BROADSMAN from Richardsons Hire Fleet on the Norfolk Broads at Stalham
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- čas přidán 20. 04. 2019
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A no frills look at the Broadsman A class of boat and particularly, Broadsman 8. It's not about me, as so many boat reviews are, and the boat can be seen in its raw used state...yes, we haven't cleaned it. A great craft so if your looking for a boat that sleeps right and want a little luxury then this is it...and it can get through all the bridges...at times and you can hire this craft direct from Richardson's of Stalham who I thoroughly recommend :)
Nice boat tour my friend. I know zilch about any boat bigger than a canoe but I imagine it's a great way to enjoy a holiday.
Yes, it's an amazing holiday. The Broads is not the Great Lakes but its waterways are one of the UK's hidden gems whether by boat or by car...although the boat wins hands down for me :)
@@JimFraser1 Yes, that sounds like a great way to travel. Slow travelling to really enjoy the scenery. I would love to do that. All I need is a captain to drive the boat for me LOL Thanks for your response my friend.
well we did get on our broads holiday on BROADSMAN 1 the back bedroom window leaked the entire fortnight so we got wet feet and had to go in to the front bedroom and listen to the Bow slap all night which kept us awake most of the time especially on the southern broads, weve put a complaint in to Hoseasons, and we did tell Richardsons about it but they didnt seem to be all that bothered, despite the wet weather we had a great time, even moored up at St Olaves, Reedham, and the Waveney river centre
Hi Anthony, thanks for adding a comment...which was four months ago and I have just seen it. I feel for you with regards your complaint. Such an issue of a leaking window is not good and clearly impacted your holiday. However, if I may, I too have had issues with boats I have hired, albeit rarely. What I have found, and particularly with Richardsons, that day or night they will repond to a fault and even send their service and maintenace staff out to any location on the Broads river system to deal with the issue. I am aware tgat the craft I am hiring is not always looked after well by previous hirers and as such, have to accept from time to time that a fault may occurr.
I hope that this experience has not detracted from taking future holidays on the boats or indeed, from Richarcsons themself. i myself are back on board for a week at the end of April 21 and as such, have chosen an older craft that better suites our sleeping arrangements. My family and myself will miss the more luxury and modern feel of a Broadsman class craft but watch this space...I will report on that craft and try to do it without the coveted 'just been burgled' look about it.
Thank you again for your comment and view of the Broadsman class series of boats, of which there are many.
If you don’t like the sound of water on the hull perhaps you shouldn’t choose a boating holiday 🤣
We went on that exact boat just over 6 years ago. Compared to the margerine tub we had a few years prior this was the ritz. A bit pricey but with the broads you pay for what you get.
I have used Richardson many times,but like most boat company's on the broads,the prices charged are now far to high,to the point that as much as I like the broads,I can't justify the cost so I won't be going again.
Swan radiance has a fuel and water gauge too but she doesn't have the toilet tank gauge,
we managed to have our holiday last September on BROADSMAN and we had the mechanic out numerous times as the canopy kept coming off its tracks, and the back cabin kept leaking through the window every time it rained and soaked the end of the bed
That's not good and such a shame to hear this. We as a family have just got back from a week on an older Richardsons boat, Tobago. The boat was great but developed a fuel leak. I didnt get the chance to film it as I normally would do because as soon as we got our stuff off it, it was taken away. I ended up spending £250 on fuel including fuel deposit only to get back £54 at the end. Is it that Richardson's arr cutting corners with the maintenance of the boats to save money?
have all the broadsman boats got the same things as we've got the pet friendly broadsman next year for 2 weeks we was going to have commodore but chose broadsman, as we was unsure about commodore going under bridges, and if we can manage to handle broadsman then well have commodore next, we had our very first broads boating adventure last year and we had Swan radiance from richardsons, so as you can see we've upgraded already lol
Hi Anthony. Another good question that I cannot fully answer. I would probably be right in saying yes, as Richardsons do tend to normalise their individual fleet. You are, though, very wise to have chosen Broadsman over Commodore for a two week trip. Broadsman will pass under nearly all the bridges on the Broads subject to normal tidal conditions. Broadsman will also pass under Potter Higham Bridge under lower than average low tides (but I wouldn't bank on there being one when you go so don't schedule a trip through that bridge.
If you had taken Commodore, which is a nice boat if you like the great out doors, and particularly for a 1 week trip, then you would have missed going under Wroxham and Beccles Bridges, and the stunning scenery that is had above them.
