Err...

Beccles is a long way from Yarmouth, although not too far from Lowestoft which is the other connection to the sea! For those after a bit of open sea navigation, travelling the coast from Lowestoft to Yarmouth (or v-v) could be a nice diversion.

Also, to get to Norwich, you need to go on the Yare not the Waveney, the northern arm that flows into Breydon Water. Beccles to Norwich and back would probably take the whole week.

The nearest boatyard to Norwich is Brundall, which is Mac-friendly.

Re. Breydon Water, it looks enormous on the map, but as I recall is very shallow, with just a single navigable channel in the middle. Fun for sailing in a dinghy, but even a Mac would have trouble outside the channel.

Just some thoughts ...

Speed limits on the Broads vary, but I think average is about 4 mph, so Beccles to Yarmouth is likely 6 hrs non-stop. If you want to take in the scenery, explore the small broads off the main rivers, enjoy a riverside pub, etc. then 15-20 miles in a day is I think realistic.

Technically, boats under sail are not subject to the limits, but opportunities for an optimum point of sail and a good wind to be able to exceed that in a Mac are likely to be few!

Brundall is actually 19 miles from Yarmouth!

I've just had a look at tide and moon tables, and on Sat 27th July at Beccles, high tide is around 5pm, falling until nearly midnight. Tides will be neaps. So there is a good chance boats may be able to clear the bridge early evening.

The following day the tide is falling from high around 6 am until midday, so a mid-morning departure would be feasible.

The upstream tide information is obviously fairly hit-and-miss, as the tide only flows in and out at Gt. Yarmouth. Tide times at Beccles are 3 hours behind Yarmouth, and also only assume average river flows. If there's been heavy rain then I guess all bets are off!

Hi,

Unfortunately I cannot make the Big Mac this year as I will be touring round Norway (by road). I would be interested in joining on with the week after. Launching from Titchmarsh would work well for me.

Regards

Chris

Hi all

I've worked up a proposed itinerary for the Broads trip. I won't be joining in my hire boat until the Friday evening (at Reedham), but Roly will be on hand at Brundall on Wednesday 24th to lend a hand with launching and rigging if required.

After looking at the various options, I don't think a sea passage between Gt. Yarmouth & Lowestoft is viable. For a start, the only place to moor in Gt. Yarmouth is the Yacht Station, but this is on the Northern arm of the Broads, and requires passing under two fixed bridges with low clearance. In addition, the tides are such that you would need to exit on an incoming tide, and enter on an outgoing one - not ideal! So I've scrapped that idea.

Another key point to bear in mind is bridges. There are quite a lot, many of which open on demand, but not all. This means you will need to drop the mast to pass under some bridges. You may of course leave the mast at home, and just use your Mac as a motor boat. However, the rivers are quite wide, and can be sailed if the wind offers a reasonable point of sail - anywhere from close reach to run. Tacking, though, is not practical. We will also visit Oulton Broad, which is a "proper" lake, with plenty of sailing scope. So I recommend bringing the mast, and being prepared to lower it to pass under bridges. You might want to practice the process before the event to make sure you can do it easily!

So here's the plan:

Wed 24th: arrive, rig, launch at Brundall. Don't forget to buy your short visit pass on the way in. Take trailers to Marine Power for parking (see comment #44). If you want a hostelry for the evening, there is the White Heron close to the maina, or Coldham Hall just across the river - maybe all pile onto one boat to cross?

Thu 25th: travel upstream to Norwich, mooring at Norwich Yacht Station for the night. There are several bridges as you come into Norwich, all of which lift, except the last one! So you will need to lower the mast. There is a handy short-term mooring quay at Whitlingham Country Park just before the first bridge. Also a nice spot if you fancy a walk for a break. Travel time at Broads cruising speed is only 2 hours, so you have plenty of time. Plenty of choice of places to eat in Norwich.

Fri 26th: return downstream, past Brundall to Reedham Quay, nominal time 3.5 hours. Option to detour via Surlingham and/or Rockland Broads, these are small shallow areas of water with a narrow marked channel. Motoring only, but scenic and should afford a view of wildlife. I will join at Reedham, probably around 6 pm. Choice of two pubs.

Sat 27th: head towards Gt. Yarmouth, crossing Breydon Water. This is a large but very shallow expanse, with a narrow marked channel. Don't stray outside the buoys! Should be good for watching water fowl. At the Gt. Yarmouth end we turn and go back again, then moor for the night at Burgh Castle. The Fishermans Inn is close by.

Sun 28th: head South to Oulton Broad. passing under St. Olaves bridge. This is the lowest fixed bridge we have to navigate, but it will be low tide so clearance should be around 3.5m. You have space on Oulton Broad to sail properly, we will head for moorings at the Yacht Station at the far Eastern end. Plenty of places to eat.

Mon 29th: take the Waveney to Beccles for lunch. Moor at the Yacht Station, the Quay Cafe is nearby. After lunch return down the Waveney, then to Somerleyton for overnight. Dukes Head for vittles.

Tue 30th: head back to Brundall via the New Cut, this saves going back towards Breydon Water and avoids St. Olaves bridge. There is a high road bridge across the cut, which should have a clearance of about 7.8m mid-morning, on a falling tide. This will require at least partially lowering the mast, otherwise there's a risk of hitting it. Nominal time to Brundall is 3¼ hrs.

Wed 31st: fetch trailers, haul out, de-rig and head home!

As always on Mac events, details are subject to change, but I hope this makes for an interesting plan. Please let me know what you think, and confirm if you're coming.

There are various online resources - maps, booklets, tide tables, etc. - that will come in useful. I'll post links to all these shortly.

Only 4 weeks to the Big Mac!

I need to firm up on who's going to be coming, so I can give Brundall Marina some numbers.

People who have said they're attending, or expressed an interest, are:

Roly Simpson, Thorsten Roser, Mark Sexton, Steve McFarlane.
(updated 8 July - Andrew Vincent is not attending, nor is Roger Morris)

Nick & Monica Dutton will be joining on the Friday, and hope to catch up with us at Reedham Quay on Saturday morning.

Jonathan & Miriam Knight are hoping to join at some point, but can't make the start.

Gary Jenkins said he was looking at keeping his boat on the Broads for the summer.

Liz Healey is hoping to join as willing crew!

Could the six names in bold above please confirm if you will definitely be attending or not. These are the boats that will launch at Brundall on 24th July.

If Jonathan and Gary could let us know their current plans, that would be a great help too.

Useful information:

The Broads Authority, who manage the whole of the Broads, have an extensive web site with a wealth of information at broads-authority.gov.uk.

There is an online book called the Broadcaster, available here. This is an interactive page-turning format, if you prefer a plain PDF, you can get that here. The useful diagrammatic map in the centre pages is available as a separate PDF here.

A good site for tide heights & times is tides.willyweather.co.uk/ee/norfolk.html (replace "norfolk" with "suffolk" for places like Beccles that are actually in Suffolk). The site shows tide curves, not just high & low, and also the highest-tide datum which is what bridge clearances are calibrated against.

Launch & recovery location is Brundall Bay Marina, 7 Riverside Estate, Brundall, Norwich NR13 5PU. If your direction of arrival takes you along the A47 South of Norwich, you'll pass over a high bridge across the Yare. You'll be going under this on the way to Norwich and back, and it's probably the only Broads bridge high enough to clear a Mac with the mast up!

Please reply with positive confirmation that you'll be joining - or not. Any views on the itinerary I posted earlier are also welcome. Things can be changed, and of course may well change as we go along - as normal for a Mac event!

Looking forward to meeting everyone on the Friday.