Norfolk Broads - LIVE!

Song of Freedom proved to be a very nice, cosy and warm boat.  Although it was not that cold you could certainly tell that the heating would keep things toasty and I liked the way the boat was in four compartments, from forward cabin to saloon, to cockpit to aft cabin - all with their own doors. It is funny how it seems everything these days needs to be bigger, fatter, longer, wider from cars to pushchairs not to mention boats - but it goes to show how a good design and use of space can make 30 feet feel far larger and have plenty of space and drawers to stow your things. Good to handle, and considering the hours we did many against tides I thought frugal on fuel too.  Would be a really nice small family boat and while not the most modern has some nice touches - such as a refitted galley and salon space to make evenings spent on board pleasant, rounded off with a fair price you really can't go wrong. So now you can watch the walkthrough and see ...

We had spent the past days cruising for many hours and often getting up early - today therefore was going to be slightly less hectic so it was a later start and not before 9:30am that we departed Loddon Staithe.   It was low water and I was anxious as it did feel like we were cruising in a paddling pool leaving the Staithe and me worrying how much water was under us - our all but one of our neighbours having departed earlier when perhaps there was more water to be had.  However my worries became true when having passed the last set of moorings (just before the Staithe on the left hand side as you approach Loddon) there was a large floating mound of Reeds.  I moved to the centre of the river to avoid them and just as we came past what now appears to be a type of basin (the bank works scooping out a very large area oblong in shape) I felt the boat touch bottom and slow momentarily as if just struggling to keep going through the water and t...

An early start today - I was up around 6:15am doing the usual engine checks, making sure there was water in the header tank and how was the oil doing etc - these being all the more important on these old BMC's who always like to drink a little water and burn a little oil. By about 6:50am I was casting off from the quay and heading off over a still Oulton Broad who was just beginning to wake up - and finally, there was calmness and no wind so with canopy lowered it was destination Beccles. I should note that last night at Oulton Broad we had a very peculiar fault - start the engine, turn on heater - heater starts turn off engine once was running and within 5 minutes the heater would be off and the LED blinking.  Try as we might the heater would simply not stay on longer than a few minutes - yet we had ample power.  Another job for Andy, so I called him later an arranged to meet later that evening at our final destination - Loddon.  I am...

I had planned to leave Rockland Staithe early before the tide turned, this would mean we would be heading down the Yare at slack water and by the time we reached the Reedham the tide would be coming in - but we would not have much time going against it as we would be taking the Haddiscoe New Cut and upon reaching the end turning right and going with the incoming tide.  Well, that was the plan anyway... However we had found it most strange that despite spending much of the evening in the New Inn upon return to the boat the lights seemed dim, and the heating would literally only kick in for a few moments before switching off.  Something was not happy electrically somewhere, only there was a rather odd anomaly going on that the 240v side of things was working just fine so we had television and I could use my laptop but the 12v side was decidedly flat. This morning a call was made to Freedom and Andy was as puzzled as I (batteries had been checked p...

It felt rather odd boarding the train at Liverpool Street with my Dad for usually whenever we come to Norfolk it is in the car, but alas that was being worked on and so the train would need to take the strain. It was not long before we were in sunny Norwich, and walked from the station to the large Morrison's stock up for the 4 night break ahead - and as ever you always seem to go a bit mad on things especially considering we were going to be eating out on 3 of the 4 nights.  Once out of the store it was a called to ABC Taxi's to collect us and take us to Freedom's boatyard , just off Bungalow Lane in Thorpe.   We set off and our driver turned out to have grown up not far from where we live in London - funny old world - and soon it was time to turn into the unmade lane that leads to the boatyard.  Rather interesting affair, under a rail line at a bridge then further down a manual level crossing - open the gates yourself, drive over the...

So it was an early rise around 6:00am at Reedham and I witnessed something rather special.  It had been a worry that I was directly behind a lovely kept Princess 45 boat at Reedham - thinking when I come to depart in the morning with the tide running I would have to be very on the ball not to drift into her stern. As it happened just as the dawn began to break she started one of her engines - but you certainly knew all about it a deep throaty growl and with navigation and deck lights on certainly looked something.  You know someone is serious about boating when they have two revolving radar antenna on the 'radar arch'.  Once out into the main river she held station and within a few minutes the swing bridge had began to swing and off into the murky morning light she slipped.   That was good to see I thought and now I had bags of room when it came to leaving the mooring too.  It was just before 7:00am I slipped the moo...

I had remembered that I need to change trains at Norwich for the Great Yarmouth branch to get to Acle, and not the Sheringham branch for Hoveton & Wroxham as is more usual.  However, I had not taken on board the number of stops before Acle came up neither did I really take much notice of the stations as we came in and departed – all of a sudden I thought ‘This is it’ and got up took my suitcase and only found that I was in fact at Lingwood (one stop before Acle) as the train departed. What a start to the trip!  Fortunately the station information board had the number of a local taxi firm and within 10 minutes I was on my way by road to Acle – via Budgens to get the basics.  Upon arriving at Horizon Craft, a warm welcome awaited – much like coming back to old friends, good banter, and laughter all round.  I was shown to my boat Mystic Horizon 1 and very nice it was too. After a quick show of the various things to be found on...

