Norfolk Broads

Vamoose

Vamoose

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I am thinking about a sail up to Lowestoft when & if the weather improves this year.

Inspired by one of Dylans videos thought it might be nice to poke my nose into the broads for a look around, for a few days, as I have not done that before.

Can anyone who has experience of the Broads advise on the following please?:confused:

QUESTION(s) :-
1. How practical is it for a 28ft boat with a 4' 6" draft .
2. How far can I get without dropping the mast.
3. Are hire boats driven by people with no experience and little or no knowledge of rules of the road, or boat handling etc etc a problem ?

Thanks
Alan
 
I think you can get into Norwich from Oulton if you can get under Haddiscoe bridge. Don't think you can get into the Northern Broads past Gt Yarmouth without dropping the mast and being fairly low in the water...
 
The Broads

From Lowestoft you can only get up to Beecle, unless you can get under Haddiscoe New Bridge, which I have heard "as being brilliantly designed so that its just 6 inches too low, although Beaver claims at low tide with a heavy crew you can get under it if you don't mind loosing your burgee!" ( Michael Green, The Art of Coarse Sailing)
 
Haddiscoe is about 7m clearance I think but there is a tide gauge on the bridge pier.
Railway swing bridges will answer the VHF ch 12.
Norwich southern bypass the next fixed obstacle.

If entering via Yarmouth (not recommended) then 2 lifting bridges to book first.

Took my old boat (Pegasus 800) in through Lowestoft from Ipswich about ten years ago and found it awkward to get close enought to the river bank to moor in some places especially at low tide even with the centre plate up. Got as far as Reedham after lowering the mast for Haddiscoe before I had to turn round again.

I live and work in the broads area and whilst it has it's undoubted charms, I don't see the same attraction as Dylan.

And yes, the hire boats are a worry especially when they are mooring with the tide under them.
 
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Details of bridge heights here - http://www.broads-authority.gov.uk/boating/navigating/bridge-heights.html

You'll need to look at a map as they're arranged by name - v confusing if you don't know the area. The bridge heights given are average high water, so if you time it right you can give yourself more clearance.

Watch out for overhanging trees when you moor! (How do I know that?)

I don't know the area well, but I'm fairly sure that from Lowestoft and with a mast up you won't get past Beccles heading up the Waveney, and St. Olaves heading down it. You can't get to the River Yare and Norwich from Lowestoft with your mast up.

We've been been up to just before Norwich in our 23 footer - 3 foot draft & about 31 ft air draft. We came in and out via Gt Yarmouth with the mast up - easy nav so long as you've arranged the bridge opening (have to ring office hours only the previous working day), but staying alongside the town quay overnight was hell, and its the most yacht unfriendly harbour I've ever visited, so avoid having to stop there if at all possible.

Apart from organising the bridge lifts at Gt Yarmouth/Breydon (two bridges lift together), there's then only Reedham Railway Swing Bridge (opens on demand almost - we had to wait 10 minute while a train passed) until we got to the fixed Postwick Bridge on the outskirts of Norwich (35ft clearance at high water).

To get right into the city you need a railway, a road and a footbridge lifted, IIRC. Note that there have been ongoing problems with all the railway swing bridges (they're very old, get stuck, and are operated by the rail company who would rather block the river than the railway), but particularly recently, I've been told, the one at Norwich Trowse.

Check on the Broads Authoriy website or ring Braods Control (number on website) for the latest situation.

Don't let the above, or the hire boats (not many of those in the southern end of the Broads, anyway) put you off. Quite an entertaining and sometimes magical place for a visit.
 
Alan

In the past I have 'sailed' a leisure 22 bilge keeler on the broads and when beating had trouble getting enough water near the edges.

Have looked before for depths and found data somewhat hard to find as have thought about do same as you are suggesting.

I came to the conclusion if was impractical with a fixed keel.

When we took the Sea Scouts to the River Yare we were always very concerned about day trippers / holiday cruisers not following any rules - but it did give us a chance to bomb about in the safety boat :D which btw caused less wash than obeying the speed limits.
 
Thanks Guys

I dont think my blood pressure could stand low trees, low depths, low bridges and hired boats being driven like dodgems at the fun fair

I think we will park the boat in Lowestoft and dust off the bus passes to see the sights and sample the local brew.:)
 
You could still go down lake loathing thru Mutford lock and just moor up on the side in oulton broad , I've done it a few times and would go again in "Micaralee" . When I took the etap we struggled to get close to the quay at the Waveney river centre (no hope of getting on the inside) , witnessed a westerly konsort try and give up .
We did make it to beccles tho under motor , didn't bother with sails , family found it a long slog from woolverstone to Lowestoft tho ( they were 1,3and 5 tho) , I heard Lowestoft has been done up since we last there so might have to check it out ..
 
I have been on the Broads for a few years, 28' is no problem, bridges are as you need to be able to drop the mast and sail quickly and easilly. Its marvellous to watch the punts shooting Potter Heigham bridge during the 3 Rivers Race without stopping and raising sail in seconds. Takes me a lot longer. 4' 6" draft will cause a few problems in a few places. I think the deepest part of the broads is 8' deep with much of it at 3'. Then there are the people who have no idea how to handle a boat, I've been rammed a few times but never seriously damaged. Trees? oh yes thats another issue. Do you like very short distances between tacks?
It took me a long time to change my sailing style from open sea off Falmouth to that required for the broads but there is a real satisfaction in adapting to it, and the wildlife is something else on the way. And yes, I think Dylans videos really do give you a real flavour of the broads.
Good luck!
Ian
 
Vamoose said:
Thanks Guys

I dont think my blood pressure could stand low trees, low depths, low bridges and hired boats being driven like dodgems at the fun fair

I think we will park the boat in Lowestoft and dust off the bus passes to see the sights and sample the local brew.:)
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It's not at all as difficult as you perhaps think - see below. Alternatively you could just moor your boat in Lowestoft; walk, bus or train to Oulton Broad and hire a day motor boat that'll go under all the bridges and doesn't have a keel http://www.enjoythebroads.com/things-to-do/oulton-broad-day-boats-0 (Note you don't see much of the broads themselves from the road.)

