SOUTHERN RIVERS CRUISE
The (almost) Summer Solstice Cruise
Saturday 28th June to Saturday 5th July 2025
Cruise Leaders: Jamie and Phill Bennet-Martin
If the sound of a relaxed cruise heading to a number of the popular overnight stops on the southern waters with pub options most nights sounds like fun, then the Southern Rivers Cruise is for you!
The format of giving crews a choice of two mooring locations most nights has worked well for the last couple of years, so this year is no different! This gives everyone a choice in case they have a favoured mooring spot in the area that the cruise has stopped and would prefer that location, but still keeps the crews included within the cruise planning without feeling isolated from the rest of the fleet.
In addition, at the end of the cruise the route overlaps with the YSC 40th Anniversary Weekend which runs from Friday 4th to Sunday 6th July. Crews have been invited to join the event as from Friday evening there will be DIY BBQ facilities at WOBYC and the bar will be open, with two races on Saturday and then the option to go through the lock for a gala dinner at RN&SYC, returning through the lock Sunday morning and an informal downriver race to Somerleyton for lunch. Mooring will be available at WOBYC for boats participating in the anniversary event, full details and booking forms will be available on YSC website in early May. If anybody would like to support the event but are not looking to race then mooring will be available at the Oulton Broad Yacht Station.
The remainder of the fleet that aren’t participating in the anniversary weekend will return across Breydon on Saturday 5thJuly.
The route for 2025 is shown below, and you will see each night (except Sunday) there are two mooring location choices (Option A & Option B) highlighted in different colours just for ease of reading the itinerary (the colours don’t mean anything). This means you just choose where you would like to moor from the two options each night and this gives you the freedom and flexibility to make a decision based on your own personal preference and any previous experiences down south.
I have already block booked some moorings for the cruise so you do not need to contact the moorings to book your space – this is shown below for Langley Dyke and Beccles Yacht Station. Mooring fee’s for Langley Dyke will be £8/boat (subject to minimum 10 boats - if there are less than 10 boats the fee will be slightly higher). Langley Dyke fee’s will be payable to me as I have already pre-paid for all the moorings so any surplus moorings fee’s paid will be donated to our clubhouse, and Beccles will be payable on the day directly to the yacht station.
For any other pre-bookable moorings you will need to book your own mooring, and I have identified if there are any amenities available at the mooring location. In addition, where possible I have recommended a pub as an option for dinner, along with the contact details for you to book your own table at a time that suits you.
I have also shown the Low Tide times for each day based on the starting location for that day (taken from the overnight mooring location the night before) for the more discerning and intrepid sailing crews amongst us!
I would strongly recommend booking tables and moorings as soon as possible, as experience from previous years is that venue space can be limited and therefore book well in advance to ensure you have a mooring and/or a table reserved.
Following the success of the Pimms party last year, we will have another informal gathering on Sunday afternoon/evening on the bank at Rockland St Mary Staithe for us all to have a couple of drinks together. There will be a small charge to cover the costs, with any surplus money being donated to our clubhouse.
There is no specific group meal planned for this year, however as most crews eat in the suggested pubs in the evenings there are plenty of opportunities for participants to catch up over dinner and have a drink with the other crews.
I will create a WhatsApp group just before the start of the cruise so that everyone can keep in contact with each other throughout the week.
Please let me know if you would like to attend (
The itinerary for 2025 is as below:
Disclaimer: All of the above is correct, to the best of my knowledge, please let me know if I have made an error and I will update the details.
Tide times taken from www.norfolk-broads.org/tides/tide_report.asp are GMT so I have adjusted for BST.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Regards
Jamie
07973 689639
Boats Currently Participating:
|
1. Pippinjack |
5. Rosie |
9. Windrift | 13. Lily | 17. | 21. |
|
2. Kingfisher |
6. Songbird | 10. Sun Glory II | 14. | 18. | 22 |
|
3. Moon Daisy |
7. Bewitched | 11. Sandpiper | 15. | 19. | 23 |
|
4. Moondream |
8. Evergreen | 12. Kobweb | 16. | 20. | 24. |