YACHTING ON THE NORFOLK BROADS
BY G. CHRISTOPHER DAVIES
The sailing of small yachts and boats is vigorously indulged in upon
the rivers and lakes of Norfolk and Suffolk, in what is popularly
known as the Broad District. There is, indeed, every temptation to the
sport in this favoured region. No _mal de mer_ can haunt its smooth
waters; there is no tossing about in exposed anchorages, but instead
the mooring by grassy banks odorous with flowers. Gales lose their
terrors and zephyrs gain additional charm on these placid and sinuous
waterways and toy lakes. Yet there is room enough and to spare for all
the evolutions the boat-sailer delights in, and the exploring cruises
dear to the owners of small yachts, while life on sailing houseboats
is sufficiently tempting to the laziest lotus-eater. The adventurous
can make adventure, the explorer can lose himself in mazy reed-beds,
the lounger can lounge with the minimum of trouble, the young can
picnic in the most luxurious fashion, ladies can 'yacht' in the most
ladylike way, and complexions will not pale (what is so piteous as a
seasick woman?) upon these favoured streams. Even the sturdiest sea
cruiser acknowledges the charm of the quiet gliding between their
verdant banks, and the quiet sleep dependent upon neither watch nor
riding light. No one enjoys a sail at sea in fair summer weather more
than I do; but upon the many occasions upon which the sea has been
rougher than I approved of, I have said in my haste: 'What a fool I
must be to desert the safety and surety of the Broads for this, which
is neither safe nor sure!' At the same time it is only fair to say
that, after a quick and pleasant passage to some foreign port, I have
also said: 'Better one such sail than many on the Broads.' My boating
life has been spent in a vacillation between the quiet pleasures of
the Broads and the excitement of the sea; and I have made many
attempts to procure craft in which to enjoy either at will. This is a
difficult matter, inasmuch as the draught necessary for able work at
sea is too great for the rivers.
[Illustration: The 'Greyhound.']
Although many thousands know well the district of the Broads, yet to
the bulk of people it is still a _terra incognita_. It is therefore
necessary to give at least a brief description of the _locus in quo_.
Taking one's stand at Great Yarmouth, with one's back to the sea and
facing inland, one sees--or could in truth see if one ascended the
lofty Nelson Monument--first the narrow and busy harbour which conveys
the waters of all the rivers to the sea, then a great tidal lake known
as Breydon Water, four or five miles long. From this one can ascend by
vessel the greater river Yare, which for twenty miles of broad and
sinuous course threads the marshes to Norwich. On the right is the
Bure, commonly called the North River, which twists and turns for
twenty-seven miles to Wroxham, and is navigable further yet to
Coltishall and Aylsham. Tributary to this river are the Ant and the
Thurne, giving access to the largest of the Broads. Southward of
Breydon is the deep and clear Waveney, with Beccles twenty-three miles
from the sea at Yarmouth, and a short cut to the sea by Oulton Broad
and Lowestoft.
[Illustration: The fisher's home, the Broads.]
Broadenings of these waterways at many points have become, by the
growth of reeds and accumulations of soil, lakes or Broads, more or
less separate from the rivers, but in most cases having navigable
access to them. The characteristic of the district is its extreme
flatness and the consequent slight fall of the river-beds, the current
being mainly tidal, with not much difference of level at that. Yet
this flatness is not monotonous; for, in addition to the ever-varying
and ever-pleasing cloudscapes seen to best advantage in flat regions,
there are beauties on the marshes and river borders of no common
order. The luxuriant growth of reeds around the lakes gives the
feeling of utter seclusion from the madding crowd. The gay hues of
flowering plants, altering with sunshine and shadow of clouds on the
wind-swept marsh, the deep shades of groves, the clear and winding
rivers, the dark-brown and high-peaked sails of the wherries with
their graceful curve of leach, and the white sails of the yachts
scattered here and there, now reflected in a glassy reach, and again
seeming to thread the verdant marshes where no water is visible from
one's standpoint; the kestrel hovering over the 'rand,' a jay hunting
a reed-bed for nests and eggs, waterfowl of many kinds, the splash of
fish in a quiet bay, a heron by a lilied dyke, and innumerable
noticeable incidents of bird and insect life, make the hours too short
which are spent on these singular waterways.
In order to fully understand the peculiarities of the craft navigating
the Broads and rivers both for trade and pleasure it is desirable to
appreciate the necessities of the district; and for this purpose it
would be well to step on board some kind of craft on which one can be
independent of hotels as well as railways. For it is quite clear that
journeys by rail cannot show one the life of the Broads. It is
singular what a difference the point of view makes. Thus there are
reaches where the rail and river run near each other. From the rail
there is nothing to see but a flat marsh and a winding river. But from
a boat on the river the view assumes an altogether different aspect.
If one pleases, the tall and swaying reeds, brown topped and feathery,
may bound the scene, hide the rail, and provide one with the
loneliness of nought but water and sky--a veritable solitude; or from
a higher standpoint the eye may travel with a keen interest over the
reed-beds and the brilliant-hued marsh, past windmill and dwarf tree
to the undulating and wooded higher lands which are the shores of the
marsh.
For choice for a mere cruising holiday, I would take, if middle-aged,
a real Norfolk wherry converted into a roomy houseboat as presently to
be described. The Norfolk wherry is a craft quite unlike those of any
other district, and eminently suited to the shallow and somewhat
narrow waters of its birthplace. The limit of suitability seems to
have been reached by perfection, since of late years no alteration
whatever has taken place in the design of the wherry or its sail. As
it is the aboriginal craft, so to say, of these waters, and its
graceful sail forms a constant object of interest upon the waterways,
it merits the pride of place in a description of Norfolk craft. It has
greater interest also in that it is suitable for cruising in other
waters, notably in those of Holland and Friesland, where Mr. Doughty
found that a Norfolk wherry was even more suitable for Dutch waters
than the Dutch vessels, so far as pleasure purposes go.[23]
[Footnote 23: See _Friesland Meres in a Norfolk Wherry_.]
