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Is it time to switch to the North

brandenjg

By brandenjg
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brandenjg

brandenjg

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Hi everyone, I'll start with a little back story of my last 4-5 years on the southern broads. I started out with a £30 inflatable boat I would carry down to Thorpe green and row around with friends.image.thumb.jpg.15e53b0da1ac64129dc6a7f1

I soon upgraded to a wood slatted floor inflatable with a 2hp outboard and started to explore postwick and bramerton and started to take friends along for the ride. After a while we decided to take our rods and tents and do some overnight fishing.

image.thumb.jpg.86455e18979f7fb120c594d0

 It wasn't long till it was time to upgrade to a fibreglass boat. I found a 14ft Mayland cuddy cabin project nearby to norwich for a very cheap price and got to upgrading it in my parents front garden with a budget of about £50. 

image.thumb.jpg.4d9098b5e10f26361e42966d

 This is when my love of boating really kicked in. With my 5hp outboard on the back and double inflatable bed aboard I was ready to expandmy cruising   range with an overnight trip to reedham. The journey took hours but I made it in a boat Id customised and did all the work on myself. It have me a real sense of accomplishment.

  The downside of having a non inflatable was that I needed to find a mooring. I saw a hand written sign on the side of a boat opposite Thorpe green offering moorings so phoned the number an secured a mooring that day in jenners basin. 

 Once I'd got used to the boat and the area I decided it was time to upgrade to a bigger boat. An 18ft Europa 4 complete with portaloo (no more hanging over the side).

image.thumb.jpg.8cd172699664720b3829af0d

 I spent a long time and for once had to put my hand in my pocket for this boat due to something called a BSS.

I learnt so much following the guide for the BSS and put in a crazy amount Of late nights finishing work at 7 having tea then working on the boat till 1-2 in the morning. It flew through the test and with a 20hp on the back it flew through the water aswell.

 I learnt to use the tides to my advantage and having a bigger engine meant I could cruise for longer without the worry of overheating. I took the boat with friends from norwich, through postwick and bramerton, past reedham and onwards to oulton broad. My longest journey yet on the broads.

 I enjoyed so many day trips and overnights on the boat, the only issue was the non existent head room. Time for another upgrade to a dawncraft dandy.

image.thumb.jpg.d23f6215a1b68809e15854ef
 It was around this time I met a lovely girl called Beth(now my wife and mother to my daughter Emma-Rose).

Trips with Beth re ignited my love for the south, being able to show someone all the sights I knew so well and the way she took it all in with amazement.

 

2 years on though we both feel we've seen all the sights, ate all the food and fished all the spots the south has to offer. 

 With let's be honest the soon to be demise of my current mooring, we've been looking into moving our boat permanently over to the north side.

The hope is that the new cruising area will get us both back excited about the broads. And with our daughter turning 1 next June were hoping to let her experience the nature on offer.

 I've loved the idyllic south side of the broads these past years and I hope I'll feel the same about the north.

Branden & Beth

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JawsOrca

JawsOrca

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Hi Brenden,

Cool tale mate. We've had a similar journey and like you quickly got carried away! 

Really bad news on your mooring there. Good luck with your find for a new mooring. I'd say look under the bridges as it maybe cheaper, or any yacht clubs as they will may be willing to do you a deal if you are willing to do a bit of work for them (that's certainly happens down here, hoping it's same up there). 

Let me know if you would like us to delete your first post. cheers 

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brandenjg

brandenjg

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Hi Brenden,

Cool tale mate. We've had a similar journey and like you quickly got carried away! 

Really bad news on your mooring there. Good luck with your find for a new mooring. I'd say look under the bridges as it maybe cheaper, or any yacht clubs as they will may be willing to do you a deal if you are willing to do a bit of work for them (that's certainly happens down here, hoping it's same up there). 

Let me know if you would like us to delete your first post. cheers 

yes can you delete the first one :) thank you

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brandenjg

brandenjg

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Are you saying you are moving permanently up north for a while or just a trip to see whats what up there first?

 

I cannot get out of my mind "no more hanging over the side".     Surely not.

The plan is to move for a minimum of 12 months and then see how we feel after that. At the moment we can walk to the boat in an hour but once we move north it'll have to be buses or trains to get to the boat.

 Haha hanging over the side is more of an expression. :? 

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JennyMorgan

JennyMorgan

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I would be tempted to go North, North of Potter Heigham but the fleshpots of Horning & Wroxham, bit like Blue Waters, Lakeside or Castle Mall in Norwich, great for a day out, or not;)

 Haha hanging over the side is more of an expression. :? 

I have a very vivid imagination and could just picture your bare bot on a cold and frosty morning.

Calm down, M,  I can hear the heavy breathing from here!!!

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Gracie

Gracie

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I was about to say something similar......I reckon our M fancies herself as a bit of a Cougar lol :naughty:

Sorry for going off topic Branden, it happens a lot on here........please keep us updated on your move up North, a word of advice though, keep your bot covered on a cold and frosty morning or you might find yourself being accosted by a very lovely lady who lives in Beccles :naughty:

Grace

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JennyMorgan

JennyMorgan

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Many years ago I sailed with a New Zealand girl, a lady of ample proportion should we say. Ideally built for heavy weather sailing, could hook her 'cheeks' over the side of a boat when hiking out, very useful attribute. The crew of another boat later told me that in true sailing boat manner that she was hanging over the side of the boat, as we sometime have to, but not just to help keep the boat upright!! 

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  • 3 weeks later...
brandenjg

brandenjg

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I'm sure they thought the same thing in November 2011. 

As I've said from the start and will say when I go to the BA office this week, offer or help me find another mooring within my budget and I will move. But I dread to see a derelict overgrown waste land which is what the basin will become with no boats.

unless of course the BA have a private investor ready to whack up some posh flats on the land.

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10 hours ago, JennyMorgan said:

Surely it can not be right that the BA should 'almost' prejudge a court case?

 

10 hours ago, JennyMorgan said:

Bottom of the first page of the BA's letter.

That part of the letter shows that the landowner keeps repeatedly appealing after each refusal, which could go on forever Peter.

Not really a case of "prejudging", more one of pre-empting further delays to enforce a judgement that has already been ratified several times.

I'm afraid I doubt whether the BA can help you find another mooring in the same price range Branden, because the reason it was cheaper than the average was because it was illegal, with this long pending situation.

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