More Holiday Blogs Please…especially From Members Who Haven’t Yet Posted

[YnysMon]

We have a lovely crew of regular posters in this Holiday Tales section of the forum, several of whom own their own boats or are part owners of syndicate boats. The holiday tales is my favourite bit. It keeps me entertained when we are not on the Broads ourselves.

I recall my trepidation at posting my first blog when we were hiring, so I wanted to put up a post to encourage newer members to share their holiday tales. I hope people aren’t put off posting due to there being several established blogs. Please share!

[Lulu]

Totally agree Helen. I love reading other people’s holiday tales.  Everyone has a different style. Ray’s (sorry I mean Danni Dog’s) is a wonderful new addition.   I must admit I havent posted our recent trips feeling its become a bit samey and dont want to bore people but I often look back on mine as its become a diary of lovely memories for me.  

[kpnut]

I might pluck up the courage on my next trip. Am going for a week or so with an old friend who’s shared many hire boating trips with me, and then 3 newbies, school friends from way back when. 
I’m not a very exciting author though to be honest. 

[Ray]

1 hour ago, Lulu said:

Totally agree Helen. I love reading other people’s holiday tales.  Everyone has a different style. Ray’s (sorry I mean Danni Dog’s) is a wonderful new addition.   I must admit I havent posted our recent trips feeling its become a bit samey and dont want to bore people but I often look back on mine as its become a diary of lovely memories for me.  

Danni thanks you but also said don't stop your blogs they aren't samey and your photos are great... I agree with Danni 😉

[kpnut]

Keep them coming Lulu!

[Broads01]

I agree, Helen. I'll keep posting mine. I have the Thames next month then back on the Broads late September.

[YnysMon]

2 hours ago, kpnut said:

’m not a very exciting author though to be honest.

That’s what I always think about my own offerings!

Sorry about the missing ‘I’ off the quote. It was either that or quote your whole post! 

[YnysMon]

3 hours ago, Lulu said:

  I must admit I havent posted our recent trips feeling its become a bit samey and dont want to bore people but I often look back on mine as its become a diary of lovely memories for me.  

That’s partly my motivation too. It’s lovely to be able to recapture memories of cruises. It all becomes a blur otherwise.

[YnysMon]

22 minutes ago, Broads01 said:

I agree, Helen. I'll keep posting mine. I have the Thames next month then back on the Broads late September.

It hope we’ll see your tale of the Thames trip. 

[YnysMon]

2 hours ago, Ray said:

Danni thanks you but also said don't stop your blogs they aren't samey and your photos are great... I agree with Danni 😉

I agree with Danni. (And I think his tales are great too.)

[BroadAmbition]

I wish I could find time to get afloat socially to be able to write one!

I’ve been onboard since early hours of Wednesday, not a prayer of sailing out of t shed. Working on a mates boat (Again) home this evening, ferry to Germany tomorrow and that’s not a holiday either, delivering gear and tiling a basement. Why is my life so busy?

Griff

[SwanR]

Hoping to post something this weekend. It might not be the Broads but there is a reason for posting it somewhere on the forum nonetheless. 

[Broads01]

9 hours ago, YnysMon said:

It hope we’ll see your tale of the Thames trip. 

Indeed you will.

1 hour ago, BroadAmbition said:

I wish I could find time to get afloat socially to be able to write one!

I quite liked your brief "Sailed at 0900 hours" style logs.

[Bikertov]

2 hours ago, BroadAmbition said:

I wish I could find time to get afloat socially to be able to write one!

I’ve been onboard since early hours of Wednesday, not a prayer of sailing out of t shed. Working on a mates boat (Again) home this evening, ferry to Germany tomorrow and that’s not a holiday either, delivering gear and tiling a basement. Why is my life so busy?

Griff

Griff - your renovation blogs of BA are just as interesting to us all !

You could also post about the 'onboard' client jobs as well if you want.

Have a good trip to Germany.

[tim]

I did promise Helen on another thread that I'll try and do another one this year

My last and only blog was about three years ago, which was quite eventful, having managed to trap my foot under a gate, get carved up my two racing HW boats and manage to leave a mooring at Stokesby with Mandy still on the bank holding a stern rope!   

I'm hoping this one will be a little more boring!   

[addicted]

Your posts are never samey Sam,  I always  enjoy them immensely as I do all  the holiday tales. Please keep them coming,

 

Carole

[Chelsea14Ian]

13 hours ago, YnysMon said:

That’s what I always think about my own offerings!

Sorry about the missing ‘I’ off the quote. It was either that or quote your whole post! 

We all make mistakes. 

an.

[Matt]

Well the car is packed so I will see what I can do!

[Wussername]

Can I have a go please?

Sadly, my boating days are nearly over. I am of an age where I am challenged. Getting on it, getting off it. I do not feel confident. I feel so frustrated, it was my life. 

I spend many days at Reedham, Womack, Ranworth, Ludham... wherever.  Watching people, boaters.

A Broadsman, ? No.

A Boatman, Perhaps.

[Vaughan]

12 minutes ago, Wussername said:

A Broadsman, ? No.

A Boatman, Perhaps.

I would call you both, my friend.

[Hylander]

Sorry should this be in the Holiday Tale Section.   Can it be moved.

[YnysMon]

I’m sure it can, once Peter (Grendel) gets over his Water Rail jaunt. Thanks for posting. Sounds like you had an ‘interesting ’ time! Also sounds like it was a lovely boat.

[Ray]

4 hours ago, Hylander said:

I am not very good at this but here goes....    Just had a week on Jade from Ferry Marina.

 

 

Jade -  Never a Dull Moment.     

