The Toll for Puddle Marchers

The Broads Authority delivered its toll requests this week with more than 3000 emails being sent and some 7000 letters covering around 12,000 boats on the Broads.

As anyone would expect, the annual cost increased across the board again in 2020, with some boats commanding an eye-watering toll. Our flagship vessel has a bounty of almost £1300 as an example.

The delivery of this annual A4 envelope is never welcomed of course. The five-figure sum at the bottom of the totals column is a uncomfortable read. And it is at this time of year more than any other that I take a look at the Broads Authority and wonder what we get for all this money. Now, I use the word “we” in an all-encompassing way here; by no means do I mean just Freedom.

The BA takes a lot of stick for its activities and a great deal of it is wholesomely deserved; the waste within the authority is epic, its draconian approach to planning borders on self-harm for the area, and its cronyism is perhaps only topped by Downing Street: I don’t have a lot of time for BA policy and politics. However, I do feel that its River Tolls, whilst seemingly high, are very reasonable and I fully expect (and hope) to see a level of disagreement in the comments as I write these regular blogs in a way that should strike a chord with people, whether major or minor.

I should state at this point that I tend to write these blogs within an hour or two of them being published. In this case, I have absolutely no figures to back up any of my comments other than the well-known 1% rise in unpowered and hybrid tolls and 2.9% rise in powered craft. I don’t know what the BA budget is, I don’t know what money it receives from government. I do know what I have been told by BA workers and volunteers who see with their own eyes what goes on.    

Why are the BA tolls OK?

Let’s first start with a comparison between other waterways; it’s anecdotal but let’s not stop the lack of hard facts from being the basis of an argument.

A year or two back, I called a boatyard on another river system to see whether they could do me a cheap couple of days away as a kind of “trade discount”; obviously, I would not require a huge amount of their time in handovers and so on. I spoke to them about a boat they had that was the same as one of mine (mine has a more modern fit-out) but they are essentially the same. They were happy to move a little on the price for me but their absolute bottom line was still considerably higher that our advertised price for the same boat for the same weekend. I explained this and they told me what their annual toll alone was for that boat and I was taken aback. If I call our tolls eye-watering, theirs would be like having Ridley Scott’s Alien burst out of your chest.

And it’s the same on most (perhaps all) other navigations; the BA tolls are low when you work in comparison terms. There are 125 miles of navigable river here on the Broads. That’s a lot of water to manage and, of course, the BA is responsible for rather more than just the navigable elements. The tolls give unrestricted use of the Free 24 hour moorings (65 at current count, so as an average, one collection of free moorings for every 1.93 miles of river), does dredging (though not as much as many would like), maintains banks, recovers abandoned and sunken vessels, and a whole heap of other stuff.

Toll Trols

I don’t want anybody to start thinking that I am a fan of the BA; I am not, but I am fair with my criticism. There are many things that the BA is justly criticised of and being a virtually unregulated, unelected quango that appears unanswerable to anybody is the root of most of this criticism. But then again, we elect town and county councils and then sit back and do nothing but moan about their conduct for four years and then re-elect the very same people that we’ve just spent the last 48 months moaning about. Considering this, I have a complete lack of expectation that actually having the BA become an elected bunch of officials would change anything deep down. If there’s one thing the UK electorate needs to learn is that few things vilify politicians more than re-election.

I happen to think that the BA Tolls provide the best value for money of any navigation in the UK. And whilst I know there is much waste within the BA and that this undoubtedly inflates the costs which are already high, I appreciate too that the costs of maintenance do nothing but rise also. However, the enjoyment offered by the Broads each year is immeasurable whether you own or hire boats or even just cycle, walk or drive around.

Boat ownership 'ain't cheap

If you own a boat, you will appreciate that it’s rarely something that a low-earner can afford. It’s a privilege and privileges have a cost attached.  If you hire boats, you’re quite possibly better off than some of us who own them as they are often seen as floating holes that you drop £50 notes into; indeed, there is a phrase that was told to me by a director of a large tobacco company a few years ago. It was told to him by an Arab Prince, “if it flies, floats or fornicates, rent it”. (NB, he didn’t use the word, “fornicate”). I am told by people I know who fly that planes are even more expensive to own; there is no way that you will be seeing Freedom Flights Ltd any time soon.

