Norfolk Broads - LIVE!

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.

A five night short break on Tideway 2 from Richardson's Boating Holidays , together with footage from the Norfolk Broads Forum annual meet at Ranworth Island.

It may have been done before, but it has never been filmed. Watch the classic wooden Broads cruiser - Broad Ambition - as Charlie Griffin, her skipper takes us through Wroxham Bridge on the Norfolk Broads, backwards!

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...