Reedham during the season there are broads rangers there who will talk you in to a mooring.

its always easier to reverse out, keep a bow rope ashore (I usually throw a loop round a post and back to the boat,)  and a bit of forward steering towards the quay heading will kick the stern out, release the rope, and reverse into the middle of the river, you now have all the space you need to manouver.

 boats steer from the back, so when turning, keep an eye on what the back of the boat is doing, are you close to another boat, will it swing into them are things you should consider.

 "its always easier to reverse out"  That depends on what way the tide is running, surely

[DeeBee]

Happy ..What if im "Stern on" mooring..Wait..im answering my own question here..You just pull away..So "reverse out" practically means "be prepared for tide/wind pushing the stern"..(i been reading and watching the vids )

[CambridgeCabby]

Totally echo the advise already given , 

Go slow , moor against the flow and check the bridge isn’t too low .

Above all enjoy 

 

- don’t forget to fly the NBN flag -

[grendel]

4 minutes ago, Happy said:

 "its always easier to reverse out"  That depends on what way the tide is running, surely

I always find it easier to reverse out, no matter which way the tide is flowing, its difficult to steer the nose out with the bank stopping the stern swinging.

 

7 minutes ago, DeeBee said:

Grendel... Thanks..Exactly the kind of advice i need to know..Ive watched the vids (i think Richardsons made them..or the Broads Authority)..its the 'actually doing it' ..

Im worried about moorings as well. How do you know where you can moor up and how do you pay?

So much i need to learn..(but its a totally enjoyable learning)

Best bit..A lot of you seem to know each other, personally and thats nice..

moorings, a large number of them are free broads authority 24 hour moorings, its generally pub moorings where you are charged, but any signs will tell you if you need to pay. great yarmouth is a paid for mooring at the yacht station, as are oulton broad and beccles and norwich yacht station.

yes we do know each other, that come about by helping people moor up and chatting with other boaters.

stern mooring, thats a case of getting lined up and reversing in, it can be tricky as you need forward power to streer the back of the boat, (ie steering doesnt work very well when reversing- so just set the rudder and a quick burst of forwards to swing the back, that just takes practice, you can always make several attempts. even I mess a stern mooring occasionally, the trick is if youc can get close enough to pass a rope to any boats either side, they can walk you in

 

[Smoggy]

I'm guessing that maxum is on an outdrive so you will have some steering in reverse just not as effective as steering forward, stern on mooring isn't always doable with an outdrive if it sticks out.

[WherryNice]

1 minute ago, Smoggy said:

I'm guessing that maxum is on an outdrive so you will have some steering in reverse just not as effective as steering forward, stern on mooring isn't always doable with an outdrive if it sticks out.

Beat me to it, was just about to mention that...

[Chelsea14Ian]

Surely you get get some advice  from your fellow Rangers.

[BrundallNavy]

Why don’t you get your brother to give you a few lessons first before going on your own.   

[YnysMon]

One piece of advice, take it nice and slow, and try to remember that when things don't go quite as planned. it’s in those situations when most us of newbies panic and put on too many revs and lose what control we had.

Keep the tide table to hand (or an app such as Aweigh) so that you have an idea what the tide is doing. Also, there are lots of resources online which will help you get your bearings. e.g.  Barnes Brinkcraft has an interactive map showing moorings, pubs etc. There’s lots of info on the Broads Authority website. The website that has helped me most though is this one:

https://www.mynorfolkbroadsboating.co.uk/

Lots of good advice on moorings, bridge heights, how to moor/leave a mooring and links to a good tide table.

Also, I used to follow Grendel’s practice of reversing out of a mooring whatever the tide. I’m sure that’s much the best option if you do not have any crew to help out. It worked for me on several hires and our first few trips on our syndicate boat Moonlight Shadow anyway, and that’s what we still do when leaving if the tide is flowing toward our stern. However, I don’t do that any longer if the tide is onto our bow, unless the wind is fresh and blowing us onto the bank. I find that having crew to push the bow out, assisted by the tide taking the bow out further (and maybe some more help from bow thrusters) is all I need.

