The Handbook to the Rivers and Broads of Norfolk & Suffolk

by G. Christopher Davies

A good way of seeing the rivers, if you have no boat, is to give a wherryman a small sum to take you with him when he makes a passage. There are always numbers of wherries leaving Norwich and Yarmouth, and if you hail the one you fancy, you will be readily taken on board. Thus you might sail from Norwich to Yarmouth one day, up to Wroxham the next, back to Yarmouth and up to Beccles, at an expenditure of half-a-crown a day and refreshments. I am sure that visitors to either Yarmouth or Lowestoft will do well to avail themselves of this suggestion.

The navigation is controlled by Acts of Parliament, but pleasure yachts are exempt from tolls, except, of course, at locks and Haddiscoe lift bridge.

The rule of the road is very strictly adhered to by the wherries and local yachts, and necessarily so; but it is a point of honour not to harass business wherries if it can be avoided, as these are sailed for a livelihood, while yachtsmen sail for pleasure. Therefore, if there is a doubt, give the wherry the benefit of it.

It is also a point of prudence not to cross a wherry’s bows too closely, as they would soon smash up a yacht. If you are civil to a wherryman he will be most civil to you, and don’t slang him if he doesn’t at once give way for you to pass him.

The following racing regulations of the Yacht Clubs simply epitomise the custom and practice on the rivers, and must be adhered to:

“That if two yachts be standing for the shore of any river or broad, and the yacht to leeward be likely to run aground or foul any bottom or bank, or not be able to stay without the windward yacht running foul of her, the windward yacht must be put about upon being hailed by the member of the Club who may be in charge of the leeward yacht; the yacht to leeward must also go about at the same time as the yacht she hails.

“That in sailing to windward the yacht on the port tack must give way to the yacht on the starboard tack, and in case of collision, the owner of the vessel on the port tack shall be liable to pay all damages that may occur, and forfeit all claim to the prize.

“That any yacht bearing away or altering her course to windward or leeward, provided there is no obstruction to prevent her keeping her course, thereby compelling another vessel to go out of her course, shall forfeit all claim to the prize. In running before the wind, the side the leading vessel carries her main boom is to be considered the lee side.

“A yacht overhauling another may pass to windward or leeward; and when near the shore or shallow water, or when rounding any mark, flag, or buoy, if the bowsprit of the yacht astern overlap any portion of the hull of the yacht ahead, the latter must immediately give way and allow the former to pass between her and such shore, shallow water, mark, flag, or buoy; and should any yacht not give way or compel another to touch the ground, or to foul any mark, flag, or buoy, the yacht so compelling her shall forfeit all claim to the prize, her owner shall pay all damage that may occur, and the yacht so compelled to touch such mark, flag, or buoy shall not in this case suffer any penalty for such contact.

“It is an established rule, and should be most strictly attended to by all yachtsmen, that where two vessels have to cross each other on opposite tacks, the one on the starboard tack must invariably keep her wind, and the one on the port tack must keep away and pass to leeward, or tack short when the smallest doubt exists of her not being able to weather the other. All expenses of damage incurred by vessels on opposite tacks running on board each other, fall upon the one on the port tack; but where the one on the starboard tack has kept away with the intention of passing to leeward, and they have come in contact, the expenses of damage fall upon her on the starboard tack, because by her keeping away she may have prevented the other passing to leeward. When a vessel on the starboard tack sees another attempting to weather her, when it does not seem possible, rather than keep away, she should put her helm down, for the less way vessels have when they come in contact, the less damage they will sustain. Should both vessels put their helms up and run on board each other, the most fatal consequences may arise, and therefore nothing should induce the vessel on the starboard tack to keep away. All vessels going free must give way to those on a wind.”