And so on 5th July 2013 two ex-hire boats - Broad Ambition and The Coriscian left Stalham on the Norfolk Broads to begin a journey which would see them arrive some 13 hours later in Haven Marina, Ipswich. Join their adventure with the trying night navigation in fog, then see the sunrise as they begin their journey down the coast before arriving at Felixstowe and onward up the River Orwell.

Over the Bank Holiday weekend at the end of May, I hired Belmore from Barnes Brinkcraft in Wroxham.  A lovely boat she is too and with the discount offered over the weekend, meant it was a very good deal.  So settle down and watch the feature length edition of this Captain's Blog for a full rundown of the boat and review, together with events as they happened over the weekend.

  I am not sure about others, but for me the last day of a boating holiday is always one of reflection – where it all began, how the boat which is now your familiar home was once unfamiliar and new. It is also a time for taking things at a slower pace – as it was today. I woke and after getting read began to do the more tedious of things just so it was out of the way – packing my case and checking I had not left anything in one of the many shelves and drawers this boat has.  After that it was time to depart Womack Dyke and I headed down the river Thurne to where it joins the Bure.  The Broads Authority ‘Thurne Mouth’ moorings were free, the wind was kindly blowing towards the bank so I knew mooring here would be easy – and it was a mooring I had not stopped at previously.   Once there I remembered why I much prefer overnight moorings on the quieter, narrow rivers – for here on the exposed Bure the wavelets were hitting the bow of ...

I had an appointment to keep this morning, which when you are on the Norfolk Broads is a rare thing to have to do – but I was to meet Lord Paul – photography extraordinaire  and as it turned out pretty nifty with gadgets and electronics and the cherry on the cake an all round good guy and very welcoming too.  So what was the deal with meeting him on this sunny morning? The previous evening I had a call asking where I was moored and would it be ok to meet and take some aerial footage of me on the river – since I was on the Ant and he was going to be coming down from Stalham it was ideal – in fact he came down just as dusk came and the sky does that beautiful transition from day to night and moored a few corners down the river from me.  I left my mooring and just a few minutes later I spied his trust Freeman moored by Clayrack Drainage Mill and kindly helped with the Rhonde Anchors and ropes and invited on board his boat. He has taken a...

So it was time once again to leave London and head to Norfolk – Acle in fact to take over Distant Hoirzon 2 from Horizon Craft – part of  Richardson’s Boating Holidays.  I had hired with them before, the most recent being in October 2012 and knew the welcome would be first class and the boat tip top.  I’d arranged for a new taxi service to come and collect me from the station, wait while I popped into Budgens and then drop me at the boatyard – great service, lovely Ford Galaxy people carrier and a reasonable price – his name is Rupert and his number is: 07754 327 388. After completing the paper work, meeting the usual friendly staff (and Paul Richardson as it happened) it was time to set off with the destination of Womack Dyke.  While the boat class I was used to (having previously hired San Julian) I had no idea what this Distant Horizon 2 would look like internally, since there are no photos of it online or in the brochure.  I was impressed.  Huge wi...

On the Tuesday evening I found myself indulging somewhat in some rather nice Chillan red wine whilst at the same time having a chat in the Norfolk Broads Forum’s weekly ‘Tuesday Night Chat’ in the chat room.  This is where technology can be wonderful – me moored up in on the River Ant and yet joining in a good banter online with others. So morning came of the third day and I found while my tastes may like the wine, my head was feeling rather fragile – I therefore did not rise too early and my plans for the day were going to be rather sedate – cruise down the Ant to Ludham Bridge, take on water – then head up the Bure to Wroxham for lunch. And so having departed for Ludham Bridge it was once again a lovely day, cooler than of late and with more cloud but none the less it was good to be on the water – and I arrived at Ludham to find another boat at the moorings taking on water themselves.  Now despite it being the third day, these forward steer...

First of all you may remember early march was not ice and wind, but mild and sunshine - if you like tranquil waters, amazing winter light then the above link to the Captain's Blog may make your day.  It was beautiful. I took a short break on San Selino, and in my opinion this is the best fitted out and most comfortable boat in this class – when compared to the likes of Magic, Gold, Bronze  and Clear Gem – all the same boat style and length and all sleep the same number of people.   So the question had come to my mind what would it be like having one of the cheapest boats that one can hire on the Norfolk Broads?  Would you really have to make do without and would one find things internally very dated and a large gap between the budget end of the market and the prestige cruisers and high prices they attract?

Our first broadcast shall be a crossing over Breydon Water on Sunday 1 st April and all being well shall begin sometime between 12:15 and 12:30pm (subject to tides check Twitter for updates).