By the end of their six days, they had ended up at Wroxham, unaware that 47 miles of waterways separated them from Norwich where they were due to return the boat. Leaving the boat at Wroxham, they walked the 7 miles to Norwich to inform Mr Loynes.
As boat-letting flourished, John Loynes found that more and more of his parties were ending up at Wroxham. It was therefore only a matter of time before he opened a yard alongside the bridge at Wroxham as his headquarters, from where you can hirethere cruisers today
Traditions
A traditional industry of the Broads is Thatching.
There are many examples of thatched roofs on the river side. Norfolk reed is more durable than straw, and grows naturally in the region. The stems of the reed are round and about 12.5 cm long. It takes an average of 2,000 bundles to thatch a house.
Another native plant used in thatching is sedge. It looks like long tough broad grass, and grows on slightly drier ground than reed. It is used for the ridging of roofs, because it can bend without breaking. This gives a decorative effect to the thatching.
There are several successul thatching businesses still operating on the Broads today.
The Norfolk Wherry
The only remaining trading wherry left on the Broads is the Albion which was rescued in 1949 by the specially formed Norfolk Wherry Trust. She was build at Oulton Broad in 1898 to carry grain, malt and flour. During her time the Albion was sunk and raised three times.
All the wherries have a counterbalanced mast. There is 1.5 tons of lead at the bottom of the mast, and it is lowered on a see saw principle. They were so expert that they could approach a bridge under full sail and drop the mast, carry on through under their own way and then raise the mast quickly again. They did not stop at all. Some of the wherries could actually slip their keel when the rivers became very shallow and they
would pick it up on the return journey.
Boats
Size
Couples
There is a superb range for couples.
For the newcomers to boating there are small, cosy boats; for honeymooners or for the more confident boater there are larger, more luxurious two berth boats; for sets of couples there are boats with two en-suite cabins, or boats with four double cabins.
Families
We try to provide boats that give each member of the family space and privacy.
When children are very young, single level boats with doors that can be locked give parents peace of mind. When friends of the children come along, more single beds can be the order of the day, and if two families with children decide to come on one boat, we recommend two double cabins and two twin cabins.
Large Parties & Groups
If a lot of berths are required on a boat we can provide a boat that will fit the bill.
We have boats which will accommodate up to eleven people (that's with two people on the extra settee berth), which offers extremely good value per person.
Number of Berths
When you see the words "Sleeps 4 - 6", this means that the number of standard berths is 4, with 2 extra berths. The boat is ideal for 4 people, but can sleep 2 extra persons with some inconvenience.
Extra berths are normally located on a convertible settee/berth.
Style
