Swancraft

[Chelsea14Ian]

What concerns me is what will happen to Swancrafts moorings?As someone who has used hire boats in Brundall and since having boats,it is a concern that another company disappears.

 

Lets hope this will have a happy ending.

 

Ian

[dnks34]

Someone needs to spill

[SPEEDTRIPLE]

I don`t know whether this is relevent, but a few weeks back, i saw 4 of Sandersons boats up for sale, and when we went through Reedham a couple of weeks back, those 4 boats were kept well away from the remaining hire fleet.

 

I do in all honesty think Richardsons are missing a trick in not investing in a southern yard though, as this will be of benefit for those that want to hire south side. I know we`ve had the descussion before, but if the southern rivers are so unpopular, why is there the daily armada of boats passing through Gt Yarmouth and Breydon?.

 

We`ve stayed south several times now, and thouroughly enjoyed a more relaxed time without losing the best part of 2 days going north and back. The other thing is if Clive was to re-open a southern yard, it would give Richardsons existing customers who find Breydon a bit daunting another option, without having to do something they`re worried about.

 

I can think of several yards that would be suitable for running a hirefleet, all they need is someone who is willing to put in the investment, and we all know how much Clive and his team are prepared to invest in the Broads.  I just think the southern rivers need a bit of a boost, and also proper promotion, which i also believe is NOT being done properly by the BA, all they seem to want to do is promote the Broads as a National park (wrongly in my mind too).

[Matt]

Plenty of opportunities for some of the larger fleets to expand south but they haven't. I guess because it won't be so profitable to do so.

Two lots of reception staff, two lots of fuel pumps, two lots of pretty much everything in fact!

[SPEEDTRIPLE]

Plenty of opportunities for some of the larger fleets to expand south but they haven't. I guess because it won't be so profitable to do so.

Two lots of reception staff, two lots of fuel pumps, two lots of pretty much everything in fact!

 

Doing their bit to increase local employment opportunities on that basis Matt.

[Broads01]

Clive, when do you think we'll see the Swancraft boats on Richardsons website and available for 2016 bookings?

[JennyMorgan]

Great news about the boats going to Richardsons! Swancraft have son lovely 2 berths which the Richardsons fleet is short of.

I think that many fleets are short of two berthers but the probable reason is obvious. A two berth, like a ten berth boat, has one engine, both of which need turning round between lets. Moored stern-too both take up pretty much as much space. In other words a two berth boat is probably not so economical to hire out as a big boat. 

[SPEEDTRIPLE]

I think that many fleets are short of two berthers but the probable reason is obvious. A two berth, like a ten berth boat, has one engine, both of which need turning round between lets. Moored stern-too both take up pretty much as much space. In other words a two berth boat is probably not so economical to hire out as a big boat. 

 

Quite so Peter, and it`s also worth remembering a 2 berth boat will only sleep 2, a 6, 8, or 10 berth will still only sleep 2 if required. The big problem is cost.

[Oddfellow]

edit....

 

I can think of several yards that would be suitable for running a hirefleet, all they need is someone who is willing to put in the investment, and we all know how much Clive and his team are prepared to invest in the Broads.  I just think the southern rivers need a bit of a boost, and also proper promotion, which i also believe is NOT being done properly by the BA, all they seem to want to do is promote the Broads as a National park (wrongly in my mind too).

 

 

Interesting point. Did you know that since 2011, a Broads Strategy in partnership with the BA has been to boost the promotion and use of the Souther Broads?  

 

So well promoted was this strategy that we only caught sight of the document this week. 

[JennyMorgan]

Andy, a large part of that strategy has been the 'safety' improvements on Breydon. In many respects the Authority has done a great deal for the Southern Broads, dredging the Chet for example, also dredging the Waveney last year and Oulton Broad this. We also have the Wherryman's Way on the Yare. Where the Authority fails dismally is in promoting tourism, in that they have absolutely no expertise and no statutory duty to do so. Lets be honest though, actually promoting the Southern Broads should be down  to the relevant business community, not the Authority nor the general toll payer. 

[Cheesey]

Agreed.

The Broads as a whole is slipping from the public knowledge.

I mean, when did you last see an advert for them?

As to the boats, who wants to hire a boat that sleeps 6 when your only 2?

