Going South

[RS2021]

This is our fourth Broads holiday and so far we have stayed North. We’ve enjoyed the northern rivers very much, especially being able to just potter about in a very lazy way. But, we thought it was about time we headed South to find out what all the fuss was about. We normally go boating off season and in the case of the Broads it has been in April which to date has avoided the crowds. This year due to the availability of our favourite boat – Fair Executive – and also suitable tide times for crossing Breydon we went a little later in May.

Saturday 7th May

We head down to Norfolk and arrive at NBD just after 1.30. The official takeover time is 4.00, but we have been told we will get a text when the boat is ready. No problem if it is later, we can just go for our Roy’s fix. We check in and within seconds have a text to say the boat is ready. Roy’s will have to wait. The hand over is smooth - we have been before on the same boat - and we are underway around 2.30. The service at NBD is certainly back to pre-covid standards and we were looked after very well by Becky who did our hand over. The MAIB report was mentioned, but very much in the ‘You may have heard...’ tone. I suspect they may have a number of hirers who have heard about it and may be concerned.

Having spoken to the Yacht Station at Great Yarmouth we were advised we should aim for great Yarmouth at low water as we have a high airdraft. This is around 9.00am on Sunday, so the early pick up means we are in with a chance of getting close enough tonight and not have to wait until Monday to cross Breydon. Previously we have just had a lazy Saturday and stopped at Salhouse to chill. Today I would like to get at least to Acle – Stokesby would be nicer, but dare I risk the moorings being full. If they are then it only leaves Stacey Arms and I’m not sure I want the road noise. Traffic on the river is certainly busier than we have seen before, but we make steady progress and find a suitable mooring on the BA side at Acle. Breydon for the first time tomorrow.

 

Sunday 8th May

To pass great Yarmouth at low water means an early start – just before 7.00. I’m a bit of a lark, so this is no problem. It was very still at Acle when I slipped the mooring ropes and set off. Going down with the tide meant I was barely above tick over and making swift progress. A beautiful morning, very peaceful. Just how I like my boating. I didn’t see another boat moving until just before great Yarmouth. Plenty of height under the bridges, so straight through and turn at the yellow post. The disadvantage of passing at low tide and not slack is that you then have to punch the tide for the second half of the passage. So immediately after the yellow post it was good bye to tick over and increase the revs. No problem for the boat which coped with it easily.

There were reports of two boats running aground on Breydon a couple of weeks ago and I can see why. The missing posts were right ahead just where the channel turns left after you pass Breydon Bridge. An easy mistake to make to go straight on in the circumstances. Otherwise Breydon was uneventful, but it was nice to see the wading birds on the mud flats. We had decided to head up the Waveney so it was straight on at the end of Breydon. St Olaves bridge was no problem as we passed it around low water and decided to stop at Somerleyton for lunch.  A gentle walk to the village and a leisurely pint in the Dukes Head were in order before returning to the boat. The plan had been to go on to either Oulton or WRC, but it was a nice day we decided to simply stop in Somerleyton. Watching the swing bridge open and close is very therapeutic! By evening the moorings were full – so much for the quieter South.

 

Monday 9th May

As I’ve said I’m a bit of a lark and on the Broads like a walk, usually behind the Rhond, in the morning. This morning it was down to Herringfleet Drainage Mill and back.  I was thoroughly enjoying the song of the Reed Warbler when suddenly ‘Booom’ and I stopped in my tracks. Shortly afterwards I heard ‘Whoop, Whoop, Whoop, Whoop, Whoop... Booom’. My first experience of a Bittern booming. Sadly it was well hidden in the reeds, so I couldn’t see it, but a magical sound.

Our morning cruise was up to Beccles. I’m beginning to understand those who say the South is a lot of reeds. Nice for a change, and certainly great when full of Reed Warblers with Marsh Harriers overhead, but I can see that after a while they could get repetitive. We stopped for a couple of hours in Beccles. It was nice to wander round town, but I do think on the Broads we prefer smaller villages or being remote.