The draught of an unladen wherry is from 2 ft. 4 in. to 2 ft. 6 in.,
with a beam of 13 ft. and a length of 52 ft. It has a short hollow
bow, with the greatest beam well forward and a fine run aft. It has
only a few inches outside keel, yet in fairly smooth water it lies
remarkably close to the wind, going fast through the water all the
time. The mast is stepped 12 ft. 6 in. from the stem, and is a
splendid spar of spruce fir or pitch pine 37 ft. deck to hounds,
without any stay other than a forestay, and supports a single sail of
the following dimensions: luff, 27 ft.; foot, 28 ft.; head, 29 ft.;
and leach, 44 ft. 6 in. There is no boom, and the gaff has a high
peak. The sail is hoisted by a single halliard set up by a winch on
the mast. A drawing and lines of a wherry accompany an article by
myself which was published in the 'Field' of March 20, 1880, to which
the reader who may be interested can refer. The mast swings in a
tabernacle, and the heel is weighted with lead and iron to the extent
of 1-1/2 ton, and is so well balanced that a boy can lower and raise
it. It will be seen that the rig has the extreme of simplicity to
recommend it. One man can sail a 30-ton wherry, although he generally
has the assistance of his wife or a mate. When within a few yards of a
fixed bridge the sail is rapidly lowered, the forestay tackle cast off
and windlass unhitched from the mast, and down comes the mast as
gently as possible; the wherry shoots through the bridge, and up go
mast and sail the other side. The mainsheet works on a horse on the
cabin-top in front of the steersman, and with his back against the
tiller he controls the great craft with ease. The stern is pointed,
and the rudder is no less than 5 ft. in breadth. Of course the tonnage
of the craft varies; the above measurements are those of a
medium-sized one. A cabin about 6 ft. long in front of the small
steering-well accommodates the crew, and there is a long hold,
reaching to the mast and protected by movable hatches, for the cargo.
A few years ago some ingenious person hit upon the idea of converting
a trading wherry into a pleasure one by raising and permanently fixing
the hatches, placing windows at the sides (there is no bulwark, and
but a narrow plankway between the edge and the cabin sides), dividing
the roomy interior into saloon and bedrooms, and so producing a
commodious and comfortable sailing houseboat, which has become
exceedingly popular. There are numbers of them about now, and they are
always in demand for hire by parties visiting the Broads.
The large sail carries a sort of flounce laced on to the bottom of it
called a bonnet, and the removal of this is equivalent to lowering a
topsail. The trading wherries carry no ballast when empty of cargo,
but the pleasure wherries have a sufficient quantity of scrap iron.
They move in the lightest of airs, and in strong winds are
marvellously stiff. They will tack in channels no wider than their own
length, but in narrow waters they are helped round by the man giving
the bows a set off each bank with a 'quant' or long pole (Latin
_contus_); they are capable of high speeds, and the easy way in which
they get about the narrow and shallow waters is surprising.
Occasionally they essay the sea passage from Yarmouth to Lowestoft,
instead of going round by the rivers, and even race at sea; but it
cannot be doubted that in doing so they go beyond the margin of
safety. Although Mr. Doughty successfully towed a wherry behind a
steam tug from Yarmouth to Stavoren, another wherry essaying the same
feat was lost. The low, long, flat hull cannot stand rough water, and
the heavy mast with its weighted heel is a dangerous lever in the
wrong position.
[Illustration: Regatta time.]
Many yachts have been built after the plan of the wherry, but with
yacht-like hulls above water. At first the simple wherry rig was
retained, but soon there came a boom to the sail, and then a bowsprit
and jib, additions which, no doubt, make the vessel faster, but mean
more help in handling--two men instead of one, and so on. These
barges, as they are called, have increased greatly in number during
the last few years. The other day I counted no fewer than twelve lying
moored on Oulton Broad, where five years ago one such would have
attracted attention. The immense influx of visitors to the Broads is,
of course, responsible for this increase. The latest of these barges,
the 'Waveney,' is no less than 58 ft. long, but it is believed that
there is considerable difficulty in getting her about.
The barge yacht is more seaworthy than the wherry, and one--the
'Ianthe'--has twice crossed the North Sea to Holland for cruising in
Dutch waterways. She was fortunately favoured with fine weather, and
it would, no doubt, be needful to make as sure as possible that the
weather was set fair for a day or two before venturing. The draught is
but 5 ft. or less, and the heavy pole mast is set far forward, while
there is an open well, so it would not be the best kind of craft for
bad weather. Still, for modest sails out of the harbour, for Dutch
waters, and for Norfolk rivers, these barges possess every advantage,
while they are most comfortable to live upon.
The barges look smarter than the wherries, inasmuch as they have white
sails instead of brown or black, and yacht-like decks and fittings;
but I must say that for pure river cruising I prefer the plain wherry.
It is more picturesque in appearance, and, size for size, easier to
handle, although, no doubt, the latest types of barges are faster.
Taking one's departure from Wroxham, one finds a narrow river crowded
with boats. Only a few years ago the arrival of a single yacht at
Wroxham was an event. Now both banks of the river are lined with
wharves, yachts, and boats, and boat-builders' sheds are springing up
on every side. A striking tribute to the favour in which the Broads
are held is the boat-letting establishment of Mr. Loynes, who at the
first Fishery Exhibition exhibited models of small open centreboard
boats, to be converted at night into sleeping cabins by most
ingeniously contrived awnings. In consequence of this he desires, and
very properly, to divide with the writer the honour of first drawing
the public attention to these favourite cruising grounds. From the
small beginning he then made he has come to own many yachts, large (20
tons) and small (3 or 4 tons), mostly built by himself, capable of
navigating the shallowest of the Broads, comfortably fitted with all
essentials of comfort, and attended by most civil and capable men. He
is now introducing his boats to the Friesland meres, and it is
probable that many of his Norfolk customers will follow him to that
larger lake-land. His vessels are mostly centreboard and of light
draught, the latter, by the way, being of more vital necessity than
ever. The tourist steamers which now rush up and down the Bure draw
down the soft mud from the sides and deposit it in the channel, so
decreasing the depth. A few days before writing this I had a 25-ton
cutter towed up from Yarmouth to Wroxham, for the purpose of laying
up, by a steam-launch. By taking out ballast her draught was reduced
to 5 ft. 6 in., yet she grounded at least twenty times in the upper
reaches, right in the middle of the channel.
[Illustration: Wroxham pleasure craft.]
The river below Wroxham is very narrow and very sinuous; its banks
lined with groves of trees which intercept the wind. The lofty peak of
our wherry's sail holds the air over the bushes, and we keep slowly
moving along, while smaller boats are either becalmed or, catching
sudden puffs, lay over at alarming angles. It is a Saturday evening,
and very many little yachts, from the open lugsail sailing boat on
which a high-roofed cabin-top has been placed to the 4- or 8-ton
yachts of smarter build, are making their way down to more open waters
for the happy and healthy week end, most blessed to the person whose
occupations are sedentary. A mile or two of charming river reaches
brings us to Wroxham Broad--a lovely sheet of water surrounded by an
inner circle of tall green and feathery topped reeds and an outer
circle of bushes and trees. It is entered by a narrow gateway from the
river, and boating is freely permitted, subject to certain wise
regulations which are as much to the interest of the public as to that
of the riparian owners.
The reeds have a golden belt where the rise and fall of the water has
left its yellow mark, shining brightly in the westering sun. In the
smooth patches under the lee of the reeds one may see the sparkle of
bait flying out from pursuing pike or perch, and in the still bays the
coots and water-hens dive and splash. Across and across the Broad skim
the white sails of boats and canoes making the most of the dying
breeze, and the wavelets sink to ripples, and the ripples are shot
with streaks and patches of cloud-reflecting calm. We leave this, the
most beautiful and deepest of the Broads, to make the most of the
evening air down the river.
