I'm baaaaaaaaaaaaack. Be afraid. Be very afraid....
I'm baaaaaaaaaaaaack. Be afraid. Be very afraid....
Member since:22.02.2001
Reviews:166
Members who trust:29
If you fancy the idea of just bobbing along the waterways of East Anglia, then it's a good job the Norfolk Broads are there otherwise you'd have no chance.
Flat expanses of water that are easy to navigate (especially since there aren't any annoying lock gates to grapple with), the Broads makes an ideal place to take to the water on what may be your first attempt at spending a holiday afloat.
Lets start with 10 handy tips before discussing where to go, what to see and do.
Tip 1.
You drive on the RIGHT on the water. Most important unless you like filling out insurance claim forms.
Tip 2.
The maximum speed to travel at is 5 mph. I remember thinking how friendly people were as they were waving frantically at us, until I realised they were also mouthing the word "F I V E", as the wash from our boat was sweeping across the lower part of their manicured gardens.
Tip 3.
Remember that it can take a while to actually stop a boat as you don't have brakes. Just reverse thrust. This makes mooring up in tight squeezes a bit of a nightmare and shouldn't be attempted unless you're a seasoned mariner
or you're physically too big for people to threaten effectively. And if people do accidentally bump you because they're trying to keep their speed under control when mooring, then please remember that they could have been acting on the advice of this op and taking the plunge (so to speak) with their first holiday on the Broads. You shouldn't thump fellow Ciao members as it definitely affect your read rates.
Tip 4.
Squeamish people may not like the idea of having to pump out the week's worth of poo from the boat, so find a yard that has a nice worker who will do it for you. I recommend that this is done on a reasonably regular basis to stop any unwelcome aromas from hanging around in the living quarters. Especially if someone isn't pumping the handle hard enough to flush properly.
Tip 5.
Check your map routes before hand. Some places have really small bridges that require a pilot to get you through ie, Potter Heigham - which is a pretty place and busy anyway so you may have to wait. There are also dead ends to worry about, so remember that as the water peters out, the shallower it becomes. There is a distinct danger of running around which negates the whole point of spending a holiday afloat. Also you should calculate your distances. Arriving at the mouth of the Broads at Great Yarmouth just in time to start battling with the sea's tides is a fruitless and tiring exercise.
Tip 6.
A lot of the crafts need swabbing down on a regular basis to stop the surfaces from deteriorating as well as just keeping them clean. Boat lenders will expect you to do this, so delegate the job beforehand to someone within the group who has recently annoyed you.
Tip 7.
Water and children don't always mix. Make sure that young ones wear a lifejacket or some kind of floating device at all times they are on the boat.
Tip 8.
Fishermen be warned. Some sea tides can sweep far into the broads killing off the fish leaving you to catch bucket upon bucket of eels. Great if you're a pearly-suited cockney, but not much fun otherwise.
Tip 9.
Don't moor up next to thick vegetation if it can be avoided. You'll just be providing a food delivery service to the local mosquito population and spend most of the night slapping yourself.
Tip 10.
Kids, avert your eyes for this bit. Frantic bonking makes more than the bunks squeak, the boat can rock quite alarmingly which will make the men look good, but increases the chances of the kids getting seasickness. I swear it wasn't us that found out this tidbit of information, but we were the couple that it woke up because of the manic swaying. We never did tell them...
Astoundingly, the Broads are a man-made phenomenon. Previously thought to have been the remains of some great waterway to the sea, they are in fact flooded peat workings from the medieval period. This makes it even more astonishing when you consider their impact and modifications to the natural landscape.
The land is composed of marshes and winding reed-lined rivers which flow into wide and shallow lakes. Silting up has reclaimed some of the land, reverting it back to it's original condition of producing peat. Mother nature doesn't link being tinkered with for too long. However, this land provides lush and thick vegetation plus some lovely wildflowers. This in turn means lots of wetland insects, butterflies and general bird and animal wildlife. The species to try and spot are things like coypu (yes, it's a rat but it'll keep the kiddies occupied), grass snakes, marsh frogs, Grebes, Sedge Warblers and Bearded Tits.
There are more than 30 Broads - Sutton Broad, Hickling Broad, Ormesby Broad, Horsey Mere, Barton Broad and Oulton Broad are a few of the larger lakes, and you can travel down the following rivers - River Ant, River Bure, River Yare or the River Waveney.
There are many villages and towns to stop off and see that have the usual picturesque fare of churches and fine waterside pubs. Acle is popular, as are Wroxham, Reedham, Stalham and Coltishall.
Near Ranworth, you will find the Broadlands Conservation Centre, the Bygone HeritageVillage at Burgh St Margaret, Thrigby Hall at Thrigby, the Stracey Arms windpump near Stokesby, the ruins of St. Benet's Abbey near Horning and the many windmills on Horsey Mere.
That's not to mention the leisure facilites generally on offer at the larger towns you'll pass along the way. We managed to moor up alongside a large swimmer's paradise with jacuzzis and big slides which was excellent fun.
At first you think you're just going to spend a lazy holiday in a boat... bet you don't!
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Advantages: Very, very relaxing, fresh air, seeing wildlife, learning to steer a boat Disadvantages: Standard of some boats, weather dependent, could get busy, some may find it a bit boring
Kizzy09 24.08.2009 ·
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Review of Norfolk Broads
Jun 8th, 2001
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