Back to the BA tolls which I don’t like paying but accept we all have to for the privilege of using the rivers. The dropping of that tolls demand each March on your doormat (or Ping in your inbox if you have gone green) is never welcomed, but you know it’s coming and you know it will be at least as expensive as last year and you have had 12 months to prepare for it.

If it’s happening to you, don’t go crazy over it; get mad over all the “burning injustices” in our country and around the world long before you let a bill from the Broads Authority ruin your day.


Visit www.FreedomBoatingHolidays.co.uk to book your broads boating holiday. 

  

Winter Boat Hire on the Norfolk Broads

Why would anybody want to have a Norfolk boating holiday in winter? 

It’s a curious question and not unlike others, such as, why do some people like Marmite or why is it always only the Toffee Coins left in a box of Quality Street.

Not everybody is the same. As I write this, Storm Ciara is battering my home on one of the few hills on the Norfolk Broads and being three storeys up also makes me very happy for our central heating. I toyed with the idea of doing a video blog earlier. I thought about going down by the river with the camera but I just couldn’t muster the enthusiasm to get dressed up in warm clothes, lace up the walking boots and drag my sorry backside out of the door; it’s just too uninviting outside today.

However, I have heard plenty of people passing the house and have even seen videos from Robin Shepard on Facebook down at Gorleston Pier at 8am showing me moving pictures of why I prefer to be indoors today.

Whilst Robin and many others are quite happy to get out there, I am not and this simply serves to highlight how different we all are.

Our winters have certainly become milder over the last few years and, apart from a blip two years ago when the Beast from the East left snowdrifts for three or more weeks, we have seen very little very cold weather recently (though it doesn’t stop my teenage children from moaning how cold it is outside despite the mercury reading eight or more degrees). 

A question of demand

Thurne Mill at Sunset - Feb 7th 2020

The actual dates of winter (and other seasons, I guess) often confuse people. Around these parts, Winter begins on the 22^nd December and ends on the 20^th March, or there abouts depending on the year. So, February is technically mid-winter (in astronomical terms) but it is generally this month that sees the demand for winter holidays pick up. By way of illustration, I was at Thurne Mill just a couple of sunsets ago and there were three hire boats moored up when I arrived and a further two cruised in before I left. If you think about it, that’s quite busy for an out-of-season mid-week.

Freedom’s cruiser bookings start this year at the end of next week with four boats booked and we have already sent our first day hire boats of 2020 out yesterday. I believe I am right in saying that we are the only yard on the Southern Broads to offer Winter Boating Holidays. I am sure someone will correct me if I am wrong, but with so few of us left down south, it’s quite easy to keep up. 

But what’s the attraction of Winter?

Leaving today aside (which has turned into a monsoon, let me tell you),  there are a few key features to an out-of-season Broads Boating Holiday:

In no particular order:

• Cost. February and March are typically the cheapest time you can have a boating break on the Broads
• Wildlife. The Broads is the UK’s largest wetland area and attracts many migrants that you simply can’t see during the Summer as they simply aren’t here. Other species also appear that are more hidden during times of more human activity.
• Weather. As already explored, not everybody is put off by the fact that the temperature isn’t in double figures. And, it’s not always cold either.
• Solitude: you just can’t beat. Whilst there might have been five hire boats in Thurne dyke one evening this week, that’s a fraction of the actual capacity of that inlet which is usually heaving in summer, so much so that spaces are rarely available after 3pm.

Waking up at a mooring with absolutely nobody else about is wonderful. It is truly magical if there’s fresh snowfall too; the only footprints being those of animals. The header image of this blog really conveys this, I think. This was a February morning in 2019 with a stunning sunrise. The absolute peace and quiet of a winter on the river with nobody else around is unbeatable and virtually unattainable during Spring, Summer and Autumn when there’s always someone around.

Winter considerations

Winter holidays do pose more problems to a hire boatyard. The key one is power; as the days are shorter and colder, there is a bigger demand for power for lighting and heating and so the risks of customers running batteries down increases. There’s also the possibility that people will want to cruise after sunset as the days are short; this, if you didn’t know, is illegal.   

