Waveney River Centre
Waiting for Somerleyton Railway Bridge to open
Early morning Somerleyton
Entering Surlingham Broad
Rockland Broad
River Yare
Berney Arms
Crossing Breydon Water
Waiting for slack water at Yarmouth Yacht Station
Stracey Arms
Potter Heigham
West Somerton
Horsey Mere
Catfield Common
Hickling Staithe
River Bure
Mooring at Scare Gap for de-masting
Leaving Great Yarmouth
The Norfolk Broads – Travelling between Southern and
Northern Broads
This was the fifth trip to the Broads with our Coaster. On
one previous occasion we had crossed Breydon Water after sailing up the coast
from Lowerstoft to Great Yarmouth. However, this was
the first time we’d traveled between the Southern and Northern Broads and
although all things worked out fine, there are a few points gained from
experience, as not everything is made clear by the Broads Authority.
Heading north is best to arrive at Berney Arms with time to
spare and lower your mast there. It takes an hour or less to motor across
Breydon Water, especially as the tide will be with you. The aim is to arrive at
Great Yarmouth at low (slack) water. The Broads Authority state this should be
1 hour after low water time, however from experience its more like two hours.
Just after passing under the Breydon Bridge there is a de-masting pontoon on
your left, tie up there and you can watch for when the tide actually goes slack
and then motor straight through Great Yarmouth.
Our mistake was to carry on to the de-masting area at the
Yacht Station, this is not recommended. You will be there at low tide, the dock
sides will be high and the step ladders are not user friendly, with no handles
to pull yourself up. I tied to the ladder and then stood on the cabin roof so I
could throw a rope around a mooring post. You are also in the river and
vulnerable to passing hire boats. If you are there before slack water, there is
a noticeable current against you. Like all dock sides, these are not very boat
friendly.
What the Broads Authority does not make clear is there is a
de-masting mooring at Scare Gap, which is about 4Km up river from Great Yarmouth,
so it is easiest to carry on to this and raise your mast there. These moorings
are not marked on the map but are about 500 metres west of Ashtree Farm
Drainage Mill. However, you will need to lower the mast again at Acle Bridge.
The River Bure is quite narrow and there is only a small current with you, so
if there is any West in the wind it is unlikely you’ll make much progress by
sailing, so you may decide its easiest to just leave the mast down. At Acle
Bridge there is some moorings about 500 metres before the bridge. Once through
the bridge the Broads Authority moorings are likely to be full of hire boats
but on the south side of the river the restaurants moorings are quite long and
a short stop at the far end should go unnoticed.
The return trip heading
back south is easier to manage. Go under Acle bridge and if the wind is with
you, raise your mast and sail to the Scare Gap moorings. You can then lower the
mast, wait there and time your arrival for slack water at Great Yarmouth and
then just motor through. It takes about 45 minutes from Scare Gap to the Yacht
Station. However, even then you will
find the current will still be running across Breydon Water. Once back at
Berney Arms you can raise your mast and wait for the flood tide to take you up
to Reedham. The Breydon Bridge will raise for you, so you could use the pontoon
there to raise the mast and then sail to Berney Arms.
There are two other potential stopping places on the Bure,
neither marked on the map. One is another de-masting pontoon at Runham, which
is near Five Mile House Drainage Mill. The other is a short area on the north
bank of the river near Runham Mill, which has some posts to moor to.
Speaking to a couple of local sailing boats, their advice
was to arrive “late” at Great Yarmouth, in that way you’ll arrive at true slack
water, make best use of the tidal flow and avoid the hire craft, which are
probably the greatest hazard on the Broads, especially those under the control
by someone wearing a hat that says “Captain” on it !