[grendel]

6 minutes ago, YnysMon said:

However, I don’t do that any longer if the tide is onto our bow, unless the wind is fresh and blowing us onto the bank. I find that having crew to push the bow out, assisted by the tide taking the bow out further (and maybe some more help from bow thrusters) is all I need.

I suppose I ought to say that most of the time i cruise solo so dont have that spare pair of hands (or bow thrusters), its also worth noting if you cruise solo, to prepare your ropes for the next mooring as you leave, as I use a centre cockpit boat I bring front and rear lines up the side decks to the cockpit, on both sides so I am prepared, I often have a 5th rope I can put on a centre cleat to be able to step off and secure the boat using that, it swaps sides as necessary, once you have one centre rope ashore, then you can take your time with bow and stern ropes.

[DeeBee]

I mean, i know my brother will show me..i just wanted to be a bit prepared of what i got to do. All good advice above..i'll re-read all this a few times, watch more practical 'how to' vids and get some good vid links from you lot.

Maybe im overthinking this all and worrying too much..i know ill enjoy it though..I just needed a bit of a confidence boost. 

I'll definitely keep you all informed on how it all goes and maybe sometime next year i'll get to meet some of you on the Broads.. 👍

[Chelsea14Ian]

My post wasn't  a yoke In the face mask post.You said you are a Broads Ranger.Therefore they have lots of experience on boating and the broads.They can help.Other advice posted given is very good.

[Bluebell]

Like Grendel I often cruise solo. His advice about having the mooring ropes to hand i.e. front and rear down both sides is a big help. Also the bit about going slow: if you do bump into another boat when drifting slowly, the fenders will take the brunt of the impact and there should be no damage. Keep practising on a quiet stretch of water. If you can use the boat in the winter there will be plenty of room at the moorings near to Broadsedge such as Stalham Staithe, Sutton Staithe and Barton.

Good luck, don’t worry too much, you’re doing the right thing by asking for some advice…😎

[DeeBee]

Chelsae14Ian ..Well..im certainly not a Broads Ranger..I was quoting what a Ranger might say, if he was into dodgy facemask fitting on the Broads..😁

[Cal]

The boat we had prior to selling up was very similar in size, drive and layout to your brothers Maxum.

Best advice is do not panic and if it starts to go wrong do NOT under any circumstances grab a fist full of throttle to try and rectify the situation. It will not work and will lead to more damage.

To leave a mooring give the bow a gentle nudge out and calmly step onto the stern. No need to rush or panic. The bow will gently swing round and you can then drive out into the river forwards.

Moor into the tide or wind whichever is strongest. Aim the bow to the bank and with the helm hard over towards the bank gently select reverse and the sterndrive will bring the stern across to the bank.

It is a case of taking things steady. Always look behind to see what your wash is doing. These boats are designed to be planing boats going fast so at slow speeds they have a surprisingly dirty swim and create a lot of wash. Be considerate to moored boats and slow down a long way before you reach them to let your wash settle down.

Most of all enjoy yourself.

[MargeandParge]

Hi Dee Bee

Nice to hear that you are to be out and about on the Broads.

My little bit of advice is be very gentle with that throttle if its a petrol engine as they accelerate very quickly. Just a click into gear will normally be enough with a big petrol out drive.

Go to the middle of a broad probably Barton from your mooring and feel the boat under you.

Wear life jackets as its to late to put them on if anyone should be unlucky and slip over board. It probably has a swim platform which are quite easy to slip from while manoeuvring.

Should anybody slip in NEUTRAL GEAR INSTANTLY.

Once you get the hang of it enjoy every moment it is beautiful out there. What a great opportunity to be able to take a boat out when you want to. We love to sleep on our boat the water is very calming.

Have a great time.

Kindest Regards

Marge and Parge

[DeeBee]

Oh.. Chelsea14Ian ..My post on the "Facemask" thread was a joke btw..

[Chelsea14Ian]

Such a good  joke,well done.

Ian.

[DeeBee]

Chelsea14Ian ..Thanks ..