After lunch we headed back down the Waveney and into Oulton Broad. We hadn’t planned to stop here, just have a cruise round and head back to a quieter spot. The moorings at Carlton Marshes were full, but we managed to squeeze on the Dutch Tea Garden moorings. Again, come evening they were full. Is the South really quieter?

[RS2021]

Tuesday 10th May

After a great circular walk first thing, we set off for Loddon. I’d heard that the Chet was a great little river and wasn’t disappointed. Very intimate and great views, especially the stretch alongside Hardley Flood. We also saw our first Kingfisher of the week. We made Loddon for lunchtime and had no problem mooring. After a gentle stroll round the village and a bite to eat onboard we headed off. In this time the staithe had filled up and there was a boat waiting to take our space as we left. I think if we were going to stay the night here I’d have moved to Pye’s Mill or Chedgrave Common. In the afternoon we headed further up the Yare and into Rockland Broad. We had a quick look at the Staithe, but ended up mooring on Short Dyke – a spot on the end looking back into the broad. At last a quiet mooring down south – only one other boat. A perfect spot.

 

Wednesday 11th May

First thing today I decided to walk back to the staithe round the back of the broad. Sadly the hide is dangerous and out of use, but I did spot a Muntjac on my way back. Although we could have got into Norwich I didn’t really fancy the hustle and bustle of a city on this trip so after motoring up the Yare we turned just after the A47 bridge. Going up the Yare the scenery went from wild to more farmland and with more signs of civilisation. Certainty more interesting than just reeds. After turning we headed back to the Ferry House Inn at Surlingham for lunch. Stern on mooring in the stream was fun and I did make a bit of a mess of it, but did get secured eventually with the assistance of a very kind gentleman.

We had planned to have lunch here and went in for a drink. The beer was first class, but the pub was cold – I don’t know if it was just it was a cold day or energy prices having an impact on businesses ability to heat their premises – so we decided not to stay. A shame really as we did want to try it. So back to the boat and lunch mud weighting on Surlingham Broad. A delightful spot and the second Kingfisher of the week. In the afternoon we headed back down the Yare and with a short detour through Rockland Broad again ended up at the end of Langley Dyke for the night. Another quiet spot – we were the only boat on the visitor moorings.

[RS2021]

Thursday 12th May

Time to head North again. But before that time to explore the area. It says Langley Abbey on the map so I thought I’d go and check it out. Unfortunately it’s a wedding venue with a large ‘No Visitor’s’ sign. So back to the Rhond for my morning walk, down the dyke and along the main river. I met a group of cows, which normally move out of the way, but on this occasion just stood and stared at me in a very determined and slightly menacing way. It was then I spotted a new born calf behind them, so realising they were just protecting their young, I simply gave them a wide berth and carried on. I then spotted another Muntjac.

In the morning we headed for Reedham. Mooring wasn’t too bad in the stream, but I was grateful for the Ranger who helped and had my front rope made off before I even realised. Reedham looks like a nice little spot and we had walk up and down the river front. It would have been great to stay longer, but we had a tide to catch.

The cruise to Great Yarmouth was relaxed and we made great progress barely above tick over again. The sun was out and we are able to watch the birdlife on Breydon. I’d heard that the tide runs very strong on the Bure through Great Yarmouth at low tide, and had a contingency to moor at the Yacht Station if it was, but we were close to neaps and the boats engine was more than adequate, so we carried straight on up the Bure. I’d thought about stopping at Stokesby and when we passed there were spaces, but it felt a little early, so we carried on and headed down Fleet Dyke which we’d enjoyed on previous trips. This time we moored in the area on the large bend as there were only two other boats there. Another nice remote mooring.

 

Friday 13th May

The view of St Benet’s from across the river is always worth the walk up the dyke in the mooring and today was no exception. Spotted another Muntjac – there do seem a lot around this year!