On the occasion of the annual regatta there is a prodigious water
frolic at Wroxham, which is attended by perhaps a hundred sailing
craft of all kinds, and much merriment results.
Gliding quietly down stream we pass on the left Hoveton Broads, Great
and Little--nurseries of wildfowl and kept strictly private, with
chains across the entrance; on the right Salhouse Broads, Great and
Little, on which boating is permitted under protest; and further still
on the right Woodbastwick Broad, also strictly private. Hoveton little
Broad is a breeding-place of the black-headed gull, which nest here in
great numbers.
So by wood and mere and sighing reed we pass with many a twist and
turn until we reach the hostelry of Horning Ferry. Here, as night
draws on, many vessels arrive. Strolling along the bank we can note
what is after all the great fun of Broad yachting--the camping and
living on board a floating house, however small. The big wherries and
barges are of course floating houseboats, comparatively luxurious; but
at the other extreme here are three or four open boats covered in with
canvas tents or awnings luminous with the lamps within, and with
myriads of dazzled night insects pattering against the shining canvas.
The evening meal is being discussed, then there is the clatter of
washing-up, the cleaning of knives by thrusting them into the soft
bank, the washing of plates with tufts of paper, and the general
tidying-up which is part of the fun to young men, but which ceases to
possess any charm to older ones. These rivers are capital places for
the man fond of single-handed sailing. One well-known and elderly
amateur sails a lugsail boat alone, but at a proper distance behind
him comes his man in another single-handed boat. The latter pitches
his master's tent and relieves him of household troubles, and retires
to his own boat tent when not wanted. This is really a capital
arrangement.
[Illustration: Wroxham Broad.]
When the stars come out, the herons settle in the shallow pools; the
wild duck fly from the sheltered decoys and preserved sanctuaries to
more open feeding-grounds; a shot rings out on the August night from
some reed-hidden gunner who has been patiently awaiting the evening
flight. In contrast come the notes of a piano and song from a barge;
along the bank is a row of lights from cosy cabins; the inn is
thronged with boat-sailers eagerly discussing their common sport; then
the last cheery good-nights, and silence falls over the lone marsh and
winding river.
In the morning there is the splash of swimmers, blankets and bedding
are put out to air on the cabin-tops, spirit and paraffin stoves
mingle their scent with that of frying bacon and the wild thyme on the
banks. About ten o'clock the little yachts spread their sails to the
freshening breeze, and off they go. If we have ladies on board, they
will probably wish to go to Horning Church in the morning, and can
then sail in the afternoon with a clear conscience--a compromise
approved by the strictest sabbatarian, who finds in the peace and
quiet of Norfolk waters an assurance that neither the wind nor he is a
sinner in the gentle movement.
After lunch the wind has freshened so that we take our bonnet off (off
the sail, that is) and smaller vessels reef. The wind, too, is ahead,
and we have to tack a great deal as we continue our course down
stream. Still the river course is so tortuous that every reach is not
a head one; sometimes, indeed, we can lay one reach on one tack and
the next reach on the other tack. It is pretty to watch the yachts
shooting from side to side of the river (which widens as we proceed);
they lay over, with the water bubbling over the lee deck and the foot
of the great balloon jib deep in the water. The long bowsprit sweeps
over the grass of the margin as the helm is let go; the boat shoots up
into the wind, is upright with fluttering jib for a moment, then off
she goes on the other tack to repeat the manoeuvre at the opposite
shore. If the mainsheet is well handled the mainsail never shakes. As
it loses the wind on one side it catches it on the other, the jib
being kept slightly aback until the boat's head is well off the wind.
It is no joke to handle the jibsheets of an 8- or 10-ton boat. In
spite of soft cotton rope being employed, the chafe will try the
horniest hand. In sailing the jib is worked to every puff, eased off
or drawn in at every variation in direction or strength of wind. The
man in charge watches the wind pressing down the grasses and reeds and
darkening the water in advance, and trims his sheet to every puff or
lull. If he does not, why, the boat is not sailing her best--that is
all. The mainsheet man, too, is almost as particular. When there are
hands enough to work the sheets no one thinks of making a sheet fast.
The bends of the river are too frequent for that. Again, there is
almost always another yacht ahead or astern, and you strive to
overtake the one or sail away from the other, so that every day's sail
is more or less of a race. In passing or meeting other craft the
rules of the road are well observed, and the steering is usually so
excellent that a space of six inches is considered an ample margin of
distance from the other vessel. These narrow rivers soon develop
considerable skill in this direction, and accidents do not often
happen. The least rare is that of misjudging the rate at which a
wherry is coming, and getting athwart her bows while tacking; but a
direct collision is averted, and the yacht's bowsprit or mainsheet is
the only thing which suffers.
[Illustration: Smooth-water bowsprit.]
On the right we pass Ranworth Broad, a fine lake in two sections, the
larger of which is now in process of being closed to the tourist; on
the left the mouth of the narrow river Ant, which, after twisting like
an eel for some five miles, opens into the navigable but shallow
Barton Broad, of considerable size. There is a bridge over the Ant so
narrow that the larger kind of vessels cannot get through.
The tract of marsh widens out and the view broadens. On our right is a
mile-long channel leading to South Walsham Broad, part of which is
navigable and part private. As an instance of how vibrations of
movement are carried along water, a gentleman residing at South
Walsham tells me that when the water near the staith is covered with a
thin veneer of ice he can tell when a wherry entered the mouth of
South Walsham Dyke from the river, a mile and a half away, by the ice
rippling and cracking.
Passing the ruins of St. Benedict's Abbey on the left, we presently
come to the mouth of the river Thurne, up which we sail for a few
miles to Potter Heigham Bridge, where in company with several barges
and yachts we moor, with the intention of visiting Hickling Broad and
Horsey Mere on the morrow. The night falls dark and lowering, with
flashes of summer lightning in the south lighting up the great
distance of flat and treeless marsh; but no rain falls, and a quiet
night and sound sleep bring us to the dewy morn of another glorious
summer day.
