Yachting, Vol. 2Dufferin and Ava, Frederick Temple Blackwood, Marquis of
History
Yachting, Vol. 2
Dufferin and Ava, Frederick Temple Blackwood, Marquis of
Yacht racing; Yachting; Yachts
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.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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