New to the Broads - Routes & bridges - Oct cruise ?

scallywag · September 23, 2012

Having spent some of my late childhood with grandparents in Aylsham I'm thinking of returning with my 19ft, shoal draft sailing boat (Cornish Shrimper) for an early autumn cruise. I'm not especially keen to have to keep taking the mast and rig down for bridges and wondered if its possible to have a weeks cruise without having to do this ? Really grateful for any advice/ suggested routes and launching sites.

Thanks in advance,

Mark

teadaemon · September 23, 2012

It is possible to do a mast up cruise, but you will substantially curtail your cruising area.

On the southern Broads there are two swing bridges, so if they're working (best to check the Broads Authority site for any issues) then you've got a reasonable amount of water to play with. you won't be able to get up to the Northern Broads due to the bridge at Yarmouth, but other than that your limits are Beccles on the Waveney and one of the bridges upstream of Thorpe on the Yare (exactly which one will depend on your air draft, I don't know if your boat is small enough to get under the A47 bridge at Postwick with the mast up).

If you launch on the Northern Broads, then do so upstream of Acle and downstream of Potter Heigham, Ludham and Wroxham. There's probably enough for a few days in between those limits, but you will miss out on some of the best sailing waters (Barton and Hickling Broads, to start with).

Since you trail the boat, you must be able to raise and lower the rig, what makes you so reticent to do it to get under bridges? If you just want to minimise it, you could start somewhere like Stalham, go one way through Ludham bridge, then at the end of your holiday pick up the car and trailer and lift out somewhere else. That would let you sail on Barton at least (you could also do something similar launching at Hickling or Martham and going one way through Potter Heigham).

scallywag · September 24, 2012

...just want to limit the mast up and down - once for launch, once for recovery and once en route would be ok. What I didn't understand is whether a few days cruise would require daily mast lowering. Thanks for the reply which clarifies. Could you point me to site to help me work out a route?

goodall_m1 · September 24, 2012

...just want to limit the mast up and down - once for launch, once for recovery and once en route would be ok. What I didn't understand is whether a few days cruise would require daily mast lowering. Thanks for the reply which clarifies. Could you point me to site to help me work out a route?

I presume that you have an outboard for the Shrimper, or are you going to rely on Sails and Oars?

I would look at http://www.norfolk-broads.org/ as a starting point as they have useful interactive maps that can let you see what you are getting into.

Their tide-times application is also very useful, and if you are hoping to sail you will really need to plan your route around the tides.

Remember, though, that if you are going to trailer the boat up to the broads you will need to find somewhere to leave the car and trailer for the week, as well as somewhere to actually launch and recover the boat, and if you were to go for a one-way trip (which is sort of dictated by a single masting exercise whilst on the trip) then you would also have to leave the boat moored up somewhere whilst getting back to pick up the car.

Also remember that you will also need to obtain a temporary licence for the boat from the Broads Authority.

The third point to remember is that masting at any bridge will have to be done when the boat is afloat, and I suspect that you may be used to rigging it on land and launching it rather then doing it when bobbing around. (All the Broads fixed bridges do have special moorings on both sides reserved for the use of yachts that need to lower or raise their masts.)

Personally if I was going on a short sailing trip I would go for the Northern Broads rather than the Southern, yes the bridges will restrict you a bit but the banks aren't as reed lined and the tidal range and associated currents aren't as high. (I know the shrimper is shallow draft but I wouldn't want to see photos of it sitting on a mudbank on Breydon Water...)

If you were prepared to go for two masting's during the trip you might consider starting and finishing up at Stalham, where I think Richardsons have a slipway and secure parking. You would than be able to cover the whole area between Stalham, Wayford Bridge, Wroxham Bridge, Potter Higham Bridge and Acle Bridge which would give you access to Barton Broad, Wroxham Broad, Salhouse Broad and South Walsham Broad for a bit of free-sailing as well as going up and down the rivers. The down-side to that would be the fact that you would have to pass under Ludham Bridge twice.

The alternative of course would be to start at Stalham and recover the boat somewhere else after getting back to pick up the car & trailer and still be able to cover the same area.

Here is a link to the Broads Authority slipways list:

http://www.broads-authority.gov.uk/broads/live/boating/facilities-and-access/slipways-and-launching-points/Broads_Slipways_amended_2012.pdf

I am sure other members will be along with their ideas as well!

Have a good trip.

Martin