Our main restriction is that during Greenwich Mean Time, we don’t allow boats to turn north at Reedham or St Olaves to gain access to Burgh Castle, Berney Arms, Yarmouth and so on. We are often asked why this is and the answer is quite simple; Safety and Access. If you run into any kind of problem around in these hard-to-get-at places, our ability to get to you is significantly decreased as there are just so few boats out there to help.  Also, we are typically subjected to stronger tides with bigger highs and lower lows.

What about a Christmas holiday?

Each year, we have to fend off a number of enquiries for Christmas and New Year boat hire. I guess we could probably have half the fleet out if we were prepared to open; which we are not. For a small boat hire business, the main boating season is a full-on work-fest of cleaning, repairs, maintenance and other related tasks. We simply have to stop some time so that we can carry out big repairs, paint boats and so on. And, crucially, we also need get a decent holiday of our own. Sorry folks, but we will not hire holiday cruisers in December or January though we may offer day boats depending on the situation at the boatyard.

Oh, and the Quality Street Toffee Coins? Traditionally, we left them for my Grandad who loved them and made us all laugh when they stuck to his false teeth.


You can reserve a holiday directly off our web site: www.FreedomBoatingHolidays.co.uk

Ready for a rut - the role of stag and hen parties on the Norfolk Broads

Why Stag and Hen Parties are important to the hireboat industry.

Each year you will see people moaning on social media about a group of men on a boat having fun. Sometimes that fun is at the cost of someone else’s enjoyment, probably by bad behaviour and occasionally through being drunk in charge of a vessel.

You rarely read the stories about the 20 or more groups of people that go out most spring and summer weekends from the likes of Herbert Woods, Richardsons, Barnes and ourselves at Freedom who cause no problems whatsoever and who are thoroughly nice, normal people. The fact is that nobody wants to hear about normal; abnormal is what makes us get on our soap-boxes 

In fact, reading some facebook groups, forums and such might have you believe that the Broads is awash with badly behaved people hiring boats and getting up the hooters of others. This isn’t the case at all and, in the grand scheme of things, it’s fair to say that Stag and Hen groups cause relatively few problems on the waterways and in the pubs.

I would argue that rather than malign these groups, we need to embrace them. My experience of hiring boats to these groups for over a decade is that they are generally courteous, decent people looking to create a memorable celebration for a friend. They are rarely yobs but more commonly respectable people and the Broads needs them just as much as it needs family groups.

The boat yards need parties of people to hire their larger boats and these groups are typically away with friends for a weekend away; rarely are they particularly large family groups. Stags and Hens generally keep our larger boats in regular use and are responsible for a not insignificant amount of revenue.

The pubs and restaurants need them too. A round of drinks for 10 people will come to at least £40 and a sit-down meal will produce vital revenue that a seasonal business needs to survive and be there for seasons to come.

The Broads needs them too. A huge number of people visiting the Broads in a group have been before – as children. Their memories of childhood holidays on a boat are brought to the fore and the likelihood of them coming back with their families increases.

We are all guilty

It is easy to sit back and have a moan about a rowdy crowd; we have all done it. But how many times have you done the same about a couple of children who are running around without any parental guidance? What’s the difference?

You might say that the children don’t know any better and are just being children; you might be right. However, the parents should know a lot better and for whatever reason aren’t properly looking after their offspring. But here’s the crux of the argument; you don’t see people making a point on Facebook about this or local newspaper headlines like “twins, aged 11 and 13, run amok at the Saddlers Arms” (that’s the kind of journalism we have come to know in these parts, by the way). 

I think people choose to malign Stag and Hen parties because they are easy targets. Some of us have forgotten how to have fun (and I think some of us never really learned). Some of us are always looking for peace and quiet and don’t want to be disturbed. Some of us want to have a good time and are vocal about doing so. In this world, we can’t please everybody all of the time and as much as many of us try, letting our hair down occasionally is always likely to have a negative effect on someone. That is a fact of life and just because you are on holiday, it doesn’t give you a right as such. Life is about a bit of give and take, surely.  

There are, of course, lines that shouldn’t be crossed and when they are, steps need to be taken to curb bad behaviour and they are. Did you know that Broads Beat asks all boatyards to inform them of stag, hen and single-sex parties arriving for boats? Or that most boatyards take a significant deposit from such groups? These measures are mostly precautionary but give the law enforcers a head’s up should anything go wrong.

