Frequently Asked Questions & Answers
What if I don’t know how to sail, is it hard to learn?
Don’t worry we can help you and it’s not hard to learn! When you arrive, we will get you settled on the boat and one of our yard staff will show you how everything "works". After that and when we are satisfied that you are ready, we will take you and the boat onto a quiet stretch of a nearby broad and show you the ropes for a couple of hours. We reckon to be able to impart sufficient knowledge in this way, to enable you to learn the rudiments of sailing and go off on your own to enjoy a weeks sailing holiday, continuing to learn as you do so. It is no exaggeration to say that literally thousands of people have learned to sail in precisely this fashion and many generations of yachtsman have been introduced to sailing by a first holiday on the Norfolk Broads. We know because many keep coming back! We don’t charge for tuition and in the unlikely event that you can’t get the hang of things, we will happily put one of the yard hands with you until you get your confidence.
Is this a safe holiday?
Absolutely, I certainly believe that it is. The Broads is perhaps the most tranquil, indeed benign and sheltered waterway that you could hope to find for a water borne holiday and it is as good an area as any for children experiencing a first holiday afloat. That isn’t to say that the "water owes you a duty of care" though, and you should exercise an appropriate degree of care and caution in the way you conduct yourself around the boat and on or near the water. This is just common sense. We supply buoyancy aids free of charge and whilst we do not insist that you take them, you are strongly advised to do so.
Do I need any qualifications to sail your yachts?
No, not in any conventional sense at any rate. We simply stipulate that you should have an appropriate level of experience for the type of yacht that you want to hire, and of course this can be "nil" for one of the smaller boats that we keep for this specific purpose. We are generally able to ascertain what we need to know of your capabilities in a few moments telephone conversation and "previous Broads experience" is generally preferred for the bigger boats over "formal qualification but no previous local experience". The natural caution of the inexperienced often counts for more than the over confidence of the experienced. We will take account of RYA qualifications, but it is factual to state that some of our worse "mishaps" have occurred at the hands of RYA "Yachtmasters" with no previous Broads experience!!!
If I sail regularly at sea won’t I find the Broads or your yachts a bit tame?
I don’t think so, quite simply because the larger yachts are rigged with proportionately more sail area than you would expect to find on a similarly sized sea going yacht, which we are able to do on the flat water of the broads to give you an exhilarating sail.
Can I take one of your yachts out to sea?
No you can’t! Just remember you left your car with me at the yard, and in any case the harbour pilot will probably give chase if you try it. Look, are you sure this is the holiday for you?
Small tree lined rivers… Is there really good sailing to be had?
Definitely, the area is renowned for it! The Broads themselves are wide open expanses of water, as are the middle and lower reaches of the principle rivers, and the unhindered breeze is generally ideal for sailing.
How far can I go in one visit?
People will tell you that you can "Do" either area in a week (that is Northern OR Southern Broads), depending on wind and tide and so on, but this really reflects the fact that a week is the most popular length of holiday now. That can be a pretty brisk pace as well and in my estimation, probably not what a cruising holiday is about as you are bound to miss out the most important aspect of your holiday……. Relaxation! You could probably sail the whole system in 3 weeks, but whilst you might sail to or through most places of significance, you certainly won’t experience many of the most interesting sights if you don’t take your time.
How many miles of navigable waterway are there?
There is something like 150 miles of navigable waterway or thereabouts, divided about equally into the two principle cruising areas of the Northern and Southern Broads. If you look at a road map and draw a line between Norwich and Great Yarmouth, everything above is the Northern and below; the Southern Broads.
Will I run aground anywhere?
You shouldn’t do, our boats are of an appropriate draft to navigate the entire recognised waterway. Occasionally you might nudge the bottom on the inside corner of a bend in the river, and one or two of the broads are shallow near the edges, but a quick burst of the engine will get you on the move. Again, the only exception to this is the half dozen or so miles either side of Yarmouth, where there is a rise and fall of 2 or 3 feet, but even here you just need to remain aware of the tide times which we can give you.
Do I have to worry about tides?
Generally no, but I will qualify that. There is very little tidal flow on most of the broads system as a whole with minimal rise and fall, on the middle and upper reaches both are almost unnoticeable. The flow of water is only really noticeable when you approach the lower reaches towards Yarmouth (from all directions) and this is the only area (a few miles either side of Yarmouth) where you have to be very aware of the hazard presented by tidal flow, and the rise and fall particularly when mooring. To put matters into perspective however; Sea sailors usually find the broads so pleasant simply because they can sail care free of tidal considerations, and the necessary level of responsibility is so much less than sailing in coastal waters.
Where can I moor up at night?
Virtually anywhere is the short answer. Every village has its own staithe and most of the principle towns have a public quay, usually supported by either the Broads Authority or the local town council and obviously there are also any number of riverside pubs which have their own moorings. Moorings at all of these are generally free of charge or at very modest cost if there are also facilities available, those run by the Broads Authority are very good. If a pub tries to touch you for overnight mooring though, as a local I would say give it a wide berth as I personally don’t think they are worthy of your custom or my recommendation. If you want a little more peace or isolation, just drop a mud weight on any of the broads themselves or tie up to virtually any piece of suitable river bank. All the broads and rivers in predominance lie in the midst of agricultural land, and so long as you treat the river bank with care people generally don’t mind you mooring there. One big proviso though, "leave only foot prints and take only pictures".
Are the Broads very busy at peak season?
