Boating on the Norfolk Broads

[Lancpudn]

Boating on the Norfolk broads sounds like a great place to see some great countryside..........I can see it now.

[Weso]

I was looking at boats with inboard engines but take on board what you said Mark about outboard engines and that does make a lot of sense, not only that but diesel fumes and Ros don't mix well so a petrol outboard may be a win win solution .

Also I was looking at moorings nearest to home but then chugging along at a leisurely pace to get anywhere we want to go does seem a bit silly so I'll take that advice onboard and we will expand our search for moorings further up stream so to speak

We have friends who have their boat moored at Potter Heigham and they have said there is very good boat sales there so we are going to pop along and see them and take a look at what's on offer.

Not sure whether we will buy a boat that way or privately but we shall see.
We might just take you up on that offer of coming along to take a look at some point Mark

Will probably buy 'off season' as you say so we don't end up paying more than we need and it will all depend on when we can get along to see what's available.

Thanks everyone for all their advice so far (keep it coming) and if we see anything we will let you know[/QUOTE]

Would add with the speed limits on almost every part of the broads horse power is not really a requirement. Anything from about 23 foot upwards is likely to have a diesel inboard and they make perfect sense really. Virtually the entire hire fleet is or was powered by the Perkins 4108 lump. They go on forever and when normally governed to about 1600 rpm are fantastically economical. They are however unrefined and noisy etc. Bear in mind hours on end at 1000rpm at approx 5 mph is all you need. Anything inboard petrol avoid, they are likely to be imported from the USA and likely to be in a boat totally unsuitable for 5mph. Petrol is also unsafe for boat use.
Exception to this is a decent 4 stroke petrol outboard, Honda and Yamaha the best. Something like a 7.5HP or 9.9HP up to about 15HP will power almost anything up to 28ft. The modern ones are whisper silent and economical. They are horrendously expensive to buy new but many of the boats in your budget will have one of these as the main power unit. 2 stroke outboards are to be avoided, one thing they hate is constant slow rev cruising for hours on end.

[The Rovering Member]

Had a great fortnight with my mates on the Broads when we turned twenty. Scorching weather & great fun. We had a spiffing home-made Jolly Roger on the back of our Hoseasons cruiser but forgot to take it in one night & some other pirates nicked it.
Halcyon days.

The missus & me both want to give it another crack sometime.

[Burwell Mike]

Hi Jeff, Go for it - you will not regret it. I have had the same boat for 40 years now and find it the perfect way of switching off at weekends (despite a bit of a drain on the wallet and need for diy maintenance!). We have been on the Broads, Thames and currently moored on the River Cam near Cambridge, but our favourite has always been the broads particularly outside the main holiday season.

Not a lot to add to all the good advice already given other than to make sure you have a current marine surveyors report with the boat (This is in addition to a current Boat Safety Certificate). Without this you might struggle to get insurance. You will need insurance to get a Broads Navigation licence.

Personal preference for broads cruising is the Horning, Barton, Stalham area because of a variety of nice weekend trips available. Downside is that this is more expensive than the South Broads and obviously a longer trip for you.

If you ever have an excuse to come over to the Cambridge area give me a shout and we can have a cruise to the local pub and talk boating stuff

Mike

[coolcat]

Any opinions on something like this ?

https://m.apolloduck.com/feature.phtml?id=476829&z=gb

Or this ?

https://m.apolloduck.com/feature.phtml?id=477879&z=gb

Or even this

https://m.apolloduck.com/feature.phtml?id=463757&z=gb

[coolcat]

This boat looks ideal but I'm worried as it only has a two cylinder outboard engine

http://www.broadlandyachtbrokers.co.uk/boats/507

[Burwell Mike]

There are a couple of Viking boats in my marina which look well built and easy to maintain. Owners are very pleased with them. Viking are also still in business which is a good sign. My preference would be the Viking over the Shetland as the extra couple of feet in length makes all the difference, especially when you are away for a few days, but Shetland have been around for many years and are also well made

The newer Viking 20 looks good, I am not too familiar with outboards (my old boat is still working on a 1964 Ford Zephyr engine!) but 15hp should be OK for pottering around the broads and two cylinders should not be a problem. It is not clear if the engine is two stroke or 4stroke. 4 stroke is smoother and cleaner but heavier and more complicated. Also need to consider if you are happy with manual start over convenience of electric.

One other thing to look at when you view boats is the condition of the cockpit hood. Vinyl hoods can start going brittle after 6+ years due to UV and are expensive to replace, possible negotiating point?

Good luck with your boat hunting

Mike

[coolcat]

Originally Posted by Burwell Mike

There are a couple of Viking boats in my marina which look well built and easy to maintain. Owners are very pleased with them. Viking are also still in business which is a good sign. My preference would be the Viking over the Shetland as the extra couple of feet in length makes all the difference, especially when you are away for a few days, but Shetland have been around for many years and are also well made

The newer Viking 20 looks good, I am not too familiar with outboards (my old boat is still working on a 1964 Ford Zephyr engine!) but 15hp should be OK for pottering around the broads and two cylinders should not be a problem. It is not clear if the engine is two stroke or 4stroke. 4 stroke is smoother and cleaner but heavier and more complicated. Also need to consider if you are happy with manual start over convenience of electric.

One other thing to look at when you view boats is the condition of the cockpit hood. Vinyl hoods can start going brittle after 6+ years due to UV and are expensive to replace, possible negotiating point?

Good luck with your boat hunting

Mike

Hi Mike,

Thanks for all the info Sir.
Might have to take you up on your offer some time for a punt down the river

The Viking 20 looks interesting to me and it's nice to have positive feedback from owners about their craft

The one in that advert shows a picture of the outboard engine so I'm guessing it's a four cylinder so it's getting to sound like an ideal type of craft.



Edit....
Just looked properly , says four stroke not four cylinder

[barney bear]

Originally Posted by coolcat

Any opinions on something like this ?

https://m.apolloduck.com/feature.phtml?id=476829&z=gb

Or this ?

https://m.apolloduck.com/feature.phtml?id=477879&z=gb

Or even this

https://m.apolloduck.com/feature.phtml?id=463757&z=gb

If it was me picking then I think I prefer the centre link, it seems to have everything you'll need plus a couple of spaces for friends to stay on board. However as previously said, I have no experience so I'm purely just going for looks and equipment

[coolcat]

Originally Posted by barney bear

However as previously said, I have no experience so I'm purely just going for looks and equipment

We aren't choosing partners down at the local discotheque you know Tony