Motor boating is a fun and relaxing pastime, and many boat owners spend as much of their spare time as possible on their boats. There are many different types of motor cruiser available, from small craft for cruising up and down the River Thames, on the Norfolk Broads, or exploring the canals, to larger craft for cruising in coastal waters, and motor yachts for seagoing expeditions.
If you have never been in charge of a motor boat but think that you might want to buy a boat, the best thing to do is to book a motor cruising holiday. There are many boatyards on the Thames and the Norfolk Broads where you can hire a boat for a week or two, and if you can drive a car you already have some of the basics. However, handling a motor cruiser is nonetheless somewhat different from a car. You will need some basic instruction from the yard on handling, checking the engine in the morning, mooring, pump-out stations (where you can have the toilets emptied), dealing with locks if you are on the Thames or a canal, and so on, but in an hour or so you should be confident enough to take control for the first time.
The Norfolk Broads are great if you love being on the water and getting away from it all, but they can become extremely busy during the summer holidays. The best time to hire a motor cruiser on the Broads is late spring and early summer, when the trees are coming into leaf and bud. Much of the Broads is tidal and the difference in the water height can be several feet, so if you moor in a tidal area overnight you need to make certain that the mooring ropes are not too tight, so that the boat can drop with the tide.
Another point about mooring is that you need to moor for the night while there is still plenty of daylight. It is not a good idea to be searching for a mooring in the dark! After a week or two of cruising, you should be competent handling a boat and you will know whether you want to invest in your own.
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