Some novices will consider that boat far to big to handle, more expensive and more running costs.

and as a small but important plus, as moorings decline for the hirer, small will be easier to moor.

[quo vadis]

Are 2 year olds allowed to hire boats

[C.Ricko]

They should be on sale  for next year in the next week or so,, 

[Viking23]

So what is the future of the Southern Broads, one less fleet of boats starting on the Southern Broads.

So does this mirror our other thread currently running, that people prefer the Northern Broads, and prefer to start and finish their holiday there ?

The South have a lot to offer, as we have said in the other thread, it's just that the North is more compact, and you only need to cruise short distances for a change of facilities, but on the South, journeys of at least an hour are often needed.

[Chelsea14Ian]

Thats correct however what the south has to offer is more.Its wilder,calm slower,the river seems to be  wider.

 

What I would like to see is perhaps more moorings,a few shops close to the river.Get the Nelson up and running at Reedham,a few more events on the river.

 

You could strangely argue that the south is bigger:i.e. Norwich,Beccles,lowestoft.All of which are perhaps larger then areas in the northern rivers.someone said it is up to business in the south to promote the south,i fully agree,and they need to do so now,if they want anyone talk up the southern broads,i would be only to happy to help.

 

The broads North and South are a great place lets promote the whole Broads.

 

 

Ian 

[JennyMorgan]

The honey pots of the Northern Broads, with their clamour and bustle, are clearly what people, in general, want and enjoy. Those places are about as far away as possible from the general perception of a Broads National Park as one can get, yet the Authority wishes to lie and call the Broads a NP, it doesn't add up!

[Dan]

The south has always been harder to sell holidays on. Even back when large yards such as Jenners, Wards and Hearts were at Thorpe Blakes were having big marketing pushes to try and encourage people here over the easier to sell northern rivers.

 

Brundall has changed a lot in recent years though. I first came over 20 years ago, it can't be a long time ago otherwise I'd be very old... but then the Riverside Estate was one hirefleet after another.. Alexander, Harbour, Bee's, Willow, Freshwater, Fencraft, VIP Harvey Eastwood etc.

 

So on the Riverside Estate we will now just have Silverline and Alpha? With the Alpha fleet being little updated and getting older all the time...

 

Dan

[Cheesey]

Don't forget that most people like their holidays "Plug and Play".

Crossing to the south means tide tables, maybe getting up early, mud banks and long times between water fills.

Add to that the horror stories about crossing breydon water, which in fact is easier than it sounds and why bother?

I think the north is seen as safe cruising while the south is more on the wild side.

[MauriceMynah]

For the novice the southern waters are a bit more challenging. The currents are faster and the rise and fall is greater. These are things for which allowances have to be made. This might put a few newbies off.

 

Add to that the popularity of the single level boat (bathtub) a few years ago. This was a craft not really ideally suited to the reed beds of the southern waters. that may well have put off some of the regular visitors to the broads.

[SPEEDTRIPLE]

I won`t say how i came to be told this, but "i was told" that the second generation of the Swancraft family are just not interested enough in the hire buisness.  "I was told" last year that Swancraft would more than likely be giving up in the next couple of years, and my sources were spot on.  

 

As Clive and Andy have said, the hire fleet industry is`nt a gold mine, and these days, buisness advisers, managers call them what you will, will always advise any company to chase the bigger profit, which obviously to some is building boats and running a general boatyard services boatyard, along with moorings, rather than a hire fleet.

 

Working on customers boats is money coming in, working on your own hire fleet is money going out, which in todays financial climate is looked on as poor buisness practice.

[Chelsea14Ian]

Just a few limits,there are enough water points along the way,yes it is a bit wilder,the raise and full is more sobthen the north but with a little planning,its not a problem.

For a number of years I have heard of story's of people be advised not to go south,almost as if its a flat earth,fulling off the edge.

As I have said before I love all of the broads,both and south have good and bad points,but that is what the broads are all about.

Enjoy all of the water

Ian

[Chelsea14Ian]

Points not limits silly tablet

[JawsOrca]

Dad it's the other way round now.. You fall off the end of the world going north... 

[JennyMorgan]

Dad it's the other way round now.. You fall off the end of the world going north... 

And end up in Hades!

[BroadScot]

And end up in Hades!

Not Roy's then?

 

 

Iain.