We’d got all day to get back to Wroxham, so today would be very leisurely. First stop Ranworth. Plenty of space and we opted for the side. As ever on the Broads, folks will help where they can and a very nice solo hirer on Brinks Jazz helped us with our ropes. Just a short stop here before heading off to Hoveton Great Broad. I’ve always wanted to stop here, but either there has been not enough time, or the weather has been poor when we have been passing. Not this time, so we made it our lunchtime stop. It was well worth it, the board walk takes you into another world both in the wet woodland and the fantastic views across the Broad. Certainly a place to linger.

After lunch we headed back to Wroxham for the Roy’s fix and also Fish and Chips from Ken’s. Final night in the yard and then hand the Boat back in the morning.

 

 

Overall we enjoyed the South, but would probably say we preferred the North. The lower reaches are generally wide with reeds. Lovely to start with, but does get a bit samey. Maybe part of it was we are familiar with the North and have our favourite spots, but the South was new and so we were still exploring.

[SwanR]

Lovely holiday tale. Enjoyed seeing your photos and reading where you went. We did a mixture of north and south when we first hired but have still not done the Breydon crossing. Like you we much prefer the quieter moorings overnight. Good to hear the service was spot on at NBD still. 

[Chelsea14Ian]

Of course  no one wants to go south. STAY north.

[YnysMon]

Thank you so much for posting your holiday tale, I enjoyed the trip along with you very much. We are big fans of the southern broads. I like how you need to do quite a cruise to get anywhere, whereas up north the main spots are a lot closer to one another. 

I noticed you found that a lot of the popular mooring spots got filled up. How did you find the rivers though? I generally find that we can cruise without passing anything like as many boats as we would up north. The moorings are more spaced out, so maybe fewer moorings for the length of the rivers? 

[Bikertov]

A lovely looking boat. I do like the sedan style, and at 36' seems to give you loads of space inside  

[Mouldy]

1 hour ago, Bikertov said:

A lovely looking boat. I do like the sedan style, and at 36' seems to give you loads of space inside  

Trouble is the airdraft.  NBD quote 8’10,” which could exclude passage up The Ant for large chunks of the year.  Ours is only 8’3” and that causes issues sometimes.  I wouldn’t want anything taller, but obviously it’s all a matter of personal choice.

[YnysMon]

I don’t think we’ve ever hired/part owned anything that’s got more than a 6’10’ air draft (with roof down). Having started out our first hire on the Broads by getting under Potter Heigham bridge on our very first day (on a sailey), getting under the other low bridges on the Broads has been our top priority in our boat choice. Yes, it’s nice to have a lovely view on a boat with a higher air draft but we don’t want to be overly restricted on where we can access.

However, I completely recognise that everyone has different priorities when choosing their boat. 

[RS2021]

14 hours ago, SwanR said:

but have still not done the Breydon crossing

On a nice day its a pleasure to cross and if the weather is poor, then don't. I think if we want to do the South again we will probably hire down there. Not because Breydon is a problem - I'm glad we did it, but because it takes two days out of the holiday. If you don't want to stop in Great Yarmouth you are looking at a 3-4 hour stint and Great Yarmouth is a bit built up. 

[RS2021]

5 hours ago, YnysMon said:

How did you find the rivers though?

When we have done the North its been in April and its been quiet, so I would say the South in May was much the same. The Yare in particular is wide, so even if there were the same or even more boats I think it would feel quieter.

[Bikertov]

2 hours ago, Mouldy said:

Trouble is the airdraft.  NBD quote 8’10,” which could exclude passage up The Ant for large chunks of the year.  Ours is only 8’3” and that causes issues sometimes.  I wouldn’t want anything taller, but obviously it’s all a matter of personal choice.

I totally get that, and in my own search for a boat I am looking to keep under 8' 6"

But it doesn't stop me liking the style of a larger sedan cruiser, and it will all come down to what comprises I am willing to accept   

[RS2021]

2 hours ago, Mouldy said:

Trouble is the airdraft.  NBD quote 8’10,” which could exclude passage up The Ant for large chunks of the year.

The trouble is boatyards add a few inches to air draft and the BA take a few off on the gauges so people think they can't go up the Ant. Very bad marketing in my opinion. Our three previous trips have been in April and we got up the Ant each time. I even down loaded river level data from the EA website and I would expect the boat to be able to get up the Ant the vast majority of the time. Even if you can't get up on a particular day you could always try later in a holiday, or time your passage for low tide.