Have a great trip (jealous am I), and I hope the quick run through I did has done your ride justice :)
@@JimFraser1I meant to ask if all the broadsman boats have the electric winches, I know Richardson have 2 categories for the Broadsman which are A and P but dont know which is the pet friendly ones, however by the sound of it you would think the cat P would be the pet ones but who knows with Richardson with which ones they allocated as the pet ones
Hi again Anthony. Your not wrong regards which category of boat allows pets, and that's a question I don't have the answer for. However, the canopy on the Broadsman boats is very heavy and therefore I would imagine that the canopy on your chosen boat is electric. May I suggest to you that you give them a call. I have always found Richardson's staff to be very friendly and informative, and that may just give you the info your looking for. Don't get me wrong, I love a good question and also love answering them, but I admit to not having all the answers. :)
great video , it looks a nice boat , but abit too expensive for us , i don't think i'd like to take young children on board with that back , it looks abit dangerous unless you keep an eye on them all the time , you certainly like your chocolate lol , there's certainly plenty of storage , brilliant .
Jesus. Talk about over-packing. Did you arrive in a Hercules?
Nobody on this boat called Jesus...LOL! Yes, it happens every year and even when we go camping...nobody listens to me regards packing, but we are a rather large family (five kids ranging from 19 through to 3 years) so it's only to be expected. I will say that our Broadsman handled it really well and yes, we could have packed it all away and folded up the bags...but we were on Holiday!!! :)
How did you manage to make it across Breydon Water in the first day? What was the tide situation?
Hi James. Generally you will collect your craft after 2pm on your very first day, so you won't make Breydon Water that evening.
What we did was head for an overnight at Acle Bridge and hit the Bridge Inn for some food. However, the tides were just right for us as we set off the following morning on an outgoing tide to take us the two and a half hours down to Breydon. We did stop at Stokesby on the way; not many moorings there but little play park for the kids (and the adults) to stop them going stir crazy. Downstream from Stokesby there is no moorings until Yarmouth Yacht station.
So, the tides were kind to us. However, whenever I have gone I have always crossed to the southern Broads, but adjusted my route accordingly.
Best tide table to use is www.norfolk-broads.org/tides/tide_report.asp as you can adjust the dates to when you plan to go and start to think ahead.
Have fun!
will broadsman go under Potter Higham old bridge?
Hi. Only when there are exceptionally low tides. If you are looking to go under Potter Higham bridge as a must, I would choose another craft so as not to be disappointed. However, there are not many large craft that can pass through these days to my knowledge. On an upbeat note, Broadsman will pass through all other bridges, save for the odd exceptional high tide.
is there a marine shore to boat electric power cable onboard broadsman?
Another great question Anthony and sorry, I forgot to point this out in my video...but I was excited to be on holiday on a great boat and on the Norfolk Broads, so I will excuse myself. Yes, Broadsman A definitely has a shore power cable. I must admit that for our week over Easter we never used it. Batteries remained good but we were doing a lot of cruising, this probably helping to keep them charged. But don't ask me how to turn on the shore power at the posts at the quay. I believe you need to purchase some sort of smart card...but don't quote me on that.
@@JimFraser1 yes you do need to purchase electric cards which cost £1 each, ive just made my last payment for the pet friendly broadsman for next year so our countdown as now begun for our second broads adventure as we had Swan radiance last year and we found it so easy for our first time we decided to try a larger boat, Richardson made me laugh as I messaged them asking if all their broadsman boats had mechanical mud weight winches as its not mentioned in their brochures and their reply was none of the broadsman boats have the mechanical winches for mud weights, even though I knew I had seen this system on broadsman but couldn't remember where and it was this vlog I seen it, I dont think the staff know what their boats have, last year they said swan radiance didn't have a shore electric cable and after me taking one there was one already onboard, cant wait for Sept 2020 looking forward to seeing how broadsman handles and how easy she is to Moor up
September 2020 for us too
@@liamsmalley9997 what date and what boat?
@@tonyp011 7th september 2 weeks, tobago :)
On Broadsman 6 just now. Superb boat, gutted the sun set and curtailed our first day. Buzzing noise when moared up for the night... is it normal?
On the two times we have hired Broadsman, never heard a buzzing noise. The engine is at the rear so is noise greater in rear cabin? Richardson's will send maintenance staff to you where ever you are on the Broads if it's a problem.
@@JimFraser1 Thanks for the reply. It’s actually in the main bedroom - sounds like a whirring noise. Is it some sort of pump perhaps?
@@RonsterRoo sounds like tap water pump. Turn it off...there is a switch either on the helm panel or in the electric panel near the rear door...but dont forget to turn it on again in the morning to get water out of your taps.
@@JimFraser1 Turned out it was resolved by switching off the satellite system, thing must have been rotating looking for a signal due to the tree cover here. Glad I found it, I’d have been insane by the end of our holiday otherwise, what a racket!!
Where’s your advice for mooring at Great Yarmouth for a day?
Can you get to Lowestoft beccles and geldeston on that boat ? Iv got family in all 3 of them places i currently live in Rutland now was thinking about hiring for a week
Hi. Yes, the Broadsman class of boat can reach those areas and under normal tides it will pass under Beccles Bridge to reach Geldeston. However, my only advice is to keep a close eye on the slack water times to cross Breydon Water.
