DRL BOATS FROM THORPE.

[SPEEDTRIPLE]

Hi all, while looking through the "Waterways holidays" website, i noticed some of the boats from DRL Marine are advertised as being based in Norwich, which i assume means Thorpe. I know Freedom boating have transfered to Thorpe, but have`nt seen any of the DRL boats on the Freedom website, so unless their website is in the process of being updated to include them, then somebody else has taken over the DRL boats, anybody in the know?.

Regards to all .....................S3.

[Hockham Admiral]

That's a funny one because if you go to:

http://www.drlmarine.com/

it redirects you to Anglia Boats Norfolk Broads Boating Holidays... doesn't add up! And their site map shows the DRL place at Womach Water..

But I do know someone who will know!

Dan, what do you know about this, please?

[BuffaloBill]

DRL changed their name from DRL to Anglia Boats a few months ago.

Have not heard of them going to Thorpe though!

[Dan]

Morning all

Three of the boats that DRL/Anglia Boats ran last year have gone to City Boats of Thorpe.

They are:

Camero 2 (was one of the Fun Time's) - 29ft Alpha Sportsbridge

Bel Air ( was Free Time) - Bermuda 34

Caprice (was Fine Time) - Alpha 32 fwd drive

This brings the City Boats holiday fleet up to six I think as they are also running two 31ft fwd drive boats ("Duet 1 & 2") and a 24ft Freeman ("Hopes") which they ran in 2012, all of which did a spell with DRL but were formally from Highcraft.

I think City Boats have a new website due, and they are not represented on the current one so must have solely used Waterways Holidays for their bookings in 2012.

Freedom (recently moved to the old Kingfisher Cruisers site in Thorpe) have, I think, the other Alpha Sportsbridge (was one of the Fun Time's) and the two Alpha 32 cc (ex Super Time) that DRL/Anglia Boats ran for a few seasons.

I am not sure if Anglia Boats are running with just a couple of holiday boats in 2013 (Dream Time & Magical Time?) or if they are focussing on other things. I guess their website will update at some point, but does indicate you can book these boats for 2013 from them at the moment so it is, as John says a little confusing until then.

Dan

[SPEEDTRIPLE]

Here are some of them.

http://www.waterwaysholidays.com/detail/cbcaprice.htm

http://www.waterwaysholidays.com/detail/cbcamero2.htm

http://www.waterwaysholidays.com/detail/cbhopes.htm

Very interresting?, Dan SHOULD know, he`s normally got his finger on the pulse?

[SPEEDTRIPLE]

You posted that just as i was typing it Dan.

[Dan]

You posted that just as i was typing it Dan.

Beat ya beat ya

[SPEEDTRIPLE]

Whatever`s happening, it`s good to see Hire boats and bases back in Thorpe, and good for the southern rivers. I`ve heard about several criticsms of the fact the Northern rivers are getting too overcrowded, that`s one of the reasons why Karen and i have stayed south for the last 2 years. So having a couple of hire fleets coming back to the southern rivers will take a little bit of the strain off the Northern broads. That said, we`ll be heading north this year, but only for the first half of the week. I`ve been seduced by the quietness of the south, and have become aquainted with areas such as Rockland, Langley Dyke, Geldeston and St Olaves all over again.

Now all that needs to be done is to see a hir fleet back in Beccles, andl see the re-introduction of a fixed pier at Oulton Broad yacht station, rather than the floating pontoons?.

Regards to all ................... S3

[Dan]

Whatever`s happening, it`s good to see Hire boats and bases back in Thorpe, and good for the southern rivers. I`ve heard about several criticsms of the fact the Northern rivers are getting too overcrowded....

Now all that needs to happen is for people to hire them so that the prescence remains... I wonder if they will?

Historically selling holidays/demand on the Southern Broads has always been much harder so I wish them well

Dan

[LondonRascal]

I did not want to say anything in case I had got the wrong end of the stick, but on a recent posted photograph on Freedom Boating Holiday's Facebook, it shows what appears top be 'Fun Time' moored to the right of Absolute Freedom, and then to her left what was 'Super Time' an Alfa 32 centre cockpit.