Don't forget Richardson's used to operate a few boats with a quoted 9' air draft. Are you telling me they were stuck up the Ant for most of the year?

[RS2021]

15 minutes ago, Bikertov said:

I totally get that, and in my own search for a boat I am looking to keep under 8' 6"

First time we hired Fair Executive I took a tape measure and I measured it at 8'6". OK this will vary with water/fuel/toilet tank levels. But you can manage these if you need to. 

We once hired a narrowboat to go up the Caldon Canal. Near the end is Froghall Tunnel which makes Potter look positively generous. Going through we had 1/2" clearance on the corners of the cabin. Coming back  - after filling the water tank - we had a good 4 inches. OK water tanks on narrowboats are usually under the front deck so do have a greater effect on air draft.

[Broads01]

Thanks for sharing your tale and photos, it was an entertaining read. I'm glad you had good service from NBD. I hired from them for the first time last year and was appalled by how sloppy they were on takeover day and we had a late takeover so hopefully they've made improvements. 

I love both the North and South for different reasons. If you hire south, Silverline are brilliant and don't charge over the top prices, unlike Brooms. It's lovely around Brundall, Surlingham Broad and beyond all the way to Norwich.

[YnysMon]

1 hour ago, RS2021 said:

On a nice day its a pleasure to cross and if the weather is poor, then don't. I think if we want to do the South again we will probably hire down there. Not because Breydon is a problem - I'm glad we did it, but because it takes two days out of the holiday. If you don't want to stop in Great Yarmouth you are looking at a 3-4 hour stint and Great Yarmouth is a bit built up. 

Isn’t that an interesting difference in perspective. I look on a north to south passage as a highlight, a must unless we can’t do it because the tides aren’t conducive. 

[RS2021]

7 hours ago, YnysMon said:

Isn’t that an interesting difference in perspective. I look on a north to south passage as a highlight, a must unless we can’t do it because the tides aren’t conducive. 

Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy crossing Breydon and would happily do it again. its just that in our weeks hire we were able to cross on Sunday and that could easily have been Monday if we hadn't been fortunate with an early pick up at NBD and we had to come back on Thursday for the tides. So that's a three day break on the Southern rivers. It was our first time, so we wanted to see as much as possible, but to go again I think we would focus on the places we liked and linger a little longer. More time at Reedham, try some of the remote moorings on the Waveney or Chet, try and visit more of the pubs on the Yare...

[Mouldy]

9 hours ago, RS2021 said:

First time we hired Fair Executive I took a tape measure and I measured it at 8'6". OK this will vary with water/fuel/toilet tank levels. But you can manage these if you need to. 

We once hired a narrowboat to go up the Caldon Canal. Near the end is Froghall Tunnel which makes Potter look positively generous. Going through we had 1/2" clearance on the corners of the cabin. Coming back  - after filling the water tank - we had a good 4 inches. OK water tanks on narrowboats are usually under the front deck so do have a greater effect on air draft.

The yard may be a little pessimistic with their measurements and there’s usually a little bit of grace with bridge heights, but unless you took a long straight edge and/or a long spirit level with a tape measure, it’s unlikely that 8’6” is accurate.  The airdraft of ours has been measured accurately at 8’3” and I know that Richo’s and Barnes mark similar boats at 8’6.”  You can’t blame them - gel coat repairs are expensive.

River levels are rising - that is a fact.  We were on our boat for a holiday last October and couldn’t get up The Ant through the entire week due to having insufficient clearance at Ludham.

As I said, I certainly wouldn’t buy a boat with an airdraft greater than ours.  We were looking (eventually) to try to get a Haines/Renaissance 31 (the 32’s are far too expensive), but have changed our minds now.  Like Bikertov, we do like the sedan style for a number of reasons, but they can cause difficulties.  There are positives and negatives with all styles of boat - bathtubs have limited views due to their low airdraft, but can go anywhere, sedans offer great visibility, but are restricted as to where you can cruise.  Aft cockpit are great in the summer, when the weather is good, but perhaps not so good during the colder months, which leaves centre cockpit style, that are perhaps the best compromise, but still with some drawbacks.

