Who said The Broads was expensive?

[JimG]

Hi all,

Just booked Broadland Orion for a week in August next year. Sleeps four, lovely little boat. Total cost £619. Bargain.

[C.Ricko]

Well Jim if you aren't careful you may end up spending £4k on 4 days! 

apart form that ,Orion is a very popular boat. 

 

[JimG]

Well Jim if you aren't careful you may end up spending £4k on 4 days! 

apart form that ,Orion is a very popular boat. 

 

Not surpising really, she has character. Real value for money too.

[MauriceMynah]

It's one of the boats I really like. Will it go under PH bridge? What height does it need?

[BroadScot]

It's one of the boats I really like. Will it go under PH bridge? What height does it need?

6ft 9" MM it says on Richos site. I hired one like that, its now Captain Joshies, Braveheart was Ritaline1 and I am sure it was less than 6ft 9" then.

 

Iain

[Swift]

6' 6" for Broom skippers.

Expilot

[SwanR]

This is the exact point I always make to friends when I am telling them all the reasons why they should try a holiday on the Broads - you can spend as much or as little as you like depending what kind of boat you want, how many of you are going and when you go.

We choose to have a boat with all mod cons and ideally one that is just for two. But we go outside the peak season which helps to reduce the hire charge slightly. I do feel for parents stuck with the current rules around taking children out of school which are more strict now than they were when my two were primary school age.

[Gracie]

It can be as cheap or expensive as you like, Jim has hired a Boat in August for £615, ok, she's an old Boat but fantastic all the same with bags of character (a proper Boat) or you can go for the new builds with probably more mod cons than you would have at home lol. Of course, it depends on your budget and what you're after but at the end of the day if being alfoat is all that matters in Broadland you do have a wonderful choice from budget to really posh. If you can rope in family members or friends, with several paying adults it really can be a cheap holiday, a word of advice though, make sure you are very close to said family members or friends, we once went a few years back with a certain family member who shall remain nameless and they nearly went overboard a few times I can tell you (if we had a plank she would have definitely walked it)  they hated every minute (mad as a hatter) and complained constantly, she now goes abroad and thinks we need our heads testing, as I have told her you can test all you like but the outcome will be the same, you can stick abroad where the sun don't shine, it's the Broads every time for us, I am not knocking peoples's holiday choice so don't knock mine lol

Grace

[BuffaloBill]

6ft 9" MM it says on Richos site. I hired one like that, its now Captain Joshies, Braveheart 

Joshie's Braveheart is 7' 8" air draft, not 6' 9" as the cockpit doesn't fold down. 

[CaptainJoshie]

Joshie's Braveheart is 7' 8" air draft, not 6' 9" as the cockpit doesn't fold down. 

Yes indeed when Iain hired Ritaline there was a 'floppy top' which would give an airdraft of 6' 6" or there abouts dependent  on cabin top fittings.

However from information we have gleaned, when the tried to sell the Skippers on they proved unpopular with buyers as you wouldn't want a floppy top at sea so some where converted to hard tops and sold like and as well as the Broom 30. Braveheart is slightly different in that he was done for use on the Thames and to get under some of the lowest bridge at the Oxford end he has a low hardtop and an airdraft of 7' 8" with the big solar panel I have fitted!!!

But as others have commented older boats have that extra character. Braveheart looks like a real boat to us, the navy blue hull helps there of course, I have seen Orion close up and though finished differently still has a similar layout which suits us just fine, we looked at Broom 30's before we bought Braveheart and didn't like the layout as much. Also the 8' 6" airdraft as we more north of Ludham Bridge .

 

anyway have a great holiday on Orion. Brooms are great boats and R.M Martins designed a great hull for it, cuts through the water really well so watch your speed, we can easily break the speed limits but  the GPS means I don't ,

John

[BroadScot]

Hi John,

Could not agree more!! When we had her, I got a shock when pushed the throttle forward once out the then 5mph to 6mph outside Wroxham. The Bow lifted ! lol. In those days, there was no heating in the forward cabin, so I let the girls have the saloon! 

Iain.

[CaptainJoshie]

Hi Iain

You'd like him even more now. Blown hot air heating throughout (Wallas unit is so very quiet), electric flush head, guess it was a 'Thunder Box' when you hire him. Lovely interior and exterior woodwork.

Most important the Perkins 4107 (34bhp) has been replaced with a 60bhp Ford 2.5 litre diesel !! which makes his bow really rise and the GPS come up with some naughty numbers.

Do you have any other photo's of him from when you hired him? Would love to see the changes both inside and out.  

John.

[BroadScot]

Hi John,

The original pic I sent to Craig, think I took that up at Coltishall first night.I will try and have a delve through old snaps and see what I can find for you.

 

Iain.

[Broads01]

Good choice Jim. Yep,Richos are still the number one vale option in my book. Don't forget you'll accrue 10% of your hire fee in the loyalty scheme as well. In October last year I had Broadland Wave 2 for 5 nights for a measly £176 (before fuel and damage waiver).

[Maxwellian]

Jonzo being given stick.