Greetings from Deptford!

[lampini]

Newbie here - am far more used to canal boats so I found this forum in a search and what a splendid resource it is! Being used, as I said, to "sewer tubes" I had no idea about tides or the hire boats (Tupperware/yoghurt pots as canal users like to call them!) and thanks to you guys I now have a much better idea of where I want to go/see and we may even venture down south! We're hiring for a week, first week of June.. In Petite Gem from Stalham.. Recon it'll be crowded?

I love the idea of mud weighting in a broad, but I do wonder how choppy it might get in a stiff breeze as I get sick in the bath!

Thanks again to all contributors for this site..

Xx

J

[Hockham Admiral]

A very Warm Welcome aboard from us, J... may we call you by your full name, please?  

[Hockham Admiral]

And don't worry about it being choppy! Apart from Barton and Hickling Broads most of them offer shelter near tree-lined banks!

 

There'll be a few members about when you come up and if you head South it will be relatively peaceful!

[lampini]

Many thanks Mr Admiral for your welcome!

And thanks for putting my mind at rest re the "lumpiness" of the water - I just did a search on Hoveton Little Broad/black horse broad and this is the only place I've managed to find out if it's ok to mudweight there.. the sun is shining here and I'm far more exited now than any self-respecting 48 yr old should be! I shall look out for forum stickers on our travels..

;-)

Jane x

[ranworthbreeze]

Hello Jane,

 

Welcome to the forum from Tan & myself.

 

Hoveton Little Broad is quite small and the entrance is narrow, I is only open for the season.

 

My favourite board to mud weight on is South Walsham Broad, just on the edge close but not too close to the trees. If we mud weight overnight I use an addition mud weight attached to the aft rails or cleats to stop the constant turning you get with one weight.

 

As John says it is usually quiet  on the Southern Broads, but keep  it to yourself we don't want it too busy.

 

Regards

Alan

[andyhesford]

welcome,  we always mud weight at malthouse on first night you can,t beat it only 78 days to go come on.

[CooWee]

Hi Jane

 

Welcome to the NBN. Our first week we did the north, the second a year later we did the south and we liked it so much we now have a boat share moored at Brundall.  Would recommend a tide table to help you plan the bridges, some are rather low.  Hope you have a great week.

 

Keith

[lampini]

Alan, indeed i had been thinking of a second mudweight from the stern - recon Richardsons would do us another if we asked?

 

We used to holiday in Blakeny every year when i was little, the isolation and massive skies are the things i remember the most.. may well end up darn sarf - if not this time then the next!

 

Andy - that was my plan - to make for Malthouse! 

 

!

 

Jane xx

[650xs]

good on yer i say, ole richos will sort yer ooot too................

 

 

 

enjoy yer trip ....................

 

 

just sit a while wait and yer see or hear some thing ............................

 

 

loook for the reed,s  moving at early eve or dawn .......................

 

 

splahes in water ...................

 

 

don,t for get yer binocs  and camera ......................

 

 

and of coarse a little ole rite up and some waffle orf yer trip tooo........................

 

 

 

have a nice time ..........................................jon .........................

[Gracie]

cheersA very warm welcome from me Jane.

 

As Andy said you can't beat mud weighting on a Broad, if you want to be alone and not moored at a pub or public moorings it's ideal, also try wild mooring absolutely lovely if you can find one with a decent bank. We usually have a meal in a pub at lunch time and then find a place to moor on our own, maybe a bit anti-social but the feeling of being the only people around for miles is idyllic sometimes.

 

Have a lovely trip

 

Grace

[lampini]

Great advice Jon, "just sit awhile..." binocs on the list already! Living in zone 2 London i recon we're owed a bit of anti-social Grace! 

 

to all for some excellent advice and such a warm welcome - you guys rock.

[Gracie]

Hiya Jane

I'm originally from Woolwich and most of my friends are from the East End, so know what you mean about being owed a bit of anti-social Lol

Grace

[JawsOrca]

Welcome to the forum.. Tupperware pots I like that! (Sounds like a name of a boat sometime in the future!)

 

The best broad is surlingham near brundall but as Alan said its quiet and no one would like it You can use the reed anchors as a second mudweight (Just make sure you've done a good knot!) but also be careful using two mudweights as someone may end up hitting you if the moor too close and expect you to swing on one mudweight (happened to me once) so try and get right out the way... (this is probably the reason why richardsons wont allow you to have two).

 

You may get a bit of chop from the wind lapping on the hull (normally noticable on the larger broads) although that's easily fixed by floating a fendoff in the water just on the bow (again good knot!).. buts its too much hassle to do generally. 

 

Have a brill trip!

 

P.s we were originally from Thamesmead (top trump's?).

[lampini]

Welcome to the forum.. Tupperware pots I like that! (Sounds like a name of a boat sometime in the future!)

 

The best broad is surlingham near brundall but as Alan said its quiet and no one would like it You can use the reed anchors as a second mudweight (Just make sure you've done a good knot!) but also be careful using two mudweights as someone may end up hitting you if the moor too close and expect you to swing on one mudweight (happened to me once) so try and get right out the way... (this is probably the reason why richardsons wont allow you to have two).

 

You may get a bit of chop from the wind lapping on the hull (normally noticable on the larger broads) although that's easily fixed by floating a fendoff in the water just on the bow (again good knot!).. buts its too much hassle to do generally. 

 

Have a brill trip!

 

P.s we were originally from Thamesmead (top trump's?).

 

 

Brill tips, for that! 

 

Not originally from London, born n dragged up in the midlands - Deptford is actually one of the more mellow places in zone 2 these days - believe it or not..  We even escaped the riots, due to actually having SOME sort of community.. Even if it does sound like a festival out there atm!