Freedom had said some time in late 2012 about finalizing their fleet for 2013 on their Facebook also, and then nothing was said until it was announced their move to the south. It could be that Freedom bought a couple and City Boats the rest - Either way City Boats is an established yard while Freedom have to pretty much build one from scratch - leave aside the economics that is tough especially this time of year with all the cold. Some of the southern rivers are beautiful and so it would of course be better to have more businesses attracting people than more closing and boats being sold into private hands.

PS Waterways Holidays is a good site as reference because, when putting in a search it will show the number in the class of boat that would be available. A recent search showed that Magic Gem for a date I was seeking would be No. 6 - this is handy to know if have hired one before, or know one in a class may have had a refit and you wish that one to be the one you hire.

[SPEEDTRIPLE]

Now all that needs to happen is for people to hire them so that the prescence remains... I wonder if they will?

Historically selling holidays/demand on the Southern Broads has always been much harder so I wish them well

Dan

There must be some demand Dan, as if you were to stand on the road bridge at Breydon, every day, you`ll see large numbers of hireboats making the trip across Breydon, and you`ll also se the majority will be east to west at the begining of the week, and west to east at the end of the week. That`s a lot of boats coming from the North to the south, so the demand is there, i honestly think it`s possibly nothing more than coincidence that a lot of southern yards have closed. Another way to gauge it, is the number of southern yards adding to their fleets, and the fact that Brooms are back in the hire fleet buisness. Also, when boats have come down from the north and see just how empty the southern rivers are, if those crews return, they are likely to hire in the south. I don`t think Andy at Freedom would have gone to the expense of re-locating south if it was a financially risky buisness. Time will tell, but as i`ve said before, when Karen and i stayed south for the last couple of years, we really fell in love with the peace and quiet of it, and it`s very likely others could do exactly the same. Give it time, and let`s see how things pan out. Who knows, you might even see other yards getting back into the hire industry. There`s a lot of yards that used to operate hire fleets that are still around, they just don`t hire anymore.

Regards and best wishes to all .................. S3

[Hockham Admiral]

Indeed, N...S3! The Brundall yards don't seem to do too badly, either!

[MBA Marine]

And if more hire from the south does that not effect the 'peace and tranquility' that is the mentioned attraction? is this not a case of wanting your cake and wanting to eat it?

[Hockham Admiral]

Not really because most of them go north!

[loribear]

hi all, we always go to the south side, because we find it more peaceful & there seems to be nice pubs too, & i think things will change ,as there's the internet now so people can check out different boatyards, & there's also facebook which alot of people are on,so alot of these boat companies can advertise themselves,& which people become friends with like i do, like freedom & eddie of the waveney river centre which seem to cater for everyone, whether you want to go camping or stay in one of their lodges,& they've got day boats too, so people can have the best of both worlds wich alot of people like, in some cases i think the internet has been a good thing, espescially for the boating companies as people can see the reviews of the boatyards. lori

[SPEEDTRIPLE]

is this not a case of wanting your cake and wanting to eat it?

I completely fail to see why people say that?. It`s very wasteful to have a cake (and any other food for that matter) and NOT eat it. I mean, is`nt that the soul purpose of it?.

No, i think that with just a few more hire fleets on the southern rivers, it might, and i mean just might help some way to keep pubs and shops etc going. Also, we`re not talking about hundreds of extra hire boats, i doubt if this will amount as much as a couple of dozen, but it will give hirers a little more choice, and hopefully help with southern based buisness.

The only down side i can see is that with a few more hire boats on the southern rivers, the private boat owners might have concerns over more possibility of accidental damage done to their pride and joy, which IS in my opinion, quite justified.

Regards to all ................ S3

[Hockham Admiral]

i can think of no better place to be, than on the norfolk broads drinking tea ;-)

I'd agree with that, Lori, if you substituted beer!

[MBA Marine]

I completely fail to see why people say that?. It`s very wasteful to have a cake (and any other food for that matter) and NOT eat it. I mean, is`nt that the soul purpose of it?.

