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From our launching site at Reedham Ferry we planned to explore the River Yare in our 13ft Torch dinghy with the family aboard. As I went to check on the launching ramp next to our campsite I noticed a sign that detailed the Broads Authority By-laws and in particular a scale of charges for use of the waterway. It had several points of interest so I will include some extracts here.
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Motor |
Sail |
Visiting
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7 days |
14 days |
7 days |
14 days |
4m (13'2") and under
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£9.10
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£13.00
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7.60
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£10.80
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5m (16'5") and under |
£11.17 |
£16.70 |
£7.60 |
£10.80 |
6m (19'9")
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£14.13
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£20.40
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£7.60
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£10.80 |
7m (23'0"
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£16.90
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£24.10
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£8.90
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£12.70
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The list continues but these figures cover sizes of interest to us. It can be seen that a craft just under 20ft staying for a fortnight will get the best bargain. Having any kind of mechanical propulsion puts you in the motor category. For me, sailing a 13'-0" boat for about 3 days it was going to be relatively expensive (if that is how you regard £7.60!). I suppose that you could say the tolls were encouraging me to stay longer to get better value.
Some other figures were also interesting: Sailboards, Rowboats, punts and canoes. 7 days £4.60, 14 days £6.00
Now I did spend almost as much time rowing as sailing so if I had not put up my mast I might have saved myself £3.00!
The Annual Tolls provided some explanation as to why the hire cruisers tend to be rectangular in shape, and trimarans are never seen. They are charged by the Block Area which is Overall length x Beam (fractions of a metre being discarded).
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But for all HIRE boats prices were +200% added to the above tolls. Ouch! I wondered what it was like to live on a houseboat of less than 5sq. metres for a season?
I was digesting these figures and questioning my honesty when, at the end of the scales I read the most important point of all. The fine for not paying was up to £1,000. As soon as I saw this I remembered my ecological wish to contribute towards the upkeep of the Broads rather than the judicial system, I therefore endeavoured to discover a way to pay and so embarked on another little voyage of discovery.
Initially I was directed towards the Post Office in Reedham village which is about 2 miles away from Reedham Ferry. Once I had found the waterfront and the Post Office I was referred to the Harbourmaster who had a little hut but could usually be found in the more comfortable seat of his 'office' which was his car parked beside the hut. I would be able to recognise him by his white shirt uniform. I tracked him down and he was most helpful although I gathered the impression that arranging such payments was not a commonplace event. He popped off to the local shop and came back with some spare paper for me to write down the details of myself and the boat and then he asked me to return in 20-30 minutes when all the paperwork would have been sorted out. I wandered off into the shop so I could observe through the window what the next stage in the process would be. The processing went on in his 'office'.
Returning after the required interval to be greeted most warmly, I was given two large self-adhesive registration numbers for the bows of my boat and an information newspaper about the Broads which amongst other things gave me the basic tidal information from which all calculations are made. The really important figures are the times of LOW water at Great Yarmouth. I asked what the tidal difference for Reedham would be and although this specific term seemed new to the Harbourmaster he immediately gathered its meaning and told me that it is two and a half hours later at Reedham.
Off I went to stick my huge numbers on the boat to proclaim my legal status and to plan what sailing I might undertake according to the tidal conditions. Now my first query was why do they have LOW water times as their basic tool, rather than high water times that I am so accustomed to? The answer was to be found in the rest of that free newspaper. The whole Broads system is in two basic sections, the North (River Bure and its tributaries) and the South (Rivers Yare and Waveney with their tributaries). They are linked by one narrow channel at Great Yarmouth. To pass from one system into the other you must arrive at Yarmouth at Low water or shortly thereafter, having used the ebb to go down and then use the incoming flood to propel yourself into the new sailing area.
It has been my general experience with sea sailing that the greater the tidal difference I am applying, then the less reliable the resulting figures become. Two and a half hours is quite a lot to apply, but with the narrowness of the waterway comes an improved degree of precision and my (all too brief) observations appeared to confirm the accuracy of the predictions. The tidal flow was quite strong at Reedham and I assume that the closer to the sea you go, the greater the flow will become.
I think that the outstanding single message for anyone new to the Broads is don't underestimate the technical difficulties. Sailing will require constant mental and physical effort, because no sooner do you set the boat going on one course, than you are having to plan the next change, to avoid running out of water or almost immediately having to take account of some obstruction.
The wind may be bending the tops of the trees and the leaves will be rushing louder than waves breaking on the shore but at water level, deep in the groove formed by the reeds it may be almost calm especially if the wind is across the river. Wind shifts can be more then 90° in a matter of seconds and to make progress you have to concentrate hard and work every shift. Wind shadows can be deep and calm, yet if you turn a bend to allow the wind to blow along the river, you will be exposed to its full force and waves will be raised according to the length of the fetch. You go from one extreme to the other, quickly.
My 13ft Torch dinghy can be comfortably rowed at significant speed even with the family aboard so we make passages under sail and oar. I would guess that anyone having an outboard with them would be sorely tempted to use the engine in the light patches, then as the wind is so inconsistent keep the motor going, until they find themselves making the whole journey under engine, rather than the majority under sail. Similarly, great self-discipline is also needed in very narrow channels against an adverse wind if the journey is to be sailed.
Then there are the ever present hire boats. Bless 'em. Many crews will be inexperienced and they will have been instructed that they must drive on the right and pass you on that side. In some cases they will go to absolute extremes in order to do this. Some appear to have no knowledge of the restrictions of sailing boats and they find it difficult to overtake you in the restricted channels when you are tacking. They almost always wait patiently and, under such circumstances it is advisable to give them some indication about what action you would like them to take, by waving them through at the appropriate moment. They are usually most willing to cooperate and there is a good spirit of camaraderie with lots of friendly waving.
A couple of gear modifications in the dinghy are worthy of consideration. On true tidal waters I like the security of my big anchor and chain, but it is hardly appropriate on the Broads. A couple of much smaller ronde anchors would be more handy for securing to the shore.
Perhaps of greater importance is to carry at least one big fender and appropriate warps. If you intend to stop at a town or village you will find yourself going alongside sheet piling or other craft and 'real' fenders can save much anxiety. There is often constant wash from passing traffic.
18, Colegate Norwich NR3 1BQ Tel. (01603) 610734 |
I would conclude with the news that the Broads is still big enough for solitude to be found; for the gentle pace of nature to be rediscovered. Life in the villages goes on at human speed, people have time to talk and time to assist. The nautical scene of water, wildlife and windmills seems timeless and has to be experienced, not read about in articles, to be fully appreciated.
Bill
Copyright 2001/4 Small Sailboats.
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