How to holiday like it's 1932: sailing the Norfolk Broads on a vintage yacht

A holiday aboard a vintage yacht in Britain’s Norfolk Broads evokes cruising culture from the early 1930s, set against the 125 miles of tidal rivers and shallow lakes in eastern Norfolk. The article describes a sailor’s day sailing a 24ft yacht upwind when a sudden gust drives the bow downwind and the boat into reeds near an oak tree, illustrating the area’s hazards despite its tranquil reputation. It explains that the Broads were formed from medieval peat diggings and flooded by rising seas in the 14th century, later used by wherries—cargo boats—before Victorian-era operators shifted to holiday transport. By the late 19th century, small yachts were rented to amateurs. The sailing scene is anchored by Hunter’s Yard, opened in 1932 near Ludham, whose 14 cabin yachts for two to four people were built by Percy Hunter and his sons, later bought by Norfolk county council in 1968 and preserved as a charity, the Norfolk Heritage Fleet Trust, after a sale 30 years later raised £300,000.