What’s more, as a company, we want to know about bad behaviour. There have been many cases where we have intervened and re-read the rule book to people that have strayed into areas of unacceptable behaviour and do you know what? Most of these cases involve family groups or others that you would not necessarily expect, rather than Stags and Hens.

If you are organising a Hen or Stag party, we have some Hen and Stag Party guidelines on our web site that you should take a look at.

Your views and comments are welcome as ever. 

Stag image credit:  Tj Holowaychuk

Walking Pace is flawed

Speed

Calculating your speed in a boat is challenging, especially if you’re not used to it. What’s worse is that there are many written resources out there that will throw you off too. For instance, you’re likely to read elsewhere that you travel at walking pace. The Broads Authority suggests this, so it must be right, right?

I have a counter argument to this idea of travelling at walking page.

I am sure this is the advice given in many places as it’s a relatively simple thing to understand. However, I am not sure it’s too helpful. Whereas this might be an easy to thing to understand comprehend (everybody understands walking pace, right?), it is important to fully recognise that  walking pace is very individual.

We are all individual (rip Terry Jones)

An average fit 20 year old walks about 75% faster than the average 80 year old. In general, if you assume that you walk at between 2-3mph, you’re not going to be far out. But, even this 1mph difference gives a margin of being a third faster or slower. Step onto a boat, cast off and you now have an additional problem of judgement because you are invariably looking at a reference point on the bank as it’s the only fixed thing to compare. That reference is a number of metres away so parallax issues creep in too.

I have heard some people argue that that the difference between 2 and 4mph is negligible anyway, but you would be wrong. It might be slow, but 4mph is double 2mph – that’s 100% faster. Expressed like this and you begin to see the importance. And for the record, it’s usually those people I have had reported to me for speeding that make these and other claims (your honour).

The effects of speed

Speed has a direct correlation with wash. The faster you spin the propeller, the more it digs the rear of the boat into the water, the more turbulence is created and the greater the wash. Wash has many important factors that are environmentally bad; a heavy wash will cause bank erosion, it upsets other river users (just imagine spilling boiling water all over yourself as some plank hurtles past you whist you’re making tea), causes damage to boats and can kill wildlife. This might sound fanciful, but consider the possibilities of wash causing eggs to fall from nests, Kingfisher nests being flooded with helpless young inside and so on.

More than ever, we have a responsibility to look after our environment and by committing fewer selfish acts like speeding on the Broads, we are all doing out bit.

How to properly measure speed.

Historically, hire boats have been fitted with a plaque at the helm that gives you am idea of the speed when the engine is doing specific speeds as shown on the rev counter. Historically, this was about the best measure that was necessary and it still works today. It is arguably much better than the idea of gauging walking pace to my way of thinking. But still, it is of course, prone to considerable error, particularly if you are being pushed along by a 3mph current and have the revs set at what the plaque tells you is 6mph. You’re probably doing 8, that’s a 25% increase.

These days, there is no excuse. Your smart phone will have a full GPS receiver built in to it (I don’t think there has been a smartphone device since the introduction of the iPhone 3G in 2008 that hasn’t). What’s a little more difficult though is finding an app that is capable of measuring such low speeds because many road-based mapping systems aren’t concerned with anything below 5mph.

Aweigh - Map View

There are a number of apps that are designed for boating though. Until recently, we were recommending Sail Droid for Android devices. But in summer 2019 a killer app was launched for Norfolk Broads boaters and that app is Aweigh.

Up, up and Aweigh. 

So, what makes this the best app for your boating holiday? The key attraction is that it is actually designed for the Norfolk Broads. It shows where you are on a live map, gives you tide data (for the current day only), emergency numbers should you need them, access to What Three Words and, crucially for this blog, your current speed.

Download it and become familiar with its simple user interface before you arrive on holiday and you won’t have any rangers waving speed paddles at you or pulling you over for a quiet word….  

Aweigh is available in the App Store and Google Play and is entirely free to download. It comes highly recommended.

Aweigh - environmental data

And, if you are wondering over the spelling, it isn't some random cleverness on the part of the developer; it is a naultical term referencing the anchor of a vessel. Most of us would have heard Hollywood captains giving the instruction to "weigh anchor", but fewer would have seen this written. To Weigh Anchor means to begin to raise the anchor and so begin a voyage. At the point that the anchor is free of the sea or river bed, it is said to be aweigh.