Hire Norfolk Broads Boating Holidays for First Time Boaters

Driving a boat is pretty straightforward, especially on the Norfolk Broads. You travel slowly (between 3 and 6 mph). Plus we provide face to face tuition and videos

There are no locks to navigate on the Norfolk Broads & you can turn your boat around almost everywhere, which makes both navigation and boat handling easy.

Choosing a Norfolk Broads Boat

To make the best of your first boating holiday choose a boat that suits

Boats are a little like caravans. They have everything you need for a week away, packed into a small space. Choose the right one and everyone has their little bit of home from home
Look at the boat layout carefully. If your kids are like ours, they are happy to share a room, but would prefer single beds to sharing a double! And Granny may well appreciate a cabin with an en-suite bathroom

The boats shown below all have bow thrusters. They are little engines on the bow (front) of the boat that make mooring (parking) just a little bit easier. That said, we are very happy to let all our boats out to first-timers you can see them here

If you need help making a choice, please give us a ring or read this guide to choosing the perfect boat.  we are only too happy to help

What to bring with you on your first boating holiday?

We’d recommend casual comfortable clothes, that layer up. A hat in Spring and Autumn keeps the chill off. Flat shoes with a good grip like trainers work well. A waterproof top is also advisable. Whilst Norfolk has the lowest rainfall of the entire country – we still get a bit of the wet stuff
On top of your usual toiletries don’t forget the sunscreen and glasses (water reflects). Plus some insect repellant spray

Experienced boaters bring squashy bags that will fit in the cupboards and draws. Or they unpack and put their cases back in their cars.

We’d suggest bringing enough food for a day or two. You can pick up supplies from Roys supermarket, just up the road from the boatyard. There are  lots of shops and cafe’s and restaurants  you can visit on the way

We do hire out sailing and rowing dinghies plus paddle-boards for customers. but would recommend you get the hang of boating first. There are several places where you can hire canoes and sup boards on the Norfolk Broads. Alternatively, bring your own, just remember a strap to attach it to the boat. The Broads Authority have a short video about using them safely

What happens when you arrive a the boatyard in Wroxham?

Before you arrive at the boatyard we’ll send you a welcome email. It contains a link to videos showing how to handle your boat safely. plus an electronic version of your boat handbook and some other useful advice

We ask you to arrive at the boatyard between 2 and 4 pm. (We’ve tried all sorts of ways of making it a more specific time, but this is the best we can do so far).

The boat will be ready for you to use, with the fuel and water tanks filled up. The toilet tanks emptied and the boat cleaned inside and out.

Once you arrive at the yard we will show you to the boat, so you can unpack and get comfortable. One of you will pop into reception to drop off your car keys and pick up lifejackets and a welcome pack. The pack contains info about the broads, a map and enough to make a cuppa. We will then give you a boat trial run (demo) with one of your engineers. This is your chance to experience manoeuvring the boat yourself. Please ask as many questions as you need.

Don’t worry if you have forgotten things during your trial run. you can watch the boat handling videos here.  Read the manual aboard your boat, or give us a ring

Note, we have limited space in the yard for parking. To get all the cars parked in the yard our staff take your car keys and park them up, in a similar way to a valet service. The cars are then returned to you at the end of your holiday.  They are not taken off-site.

Before you leave the yard, please do a quick check to ensure you have all the crucial things you need onboard. inc the bedding

Where should I go on my first boating holiday on the Norfolk Broads?

There are so many options, to help you we’ve listed a selection of itineraries here. You may also find this website helpful

Planning your first night aboard your Norfolk Broads Hire Boat

It can be quite a bit to take in on your first night, so we’d strongly suggest you didn’t aim to travel very far to start with.
If your boat will fit under Wroxham Bridge pop through and test your boat handling skills and moor up. Our favourite moorings are the side on moorings just outside the village. There is a pathway back to the village. Making it easy to pop back for any further supplies or visit one of the pubs or restaurants.

Or, travel towards Horning and you will discover Wroxham Broad. Just drop an anchor (note this is a really lovely spot – but there is no access to the village from here)

Perhaps, choose our favourite first-night mooring. Salhouse Broad – see our suggested 3-day itinerary to get an idea of what’s available there

Looking after my boat during the holiday?

The boats are pretty straightforward to maintain nowadays.

We’d recommend filling the boat up with fresh water every day. Many moorings have a water supply. and you’ll get a map showing you where those moorings are. For drinking water, we recommend you use bottled or boiled water. We top up our bottles from the tap, not the water hose which is often thrown on the floor.

The boat should have enough fuel on board for at least a weeks holiday. Some boats will have a fuel gauge on board, others will have a dipstick. In the unlikely event, you need fuel, you can find a boatyard to supply you using the map provided. Your boat runs on Diesel

It’s never an exact science to gauge when your boat will need the toilet tank pumped out. We recommend every 3 days, but your nose will tell you if you need to do it sooner!
the link above or the map on board will show you where you can do that

Bridges and Braydon Water

If your boat will pass under the bridges at Potter Heigham or Wroxham you will need to use a pilot. They will get the boat safely under the bridge for you. (We provide you with a pilot at Wroxham – just give us a ring and we’ll send someone over to help)

For other bridges, you may have to lower your windows (and your own head) to get through safely. Please see instructions in the handbook or watch this video

Braydon water is just outside Gt Yarmouth, and has a strong tide. Please contact the Great Yarmouth Yacht Station on Tel 01493 842794 / 07766 398238 and they will advise you how and when to cross safely.  This must be done at slack tide.

If you do have a problem, please ring the boatyard. We have a team of engineers who can help, and if necessary come out to your boat to fix problems.

Returning your hire boat to the boatyard

Please return your boat to the yard at 9 am in the morning.
On your return, we will check how much fuel you use (by refilling the tank) and refund any of your fuel deposit due. If you are in a hurry to get away, just make sure we have your card details and we’ll sort it out for you later in the day.

How much will a boating holiday cost?

The cost of hiring a boat varies widely, depending on the time of year you hire a boat and the type of boat you hire

We have luxury boating holidays , mid range boating holidays and budget no frills boating holidays in our fleet, priced as you would expect

• Hire charge – this is the cost of the hire boat
• Damage waiver – this is a non-refundable payment to cover any damage or loss to the boat, its equipment or a third party.
• Fuel deposit – this covers the amount of fuel we expect you to use whilst on your holiday. If you have used less we will refund the difference. On rare occasions, it costs more and we will charge you accordingly
• Security deposit – All single-sex parties or groups aged 25 or under, pay a refundable security deposit of £500. Payable on arrival at the boatyard and refunded on return provided there is no damage

First time booking your boating holiday

If you’d like to discuss your choice of boat with us, please give us a ring, we are here to help