We are opening the 1982 season with a 4 day rally on the Norfolk Broads, across the Easter Weekend, Good Friday, April 9th, to Easter Monday, April 12th, inclusive.

We shall start from Potter Heigham on the northern Broads, meeting on the water at Richardson’s slipway on the east bank immediately downstream of the old road bridge over the River Thurne (OS ref 419184) between 2 pm and 3 pm on Good Friday, April 9th.

Jack Evans has most fortunately arranged with this boatyard for free slippage for members of DCA at this particular slipway.

I regret that although we tried, we could not get a reduction of licence fees from the Yare and Bure River Commissioners. From the scale of charges (see article on Broads) it seems we each have to pay the minimum 14 day fee of £3.70 for any length of sailing dinghy without outboard, or £5.25 for any length of sailing dinghy with outboard. For a ‘hard top’ yacht, the fees are progressive according to length.

If you are sure you are coming, The Yare, Bure and Waveney Commissioners prefer you purchase your SHORT VISIT licence, up to 4 weeks ahead of your intended visit, by writing to them at:

21 South Quay Great Yarmouth Norfolk NR30 2RE

giving details of: Boat type Length Beam Name With or without outboard Owners name Commencement date of 14 day visit

ALSO enclose appropriate remittance.

You could, however, purchase your licence on the day from Ludham Bridge Boatyard (OS ref 373171) if they are open, or as a last resort from the Commissioners when afloat, though this latter procedure is not encouraged.

Programme for Weekend

According to the prevailing wind direction on Good Friday, we will either proceed up-stream to Hickling, where there is also a slipway, and meet for a drink at the Pleasure Boat Inn at 7 pm (OS ref 408225) or sail downstream to the dyke at Thurne Windmill for 7 pm where there is again a slipway (OS ref 403158). We will leave directions for latecomers at the slipway at Potter Heigham; look out for the DCA insignia for details of where we have gone.

Incidentally, there is not much space around this slipway, so cars and trailers will have to be parked on the other side of the bridge a few minutes walk away.

It is difficult to forecast where we will spend Saturday night and Sunday night, as much depends upon the wind direction. This can, however, be discussed more fully at the open evening at the Little Ship Club on 2nd April.

Ralph Thompson is acting as co-ordinator for this rally, so if you have any questions, his telephone number is 0737-63232 evenings, or 01-633-4033 daytime — please note he will not be able to be contacted after Tuesday 6th April, as he will have left for the Norfolk Broads. If some of us intend to stay on after Easter Monday, this can best be liased at the time.

The Ordnance Survey Sheet is no. 134, ‘Norwich and The Broads’.

NORFOLK BROADS - Licence Fees for Short Stay Visits

Extract from: Rivers Yare, Bure and Waveney Commissioners Tariff 1982

A Short Visit Licence is available for a maximum of fourteen consecutive days and only two such licences are allowed each year. If your visit exceeds twenty-eight days you will be liable to pay the balance of an annual toll.

The scale of tolls for Short Visit Licences is as follows:

Type of Vessel Fee (£)

Row Boats, Punts and Canoes 1.60 Sailing Dinghies 3.70 Outboards and Small Runabouts 5.25

MOTOR CRUISERS

Over 15 and under 16ft 6.00 Over 16 and under 17ft 6.50 Over 17 and under 18ft 7.00 Over 18 and under 19ft 7.75 Over 19 and under 20ft 8.00 Over 20 and under 21ft 8.50 Over 21 and under 22ft 9.25 Over 22 and under 23ft 10.00 23ft and over 10.50

YACHTS

Over 17 and under 18ft 3.70 Over 18 and under 19ft 4.00

(If a yacht is used with an auxiliary engine, the scale of tolls is charged according to motor boat rates).

LAUNCHING SITES — Northern Waters (OS sheet 134) by Ralph Thompson

Potter Heigham OS ref 419184

This slipway has a comfortable gradient for dinghies and craft up to about 1000 lbs weight, but it does become soft where depth exceeds 2’ 0”.

Thurne Dyke OS ref 403158

This slipway also has an easy gradient, but at certain states of the tide it hardly has enough depth for anything but a dinghy.

Hickling OS ref 410226

This slipway belongs to a boatyard, so there is probably a fee to pay. It is fairly steep but larger bilge keel vessels can be launched and recovered here using a car. It is not perfect as a nearby shed prevents an easy entry into the water.

Stalham OS ref 375245

This slipway belongs to Richardson’s Boatyard and cannot be seen from the road as it lays some 100 yards inside their compound. This, in my opinion, is the best concrete slip on the northern waters, since the slope is good and the hard concrete extends deeper than I could fathom. The slip is somewhat high in cost: last year it was £2 for a craft up to 14 feet, and £4 for up to about 20 feet, but these prices could be out of date. This slip is about 20 feet wide.

Horning OS ref 340177

This slipway is very convenient for dinghies up to, say, 750 lbs. The slope is shingle. The slip is owned by a local shop (details usually on a notice board) from where one obtains a key for a fee of £1 in order to open a gate which otherwise obstructs the slipway.

Horning OS ref 346166

This slipway is near a road, but belongs to a boatyard. Only 8’ wide, it was fine for launching a 1000 lb boat, but due to its steepness at its lower end, I found it very difficult to recover the boat. The cost of using it was between £1 and £2 according to size of boat.

Wroxham

I am told there is a reasonable slipway at Wroxham, but I don’t know where it is.

Beccles OS ref 423911

This is a free public slip, up the dyke adjacent to the yacht station. It is made of concrete with a good slope and has a bar at the bottom of the slope to prevent the trailer wheels going too far. However, you will probably need a high tide to recover a larger boat as the bar effectively makes this slip too shallow at low tide.

Beccles OS ref 420911

This is a very good concrete slip within a boatyard on the west side of the river bridge at Beccles. Although you will have to pay a fee of about £2 for a vessel up to 1500 lbs, I found this slip very convenient indeed, but it is probably unable to be used on busy summer Saturdays when all the hire craft are being serviced.

Waveney River Centre OS ref 493935

This slipway has plenty of space for parking nearby, both at a fee, but it is well away from the general public from a safety point of view. Larger boats up to 1500 lbs can be launched here, but recovery is sometimes difficult since the lower end of the slip is soft mud.

These are just some of the slipways of the Broads, details of which I know. There are obviously others, but I hope this short guide will be of some use.