Boat Vs Something Else

[SwanR]

We often debate on here the merits of a boating holiday in terms of cost and how it ranks against other options. Having spent most of my holidays hiring on the Broads or staying in my own static caravan for the last ten years, this year was time for a change. Now we live in Norfolk and have sold the caravan, we feel ready to get back to visiting other places. This year we chose Dorset and found a lodge on a small site near Wareham, just west of Poole.

My aim of posting this holiday tale is to show not just what we did but my thoughts about how it compared to hiring a boat. Hence why I am hoping that no-one minds me sharing this on a Norfolk Broads forum.

Day 1 is of course The Journey. Norfolk to Dorset is quite a distance compared to my short drive to a boatyard these days, but no further than many people will travel to start their holiday. Check in time was 4pm though so no point leaving too early. As such we had planned to take our time. The M25 was its usual chaotic self but an accident on the M3 meant that we were going to be quite delayed. We opted to take a diversion down the A303 and cross country past Salisbury which rewarded us with a stunning view of the cathedral and some amazing countryside. Hills that look like mountains compared to Norfolk and my previous home county of Essex. And all looking so green compared to the desert-like climate here. But it was a tiring day arriving about 7 1/2 hours after we left home having stopped twice on the way.

Day 8 was The Journey in reverse. We left much earlier, stopped just once, and even the roadworks on the A11 were not a problem. A short holdup on the M11 was nothing to worry about and we arrived home in a much shorter time.

So journey wise, you take your choice as to holiday location depending on personal preference, where you live, whether you like a long or short journey and what's at the end of it for you.

[SwanR]

Accomodation - how did our lodge compare to a boat?

Well for me it was very favourable as the quality and class of what we chose was very similar to what we would look for with a boat. The lodge was not as much money but it doesn't have all the mechanics and moving parts or maintenance requirements that a boat will have.

We stayed at Wareham Forest Lodge Retreat in a place called Holton Heath just outside Poole. A fairly small site, no facilities other than the reception area. The lodge wasn't perhaps in the best position on the site as our deck was up against the trees and bushes with not much sunshine reaching it, but it was very peaceful and the birdsong was wonderful.

The lodge was immaculate, very clean, very comfortable and very well equipped. There was more space of course, so the kitchen did have more there, a full size fridge freezer, a dishwasher, gas hob and electric oven. Just more space overall was the advantage but ... the facilities on a boat are usually adequate for what you need. And as we eat out quite often on holiday I wasn't planning to cook much. But more room in the bedroom and the bathroom was a nice change.

However ... it's not the same as being on a boat where you take your home for the week with you and can wake up to a different view every day. To see somewhere different you've got to make the effort to go out no matter what the weather is doing.

 

[SwanR]

Our itinerary was as follows. The weather was England in the spring ... one day chilly, another some sunshine, thunderstorms and heavy showers but dry spells too. So we were watching the weather most days to decide when to go out. If you're on a boat you don't have to "go out" exactly to make a move.

Sunday - Poole town and quay. The shopping area was really run down and disappointing. We didn't stay long there but headed for a bustling quayside. Fish and chips under cover while the rain came down. A wander around the Poole Pottery shop and then some of the older area of the town.

Monday - a lovely trip to look round a National Trust property at Kingston Lacy. The history associated with the house and estate was really interesting. We took a look round the house and then a wander round the gardens before getting back to our car just as the rain arrived.

Tuesday - a lovely warm sunny day. We drove across to Swanage and spent some wonderful time sat in the sunshine watching the world go by. Then we drove on to Durlston Country Park for lunch, and then a short walk along the coastal path with stunning views. My photos probably don't really do it justice.

[SwanR]

Wednesday - we like our midweek day to be one that is a little more relaxing. If we're on a boat we call it our Ranworth Day - get there early, moor up, and watch everyone else. So this time we drove the short distance into Wareham and had a walk by the river. There were a few boats moving around. Lunch in a very nice little tearoom, and then back to the lodge for the afternoon, armed with supplies from a quick stop into Sainsburys including cake to have with our afternoon coffee. We had intended to go to the speedway that evening but it was cancelled because of the weather warnings. We did have more thunderstorms and rain before bedtime.

Thursday - another sunny day so we drove back round to the other side of Poole to visit the gardens at Compton Acres. Lovely. The sun coming through the trees was so picturesque. We then moved on to Wimborne Minster to take a look around the church ... and again found somewhere to have some lunch before going back to the lodge.

Friday - this was our only wet morning. So we stopped in and started packing. The rain eased by lunchtime so we just went back into Wareham, had a meal in the same tearoom we visited earlier in the week. Took a wander round the back of the church there and then returned to the lodge via Upton Country Park. Another lovely walk ... and of course a final coffee stop before returning to the lodge one last time.

[ChrisB]

I enjoyed your tale very much. It is my spiritual home. So much so that Wareham is on my dining room wall and Corfe on the bedroom

We kept 4 boats in total over 17 years at Ridge Wharf just down river from Wareham Quay

[SwanR]

The week was really enjoyable. I booked it for May because I thought the roads and the places we visited would be that bit less busy than further into the summer. That's the same as we do with our boat hires. We just don't like places when they're crowded and busy, preferring the peace and quiet that you get when there's a few less people around.