Most of the larger yachts and pleasure wherries have centreboard
sailing dinghies, and it is more convenient to take ours through the
narrow arch where the tide-impelled current sweeps upward to diffuse
itself over the terminal lakes, twenty-five miles from the sea by
river, three miles by land. Here, save in the tourist-crowded month of
August, may be found true solitude. The river runs through
far-reaching marshes, a branch leads through a wilderness of water and
tall reeds, the brown tops of the latter trembling against the clouds
from our low point of view. Water, reeds, clouds; a kestrel hovering
overhead, our boat gliding on clear, shallow water over trailing weeds
and shoals of startled rudd; then the wider channel of Heigham Sounds,
and at last the expanse of Hickling Broad. Four hundred acres it is
said to be, but the reedy margins absorb a great part of this. Still,
there is water enough to make the scene imposing, and the first
thought of a boating-man is--What a splendid place for sailing! But
looking down through the clear water one sees that the bottom is
almost within reach of one's arm, and even in the channels there is
only sufficient water for a wherry. It is obvious, therefore, that the
shallow centreboard boat is the only type fit for Hickling. It maybe
useful to mention that a recent judicial decision gives as the law
that the public have the rights of navigation and passage over
Hickling Broad, but that those of fishing and shooting are vested in
the riparian owners.
Not far from Hickling, and connected with it by Heigham Sounds and a
narrow dyke, is Horsey Mere, so near the sea that the sea-water at
times wells into it in the shape of salt springs. At the entrance of
the mere a small cruising yacht is lying, the men having gone ashore
for a walk over the sand dunes to the sea. The mooring rope is fast to
a deck scrub thrust into the bank, and a heifer, having found out the
roughness of the scrub, is leisurely rubbing herself all over and most
thoroughly against the bristles. A wherry sweeping down the dyke with
peak lowered leaves us but scant room to pass as we sail back to
Heigham Sounds.
From Potter Heigham we sail in the wherry down the Thurne, into the
Bure, and so on to Acle Bridge, where the mast has to be lowered. From
Acle to Yarmouth the sail is not so interesting. The tide runs
strongly and the banks are shoal. This part of the passage is
undertaken of necessity, and not for pleasure. At Yarmouth we enter
Breydon Water, where the greater space and depth of channel brings us
into contact with larger yachts. Still, it is yachting in miniature,
and the man accustomed to Cowes must think it rather ridiculous of us
to call our small craft yachts. I much prefer the old and truly
descriptive term of pleasure boats. When the Broad sailor comes to
Breydon he feels that, comparatively speaking, he is in the open sea,
and a beat across it with a smart breeze against tide means wet
plankways and an exciting sail.
At the top of Breydon to the left is the entrance of the river
Waveney, so shallow and dangerous as to be avoided. The river Yare, to
the right, is wide and deep, and gives good sailing ground up by
Reedham to Cantley, where the chief river regattas are held, and
higher still to Norwich. From Reedham a narrow and straight canal,
called Haddiscoe Cut, leads into the Waveney at a point above its
shallows and a fixed bridge. The bridges on the Yare and the Upper
Waveney from Haddiscoe to Beccles are railway bridges, opening save
when a red flag or lamp denotes the arrival of a train. The scenery on
both rivers seaward of Reedham is flat and uninteresting, and it is
above Reedham, on the Yare, and St. Olave's, on the Waveney, that the
beauty of the landscape adds interest to the sailing.
As one proceeds up the Waveney and through the narrow dyke which
connects the Mid-Waveney with Oulton Broad, Lake Lothing, and the sea
at Lowestoft, one meets great numbers of yachts and sailing boats, and
we may now dwell more closely upon the characteristics of these.
The old term in existence before the more ambitious title of yacht was
_pleasure boat_. This was applied to the decked sailing boats we now
call yachts, and is perpetuated in the sign of the Pleasure-boat Inn,
Hickling. A favourite type, of which but few examples exist, was the
lateener, first, I believe, consisting of two lateen-shaped sails, but
afterwards of a lateen-shaped foresail and a gaff-mizen. The foresail
was set upon a short mast right in the bows and raking well forward,
and the yard was often twice the length of the vessel. Such a rig was
very close-winded, and handy enough to handle once the sail was up;
but the long yard was a great nuisance in raising and lowering the
sail, and the reefing had to be done along the long yard instead of
the short boom. The boats also were dangerous in running before the
wind, being apt to run under head first. This may have been partly
owing to the short and full bow which was deemed necessary to support
the weight of the mast and sail, and which at high speed created a
great hollow in the water. Possibly a lateen-rigged, sharper-bowed
boat would even now be found to be a very fast and handy type for our
rivers. The balance lug so much in vogue is but a lateen sail with the
fore-angle cut off. I only know of two lateeners of late on our
waters--the 'Ariel' of Beccles, a boat of about 10 tons, and the
'Black Maria' of Barton Broad. The owner of the latter died recently,
and it is possible the yacht is not now in commission; but she looked
picturesque threading the narrow and sinuous reaches of the Ant on her
way to and from Barton Broad.
[Illustration: River Waveney craft.]
A light-displacement boat is a necessity upon Norfolk waters. It is
not only that the depth is small and that the draught of a boat should
not exceed 4 ft. 6 in. if she is to get about comfortably, but the
water displaced by her movement has but little room to disperse in the
narrower channels. It is sufficient to watch the light-displacement
sailing wherry going fast through the water with scarcely a ripple,
and making but slight difference in the level of the water at the
grassy margins, and then to see a heavy-displacement steam wherry
going not so fast, yet piling up the water in front of her, filling
and emptying the dykes and runlets as she passes, to understand that
the one thing essential for speed is light displacement. Again, in a
heavy-displacement craft of my own which is sometimes brought upon the
rivers, whenever the waterway is constricted she moves slowly and the
river craft gain upon her. When the channel suddenly broadens she
seems to leap forward and away in a striking manner.
Many yachts have come to try their speed with the Norfolk boats, but
generally having greater displacement have come off second-best,
although possibly better craft in more open waters. The old type is a
flat-bottomed boat with a deep keel spiked on to it; the angle between
the keel and the hull is filled in with more or less graceful curves,
but the principle is the same in the most successful of the modern
racing yachts, as it was in the older craft: a beamy, flat hull and a
comparatively deep keel. Practically there is no change in the midship
sections other than that which more skilled workmanship and more
artistic design have evolved. The principle is only the same, however,
so far as the midship section is concerned. Great advances, or at all
events alterations, have gradually been made in the longitudinal
design of the boats.
Quick turning has always been a necessity with the yachts of the
Broads, and this has been attained by the help of three
peculiarities--a keel short for the length of the boat, a rudder so
large as to be in reality a movable keel or leeboard, and an enormous
jib, which is the only head-sail. The size of the jib is also
influenced by the fact that it has to balance the equally enormous
mainsail. In order partly to carry as much sail as is required for
these smooth waters the mast is always well forward, and with a large
mainsail and boom projecting far over the counter great head-sail is a
necessity.