 

We picked up Jade from Ferry Marina about 1.30.   After a quick run through we were on our way.    We decided to go down river and see what moorings were available.     We popped down to South Walsham but everything nose to tail down there and so came back up and low and behold the end mooring was available next to the work boat at St Bennetts.    We quickly tied up , there was a day boat in front of us,  we knew they would not be there for long.   Nice people except the chaps decided to get out there fishing rods.   Hubby in conversation said oh dear this is the closed season; they all laughed and said we are only fun fishing.   We left it there,   they were soon off and we moved up towards the working boat.    

 

Not 5 minutes later, a chap is rapping on the window and yelling something, so we flew out, a snake he shouts, on your boat,  flaming norah, we have only been here 5 minutes.   It was duly dispatched back into the river.

 

We settled down to unpacking as you do and had a cuppa.    Finished unpacking and got out the wine.   Sitting there minding our own as per, when we looked up and one of these drones was at the side of the boat looking into the boat.    Hubby was furious.     It soon went.   We never saw it again.   What a cheek.

 

All was relatively peaceful until about 9 o’clock when we could hear two boats approaching from the stern , one passed very close to us on the wrong side of the river and a small Woodie was tootling along on the other side , where he should be.    Dancing Light flew passed us all and we all bounced up and down as you can imagine, when all of a sudden he totally lost control of the boat, it started to fish tail dramatically and almost went back on itself when finally and thank goodness he avoided the little Woodie  (not sure if he , the woody,  even realised what had happened) it smashed into the opposite bank.      Someone came out of the boat and eventually they pushed themselves off and off they went.      You do wonder if someone had been taken ill but obviously this was not so thank goodness.    We did happen to come across this HW boat again , again passing boats at full speed.

 

No,   the entertainment was not over and bearing in mind the day was nearing end of time for boating, at 9.30 another HW boat , a really lovely boat arrived.  They went down to S Walsham and came back up and decided he would moor into the tree beyond the work boat.   People did come out to help him but after faffing around for far too long and it was dusk by now, he decided to go off down the river towards the River Ant.   We never saw him again, a few moments later and it was dark.     Why do people leave it so late.    I still wonder if they were ok.

 

The next morning we had a front seat watching a pair of Otters playing at the mouth of river opposite.  They were so close.

 

Soon after a good breakfast it was down to Stracey to give the boat a run.    To our delight we saw a pair of Bitterns.   I did wonder what they were at first but they were Bitterns.     I like Stracey,  you can always get a mooring, the shop is handy and of course there is water.    The people who run the shop are lovely , as are the animals.   We walked down to pay our fee of £6 for the night but they do walk up if you are unable to walk to the shop.

 

Jade – the boat.    Absolutely excellent in everyway shape and form.    There are only the two of us and we had a bedroom and bathroom each.  When you are getting on in your late 70s this is perfect.     The galley was well appointed although I do take everything with me, including cutlery, utensils, fry pan, sharp knives and even our own pasta plates.     However, there was a proper knife block with scissors which was very useful.   All the pans were stainless steel including a fry pan with a glass lid.   Plenty of pirex bowls with lids, sieve, in fact everything you need.  There are dials are on the side of the helm telling of the state of fuel, water, and each loo separately.     The fridge was perfect.  I was concerned about a small box for a freezer compartment but if I told you it took a whole garlic baguette straight in , it shows you how deep it was and it held loads.  The fridge itself was very large.   Steering was the best we have ever had and was positive along with the bow thruster. 

 

The main cabin had a dressing table with a stool under plenty of power points.  No wardrobe just some hooks. There is a warm cupboard for storage and a cupboard below.  The bed was made up of two 2’6” beds so it was 5 foot and really long.  There was storage under the bed.   The second cabin had a similar bed.   The en suite was easy to use.    We did have a pump out at Ferry half way through the holiday.   Plenty of mirrors in each cabin.   Nice touch was a new air freshener in each en suite.   The second cabin did have a wardrobe and plenty of shelf space and cupboard space also it had power points.

 

The main cabin had a huge sofa big enough for both of us to stretch our legs on.    There is also a good size table and two extra folding chairs, which in the good weather (what’s that when it is at home) you could sit out on the bank on.

 

Mind you saying that we had some youngsters in a private boat arrived behind us at Womack.   Despite it blowing a force 9 gale at the time and threatening heavy rain,   they decamped out on to the wet grass, sat down on the grass and had a BBQ.    Music blaring.    Hubby did ask politely if they would turn the music down, at which point this bearded wonder shouted to him to F… Off.   The girls were very polite but not this animal.   Hubby said I did ask you nicely.   What a waste of breath.   I certainly would not want my daughter associating with a  git like that.  As the heavens opened they left,  thank goodness.

 

We also did see another private boat go down to Womack with a crew of what I can only describe The Kardashians in their night club gear  and the chaps naked to the waist, tattooed all over , looked like they were part of The Chippendales.     I wondered if they were some kind of strip o gram.     Cannot visualise many night clubs down at Womack.   Perhaps someone knows better.

 

All in all we had a good week.   We were amazed how many boats there were about which is at a non fishing time.  Dread to think what it will be like when the fishing starts.    We had some really good moorings with views down the river.   Some of the nights were clear and the stars were amazing.   My only regret it that I did not see an owl.

Finally I would like to thank Lia and Keith from Ferry Marina who were especially helpful to us yesterday on our return home a day early, Ferry Marina was busting at the seems and yet Keith came aboard and took us around the yard to the back of the Marina and found us a safe mooring with access to the car.   It was much appreciated.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well, you started by saying that you're not very good at this and then proceeded to prove yourself wrong 🙂 A lovely holiday tale, full of interest and wry humour... loved it! 👍

[SwanR]

Great write up. So glad you enjoyed the boat and found Ferry Marina served you well. We’ve had several great holidays on their boats. 

[Broads01]

Enjoyable write up, thank you. What made you return early?