Sometimes when we're on a boat I do think about the fact that I've got to find somewhere to moor once or twice most days. And I used to wonder in our earlier days why I agreed to that instead of having something ready to go back to every day. But on the other hand I have got very used to moving around and having that different view every day. The kind of holiday we did in Dorset was very much a touring holiday from a base which in this case was the lodge. Driving around the roads was not always as relaxing as going at 4mph down the river.

Fuel prices are something of a talking point right now. So it's worth remembering that there was a considerable cost in terms of not only the journey to Dorset but also the need to go out in the car every day to visit places. The accomodation we chose did not have anything in walking distance. Other times I might choose a hotel or a coastal location where you can turn up, park the car, and not need to travel. That is something that I very much like to do.

My conclusion? Not surprisingly it's personal choice. I think we will make more trips like this one now that we live in Norfolk. It was nice to explore places we haven't visited before alongside returning to some old favourites. But I did miss the familiarity of the boats and the rivers. And like all holidays there's all sorts for all budgets.

I have put a short video together if anyone is interested to take a look. It's mostly photos with a few short clips added in.

 

[Lulu]

Lovely write up and interesting comparison Jean.  I think with our imminent move to Norfolk, lots to explore there, and not much holiday allowance that we wont venture to other areas apart from Scotland to see my daughter until we are both retired. I hate travelling in the car and like you, like a different view each day to wake up to.  I’ve realised we have a “Ranworth day” every day we are on the boat 😂

[ChrisB]

Having swallowed the anchor I like to have short breaks.

For my 3 day break to the Lincolnshire coast I took the "Picnic Car"  for some fresh air but on viewing the trip :- 318 miles @ 60.1 mpg I think the car is in for promotion to a main form of transport. 

It is very small but fine for just me or even a couple.

Mild Hybrid appears to work:-

Picnic Car

[SwanR]

That's a lovely little car Carole. We went down to one car recently so we share and have to keep adjusting the seat every time we switch drivers! 

[SwanR]

32 minutes ago, Lulu said:

I’ve realised we have a “Ranworth day” every day we are on the boat 😂

Love it. We just find that if we're away for a whole week then it's nice to have a day when we do very little except chill and relax, use the facilities of where we are or the boat we've hired. It can be so tempting to think that we should be doing something all the time when we're away. If we're on the northern rivers then we tend to cruise early one morning midweek, arrive at Ranworth around 10-10.30 and moor up ... and there we stay. Lunch in the Maltsters, a walk down the boardwalk, and very little else.

Although we were out every day while we were on holiday this time, we were mostly out for half days so still had plenty of time to relax.

[SwanR]

1 hour ago, ChrisB said:

It is my spiritual home. So much so that Wareham is on my dining room wall and Corfe on the bedroom

Lovely pictures Chris. My husband has connections to the area which is one of the reasons it was our choice for this year. We had intended to go to Corfe but time and the weather beat us in the end. However we did drive through on our way to and from Swanage. So we got some really good views of the castle, just not at a time when we could photograph them.

[YnysMon]

Lovely, thanks Jean. Glad you had a good time. We’ve been down to Bournemouth a few times since Alec has been living there. Visited Swanage but haven’t made it to Wareham yet. It looks like Alec might be returning to MK in the summer, which is great, but I have a hankering to explore Dorset some more. There seem to be so many lovely places to visit nearby. 

[TheQ]

Nice pictures. A lot of my family were based in and  just north of Salisbury, dad was upset when they duelled the 303, tarmacking his favourite wild mushroom picking area.. IoW through to Poole were our summer holiday visit areas..

[Mouldy]

There are still places that I haven’t visited and should have.  I’ve not been to Dorset since I was a child, I’ve only ever had one holiday in Scotland, we’ve not been to North Wales for years, or the Lake District and it’s been a while since we’ve been to North Devon.  I guess my trouble is that I love Cornwall.  Had it not been so far from friends and family around Northampton and Milton Keynes (and the boat, of course), it would have been easy for me to have retired there.  My first memories of holidays with my mum and dad were of ones spent near Looe.  The town and surrounding areas still draw me back time and time again.

Fortunately, Deb also shares my passion for the place and we’ve spent many holidays there, with our son as he was growing up and on our own since he stopped coming with us.  We’ll be there again very soon, revisiting places that I know so well and that still keep drawing me back.

Don’t get me wrong, we’re very happy in Norfolk, still enjoy living here and I’m very grateful for being in the position to live somewhere that is also special to me and where I spent many happy holidays with my parents as a child.

Hopefully, when Deb retires we'll have the time and opportunity to visit some of the places that we’ve not been to for a long time.  I still want to do the North Coast 500.  Maybe next year!

[YnysMon]

This thread reminds me of all the places in the UK that we’d like to visit, but haven’t managed yet. Of course, there are loads of places that I would have liked to have visited internationally, but to be honest, I’m not sure I can be bothered with the stress of international travel any longer. I’m just glad that we did some interesting trips when we were younger.