The old measurement of racing craft used simply to be length on the
'ram' or keel, which as long as all boats were of the same type in
other respects was fair enough. But a boat, say, 20 ft. over all would
have a counter of 9 ft. or 9 ft. 6 in.; practically half her length
would be counter. I do not think this great counter was altogether the
result of an attempt to cheat the tonnage measurement, although no
doubt this may have had some influence. It was more the result of
circumstances; the yacht with a short keel, well forward, and great
rudder, turned more quickly than a boat of similar size with longer
keel and smaller rudder. About half this great counter was permanently
immersed, and when a boat laid over, almost the whole of it came into
bearing. It was popularly supposed that the broad, flat counter
peculiar to the old boats bore the weight of the boom; the yachts,
though very quick and handy, carried tremendous weather helm and were
very hard to steer, sometimes taking the strength of two men to
prevent them shooting into the wind. When the helm is let go, the
little vessel shoots so quickly into the wind that she might be put
about on the other tack by backing the jib, without further touch of
the tiller. In fact, so powerful is the great overhang of mainsail and
jib in controlling the balance pivoted on the short keel that I have
many times tacked a 4-ton boat up a narrow reach without touching the
tiller at all, simply by manipulating the sheets, and this, too, while
sailing single-handed. This was by way of experiment only. The usual
way of sailing a 4-ton, or, for the matter of that, a 10-ton yacht
single-handed, is while going to windward to make the mainsheet fast,
steer with your back, and work the jibsheet with your hands. Reaching
or going free you work the mainsheet and jibsheet alternately as best
you can. All the boats have large open wells, the jibsheets lead aft
through a couple of blocks shackled to the clew of the sail, with the
standing part fast to eyes on each plankway, and leading blocks
further aft. Thus there is just sufficient purchase to enable a strong
man to control the jibsheet of a 10-ton boat. In sailing these boats
there is no making the jibsheet fast if you wish to get the best speed
out of the vessel. They are trimmed to an inch, and every bend of the
river means a careful and anxious adjustment of the jibsheet. The same
remarks apply to the mainsheet, and where two or three equally capable
amateurs are engaged in sailing there will be keen differences of
opinion as to the proper quantity of sheet to be allowed out, and hot
arguments as to the advisability of an inch more or less, when to the
man accustomed to sailing in more open water the difference would
appear immaterial.
In tacking, the stern of the boat swings upon the pivot of the
forefoot, and it frequently happens that in sailing close to the bank
of the river before putting about, although the bowsprit bends the
grasses, and the stem is clear of the bank, yet the counter cannons
against the bank or shaves the mud.
Whether it was found that advantage was taken of the keel measurement
to get larger boats by means of immersed counters, or whether it was
simply to give more scope to designers, is a matter of controversy;
but it was ordained that half the length of the counter had to be
added to the length of keel to form the factor of length, the rest of
the measurement being according to the Thames rule. This rule of
measurement prevailed for many years without any particular alteration
in the type of boat supervening. Then, and only recently, length on
the load-water-line was taken, and presently the Y.R.A. rules of
measurement and rating were adopted.
The effect of the alteration has been to lengthen the keel, and
perhaps to round up the forefoot a little. It has been suggested that
it would be as easy to attain the quick turning by rounding the
forefoot and having the greatest draught aft as it is by the present
method of keeping the draught well forward and shortening the keel;
but there is this objection--the shores next the banks are frequently
shoal and muddy. When the boat swings round on her deep forefoot, if
that is free from mud the lighter draught stern is sure to follow; but
when a light draught forefoot is still free from the mud, the deeper
draught stern swings on to it and is caught, and the boat's head pays
off to leeward before she releases herself. Experience goes to show
that in the larger classes the boat with much drag aft is not suitable
for these shallow-margined rivers, and that to succeed in racing it is
necessary to be able to perform the feat of waltzing a boat round and
round in little more than her own extreme length, as the writer has
done by way of experiment. A boat which will only handle when she has
steerage way does not stand much chance.
[Illustration: 'Greyhound,' midship section.]
The yachts used generally to be built by that rule-of-thumb method,
the result of long and slow experience, which has often proved more
sure than the experiments of science; but of late years two
boat-builders have studied intelligently the principles of design, and
have applied them with great success to the building of the most
successful craft yet seen upon these waters. These two are Mr.
Brighton of Yarmouth, and Mr. Mollett of Brundall. The former has
confined his attention to the larger class of craft in use here, and
the latter to the smaller vessels. First of Mr. Brighton's boats to
attract attention was the 3-tonner 'Trixie,' then the 9-tonner
'Wanderer,' and then the 4-tonner 'Greyhound,' all in their time the
best boats of their class, although run hard by those of other
designers. The 'Trixie' is a boat 27 ft. 6 in. over all, 20 ft. 6 in.
stem to sternpost, 24 ft. on the water-line, 6 ft. 6 in. beam, and 3
ft. 9 in. draught of water; boom 25 ft., gaff 20 ft., bowsprit
outboard 22 ft. She carried about 4 tons of lead ballast. The
'Greyhound' was designed by William Brighton, but built by workmen of
the owner, Mr. John Hall, of Yarmouth. In design she is undoubtedly
the best produced by Brighton, and therefore the best boat of her size
on the rivers. Proportionately to size, she is a better boat than the
'Wanderer.' Since she was built, in 1889, she has won 175 first prizes
and 30 second, in addition to several challenge cups, and is also a
good little boat at sea, thinking nothing of making the 'outside'
passage direct from Lowestoft to Dover in fair weather. The design we
give is traced from the moulds off which the yacht was built. The
dimensions are as follows:--
Length L.W.L. 25.27 feet
" over all 34.45 "
Beam 6 feet 8 inches
Overhang forward 3.30 feet
" aft 5.88 "
Rudder-head from taffrail 6.0 "
Draught amidships 5.0 "
Lead on keel 3 tons
No inside ballast.
For sea-work her rating is 3.9 tons.
Boom 22.55 feet
Gaff 17.15 "
Foresail 359.3 square feet
Topsail 110.0 " "
Mainsail 452.2 " "
-----
921.5 " "
[Illustration: Lines of the 'Greyhound,' 1892, Norfolk Broads yacht.]
For river-work she spreads 1,014 sq. ft. sail-area, and her rating is
about 4.5.
The boat is built entirely without caulking, with not a single butt in
deck or hull. The keel is Memel oak; skin of yellow pine 1-1/8 inch;
sawn timbers 2 inches square, with steamed timbers 1-1/2 inch square.
She is in every respect beautifully finished, and some of her success
may be attributable to the excellence of her workmanship.
The designer has refused us any dimensions of the 'Wanderer,' but we
believe that practically she is an enlarged edition of the
'Greyhound.' She has been run close, if not excelled, by the 'Corona,'
a boat designed for both sea and river, and fairly good on each. She
has greater draught and more rise of floor, with greater displacement.
At first she was fitted with a centreboard, which, however, was found
as useless as it generally is in a boat of comparatively deep draught.