As for Richardson’s and getting their boats under the bridge, they usually have a gang of lads with 45 gallon barrels to load boats down and lessen their airdraft when the river levels are raised, but as a private owner, that option is not available.  
 

It’s fair to say that the latest hire craft tend to be tall, whether flybridge or sedan, probably to satisfy hirers needs for almost hotel levels of comfort on a boat.  It’s not a trend that I really agree with, but each to their own.

[SwanR]

9 hours ago, RS2021 said:

I think if we want to do the South again we will probably hire down there

That’s what we did. Part of me thinks I should do the Breydon crossing at least once but … another bit of me knows I wouldn’t like having to be somewhere at a certain time. That’s not what my Broads holidays are about. And I would see no point going south for just a couple of nights. Knowing how beautiful some of the places are I would want a full week there. So it would have to be a longer hire and that’s expensive. So on balance I’m not that likely to ever do it. 

[grendel]

its probably also worth a note that pure air draft may not be good enough for some bridges (i am thinking Wroxham or Potter Heigham here (not that this will help you get through either)) its the shape of the bridge that needs considering, so for some boats the air draft quoted by the hire yard, may be to fit through a certain bridge. for example Water rail has a maximum air draft of about 5'11" (to the heighest point, but I have been told requires 6'3" for potter heigham for the corners of the roof to clear, also for some bridges the height gauge is the height at a certain width of the arch of the bridge, so just relying on the air draft is not always the best bet.

I have personally measured Ludham Bridge, and if the cills are at water level, there is eight foot in the middle (the village side is some 2" lower than the other side of the bridge) so be sure to allow for that if your maximum height isnt on the centre line of the boat, so a good check is to estimate how far above the water level the cills are, and thats the clearance over 8 foot, no matter what the gauges read.

[Helian]

Currently on southern rivers, very quiet. Brundall to Cantley, can't have passed more than about 8-10 going the other way yesterday. Moorings were available yesterday late afternoon at Coldham Hall, Rockland staithe and here at Cantley.

[Mouldy]

2 hours ago, grendel said:

its probably also worth a note that pure air draft may not be good enough for some bridges (i am thinking Wroxham or Potter Heigham here (not that this will help you get through either)) its the shape of the bridge that needs considering, so for some boats the air draft quoted by the hire yard, may be to fit through a certain bridge. for example Water rail has a maximum air draft of about 5'11" (to the heighest point, but I have been told requires 6'3" for potter heigham for the corners of the roof to clear, also for some bridges the height gauge is the height at a certain width of the arch of the bridge, so just relying on the air draft is not always the best bet.

Quite honestly, I’ve discounted anywhere above Potter bridge as potential cruising range, regardless of any boat I’m likely to own, so few craft will regularly pass through it.

We’re quite happy with Norfolk Lady and having her lifted later in the year for hull compound and polish, antifoul, some gel repairs and a couple of other improvements that are budget dependent, but on the wish list, like a new electric loo to replace the current manual pump flush.

At the end of the day, she’s ours and gives us the freedom to visit as often as we can, something for which I remain extremely grateful.

[Helian]

2 hours ago, Mouldy said:

At the end of the day, she’s ours and gives us the freedom to visit as often as we can, something for which I remain extremely grateful.

Exactly our feelings too

[YnysMon]

7 hours ago, SwanR said:

So on balance I’m not that likely to ever do it. 

That’s a shame Jean. You could go for a short break and confine yourself to the Yare and Chet. Lot of lovely places to moor up at and visit. 

[SwanR]

50 minutes ago, YnysMon said:

That’s a shame Jean. You could go for a short break and confine yourself to the Yare and Chet. Lot of lovely places to moor up at and visit. 

I wouldn’t want to make that effort  of the time to go south and then not see it all. I wouldn’t be able to decide what to leave out. Just personal preference. 👍