Broads Tours – Update March 2020

At Broads Tours, the health and welfare of our guests and staff is paramount – and we continue to follow government guidelines regarding the Covid-19 virus. As this situation is completely unprecedented our advice and procedures are likely to change regularly.

On March 23rd 2020 we closed our business to customers, inline with Government guidance and that continues to be the case until at least May 10th. Once we have more information from the Government about a partial return to normality, we will update this page.

We are continuing to contact guests due to arrive in the next 7 days, in order to find alternative dates for travel. Please do not contact us unless your trip is due to start in the next 7 days. You will appreciate that our team will have their hands full so please do bear with us.

We will continue to monitor the scientific and Government advice over the coming weeks and will publish updates on our website and social media accounts as the situation develops.

Please understand that this decision has been made as an absolute last resort in the public interest, and the effect on our staff as well as our suppliers is considerable. We thank them all for their efforts and will do all that we can to restore normal service as soon as it is safe to do so so that we can start allowing you to escape to the Broads again.

Thank you all for your patience and understanding at this unprecedented and traumatic time for our business and our country.

Stay safe, and we look forward to seeing you on the other side…

Boat Trip Wroxham

What have we been up to this winter?

One of the questions we are often asked by our customers is what do you do in the winter?

Of course, many of the boats are lifted from the water during the winter months, but that doesn’t mean our staff don’t have plenty to do.

Far from a restful time for us, the cooler months signal that it is time for us to pop on our overalls and get started with our winter maintenance and get up to date with our annual trading and vessel inspections.

Trip boat winterisation

Our large trips each have their turn out of the water, and their annual inspections. This year the Vintage Broadsman has enjoyed a fresh lick of paint and some general winter maintenance, so she is looking her best in advance of the many private events we already have booked for 2020.

The Cordon Rouge and the Queen of The Broads have also been craned out of the water and have enjoyed their annual spruce up, carried out within our onsite boat shed, although we do have to take an office window out in order to fit the Queen of the Broads in!

The hulls of the trip boats have been cleaned and painted with antifouling, which will prevent weeds from growing on the as the season progresses and are now back in the water ready for February half term fun! Did you know that “children go free” between Monday 17th February 2019 and Sunday 23rd February 2020 on our river trips? You can read more on our Broads events page.

River Cruises

 

Day boat winterisation

The day boats have also lifted from the water and given some much needed TLC following a successful season. They have been cleaned, sanded and re-painted and have also been treated with anti-slip deck paint. Limited day boat hire is currently available but from the end of March, all of our day boats will be back in the water ready to welcome in the new season.

*Please be aware due to Storm Dennis we may have to reluctantly decide to not run boat trips on Monday, safety always comes first. If you’re planning a visit, we recommend checking our Facebook page first.

Why the Broads is Perfect for Group Outings

When it comes to planning a group outing, you’ll have so many options. Bowling, meals, and the pub are sure to keep everyone entertained. But you’ve done all of that before, right? What if instead you could take in the beauty of a national park when getting the gang together?

Rather than stepping inside, why not step on board one of our passenger boats? Taking in the wildlife whilst in comfort, you’re sure to enjoy something new.

What are the benefits of a group booking on the Broads?

Unlike a restaurant, our passenger boats will transport you through beautiful surroundings. Each furnished with tables and a bar, everyone is sure to be pleased.

With live and entertaining commentary, your group will explore the very best parts of the Broads in style.

At Broads Tours we offer a 10% discount for groups made up of more than 15 people.

In winter, you also have the option of making your trip a little festive. Open to groups of 30 or more, mulled wine and mince pies can be provided for a small additional cost.

If you think the Broads would be the perfect place for your next group booking, get in touch with us today.

Enjoy a Norfolk Broads boat hire for the day

Hiring a day boat, if you have never been out on the water, can be the perfect way to get a feel for it and decide if a holiday meandering and exploring the waterways would suit you.

If you would like to get a true vibe for the area, be sure to hire your day boat for a full day. The extra time enables you to travel a good way from our base in Wroxham and enjoy a stop for a picnic, or even for lunch in a waterside pub. You may even have time to enjoy a scenic walk around one of the nearby Broadland villages or to visit an interesting nature trail.

Planning a trip to the Broads National Park

So, you’ve visited us a few times and sampled the magic of the Broads National Park with one of our day boats, but now it’s time to take being captain to the next level and at your own pace, by enjoying a holiday in the Broads National Park.

A day boat offers you the perfect chance to get out on the water and explore the Broads for a few hours, or even a full day – but even at top speed there is only so much you can take in. Booking a holiday on the Norfolk Broads, allows you to slow the pace down and do some true exploring.

The first consideration is deciding what kind of holiday suits you, would you prefer to have a stable base, such as a waterside cottage or travel along the water on a holiday boat? Maybe you could have the best of both worlds and combine the two, starting your holiday in a cottage on the water’s edge and completing it with a week on the water itself.

Why choose the Broads for your first boating holiday?

  • The Broads National Park is the perfect place to get to grips with boating, the waterways are easy and very safe to navigate without any troublesome locks.
  • If you book your boating holiday with our sister company, Norfolk Broads Direct, their experienced skippers will take the time to explain the controls of your boat and how to manoeuvre it. They won’t expect you to leave until you are 100% comfortable to do so, so any last-minute nerves can be eased before setting sail on your exciting holiday.
  • Holidays in the Broads National Park are great for the entire family, even your four-legged friend can come along for the ride!
  • Relaxation like no other. A boating holiday gives you the chance to truly take a step away from the stress of day to day life – enjoy exploring natural beauty, spotting wildlife and alfresco dining.

If you think a holiday in the Broads National Park could be for you, head over to Norfolk Broads Direct now to check our remaining availability for 2018/19 or call us on 01603 782207.holiday cruiser with nbd

The mystery of the Bufflehead duck

The Broads Tours team were all driven quackers on Sunday by the mystery of a very unusual duck, which appeared just outside the dayboat moorings.

bufflehead duck on the water

One of our skippers, Tobi, managed to take this photograph of the bird, which rangers at RSPB Strumpshaw have just kindly identified for us.  It turned out to be a female Bufflehead duck, a species that is usually only found in America where it nests in woodpecker holes!

So why would there be a Bufflehead duck in Wroxham?

The probable answer is a little closer to home.  The RSPB’s ranger, Leanne, said that Bufflehead ducks would be very unlikely to migrate as far as the UK and suggested that it might be an escapee from a private collection.

Having looked more closely at the photograph of the Bufflehead duck there does appear to be a yellow ring around the it’s foot suggesting it is indeed an escapee.  The duck has since disappeared, so we will never know for sure.

The dayboat moorings have also seen a lot of otter activity, with the dayboat team reporting that otters have been trying to prey on both a cygnet and a full-sized swan –  both of which fortunately escaped!

Elsewhere on the yard we had a female otter come into our wet boatshed while the engineers and boatbuilders were at work. And one of our skippers, Oli, also saw an otter pop up just in front of the bows of his boat near Salhouse Little Broad during a river trip.

In other news the Canada goose which we featured nesting on Wroxham Island in the last blog has now hatched some adorable goslings.

canada goose nesting

Here is the lovely family on a nearby riverside garden.

two canada geese one sitting one standing on one leg grooming

Finally we will finish the blog with this picture of a swan nesting, taken by one of our skippers Oli at the Ted Ellis Nature reserve in Surlingham.

swan sitting on a nest of dry reeds

Written by Oliver Franzen

With so much wildlife around at the moment why not come on a boat trip and see it for yourself?  For more information call 01603 782 207.