Its province is in shoal boats. I tried a centreboard in the 4-tonner
'Swan,' but discarded it after one season. None of the racing yachts
over 3 tons have centreboards, and experience has shown that on these
waters the centreboard is only of use for the smaller and flatter
boats. It is true that Loynes, the boat-letter, has many yachts up to
about 20 tons fitted with centreboards, but then his vessels are
designed to navigate the shallowest Broads, and centreboards are a
necessity in his case. He is, by the way, an adept at fitting
centreboards with various devices to facilitate handling them, and his
cranks and automatic brakes and other mechanical contrivances are most
ingenious and effective.
The 'Corona' was designed and built by Peed of Oulton, who had built
several fast-sailing boats. She is supposed to be a better boat in
rough water than the 'Wanderer,' running her close also in the river
reaches at Cantley, where the regattas are frequently held. She is
also a comfortable cruising boat, having two cabins with good
accommodation. Her chief measurements are:--
Length over all 50 feet
" W. L. 33 feet 6 inches
Beam 9 "
Draught 6 "
Ballast 6 tons
Mr. Mollett's boats have chiefly been of the open and half-decked
class. His first great success was the 'Cigarette,' a centreboard
lugsail boat, which won a great number of prizes and was a perfect
witch in going to windward. He followed this up by several similar
boats, all fairly successful and betraying advances in cleverness of
design and experiments upon well-thought-out principles.
In 1890 Mr. Mollett startled the boating fraternity by producing a
kind of double-hulled boat called the 'Gossip,' which, to use his own
words, is 'curious though fast.' Her deck appearance is that of an
oblong raft, and the section of her hull is that of a flattened W.
There is no actual division between the hulls, but a hollow runs along
the middle so that when the boat is on an even keel the top of the
hollow is upon the water-line. When she heels over the windward hull
is raised more or less out of the water, and the vessel sails on the
support of the leeward portion, the windward portion acting as a kind
of outrigger or windward ballast. The buttock lines are, roughly
speaking, segments of a circle of long radius with only the middle and
lower part of the segment immersed. She had no keel, but a centreboard
dropping between the hulls, and a deep rudder. Her dimensions are:
Length over all, 28 ft.; length on L.W.L., 17-1/2 ft.; beam, 7-1/4
ft.; depth, 2-1/4 ft.; draught of hull, 10 in.; draught with plate
down, 3-3/4 ft.; area of sail in foresail and lug mainsail, 460 ft.
[Illustration: 'Castanet.']
The 'Gossip' was extremely fast running and when sailed full, and won
several races. Her mode of going to windward looked peculiar, as she
was sailed broad full and rattled from side to side of the river at a
rare pace, so that although neither sailing so close as the other
competing craft nor shooting so far in stays, being so light, yet she
would often make a point to windward quicker than any of them by
reason of her speed; and, after all, as Mollett says, the object is to
get to windward as quickly as possible, no matter how you do it.
The 'Gossip' had, however, one grave defect. She would turn turtle
with astonishing suddenness. Her vanishing point was soon reached. She
had to be sailed with the utmost skill and caution, and it is only by
good luck that she has not yet drowned anyone. The only time I sailed
in her, being unaware of this peculiarity, I as nearly as possible had
her over in a sudden puff; which, as I had my children on board, might
have been a serious matter. Her owner tells me that she has capsized
five times, and has very frequently been on the verge of capsizing.
A design of this remarkable craft, and an interesting article upon her
by Mr. Mollett, appears in the 'Field' of January 10, 1891. Mollett
took the centreboard out and substituted a fixed keel with 5 cwt. of
lead on it, which he was sanguine enough to say rendered the boat
practically uncapsizable. She has, however, capsized several times
since then. He afterwards removed the keel and returned to the
centreboard, with which he thought the boat was faster and handier.
Since then a succeeding owner has reverted to a sort of heavy
fin-keel, but the boat has not done so well in racing as formerly. Her
canvas is, however, worn and stretched, which may have something to do
with it. We hope, for the sake of her owner and his companions, that
she will disappear somehow or another before any fatal accident
results from her use.
Noticing how cleanly our flat counters leave the water, Mollett
thought--What is the use of having a sharp bow to divide the water?
Why not have a double-sterned boat, and let the bow slide over the
water instead of through it? Something of this idea was present in the
building of the 'Gossip,' but in the 'Castanet,' lately built for Mr.
Russell Colman, the idea has had full sway. There is a broad, flat,
spoon bow, differing very slightly on deck from the stern, and not
differing at all on the water-line, so that it is practically
immaterial which end is selected to go first. There are the same
segments of large circles for buttock lines. The load-water-line is 17
ft. 3 in., and on deck 29 ft., the overhang being very nearly equal at
each end. The beam is 7 ft., and the extreme draught of the short
fixed keel, which is spiked to the bottom of the spoon, is 3 ft. 2
in., with 23 cwt. of lead. The latter is disposed at the bottom of the
keel in a triangular bulb.
If you take an ordinary tablespoon and press it into a soft substance
at different inclinations, the water-lines which it will mark are much
the same. The principle is the same in the 'Castanet.' The water-lines
lengthen and narrow as she heels over, and the length at which she is
measured when upright is considerably exceeded at both ends. The spoon
comparison is only to a certain extent applicable, as one end of a
spoon is smaller than the other, while in the case of the 'Castanet'
both ends are large ends. There is no deadwood except what is
necessary for the keel, and the rudder is a projecting one. Mollett's
theory is that it is better to cut away every inch of deadwood which
is not absolutely necessary for preventing leeway. He finds the boats
so constructed sail faster in every way. As to whether a fin-keel or a
weighted centreboard is the better, he has not yet made up his mind.
[Illustration: Hull of the 'Castanet.']
The 'Castanet,' although beaten in her first race by the 'Gladys,' a
boat of conventional design, has subsequently proved herself the
fastest of her class. When sailing fast she lifts herself out of the
water forward and slides very easily over it, although her flat bow
makes a noisy brabble of the surface water, which is, however, not
detrimental to her speed. Of course she would not do in rough water,
but in smooth she is stiff, fast, and remarkably handy. In spite of
her square ends, which are but little narrower than the rest of the
boat, she is, owing to excellence of workmanship, rather a handsome
boat than otherwise. It is not likely that another 'Gossip' will be
built, but the 'Castanet' is a taking precedent which may be followed
up with advantage.
There are other designers and builders of fast boats, which have,
however, nothing peculiar in build or rig to justify especial notice.
They are simply well-designed boats of light displacement and large
sail-area, very fast and very handy.
There are two boating clubs in existence which provide regattas for
the encouragement of sailing. The senior and more select club is the
Norfolk and Suffolk Yacht Club, which professedly holds races for the
9-and 10-tonners--the 'large yachts' of the Norfolk rivers. It has a
club-house at Lowestoft which is a great convenience to yachtsmen
using the harbour, but as a river club it has not much vitality. The
junior club is the Yare Sailing Club, which welcomes all amateurs as
members who can pay a 5_s._ subscription. It professedly encourages
the sailing of open and half-decked boats, and the smaller class of
yachts of 4 tons or thereabouts. It has a large number of members,
most of them keen boat-sailers, and its regattas are well attended and
the races numerously and keenly contested.