[Hockham Admiral]

You may get a bit of chop from the wind lapping on the hull (normally noticable on the larger broads) although that's easily fixed by floating a fendoff in the water just on the bow (again good knot!).. buts its too much hassle to do generally. 

 

Now that's something I've never heard of!        

 

I guess you mean with two ropes, attached to either end?

[JawsOrca]

Last time I went to that area Lampini, deptfords become a bit posh! I'm sure I even saw a costa coffee..  

 

 

Now that's something I've never heard of!      

 

I guess you mean with two ropes, attached to either end?

 

 

Thanks John. I guess this is probably a coastal sailing thing and more of an issue when moored up to a swinging mooring on a tidal river (It really can keep you awake). I have seen products for this but I've just looked about and cant see them typically!  (Here's one actually... http://www.cjmarine.co.uk/c/72/slap-stopper)

 

But others or DIY ones are simply a few (I'd say 4) fendoffs attached to a long chunky floating line which you tie from a midship cleat around the bow (Or stern of you are on a for and aft trot berth) to the other opposite cleat.. It may work better if you do long enough to put forward of your anchor line.. The idea is to make the wavelets break on this instead of your hull. I've never tried it but I've been tempted a few times on Malthouse as that's always a pain and one of my favourite moorings (hence my profile picture).  Glad to pass this on though.

[lampini]

Last time I went to that area Lampini, deptfords become a bit posh! I'm sure I even saw a costa coffee..

No Costa here! But there are about 3 independents who beat "Costa Corporate" into a cocked hat - the best one is hidden away on the padestrian bit of Tanners Hill, called Vynil. Amazing coffee and a pretty good record (yes records!) shop too.. Wonderfully peaceful! Also no McDonalds in Deptford - go Deptford!

I really wouldn't live anywhere else in London now. When we leave here it will be to go and live in a narrowboat and that will NOT be in the smoke!

..

[SPEEDTRIPLE]

Hi Jane, welcome from me to.

 

 

 Mudweighting on a broad?, make sure you have a dinghy then. As for which broads, well, Womack water would be one to start with, small and sheltered.  Then there`s Bridge broad in Wroxham after the railway bridge (you`ll definitely get through Wroxham road bridge in Petite Gem being a Hampton 25), again, small and sheltered. Salhouse, bigger, but quite well sheltered. Down south, i think the only broad you could safely mudweight on is Surlingham as has been said, again, small and sheltered. Several of the other broads are not advisable due to marked channells through the middle, such as Hickling, large and open expanse which can be a bit exposed, Barton Broad, and down south, Rockland broad. There`s also Ranworth, South Walsham, and Wroxham broads, but these are quite large, open, and can be a bit exposed. in windy weather.   

 

I like the idea of 2 mudweights, i`ve sometimes thought of that myself but never asked the hire yard.

 

 

Regards and best wishes .......................... Neil

[lampini]

Hey Neil,

 

Many thanks for the welcome, so glad i found this resource for the broads! The search facility is fab and so helpful..

 

I will ask the good folk of Richardsons about having two mudweights; but they may refuse, citing that other moorers may expect my boat to swing like theirs and may result in a rude awakening when it doesn't!

 

Whatever, i shall bow to their superior knowledge...

 

I now have a map with copious notes - a little anal of me perhaps - but i'm a production manager - i can't help it!

 

Will be sure to tell you all how it goes..

 

..

[mbird]

Welcome from me too.

 

When we were based on the northern rivers, we regularly mudweighted in broads overnight. As Neil mentioned, Bridge broad is lovely and not used much for some reason so you could end up with it all to yourself overnight with only the sound of an occasional train to disturb the peace.

 

My favourite mudweighting experience was on Barton Broad. We dropped the mud-plug just outside the channel that leads to Gays-staithe and Neatishead (don't worry, there is still enough depth as long as you are not too far from the channel). Around dusk the mist came down, and the following morning it was eerily still, and foggy. It was really quite surreal to feel so isolated, but the sun soon burned off the mist.

 

A couple of tips if I may:

 

1. Always leave loads of slack on the mudweight rope. Don't just drop it in and tie it off. Ideally the rope should enter the water at 45 degrees or less to reduce the chance of the mudweight dragging if the wind gets up. The moor rope you leave out, the less the up and down motion of the boat will try to lift the weight. Obviously you need to just make sure that you won't hit anything if the boat swings round.

2. Personally I am not a fan of using two mudweights. A boat will naturally swing around to face the wind, so the boat is only presenting it's bows to it. If you are anchored both fore and aft and the wind is coming from the side of the boat you will be presenting a much larger surface area of the boat to the wind. If it were to get up overnight there is a strong possibility that both weight would end up dragging since the boat can't swing around. I like swinging around anyway, as you have a constantly changing view out of the window!  It probably wouldn't matter much on a small boat like Petite Gem, but a larger one might get moved.

3. When you try to retrieve the mudweight it will be firmly stuck in the mud (if it's done it's job properly!). Don't break your bak trying to haul it up. Simply use the boat engine to gently move forwards to lift it out of the mud, then stop and pull it in. It will come up a lot easier!

[lampini]

Mbird, some awesome advice there, am hanging about the Serpentine atm, waiting for my event to finish in Harvey Nicks, any body of water will do right now!

Two weeks today and we're off - I know it's too early to start packing but I can't help it.. In this packed city the idea of splendid isolation is fair balm for the soul.. Having said that, if any forumites spot Petite gem wibbling about, please feel free to stop for a chat - we're pretty social really!

X

J