If you've not hired a boat before on the Broads, Breydon Water is the large expanse of water near Great Yarmouth that divides the southern and northern Broads river system. If you are coming down from the Northern Broads and Stalham it's best to choose an outgoing tide to cruise with down to Yarmouth itself. If you dont, and you try and cruise to Yarmouth with a incoming flood tide, you are going to rip through your fuel and it will take longer in travel time. If you cruise down your Yarmouth and get the right time, just at low water or, better still, one hour after low water then you get slack water to cross Breydon.
At slack water the tide is turning and as you pass onto the Southern Broads you pick up a flood tide that you cruise with...and in your case, up the River Waveney to the left as you get across Breydon.
Obviously, definitely need to think then about the return journey to the Northern Broads and again, thoroughly recommend getting a slack tide on Breydon in order to get the flood tide to take you back up the Bure towards Stalham or Wroxham.
However, top tip here; if you are thinking of overnight at Great Yarmouth and its Yacht Station when heading back north, anytime two hours before low water is good...you get the outgoing tide to take you across Breydon and you punch against the tide coming down the River Bure for a very short distance to the Yacht Station and as you moor, the boat is facing the right way and the tide coming against you makes the craft more responsive to come alongside.
BUT I GIVE YOU A WARNING: The tide at Yarmouth can be very strong. Keep all on the boat inside the craft and those who are going to jump ashore with ropes must wear life jackets. In my years of holidaying on The Broads, I have seen two fatalities at Yarmouth Yacht Station from people falling in trying to moor whilst not paying attention to the fast flowing river there at times.
And finally, the above is merely advice. Hundreds of craft with folk on with little experience make that same journey year on year and come back for more having thoroughly enjoyed their holiday. So, good luck if you do hire a boat. I am out on a Richardson boat again in two weeks and I am making a beeline for Geldeston as my second night and yes, would love to see the Geldeston Locks Inn open again one day...it was and hopefully will be again one of the highlights of the Rivers that make up The Broads :)
@@JimFraser1 hi mate thanks for the info yes iv crossed braydon water many times iv had a few boats in the past my dad lives on broadveiw road in oulton broad Lowestoft he’s got a sealine f33 flybridge been around boats all my life and lived in Lowestoft for 30 years so very familiar with the the Norfolk and southern broads.geldeston is a lovely place u will love the locks inn grate little pub on the river hope u in-joy buddy 😁
@@Rivaboyz1987 lucky you growing up in them there parts. You.must know the route to Oulton Broad like the back of your hand. Having read your reply, I will add that the Broadsman will also pass under Somerleyton Swing Bridge without the need to have it open up...unlike your dads craft I would imagine, but love seeing that bridge open up :)
@@JimFraser1 indeed very lucky we used to water ski on the broads years ago but it’s banned now well u can water ski but only for half a mile between oulton broad and somerleyton after 4 🕰bit pointless no fun anymore to many rules 🕰yea that was half the reason I commented soon as I c the video on CZcams of that boat I thought that looks a low boat I wonder if I can get down to the old mans moor up in oulton broad for the night then up to beccles to see my sister then in to geldeston to see my brother then up to Brundall and Norwich go shopping meet up with sun old mates check the pubs out.the swing bridge got stuck last year for over a day at reedham my dad had to spend the night on his boat as it was 5 in the morning before it was fixed 😆I love the broads now I don’t live there it’s my holiday not stayed on a boat yet this will be the new thing every year i think haha
Big question...how much
Good question and that very much depends on what time of year you want to go. Best advice is to visit the boat owners website at www.richardsonsboatingholidays.co.uk/
@@JimFraser1 fantastic. Thank you
Beautiful Boat but at a hire price of £1150 a week Jesus it`s a bit over the top.
Well, that depends on how you look at it. I have 5 kids, so that's 7 of us and we normally take the mother-in-law along too. So, for less than £150 per person we all get a great holiday. If I was to skimp and book a static caravan in the UK, it would be cheaper. However, if the weather is not good you are kind of stuck. On a boat, at least you can move around still. Also, I could take the family abroad, which I do, but as you can imagine, it costs way more per person. Having said all that, next Easter we have got a less expensive craft as we need a different layout, so there are cheaper options, but you get what you pay for...so the mother-in-law is rowing us!!! :)
@@JimFraser1 Yep i see your point but to be confined wih the Mother in law in a Boat. No No I would finish up using her has fishing bait or the Anchor lol.
Just paid 3k for a week on one
Would have been nice to see the boat before you filled it
Yep, have to agree with that as our junk doesn't do the boat justice. Broadsman remains the firnest craft I have had the pleasure of hiring on the Broads...and I've been coming since a child with my mum and dad for over 50 years.