The classes in the Norfolk and Suffolk Club are: Not exceeding
2-rating, exceeding 2 and under 5-rating, and exceeding 5-rating; and
those in the Yare Sailing Club as follows:--Class I.--Exceeding
2-rating and not exceeding 5-rating. Class II.--Exceeding 1-rating and
not exceeding 2-rating. Class III.--Not exceeding 1-rating. Any
'foreign' boats (all persons not natives of Norfolk are foreigners)
which can sail in these classes are welcome, and any wrinkle they can
teach will be quickly taken up.
The 'Mystery,' a Thames open boat, is almost the only strange boat
which has succeeded in showing the way to the local racers, and I
think she would not be second to either 'Castanet' or 'Gladys.' It
would be most interesting to see a match between the well-known Thames
'Ruby' and our Y.S.C. boats. Regattas are held at various points on
the river, and there are, in addition, local regattas unconnected with
clubs.
[Illustration: 'Mystery,' Thames boat ('foreign' boat).]
Once a year there is what is called an Ocean Match--that is, a match
from Lowestoft to Harwich--on the Saturday before the regatta of the
Royal Harwich Yacht Club. This is looked upon as a great adventure by
the river boats, which tackle the sea under the cloud of canvas which
is enough on the rivers. The trip to Harwich and back, and the
excitement of bringing up in wide water, after the safety of a grassy
margin, furnish food for many tales for the rest of the year. The
_crux_ of the thing is the passage round the bleak Orfordness, where
the tidal race raises a cruel sea if there is any wind; the great
mainsails with their long booms cannot easily be reefed under way.
One necessary rule upon these rivers sometimes causes trouble to
strangers who are unaware of it. In the narrow reaches it is almost
impossible to pass a boat to leeward, so if the overtaking boat can
but get a few inches of her bowsprit overlapping to windward of the
slower boat, the latter must give way and let the other pass to
windward of her.
Visitors often get nervous when they see a wherry bearing down upon
them, but there is no occasion for them to do so. If the boat-sailer
observes the rule of the road, he may be sure that the wherryman will
do so. The latter are a very civil and obliging class of men, taking a
keen interest in the doings of smaller craft and yachts. It is usual,
however, for the yachtsman to remember that he is on pleasure bent and
the wherryman on business, and he therefore gives way sometimes when
not compelled to do so, to save the wherryman from having to put his
craft about. In return the wherryman will often, when tacking, keep
his craft shooting in stays to let a yacht beat past him. The wherries
are so long and take up so much of the river when beating to windward
that it is often very difficult to pass them at all unless they make
this concession. The rowing boats which are hired by inexperienced
people in great numbers at Oulton Broad are great sources of danger.
The occupants generally go the wrong side of a sailing boat, and it is
a wonder that accidents do not more often occur. Another source of
difficulty are the anglers, who are very fond of mooring off the
windward bank (where there is a quiet 'lee') well out in the channel,
and perhaps at a 'scant' corner--that is, where the next reach being
to windward the sailing vessels hug the corner as closely as possible
in order to get a good shoot into the next reach and so save a tack.
It does not do, however, to hug the corner too closely, as if it is at
all shallow the way of the boat is deadened, though she may not
actually touch the mud. The 'putty,' as the black soft mud of the
river bottom is locally termed, plays an important part in sailing on
Norfolk rivers. It serves sometimes to help a vessel to windward. Thus
a wherry might not be able to hug the weather shore or to lay close
enough to sail along the middle of a reach, but if she drops to the
leeward shore the pressure of water between her bows and the mud will
'shoulder' her off and stop her leeway, so that she can drag round a
corner and save a tack. Some of the wherrymen will say that they could
not put their craft aground if they would while sailing sideways along
the mud. The deeper-draught yachts do not reap this advantage to any
extent.
One of the things which make a yachtsman ask if life is worth living
is to run hard on the putty. He gets out his quants and shoves; but
the poles sink deep into the mud, and require more force to withdraw
them than to drive them in. Those who know the river best seem to me
to get oftenest aground, because they cut it too fine, and if their
calculations are out by an inch or two they stick fast. The desperate
struggles to get free are more amusing to other people than to the
chief actors in the scene. How blessed is the sight under such
circumstances of a friendly steam-launch! I remember well one
heart-breaking experience of my own in a 4-ton yacht which I was
sailing single-handed. I got aground in the Bure at Yarmouth in the
awful place known as the North End, and with a falling tide. I got off
at last, after exerting myself until my heart beat frantically, my
mouth was parched, and my eyes dim; then seizing a bottle I supposed
to contain beer, I tossed half a tumblerful down my throat ere I found
it was _vinegar_!
A good half of Oulton Broad is taken up by yachts lying at their
moorings, which are buoys at a sufficient distance apart to give the
boats room to swing. There appears to be some doubt as to what
authority has the right to interfere, and so nothing is done; but a
better plan would be to have proper mooring-places along the shore
where yachts might moor in tier, a small charge being made for the
privilege.
Below Oulton Broad is Lake Lothing, a tidal lake communicating with
Lowestoft Harbour. A lock gives access to it. Lowestoft Harbour is a
most convenient one, easily entered at all states of the tide. A large
basin is reserved for the use of yachts during the summer months, and
from its easy facilities for a day's sail at sea or a run up the
Broads in the dinghy or steam-launch it is yearly becoming more
popular with yachtsmen.
Leaving Oulton Broad and re-entering the Waveney, we find deep water
right up to Beccles, which some sea-going trading vessels use as their
port; but in the upper reaches the river is very narrow. It is,
however, extremely pretty. Almost the last of the lateeners--the old
'Ariel'--hails from Beccles.
On every Whit Monday there are great goings-on at Oulton. There is for
one thing a regatta, and the Broad is literally crowded with boats;
and for another it is the smacksman's yearly holiday, and he is very
much in evidence both ashore and afloat. It is, however, but fair to
say that the disgraceful scenes of drunkenness and fighting which
formerly characterised Whit Monday are not so marked. The smacks'
crews are now so well looked after by mission-ships afloat and
Salvation Armies ashore that a most gratifying improvement has taken
place in their manners and customs.
[Illustration: A start.]
On a Sunday morning it is interesting to stroll round by the fish
wharves in Lowestoft and listen to the outdoor services and services
on smacks, and note the intense earnestness animating the
rough-looking seamen who are the speakers, and the respect with which
they are listened to even by well-known rowdies.
