Boating on the Norfolk Broads
 

Ros and I have been looking into the possibility of buying a motor boat and renting a mooring on the Norfolk Broads to take weekend breaks with.

We don't really get to have holidays as such because of the shop commitments and the cats:eek:

So we do like to get weekend trips and had thought about a caravan but the idea of a two/four birth motor boat on the Broads is looking a very attractive idea .

The start of the Broads (Beccles, Lowestoft area) is only just over an hours drive from here so would be an ideal part of the Broads to think about basing a boat.

Anyone on here have a motor boat on the Broads (or elsewhere) can give us any advice on what we should be looking for ?

We have looked at boats around the £7,000 to £12,000 range and it seems moorings are charged by the foot and seem to range from £30 to £45 per foot per annum depending on site facilities .

There seem to be two types of boats available, ones that are inshore only with usually small H/P Diesel engines and others that have larger H/P petrol or Diesel engines that can be used inshore or for taking out to Sea.

Bearing in mind we live on the coast I guess that a sea worthy craft maybe an idea should we ever get a bit more adventurous :eek:

Any opinions on that would be great as we are both novices and all advice will be taken on board pun intended.

We will be joining some relevant forums to see what's what as well and gain some insight into the boating world:}

Cheers in advance for any ideas/advice coming our way:bowdown:

This of any interest?

Go for it, life on the water slows to 4mph ideal to relax away from the daily frenetic grind, and unlike a caravan you can be underway while everyone has breakfast and gets ready for the day ahead, by the time you are all fed, washed, dressed you've arrived.

Didn't own one, hired for several years and enjoyed every one.

Your full of surprises Jeff:D

Forum
http://the-norfolk-broads.co.uk

Firstly have you tried boating on the broads? there's an enormous hire craft industry on the broads, which is good and bad for the private boater. It's your friend if you have not explored the broads before. Get yourself up there for a mid week break or two outside of the school holidays when prices are more sensible.
If your an old hand at the broads boating then obviously not required.

Forum noted above I can recommend. A bit old school like our forum...:D

Time to buy a boat is at end of season, eBay is your friend in this regard. Some broads boats listed on eBay come with a mooring if owner is totally selling up. Most you will need to find a mooring.

The more out of the way a mooring is, likely it will be cheaper. Key requirements are secure unlimited parking and relatively easy access. Mooring holders tend to look after each others boats when you are not there which is great.

My background comes from yearly hire craft holidays when I was a lad, followed by a fair few years on the tricky Thames Estuary, both sailing and power boating.
As a dad myself now several boating holidays in the recent past. Owned several trailer boats that I would haul to the broads and then take family out. Not recommended though especially with a young family, it is hard work..

Now buying a boat is both the pleasurable and where most pitfalls are.

Boats generally suffer from lack of use rather than too much.

My opinion - forget about seagoing craft and use. Big money if you want to do it safely and you need to be really dedicated and deep pockets. Also a decent seagoing craft does not make a good broads boat and vice versa.

Your budget will get you something for broads use. Depending how much luxury or back to basics you want a 21/24 footer with a decent four stroke outboard engine might suffice. Advantage of a decent outboard is that it can be removed and taken away for servicing. Many boatyard moorings for instance insist that you use them for maintenance. An inboard engine requires any experts to come to your boat. Ex hire craft sometimes appear for sale at the top end of your budget.

There's a MOT type licence you have to have for almost any craft except open rowing boats. You will normally see when advertised how much ticket is left.
The test is mainly about gas fittings and things of a toiletry:D nature.
Test does develop over time so you need to keep pace with changes.

Finding a boat that will give you turn key reliability out of the box is fraut with danger.

I have been out of the broads boating loop for a couple of years now.

Buying from the boating industry on broads is mighty expensive / overpriced.

Moorings are sought after but available, money talks.
Starting points to get a feel for buying and nowt else is Wroxham, (dreadful place) but not bad on a sunny day and lots of boatyards about.

Very good used boat sales at Potter Heigham bridge or used to be. Still generally overpriced and some rubbish amongst them but you just walk on the pontoons and can look at your leisure.

Do weigh up the merits of buying and ongoing costs against hiring when ever you like. Your budget would buy a lot of broads holidays without the hassle and responsibility of ownership.

I know you have the Norwich mafia in place with different types of expertise as well as your electrical expertise

Discuss it here and get a feel for the other forums available, Happy for you to PM me. Likewise with time on my hands at the moment happy to view with you anything of interest. I believe the only other broads boat owner on here is Guru who is still about from time to time. He got his boat from eBay and I am sure could be a source of much information.

Get everything right and it is a wonderful sublime place, believe what some people thing (normally based on teen booze holidays or visiting Wroxham on a mega hot summer sunday) you will think it is a place to avoid.

Will add to this thread further thoughts as I remember them!

Sounds like fun! This any good for you?

https://images-eu.ssl-images-amazon....9wC3nc%2BL.jpg

But I guess you're looking for something slightly bigger...:getmecoat:

If you have not been on the Broads it is worth taking a 10 days holiday to explore the South and North Broads. In my view the North are more picturesque but busier. However if your mooring is at Beccles etc it is a long old drag over Breydon Water and up the river Bure if you want to explore the northern broads. If you are going to spend only a few days at a time on the boat I would definitely fining a mooring in the north. The north is a nice mixture of rivers and Broads

We hired three times, off season around 15 /20 years ago - between caravans. We enjoyed it, but had our fill of it. Hiring is I would suggest the way to go, to see if you even like it first. It was very nice starting up on a morning and having breakfast being cooked whilst still on the go.

The Broads was always where my parents liked to spend holidays, never on boats, we couldn't afford it - but because my father's family originated there.

Rather than hire from an agency, ring one of the boatyards direct to discuss hire I was told. Many are/were summer boats only - no heating available except from the engine coolant. Some had an FBH or gas heating - a point to check if you intend early/late summer/ winter use. Manoeuvring in strong wind can be difficult too :eek:.

I see so many bought, once loved and then neglected boats around.

You cannot beat a caravan, for an impromptu few days away, especially if it is parked in your drive ready to use at a moments notice. Mooring fees put us off buying a boat, site fees put us off having a static, having a motor-home parked in the drive doing mostly nothing, put us off those. The caravan only costs us the initial cost, plus occasional parts and a bit of extra fuel when we use it. The rest of the time it costs only depreciation and we all love it. A comparable boat would be much smaller in space.

If you are thinking of getting one Jeff, you need to consider the non boating types, (like me) on the first day, trying to park it outside the pub. :eek:
Get one with lots of those dangly balls down the side, mate. ;)

Hi all,

Probably didn't fill you in fully but I have some experience of boating on the Broads as have done it a few times.

Also have some sailing experience over the years as my Dad was in the Navy and his brother is a very keen sailor and lives on the Isle of Wight so have been brought up around sailing craft .

However, we don't want a sailing craft (far too lazy for all that nonsense :D) so a motor craft is what we would like.
Don't want to be hiring, been there and done that so would very much like our own boat which will be our little treat for ourselves and a weekend get away .

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:bowdown:

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:}

I have no useful information to add as the only boat I've been on was either water skiing a cruise or a cross channel ferry:duh: Saying that though you can't go wrong with one of these beauties, that way you'll always have mooring space as everybody else will NAUGHTY WORD-NAUGHTY WORD-NAUGHTY WORD-NAUGHTY WORD-NAUGHTY WORD-NAUGHTY WORD- off when they see you coming:D