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brinks lullaby


geebee

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hello all,im on the broads for the first time in june ,four couples should be fun.could any body suggest a route we could take please we are out for a week.the boat yard is in wroxham .thanks for any help you can give thanks graham.

From the title of the thread I take it you have Brinks Lullaby which looks like a modified four cabin fit-out of the Alphacraft Spitfire class hull and superstructure...

As the Barnes Brinkcraft web-site says "will not pass under Wroxham or Potter Heigham bridges" so you are not going to get to the further reaches of the Bure (Wroxham Bridge), Thurne (Potter Heigham Bridge) and although they don't say it up to Dilham (Wayford Bridge).

You will also need to check your tide times for Ludham Bridge although I have taken Spitfire through there in the past and Richardsons have no problems operating their Boleros out of Stalham.

(Remember to take the "outside dining area" down as well as the upper screens or there will be furnitture floating down the Ant...)

As for a route for a first timer with a week to spend..

Well personally I would think about staying in the Northern area unless you want to have some very longish days motoring.

(I did do a four day hire once where I did Brundall to Wroxham and back with Spitfire but that was planned by booking it for a week when the Yarmouth tide times were just right.)

Remember that you can get from any point on the Northern section to any other easily in a day so pick where you want to go and then you can visit them in any order that you like. It just depends on how much or how little cruising you want to do each day.

At least in June moorings shouldn't be as hard to find as they would be in July / August.

Where you want to go will depend on whether you want to tie up near a pub or are happy cooking aboard.

If I was starting from Wroxham (being a pub cruiser as the ladies do like a holiday) I would think about booking a berth at the New Inn at Horning for the first night as it will be a short day.

(Ok it is stern-to, but you have a bow thruster which will help a lot when you realise that the rudder does next to nothing when going backwards, and anyway Gus will be there to help you moor up)

After that is is really up to you for the next 4 nights but on the sixth night you want to be fairly close to Wroxham so I would aim for Salhouse Broad...

Second night how about Womack Water (for Ludham village & the Kings Head) stern-to again but now you are experienced!

Day Three up to Potter for lunch and a look at the famous bridge (you can moor in the boatyard for a short stop) and then back down to Thurne (The Lion) for the night.

Day Four down towards Yarmouth, look at Stokesby, and then turn back (watch out for the current on the lower Bure when you go to turn around but the thruster will help!), visit the Stacey Arms Windpump and then back to Acle Bridge (Bridge Inn)

Day Five up the Ant, through Ludham Bridge which will be you biggest navigation challange of the trip) to Barton Broad and then go to Stalham, Sutton or Neatishead

Day Six back down the Ant and to possibly a stop at Ranworth for lunch (if you can get a mooring which is another stern-to...) and a look at the church and visitors centre and then up to Salhouse Broad (yet another stern-to)for the night

Ring up the Bell and thet will send some cars down to pick you up from the car-park for a final night meal.

Last morning an early start and a short amble back to Wroxham in time to hand the boat back

(and book the next visit!)

Well that is my three-halfpence worth as a suggestion, but it really is up to you.

Also remember that the more you go with the flow (i.e. the tide) the less fuel you will use and the cheaper it is.

So your actual route really should take tidal flows into account, and avoid butting into it.

The Broads rivers are all tidal so they do actually flow backwards at times (during the flood) and run faster at others (on the ebb).

Apart from going with the flow your only real tidal gate is Ludham Bridge, I took Spitfire through easily twice in a day, either side of low water, but check the air-draft on Lullaby and the height of the bridge as this can affect your route planning.

Have fun and we will wait for your posting in the Holiday Tales section!

Martin.

Oh yes and whilst I remember ...

The standard warning for first timers..

When going for a side-on mooring, always moor bows into the tidal flow even if you have to turn the boat and approach from the other direction, it gives you a lot more control at slow speeds.

Also when you come to leave the next morning work out which direction the tide is running and allow for it as you dont want to hit the boat ahead of you, or the one behind, so you might actually want to leave your berth backwards...

(not such of a problem on the Northern Broads as it is down South, but get into the habit and when you come again you will remember)

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Ok I am a muppet,

A weeks hire is actually SEVEN nights (but six full days) if you dont go into the boatyard on the final evening but leave it until the final morning...

Ok so stop at Ranworth Staithe for night six (The Maltsters) or have another night up the Ant,

and then do Salhouse Broad for the final night.

Martin

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Also worth having a look at Barnes cruising guide.

They do tend to push you further in a day but as a first timer you may find you feel like you should be moving the boat for more than an hour a day to get your moneys worth.

The route provided is eminently sensible and will leave loads of time for exploring but it is the type of route taken by more experienced hirers, not due to difficulty but it usually takes a new hirer a couple of days of rushing around, cursing the speed limits to realise that there is a lot to be said for not going far.

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