Bringing your boat from overseas
You can access the Broads from Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft.
Great Yarmouth
Great Yarmouth is a busy, commercial harbour with strong currents so entry needs to be timed carefully. Boats are advised to enter on slack, low water and not get in the way of large ships.
All yachts entering or leaving are asked to contact Port Operations on VHF Channel 12 with call sign ‘Yarmouth Radio’. Keep to the starboard side of the channel unless advised otherwise.
Port traffic signals are displayed at the river entrance on the end of Gorleston Pier. If these are red boats must not enter the harbour. When the signals on the Port Operations Building show red vessels heading back to sea must not head south of the lifeboat house. Entry to the new Outer Harbour is strictly prohibited.
Small vessels should not anchor in the port area except in an emergency. Moorings are available on Hall Quay, just south of Haven Bridge, on the east side of the river.
Getting through Great Yarmouth is essential to cruise the northern rivers (Bure, Ant and Thurne, although air draft is restrictive at bridges in the lower Bure) and additionally to cross Breydon Water if you wish to cruise the southern rivers (Yare, Chet and Waveney). Breydon Water can be rough in high winds but if you cross at low water this should not be a problem. To find out when low water is check the tide tables.
Both Haven Bridge and Breydon Bridge lift to give access from Great Yarmouth to Norwich or Oulton Broad. Bookings can be made through Port Operations. Vessels which cannot lower their masts will not be able to access the northern rivers such as the River Bure from Great Yarmouth owing to low bridges.
Lowestoft
Lowestoft Harbour is open at all states of tide and provides easy access to the Broads. All bridges between Lowestoft and Oulton Broad will open so there are no problems for yachts with taller masts, although to access the Broads you need to transit Mutford Lock, tel: 01502 531778.
Whether entering or leaving the harbour, please radio Port Control on VHF Channel 14. When the International Port Traffic signals on the South Pier show red outside the harbour it is prohibited to enter and when they are red inside the yacht basin it is prohibited to leave.
The Bascule Bridge opens for small craft at set times. It will only open on demand for commercial vessels. Pleasure craft must make prior arrangements with Port Control in order to use a bridge opening intended for commercial traffic.
Tolls
If you are coming to the Broads for a short stay – or even for a day – you will need a short visit toll. Short visit tolls are available for periods of up to 28 days within any tolls year. The tolls year runs from 1 April to 31 March the following year.
Every vessel kept in the Broads area for more than 28 days must be registered with the Broads Authority. Registration is free.
Short visit tolls are available from the Broads Authority main office at Dragonfly House, 2 Gilders Way, Norwich, NR3 1UB, Broads Authority Information Centres (open April - October) and some yacht stations and boatyards (from April - October).
Insurance
All visiting vessels require third party insurance with a minimum cover of £2 million except unpowered craft with a block area of less than 6m2. You will be asked to sign an insurance declaration when you pay for your short visit toll.
Useful publications
Useful publications you may like to refer to are Reeds Nautical Almanac, the Cruising Almanac compiled by the Cruising Association, and the East Coast Pilot (for Lowestoft).
