What was your first trip on the broads?

[LizG]

Water level was much lower then

Unless there was no other option, you jumped from midships where the deck was lower - anyway that was what you did on WR - a sister ship is in background of Griff's photo.

 

I was 16 months old for my first trip, on an Admiral from Brooms, followed by another Admiral, Challenger ?34 (Trumans), Checkmate (Collins at Oulton) then three Ripplecraft when we went from spring weather to summer weather, followed by a Broadland Teal which father considered buying, Valentina in November from Neatishead as it was one of the only boats available in November in 1965, the WR (Delight VII) was bought.................. (Father tried the Fens out twice and the Shannon once)

Liz

[daver]

it was 1966, a family holiday on Rippling Tide, I was just a joung lad and have fond memories of holidays on a number of boats from then on. The journey was always fun, leaving home in Liverpool at about 3 in the morning and stopping for bacon butties cooked at the side of the road - I understand that Dad had a Ford Anglia in 1966 - one of the round ones. I think Rippling Tide is still going.

 

Broads holidays became a favorite with my family and we're looking forward to a return in 2015.

[Rincewind]

My first taster was back in the seventies...taking a river bus from Oulton Broad to Burgh St Peter one evening. Guess it made more of an impact than I realised at the time.

[SweetKingfisher1]

Norfolk Broads for me started in 2002 ( Alan am I correct ) Alan and Dave invited us up for a day trip with them as they were on holiday. I loved that trip  .

 

Alan asked if we would like a week on the Broads the next year, so we went for a week over Easter  . We hired Firefly from Alpha Craft. That was a week I / we will NEVER forget   .Alan is like me, we both love River Ant. 

 

2004 we all discussed about having a two week holiday and this time we hired SkyHawk. Two weeks on the broads was out of this world and so the next year we decided to hire a boat on our own. We hired Solan Goose from Hickling  .

 

After that we were having a weeks holiday over the Easter time and also a two week holiday in the summer, but also sometimes we would drive up for a day and hire a day boat  .

 

All we wanted from our boats was just to be able to cruise the broads. The boats we hired were from Silverline .

 

The rest is history.

 

Our first boat we brought was a Shetland 4+2 ( Little Kingfisher  ) from the London Boat Show and after the 4th year we upgraded to our girl Sweet Kingfisher an Alpha 29 ( sister boat to Firefly ).

 

Nothing special about our girl, but we love her  .

 

Roll on March 27th that is when we will be up to take her out, but if the weather is ok we could be up earlier  .

 

Regards

Marina     

[BroadScot]

it was 1966, a family holiday on Rippling Tide, I was just a joung lad and have fond memories of holidays on a number of boats from then on. The journey was always fun, leaving home in Liverpool at about 3 in the morning and stopping for bacon butties cooked at the side of the road - I understand that Dad had a Ford Anglia in 1966 - one of the round ones. I think Rippling Tide is still going.

 

Broads holidays became a favorite with my family and we're looking forward to a return in 2015.

Yep Daver it sure is ... http://www.broads.org.uk/wiki/index.php5?title=Boat_Photograph&photo=y600_17932&BoatId=10746&BoatHistory=17932

 

Iain

[JennyMorgan]

My first trip on the Broads started in my mother's arms. I suspect her anguish at having to carry me, her baby, across a jittery ligger to her husband's brand new sailing boat transferred to me. Mum was a very cautious person at the best of times and I, I'm am sure,  was carried very carefully and placed in the forepeak of a Waveney One Design, an experience that I must have subsequently enjoyed after the worry of the transfer. Many years afterwards I related the memory of this experience to mum, she expressed wonderment that someone so young could remember what had happened but it tallied with her memory too. Perhaps it was all down to dad's pride in his new boat and his new child. Maybe it was the sound of the water rushing past the boat's hull as I laid comfortably supported by spare sails and sailing cloths. Whatever, I have loved the Broads and sailing ever since.