[ChrisB]

27 minutes ago, Mouldy said:

 

Hopefully, when Deb retires we'll have the time and opportunity to visit some of the places that we’ve not been to for a long time.  I still want to do the North Coast 500.  Maybe next year!

The NC500 is on my list before I get too old. However if I have to go alone, I shall try to get a flight to Aberdeen from Norwich and do it in a hire car.

[Mouldy]

Just now, ChrisB said:

The NC500 is on my list before I get too old. However if I have to go alone, I shall try to get a flight to Aberdeen from Norwich and do it in a hire car.

We have friends who live near Inverness.  Our plan is to hire a motor caravan from Inverness, leave our car with our friends and take maybe 10 days to go around the tour.  We’ll have to see how things pan out.  We were going to do it this year, but foreign travel restrictions caused the NC500 to be far too busy last year and I was fearful that it would be the same this.

As long as monkeypox doesn’t replace Covid to create another pandemic, maybe next year.

[ZimbiIV]

May I recommend a cruise round the UK.

We did it one year. Shetland, Orkneys Tobormory, Dublin, Silly Isles, Guernsey, 

We loved it, going to places we wanted to see but not wanting to spend days there.

paul

[YnysMon]

1 hour ago, Mouldy said:

Our plan is to hire a motor caravan from Inverness, leave our car with our friends and take maybe 10 days to go around the tour.

My cousins (the ones we’ve been with on several holidays, mentioned in various blogs) decided not to join us for a self catering holiday this year as they are saving up to do the NC500. The plan had been to hire a motor caravan to do that. However, they decided to try our the plan on a short break first. About a month ago they hired a largish motor caravan and had a short break in the Lake District. The vehicle was great, and they loved it, but have decided that they’ll do the NC500 by car and book B&Bs/hotels instead. As far as I can make out, the reasons for their decision was the cost of the rental, fuel and campsites combined was more expensive than staying in hotels/B&Bs and also when visiting places for the day it was quite difficult to park such a large vehicle.

I think they were sensible trying it out first before committing to the full NC500 tour.

[YnysMon]

53 minutes ago, ZimbiIV said:

Silly Isles,

Can I go there? I’m sure I’d fit right in. 

[andyg]

Our first holiday to Cornwall next weekend for a week, it's a carried over holiday from covid times. We are staying at Perranporth at a havens site. The original holiday cost me near enough 900 quid, the equivalent holiday same standard accommodation will set you back 1600 quid today. Personally I wouldn't pay 1600 pounds for a caravan the same as I wouldn't pay 3k a week for a boat. We are quite looking forward to this one as neither of us have ever been to Cornwall. Splitting the journey down in two half's and going to overnight in Exeter on the Sunday night. 

[SwanR]

16 minutes ago, andyg said:

We are quite looking forward to this one as neither of us have ever been to Cornwall.

I would be very interested to know how you get on. Cornwall is another place on our list of possibilities. 

[Mouldy]

10 minutes ago, SwanR said:

I would be very interested to know how you get on. Cornwall is another place on our list of possibilities. 

I prefer the south side of the county and avoid Newquay. That said, I do like Perranporth, and some places nearby, like St Agnes.  Where we stayed last year, on the Lizard Peninsula is another favoured area, with a stunning coastline and some more unspoiled spots, like Kennack Sands, Poldhu Cove and Gunwalloe, where there is a church literally on the beach.

The Eden Project is probably the most famous and visited attraction in the area and is well worth a visit, as are The Lost Gardens of Heligan.

I really do recommend that you go, Jean.  Obviously, going in June or maybe later in September will mean that you miss the peak of the summer crowds

[floydraser]

Thanks for this thread. As a couple we've always done the "something else" but was me who introduced the boat. Every year we visit a few different areas of England and this year we have joined Historic Houses to hopefully add to our enjoyment.

In March we blew the cobwebs out of the caravan with a visit to Malvern. we took a decent stroll up the hills on one day then visited Little Malvern Court and it's lovely gardens. 

Last week we were in Devizes. Corsham Court holds several fortunes worth of paintings by Van Dyke and Reynolds, as well as a fair bit of Chippendale furniture. Definitely no veneer in 'ere! Walking along the Kennet & Avon from Sells Green to Devizes we saw a few prestine wide beams but unfortunately there's still a large number of less well maintained boats blotting the landscape.

Next is York at the end of June then back to the Lakes in September.

We have a short wheelbase VW camper on order which we plan to use to go further afield from next year. That'll be Scotland then. It should be good for long days out mostly, then the odd night away. We'll still tow the caravan with it for longer stays but will probably have a tent or awning for the longer tours.

[Broads01]

Thanks for sharing, Jean and lovely photos. I was born and brought up in Poole and my Mum still lives in Wimborne so it's my part of the world. As a coastal area it's hard to beat. It does get crowded in the peak spots in Summer but even then there are places off the beaten track if you know where to look. Your journey there was my journey to the Broads as a child and a young adult only in reverse.