Generally no, but I will qualify that. Peak season is as elsewhere in the UK, recognised as the 6-week school summer holiday from end of July and into August. At that time the river Ant and middle Bure can be a bit processional on the summer bank holiday weekends, but then those are absolute peak times in the most popular area which does not really answer the question in fair perspective. It is fair to say that even during the 6-week school summer holiday, much of the broads and particularly the southern rivers, remain as peaceful as ever and as always the yachtsman tends to head towards the less traveled haunts of which there are many. When skippering White Moth for a holiday party recently, an elderly gentleman turned to me and said; "We had heard that the broads was becoming very busy, but clearly we were misinformed", a touching compliment for the area considering it was August Bank Holiday Monday!
What’s the best time of year to come?
If you are not tied to school holidays, all of June and early July are delightfully quiet but with the benefit of predictable summer weather. My favourite time is actually September though, it is exceptionally quiet and all of East Anglia tends to get a balmy "Indian summer" which is hot and breezy, ideal sailing conditions!
Can I race any of your boats?
Yes, with our specific permission for certain events. There are several big events every year that accept entries from hire boats, including the "3 Rivers Race" which is the longest inland waterway race in Europe and often takes upwards of 24 hours to complete. We run our own regatta afterwards, which is very informal and involves racing between pubs! The biggest event for hire boats though, is the annual "Blakes Regatta", which is held every October and is restricted to 36 yachts which compete in keenly contested races over a period of 3 days for several well established prizes.
What do I need to bring with me?
Just your clothes and toiletries really, we supply all the bedding and cooking utensils. Some people prefer to bring their own groceries but I certainly wouldn’t want to try and cater for the whole week, it just isn’t practical. Many find it more convenient to just pick up what they want from the village shop in Horning when they arrive or from Roys’ of Wroxham, now very much a large supermarket and retail outlet it is still known as the"largest Village shop in the world"!
Where can we get groceries?
Just about anywhere, I think every village has a shop of some sort and many farms still sell eggs and other produce.
Why is it your company does mostly yachts?
It is because I believe that yachts provide the very best way for people to see and experience the Broads, indeed yachting is an intrinsic part of the whole Broads experience and has been since holidays first began here over 100 years ago. Apart from which it happens to be where our own interests lie, most of us in the company sail regularly on the Broads for our own pleasure and yachts are what we know.
Where do you take your holidays?
It’s a standing joke in the yard as everyone knows I always "go abroad twice a year, Wroxham Broad and Oulton Broad"! (I do the two principle yachting regattas of the season)
Have you always done this job?
I have worked wholly on the Broads since 1985 and I have always lived and sailed on the Broads, but actually no I started work as a deep-sea diver.
What happens if I hit something?
We carry full insurance for such an eventuality but do try not to, the chaps in the yard look on these boats and particularly the older wooden ones, as they would their own children. Some have been working with the same boats all their working lives, and of course the newer boats have all been hand made by them from scratch. We have always thought that if you give people nice things they look after them, by and large we’ve never yet been let down.
I’ve never been to the area before, how do I know where to go?
We will help you with a cruise itinerary and highlight areas of specific interest for you, generally when you arrive and there is usually no need to plan anymore than this. I think that the best way is to make a "wish list" of places to visit, but on each day just let the "wind and tide decide" as they say! It makes for a delightfully relaxed holiday and if you don’t make all the places on your list, they’ll still be there when you comeback (and if we do our job properly, we are confident you will as 60% of our customers return frequently).
Where do you particularly recommend we visit?
It’s not practical to list all of the places we might recommend here, there are just too many and each would warrant its own explanation. We can post you a very good travel guide for the area though, the updated "Hamilton’s Guide" is written by local yachtsmen and is a lovely read in its own right. If I were pressed to name a couple of places however, well then I would have to say that personally I have a couple of real favourites. On the Northern rivers and in the midst of a nature reserve, Horsey Mere is a magical place to go. Listen carefully you might hear the call of a Bittern and if not then take a walk over the dunes to the isolated beach. On the Southern rivers, the middle reaches of the Waveney are a cracking sail and the upper reaches to Geldeston simply delightful. Look for the bright turquoise flash of the Kingfishers as they flit along the river, and if there are a few of you; a bat and ball can be put to good use on Geldeston Meadow!
Is there anywhere you would recommend we steer clear of?
The only place we really don’t recommend you moor overnight is Yarmouth, simply because the tide and general movement in that one spot can give you a disturbed night.
Isn't the area I can sail restricted by bridges - is there any way to lower the mast in order to go under bridges?
There are bridges but these in no way restrict your holiday area, as all of our yachts are designed so that the mast can be easily lowered by you. The traditionally styled yachts have what is known as a "counterweight mast", whereby a substantial lead weight at the base of the mast, provides a balancing effect when lowering, so that the process of lowering the mast is quick simple and safe for even a complete novice. One or two of the non broads designs have a "rope tackle" to lower the mast,which is just as easy and safe although personally I would say the traditional method is the most straightforward. The bridges themselves are well marked and you would sail up to within sight, lower the sail and moor up, then drop the mast and proceed under motor through the bridge. This process might take perhaps 10 minutes if you don't need to stop for anything else, and as little as a minute or two when you've really got the hang of it and don't need to moor first. There are just 8 principle fixed bridge locations over the entire holiday area, and just one at Potter Heigham is considered difficult by virtue of its very small arch, so we provide a pilot service to take you through this one free of charge.
Do you rent sailing dinghies?
We do hire out both rowing and sailing dinghies. We have our own unique traditional broads sailing dinghy class, which is a faithful copy of a very old broads clinker built design constructed by us to modern (EU) standards, the original boat in fact dated back to the early years of the last century. When we wanted to build some new dinghies a few years ago we looked at this old boat and decided that it was such a wholesome design, that in our estimation could not be improved upon for the intended purpose today, so we produced a mould tool from it. We have ten offered for hire, they are equipped with bamboo spars and a lug main, although there is one we offer as a racing version with gaff main and jib.