LOW TREES: Just remember to look to see if there are any overhanging trees before you pull into a mooring (lots of free moorings around). Most don't have any trees (the Broads sailors like to keep the banks fairly free of trees to avoid wind shadow), but if like me you're used to sailing at sea it's not something one normally thinks about - we just got showered with leaves and twigs, and moved the boat up to the next position beyond the tree.

LOW DEPTHS: Can be an issue in a few places, mainly in the wide broads and smaller channels, and at the river's edge, but lots of keel boats live permanently on the Broads. The Broads local one-designs - Brown Boats and White Boats have keels. Ships used to travel up the Yare to Norwich.

LOW BRIDGES: For a short trip to the Broads, once you're through Lowestoft into Oulton Broad, you can travel up the Waveney to just before Beccles (about 10 miles?) or down the Waveney to Somerleyton (about 5 miles?) without going through any bridges at all.

If you want to go further, look at it this way: If it opens, it's just a matter of identifying when/how (most of them on demand during the day). If it's fixed you won't get through with a mast up (except Postwick bridge, near Norwich) anyway, as they're all so low (except Postwick), so treat it as the limit of navigation.

HIRED BOATS: Very few of these on the River Waveney (the main hire centres are at the northern end of the Broads, e.g. Wroxham, Stalham and Potter Heigham), and in any case rarely a problem if you treat them with a little caution (especially when they're trying to moor). Speed limit is about 5 or 6mph on most of the Broads, I think.
 
LITTLE SISTER.. Thanks for the comments.. I am all confused now ! Do you know if a draft of 1.5 metres could be a problem ?
 
Vamoose said:
I am all confused now ! Do you know if a draft of 1.5 metres could be a problem ?
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It would be a huge problem! The Broads are pretty in parts (we had a motor cruiser there for several years in the 70s), but lots of the rivers are dull and featureless. We left the Broads after getting thoroughly sick of being run into by hire boats, whose hirers don't realise there are no brakes. If you want to see something of the prettier bits, go by road to Wroxham or Horning and hire a dayboat. (And be sure to wear the obligatory vests and tattoos).
 
pvb said:
It would be a huge problem! The Broads are pretty in parts (we had a motor cruiser there for several years in the 70s), but lots of the rivers are dull and featureless. We left the Broads after getting thoroughly sick of being run into by hire boats, whose hirers don't realise there are no brakes. If you want to see something of the prettier bits, go by road to Wroxham or Horning and hire a dayboat. (And be sure to wear the obligatory vests and tattoos).
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Thanks pvb I think we will park the boat in Lowestoft and take your advice....... Can you recommend a good Tattoo artist and a shop that sells vests.. Sadly I already have the midriff !
 
A lot of misery dispensed here. Getting through Gt. Yarmouth to the Yare is not that difficult as long as you have a good motor and from there you can get to the edge of Norwich without too many problems.
However parking the boat in Lowestoft (RNSYC just across from the station) and using the bus pass is not a bad idea but the rail trip to Norwich from Lowestoft is always delightful.From Norwich, which is a nice city both to live in and to visit, you can catch another train to Wroxham and rent a day boat to cruise around the Northern Rivers and Broads.... much less hassle.
The Broads hirers by legend are terrifying but in practise not hard to avoid and generally pleasant.
 
Vamoose said:
LITTLE SISTER.. Thanks for the comments.. I am all confused now ! Do you know if a draft of 1.5 metres could be a problem ?
Click to expand...

I think that it probably won't be (or no more than a minor hindrance - i.e. choose your mooring spot with a view to where it's less likely to be very shallow near the banks - not in wider sections of river or inside of bends, and go in gently!).

It's a bit tedious to access, but there's detailed depth data on the 'Boating' bit of the Broads Authority website - e.g. http://www.broads-authority.gov.uk/...outhern-rivers/river-waveney/BURGH_CASTLE.pdf From a very quick look it seems there's 4m plus mid-stream in most of the River Waveney.
 
I spoke today to a guy who used to be a River Officer on the Braods. He says you should have no problem at all in the Waveney, as it is a deep river ( by Broads standards!), and that you shouldn't have a problem with depths at moorings in the Waveney with a fin keel, but with a bilge keel you might (because the keel's closer to the bank). However he also said that parts of Oulton Broad are shallow, as is the cut between Oulton Broad and the Waveney. He says it would be best to do that part near high water with your sort of depth keel.
 
Having sailed for far north of 40 years, thought I'd add my tuppence worth... I had three week long cruises on the Broads in 2009,10 and 11 in a hire motor cruiser and thoroughly enjoyed all three of them. However, I can think of nothing more stressful than trying to do the same in a sailing cruiser, even one of the hire jobs designed for the place...
 
Thank you all for contributions.. I think that although it seems I could manage to get around some of the broads with a 1.5 M draft I dont think my wife could manage the stress, and it might result in the dissoloution of a 40 + year otherwise happy marraige.....
 
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