[andy]

Mine was a family holiday 1978 Highlander 2 S603. Dad hit wroxham bridge and cracked the wood between the two windows. Didn't put him off he bought it a few years later

[LondonRascal]

My first trip to the Broads would have been to Hickling when my dad would rent a Caravan off a chap – now I don’t know exactly how old I was but I was small enough to be bathed in the kitchen sink when we first started going and went on until I have some memories of the outside loo, going to the Bridge Inn at Acle and my Uncle getting worse for wear at the Sutton Staithe Hotel – along with trips to Sutton pottery!  I’ve got old pictures of me in it I am guessing about 5-6 years old.

 

Now the man who rented the caravan out was one Mr Turner and I recall him having something to do or had in the past with Herbert Woods boatyard – he would also allow the use of what I remember to be a very nice wooden day launch with blue seats.

 

Then not a lot until 1987 when I was 8 – this time on the first broads boat which was Saucy Gem 5 from Richardson’s. 

 

Following on from there pretty much each year or a couple of times year until about 2001 when I paid for us all to go on Westminster Bridge from Acle. 

 

After this now in my early twenties I embarked on travelling to various places around Europe and the UK and generally having a blast and forgot all about the Broads. I Only returned in 2011 and wondered what the hell was wrong with me not having come back sooner!

 

I’ve posted the link before I think, but here are some pics of my early broadland visits.

 

[SteveO]

We hired Wicked Lady III, a Hampton Safari, from Somerleyton (Crown Cruisers I seem to remember).  We set of into the lashing rain at 4pm on a Saturday evening, spent the first night at Reedham triple-moored (not advisable) and did the whole system in a week (also not advisable). It was the end of September and it rained a lot.  We loved it so much we have been back every year since and  now own our own boat, on which we spend about 60 days a year.

 

 

Steve

[Happy]

My first trip to the 'broads' was apparently on a sailing boat at the age of 6 months and 67 years ago, can't say I remember it really!  From then on, nearly every year up to when I was about 14, I think, and hired a houseboat with two of my mates, I am sure it was from Turners at Horning?  As soon as I could drive at 17 hired a real boat-River Ant-from Acle.  Following year with then girlfriend, (who became wife No1) a Seamaster 27 from Aston boats at Loddon.  Thereafter many many times mostly with people that had not been before and wanted to join us, and still go to this day.  For quite a few years now have had a few 'holes in the water that I fill with money' but will continue for as long as I can-God Willing!

Regards Alan.   

[Mouldy]

My first Broadland holiday was in 1969, when I was 13.  My school had organised a trip to Holland, but I was unable to go, so to make up for it, my parents organised a week aboard a Caribbean from FB Wilds.  We enjoyed it so much that we called into Hoseasons office in Lowestoft on the way home to book for the following year.

 

We visited the Broads every year until 1975, each time hiring from Wilds, including a week on a Calypso in 1974 with my (then) girlfriend and on a Bermuda in 1975.  My next visit wasn't until 1987 and when we had a 10 day break on a 29ft Connoisseur and we have been frequent visitors since, hiring from Connoisseur Cruisers, Gale Cruisers, Royalls, Summercraft, Bristers and Russell Marine.

 

Its sad to think that out of that list of boatyards, only two survive, although I believe Russells are still based on South Walsham Broad, albeit with no hire fleet.

[littlesprite]

My first trip was in 1953 but have few memories until the late 50's, my first solo trip was in 1970 from mixer marine at Stalham.

[MauriceMynah]

1965, "Fancy Free" from Richardsons was my first trip. I was 10 nearing 11 and bar two years (76 and 77), every year since.

[Labrador]

Hmmm, wonder if I did the trial run on your first time with Wilds.

[JawsOrca]

Norfolk Broads for me started in 2002 ( Alan am I correct ) Alan and Dave invited us up for a day trip with them as they were on holiday. I loved that trip  .

 

Alan asked if we would like a week on the Broads the next year, so we went for a week over Easter  . We hired Firefly from Alpha Craft. That was a week I / we will NEVER forget   .Alan is like me, we both love River Ant. 

 

2004 we all discussed about having a two week holiday and this time we hired SkyHawk. Two weeks on the broads was out of this world and so the next year we decided to hire a boat on our own. We hired Solan Goose from Hickling  .

