SECRET NORFOLK
Azimut owner and professional photographer Simon Finlay shares the joys of cruising the Norfolk Broads and other East Coast pleasures
Azimut owner Simon Finlay shares his inside knowledge and remarkable photos of cruising in this quiet corner of England
Can you remember the first time at sea in your own boat? For us it was a seminal moment. Behind us lay a tranquil cruise through the Norfolk Broads, two bridge lifts and a steady run past the historic quays and industrial relics of the past. Ahead loomed the dark foreboding piers of Great Yarmouth and those strong protective buttresses that lead to the open sea. This was our coastal debut, our initiation ceremony, our first taste of sea air and salt spray on board our own boat. OUR OWN BOAT. We were actually going to sea in our own boat! As we left the sanctuary of the river and into a slight sea swell I pushed forward on the throttles of our Sealine S34 Venus. The high-pitched whine of the superchargers on our Volvo Kad 32 engines kicked in, the bow raised as she climbed over her own bow wave and then, as the turbochargers took over, she started to surge ahead with real purpose and determination. The canopies were off, a gentle breeze cascaded over the screen and I cheered out loud at the sheer joy of it all. We were at sea, at speed, in the company of our fellow Norfolk Yacht Agency cruising club members on our first big adventure!
BROADLY SPEAKING
It was a few years ago now but the memory remains as sharp as ever. We have always been based in Brundall, Norfolk but started our boating life when I returned from an overseas assignment to hear my wife say the immortal words, “Darling, I have seen a boat I really like”. A few weeks later and we were cruising the Broads in our own Sealine S240, a great starter boat for us to cut our teeth on. A couple of years of Broads cruising later, a change
up to the S34 and we were ready for our open sea debut. Having now got the taste for coastal cruising and wanting a boat that would allow us to stay on board longer and explore further we upgraded to our current boat, an Azimut 42 called Astralis.
I know that many South Coast and Mediterranean boaters like to dismiss the Norfolk Broads and East Coast as all brown water, muddy marshes and rental boats, but those of us who live here know better.
The Norfolk Broads can be divided into two areas: the southern side with its big skies, open vistas and fabulous wildlife, and the northern side with its sheltered broads and air-draft restricted channels, which is where most of the holiday hire boats flock. We keep to the southern side, partly due to our air draft but also because of the choice of moorings and pubs.
From Norwich to Great Yarmouth the river Yare meanders through a gentle, shallow-sided tree-lined valley, instantly dismissing the notion that Norfolk is totally flat! Next comes Bramerton, a favourite stop of ours with moorings on the common sheltered by ancient woodlands and with views across the valley. Kingfishers and otters are part of the attraction as is the Water’s Edge pub, which has hosted us on many boating parties – mooring alongside dressed as Dracula for a Halloween party springs to mind!
From there we head downstream, often stopping at The
Surlingham Ferry for great value food and good beer before passing our base at
Brundall. Here the valley opens out, gradually revealing the low lying marshes with their lush summer grazing and iconic Broads wind pumps cutting into the sky. The river starts to widen as it cuts a meandering path past further pubs, inlets for private moorings and the
Cantley sugar beet factory.
Just past this the
Reedham Ferry pub is another great place to stop for lunch on the quay, with a good local ale while you watch cars, bikes and pedestrians being dragged across the river on the chain ferry that has been there since the 1770s. It’s a favourite meeting point for cruises in company before heading out to sea, where anticipation rises, drinks are downed and last year the biggest thunderstorm I have ever witnessed kept us up far longer than we should have been, but the pub stayed open!
After this comes Reedham village, another great stopping point but now there is more to consider for the skipper. The river is tidal and can run fast towards the next hurdle of the railway swing bridge, but a call on the radio will often give you the next opening time or if you’re very lucky, “I’ll open it for you now”.
The downside is that it’s an old structure that during the summer often gets stuck due to the heat, much to the annoyance of river users – strangely, it never gets stuck open so the trains can’t use it! That’s one of the reasons why in summer we travel early or late, enjoying the sight of the dawn mist rising off the low marshes. And then a choice, the river splits, do we turn to port and go to sea via Yarmouth or stay on the Broads and head for Lowestoft, where we can access the sea via Oulton Broad or turn down the Waveney Valley to Beccles?
HISTORIC YARMOUTH
Opt for straight ahead and it’s a very pretty cruise up river leading to the lovely market town of Beccles. The road bridge limits access for taller craft but there are moorings before it and a pleasant walk into town for provisions, food, entertainment and the pretty quay area.
Back downstream is Oulton Broad with its choice of pubs, restaurants and the lock, which gives you access to Lowestoft and the sea beyond. We like to moor up at the yacht station and, with glass in hand, watch the powerboat racing on a summer’s evening as the sun sets over the horizon and another blissful Broads day comes to an end.
Turn to port instead and a different adventure awaits. Past the moorings at The Burney Mill, the river suddenly opens up into a vast expanse of mudflats as far as the eye can see. The clearly marked channel picks its way east through mud beds where thousands of wading birds feed at low tide. This is where we can start letting our hair down because unlike the rest of the Broads, there is no speed limit on Breydon Water and, with the lifting