No, i think that with just a few more hire fleets on the southern rivers, it might, and i mean just might help some way to keep pubs and shops etc going. Also, we`re not talking about hundreds of extra hire boats, i doubt if this will amount as much as a couple of dozen, but it will give hirers a little more choice, and hopefully help with southern based buisness.

The only down side i can see is that with a few more hire boats on the southern rivers, the private boat owners might have concerns over more possibility of accidental damage done to their pride and joy, which IS in my opinion, quite justified.

Regards to all ................ S3

I do fully see your point but I do think the is a valid opposing argument, a balance must be found yes, but the more hirefleet boats there are down south the less free open water there is, and the private boaters who like being able to moor up at those pubs will find they are playing dodgems with more hire craft, more stag doo's as they will be attracted to a cruise into Norwich. I dont buy the argument that most will head north as if they wanted to be north they would take one of Clives from Stalham. Having your cake and eating it is just saying you cannot have it both ways there is always a compromise. As I mostly work North I find the south rivers oddly quiet, but I see how thats their charm.

[C.Ricko]

The only down side i can see is that with a few more hire boats on the southern rivers, the private boat owners might have concerns over more possibility of accidental damage done to their pride and joy, which IS in my opinion, quite justified.

Regards to all ................ S3

Neil,

if you manuver slowly round other boats and act sensibly in general then the private boat owner need not have concern of accidental dammage when you are about.

[SPEEDTRIPLE]

Neil,

if you manuver slowly round other boats and act sensibly in general then the private boat owner need not have concern of accidental dammage when you are about.

Hi Clive, Id fully agree with that in an ideal world, but ive seen, and fealt, the results of accidents that some, and only some, hire skippers have caused. One of the big problems is a lack of experience in stronger southern tides, which i have witnessed a number of occurrances. Most of the hireboat skippers that have had accidents are apollogetic, but it still a concern for somebody who spends hundreds of hours and thousands of pounds to have their boat looking immaculate.

Regards to all ............... S3

[loribear]

I'd agree with that, Lori, if you substituted beer!

haha typical of you john ,what should i substitute it for ? a little sharpue or some spitfire lori

[Oddfellow]

I don't want this to become an us and them arguement; so for balance, let's just say that I had a very well-known ex-charter cruiser pass me twice the other day creating a wash that was simply unacceptable.

Anyway, to clarify, City Boats are running three of the ex-drl fleet for this season, Maffett have one and Freedom has three, maybe more. The other boats that City Boats are running are all ex-highcraft (afaik) which, of course, is a related company.

Anglia Boats is running two / three boats only this year from the conversations I've had with Darren.

[Hylander]

Having lost Hampton Boats and Top Liner , a fresh face on the Southern Waters is more than a welcome sight.

[mbird]

I wish you all the best with your relocation Andy

It is good for the local business to see more hire boats on the southern side. I think the appeal of the southern rivers for some is also their downfall for others. To some the wide open spaces, longer distances between destinations and comparative calm are their charm, to others the miles of reed-lined rivers that obscure any view from a low level boat just mean they are boring. I know when we used to hire it was always from the northern side for exaclty that reason. I do wonder if that was one of the reasons for the decline in southern hire yards. I have completely changed my opinion in the last few years though!

Neil, just picking up on your point about resinstating a fixed jetty at Oulton. Why? The floating pontoons mean you don't have to contend with trying to get off your boat when the tide has dropped 4 feet! If clambering is your thing, you can still get your kick by mooring on the concrete wall

[BuffaloBill]

and Freedom has three, maybe more.

You don't know how many boats you are running Andy?

Personally, having 2 or 3 hire yards on the south side is ok for me

but I wouldn't want more. Selfish maybe, but I often head south

when I have the time just to get away from the manic, often badly

helmed hire boats. It is a fact that there are more stag/hen do's

on the north side and have caused us to move on several occasions.

Yes some do go south but no-where near as many as north side.

The south side to us is it's quietness and long may it continue.