We leave Oulton Broad in company with several barges, and it is a race
between us to get to Cantley, on the Yare, in time for a regatta of
the Yare Sailing Club. Our wherry is gradually left behind by all the
barges, but they have to wait at Herringfleet Bridge on account of a
train, and as we come up just as the bridge is opened we are again on
even terms with them, and are third out of six as the procession files
along the narrow Haddiscoe Cut. At Reedham we meet the contingent of
trading wherries which have started from Yarmouth with the flood, and
several yachts on their way to Cantley, so that as we pass the
picturesque village of Reedham and turn to windward up the broad
reaches of the Yare the scene is a very animated one. At Cantley it is
difficult to find a mooring-place, and the northward bank is lined
with yachts for half a mile.
After the regatta we can sail up a most interesting part of the river,
by the pretty ferries of Buckenham, Coldham Hall, and Surlingham,
exploring Rockland and Surlingham Broads in the dinghy, and so on up
to Norwich, just below which city the riverside scenery is most
beautiful.
The rapidly increasing popularity of the Broads has given a great
impetus to the trade of boat-letting, and the agencies are too
numerous to mention. It may be useful, however, to say that, just as
Loynes has made Wroxham a well-known starting point, so Bullen, of
Oulton Broad, has done the same by the latter water. He owns or has
the command of a large number of yachts and barges, some of which are
suitable for Holland. At Norwich Messrs. Hart & Son, of Thorpe, have a
similar agency, and the fishing-tackle makers and secretaries of yacht
and sailing clubs keep lists of yachts to let. An advertisement in the
'Eastern Daily Press' will elicit replies. Also, if any reader of this
article chooses to write to me at Norwich, stating what kind of craft
he wants, _and enclosing a stamp_, I will forward the letter to a
suitable yacht agent. I will not, however, undertake to reply to any
letter, because in one or two of my boys' books I promised to do so,
and the consequence is I get a recurring crop of letters from boys in
many parts of the world, which are excessively inconvenient to a busy
man, although it would be unkind not to reply to them.
To sum up, the rivers of Norfolk and Suffolk, with Oulton, Wroxham,
Barton, and Hickling Broads, are most excellent cruising grounds for
small yachts and sailing boats; and as for racing, I really think that
'foreign' boats, if their owners would remember that light
displacement and a gigantic spread of canvas are essentials, would
have an excellent chance of lowering the pride of the local men. The
power of quick turning is, of course, a _sine quâ non_.
[Illustration: In the gloaming.]
Practically the chief interest of the Broads to visitors lies in their
cruising advantages rather than the yacht racing to be obtained or
seen; and it may serve a useful purpose to go more into detail as to
the nature and cost of the craft to be hired for cruising, and to give
itineraries of short cruises. While yachts can be hired at Norwich,
Wroxham, Yarmouth, and Oulton Broad, the business is more
scientifically carried on at Wroxham and Oulton than elsewhere, and
the convenience of visitors more thoroughly consulted by the persons
already named as catering for the public there. The class of craft is
also rather different. At Oulton there are for comfort the usual
barges and wherries, and for fast sailing the usual four to ten
tonners of the smart type already described. At Wroxham a fleet has
been built consisting of vessels chiefly designed for ease of handling
and comfort of camping and cruising, without any pretensions to racing
speed. They are also of shallower draught than the Oulton boats, and
have as a rule centreboards instead of the deep fixed keels of the
others. It is, therefore, a matter of individual taste, and further
comparisons would be invidious and perhaps unjust. With the deeper
yachts it is customary to explore the shallower Broads in the jolly,
while the smaller centreboards can be taken there. Those who chiefly
love the science of sailing will prefer one sort, and those who
delight most in exploring every lilied pool and in camping will prefer
the other.
It is unfortunate, perhaps, to have to mention names in a book not
intended to advertise persons whom it will probably survive, and it
may seem unjust to other meritorious traders in the same line; but in
the interest of the reader it has to be admitted that Bullen of Oulton
and Loynes of Wroxham have taken too prominent a part in the
exploration of the Broads for us to shirk mentioning them, any more
than we can avoid naming the chief builders and designers.
None of Loynes' craft draw more than 3 ft. 6 in., and they range from
twenty-three tons downwards. The largest will sleep four ladies and
four gentlemen. The cost of hire is from 10_l._ to 12_l._ 10_s._ per
week, according to the season, the height of the season being July and
August. The hire includes two men, who are boarded by the hirers. This
boarding of the men is rather a nuisance, but it is so much the custom
that attempts to make the men board themselves, paying them increased
wages, do not answer on the rivers. The 4-ton boats will sleep three,
and the hire per week with attendant is 4_l._ 10_s._, and without an
attendant 3_l._ 15_s._ All household necessaries are supplied, and
visitors need only bring rugs, towels, and provisions.
At Oulton, Bullen has a number of craft, ranging from a large pleasure
wherry accommodating twelve persons, and let at 12_l._ per week, to
the typical 10- and 5-tonners. He has also several of the barge
yachts, now so fashionable. One of them, the 'Ianthe,' has been twice
to Holland, crossing the North Sea with safety, notwithstanding the
shallow draught and large sail, with heavy mast set well forward.
Bullen says that, for gentlemen who wish to get plenty of sailing,
his 10-tonners are the best, but for ladies who require comfort and
real pleasure the barge yachts or wherries are preferable.
A fortnight is required to do all the rivers and Broads properly,
although much may be done in a week if the winds and weather are
favourable.
With only a week to spare, it would be best to stick to the North
river, or Bure. Thus, if starting from Oulton, Norwich, or Yarmouth,
sail straight away to Wroxham, say two days' journey; on the third day
back to Horning and up the coast to Barton Broad; fourth and fifth
days up the Thurne to Potter Heigham, and do Hickling and Horsey Mere;
sixth and seventh back to the starting point. Much depends, however,
whether the object of the cruise is to loiter about and fish, or to
sail and cover the ground. In the latter case the following is an
itinerary I have carried out in a week.
[Illustration: Birds of a feather.]
Starting from Wroxham, Yarmouth can be reached the first day; second
day up the Yare to Norwich; third day Norwich to Oulton Broad; fourth
day up the Waveney to Beccles; fifth day Beccles to Yarmouth; sixth
day Yarmouth to Potter Heigham; seventh day do Hickling Broad in the
morning, and sail up to Wroxham in the evening. A dead calm, or a
combination of head wind and adverse tide, might, however, upset the
plan by a day. It would be well, therefore, to stipulate in the hire
that the yacht might be left short of its destination, to be taken
back by the man.
Most people will take fishing tackle with them on a cruise on the
Broads, but I hope everybody will leave their guns at home. The
incessant popping away with shot-guns and pea-rifles is quite useless
in results, very annoying to riparian owners, and very dangerous to
the public. A camera is a much better weapon. Few districts offer
better or more artistic subjects for the photographer's skill. A dark
room is provided upon some of the pleasure wherries, and the tripod is
almost as common an object on the marshes as the windmills.
[Illustration: Commodore Stevens, founder of the New York Yacht Club,
1844.]