 

After that we were having a weeks holiday over the Easter time and also a two week holiday in the summer, but also sometimes we would drive up for a day and hire a day boat  .

 

All we wanted from our boats was just to be able to cruise the broads. The boats we hired were from Silverline .

...

 

Our first time was 99 I think.. Mum was too much of a wimp and wouldn't let dad take us on a boat when we were kids (Despite I'm sure, dads best attempts).. I was 17 in 99 ( ) we booked easter as Daves birthday was in the march and he was 18 so his name was on the booking! 

 

We went for a silver melody from silvercraft because I couldn't stand bathtubs (No harm intended) and like motor boat looking boats and it had a nice classic look. We got the national express up from London.. it took forever! We arrived and you could see the look of terror on the faces of the the guys at silverline! The boat looked huge.. Thankfully Dave wimped out and let me drive it (considering I hadn't even started to learn to drive a car).. we did ok; ((me), beached it at how hill (mooring up too quick).. (me) Hit the corner of ludham bridge, (Dave) got it parallel to the entrance at herbert woods!! (I remind him of this each time we go in there!).. (Erm me) t-boned a fishing boat at yarmouth trying to turn around.. (we) did the ropes too tight at oulton and had to cut them before it ripped off the aft cleats! We got back to the yard and booked two weeks in the summer with alpha craft (never went back to Silverline for some reason?! - Probably too ashamed!) We had 3 weeks a year for 5 years before buying our own boat(s) and sailing around medway...Looking forward to 2015 back on our own motor boat and it has a wheel and not a tiller! (But will miss the flybridge and the propshaft drive)...

 

(Mum marthams was our last hireboat which when you had snow goose I think - That meant we was away from the broads for 8 years geez!)..

[Siddy]

6 years ago I saw a ad for Richo's boating on the M1 of the waterways sorry the Broads, So Sunday spent checking the web and a few other places back to Richo's straight forward site and found Silver Gem avail for the following weekend early Sept. Monday booked it Friday boarded. Big change for me having a wheel in the front instead of a tiller on the back. 1st night Ludham Br & 2nd night we got back to Ransworth and wild moored on the right before the broad and it was still warm at 1am with the top open and clear night too many beers great night.

Returned Monday and by the following weekend booked another boat for a week 1st week in Oct.

Booked twice a year since.

[SPEEDTRIPLE]

June 6th 1970. I was 11, and had my twelth birthday the following day. We hired the Aston Orion which was a year old and one of the most modern and luxurious boats in the Hoseasons brochure. Picked it up from their original yard in Loddon, which at that time, and at that age seemed such a big marina, and was really clean and tidy. Found the boat, and could`nt wait to get aboard.  First night was Reedham double moored to a boat called Mocking Bird which was the sister ship to Moody Blues, which i believe was hired through Reedcraft of Reedham. It was`nt booked, as when we looked through the window, the engine hatch was up, so she was obviously under repair. From then on, it was Gt Yarmouth for Sunday, and up to the Stracey arms for the night, then to Wroxham where we went through the bridge and wild moored at what is now viaduct moorings. The following day, we went to Stalaham, which always seemed like such a long walk to the village. Then a long cruise back south and moored overnight in the inlet at Burgh Castle marina, where we were advised to moor on the end of a spit, as where we were moored was shallow. My dad woke up thinking we were at a strange angle, and yes we WERE aground, but in the place where we were advised to moor. Strange thing was, when dad got up to check things out, he checked the depth of water in our original mooring, which still had deep water.  Next day was off to Oulton Broad, where we moored in the yachtstion, and watched the pawer boat racing. The next day being friday, we went back to the yard, where we we stayed the night ready for the off the next morning.

 

I`ve loved Loddon ever since, and have by coincidence started most of our boating holidays from there with Maffett cruisers. Sometimes (usually after lunch at Rosie Leas), we take a walk around the old Aston yard at Lodoon, which all seems a bit drab now. Oh how i wash i could win on the Euro millions so i could buy up the yard, and revert it back to how it was. It was the place where dreams are made.