BELLES & WHISTLES All aboard the

BELLES & WHISTLES

Proverbially it’s better to travel than to arrive. Proving that old adage are Matthew & Sarah Broadhead, owners of the Rutland Belle, who provide around 1,000 pleasure cruises each year, for those who want to enjoy the reservoir from a unique perspective...

“We really love the feedback that we get from passengers, but it’s extra special when we welcome locals on board!”

Above: Matthew Broadhead, the Rutland Belle’s wheelhouse and its five-cylinder Gardner diesel, previously used to power the British Royal Train. A PRECISION MANOEUVRE. Very impressive. In fact, Matthew Broadhead’s easing of the Rutland Belle back into its departure point –on a pontoon adjacent to the old fishing lodge at Whitwell Harbour – is so good, the skipper makes most people’s parking skills appear somewhat lacking. And given that he’s at the wheel of a boat, not a car, that’s no mean feat... although, he concedes, he’s had the practice. “I reckon I’ve done that 16,000 times,” he says, after we have a quick tot up. Still, his handling of the boat is quite outstanding, given that the vessel is 19 metres from bow to stern, and its beam, or width, is some seven metres. We tend to forget about attractions which are right on our doorstep, and we wonder how many Rutlanders have seen the Rutland Belle since it first graced the county’s largest pond back in 1986, but haven’t yet stepped aboard, or at the very least, haven’t done so for a few years. This year, it’s time to rediscover –or discover – the Rutland Belle for yourself. “We make around 1,000 trips a year and our maximum capacity is 110 people,” says Matthew. “It’s probably the most enjoyable job in the county, and we really love the feedback that we get from passengers. But it’s extra special when we welcome locals on board. There are a lot more locals coming aboard since we launched our Gin Cruises, Cheese & Wine Evenings and our private cruises... I think the latter is something to do with Sarah’s catering, which I have to say is excellent!” As for Matthew, his connection to the Rutland Belle goes back many years. In fact it was his father and mother Trevor and Joan – the former ‘boat mad,’ according to Matthew –who first commissioned the Rutland Belle especially for the purpose of providing Rutland water pleasure cruises, 35 years ago. The oily bits and pieces below deck had proven themselves fit for royalty even before they powered the Rutland Belle, as the fivecylinder Gardner diesel engine, which generates about 72hp, had previously been employed within the British Royal Train used by senior members of the royal family. On rail, two of them were used to generate a three-phase electricity supply, but in the

Rutland Belle, one is used to turn the 30” propeller at the rear of the vessel to propel its 29 tonnes along the water at about six knots. Matthew keeps the second in storage as a spare. In addition to the main propeller, there are also two bow thrusters which can nudge the cruiser’s front closer to the pontoon, allowing deckhand Dave Merrison to hop off and tie the Belle down ready for disembarkation and a fresh complement of passengers. “It’s a unique job, there are no courses you can go on, and there’s only one Rutland Belle; it’s the only boat exactly like it in the world. So you have to learn as you go along, but I’m quite practical, so luckily I can turn my hand to maintaining it.” Trevor had the Rutland Belle built and it launched in September 1986 when Matthew was just five years old. “As it was being lowered into the water from the hundred tonne crane, I was sitting on the crane driver’s knee! When I was a teenager I helped out mum and dad during weekends and school holidays. Sarah and I have since taken over and he’s retired... though not before buying another boat, albeit for pleasure, not for business!” “He commissioned the Rutland Belle, working with a marine architect and a firm of engineers based in Ollerton, Mansfield. So whilst it’s a totally unique vessel, we know it as well as somebody who built it should.” Speaking of which, those with a keen eye for detail might have noticed that the Rutland Belle looks a little different this season. That’s because the position of the vessel’s wheelhouse has been changed, moved further forward. For a few years now, Matthew and Trevor recognised that the location of the Rutland Belle’s wheelhouse, if it were relocated, would afford a few more spaces for passengers on the open air top deck. Making such a profound change to the boat is a big job though, and only because cruises was suspended during Covid were the two men able to roll their sleeves up and re-engineer the bridge. >>

“On board there are teas and coffees, and passengers also benefit from Matthew’s knowledge of the reservoir’s highlights. Funny and informative, he delivers fact about the dam, the limnological tower, and of course, about Normanton Church, too...”

>> “We relocated everything, including the wheelhouse itself, from the middle of the boat further forward, over the former glass roof, and we refitted the hydraulic steering system and the morse cables which connect the gearbox to the engine.” “It was really complicated but it means we can now have 60 passengers on the top deck; nearly double the number we had before.” “We sail on the reservoir from April until October, and in the autumn the vessel is lifted out of the water and then transferred to our workshops where it’s repainted and the engine is maintained. We also then obtain our yearly certificate of compliance from the Maritime & Coastguard Agency.” “In season we usually sail three times a day, but we’re expecting to be really busy this year with visitors returning to the reservoir following Covid. So for 2021, we’re going to host four sailings each day.” The Rutland Belle usually departs Whitwell and cruises to Normanton at which point passengers can disembark or enjoy the return trip. Only occasionally does bad weather necessitate a change of route in which case Matthew’s passengers instead get to explore the North Arm of the reservoir. Trips typically take around 40 minutes, and as we left Whitwell, it quickly became clear that the method of transport isn’t the only appeal of a trip aboard the Belle. On board there are teas and coffees, and passengers also benefit from Matthew’s knowledge of the reservoir’s highlights. Funny and informative, he delivers fact about the dam, the limnological tower, and of course, about Normanton Church, too. “We’re also hosting gin cruises throughout the summer, which last three and a half hours and include food, live music, a quiz and of course gin from our local partners, Multum Gin Parvo. The cruises start from 12th June which coincides with World Gin Day, and along with our cheese and wine cruises, they’re really popular with locals.” “We also work with the Osprey teams to provide cruises for birdwatching both during the daytime and at twilight. These take place from May right through to the end of August.” “We’re very lucky not just because Rutland is one of only a handful of sites in the UK to see the birds themselves, but to have a really good team who come on board and offer us their knowledge and their passion for the unique habitat the reservoir provides. And when you’re right in the middle of the water, you really do enjoy a unique perspective.” “Every day on the water is different. Our job really is a pleasure, because as a team, every day, we get to celebrate Rutland Water, and we get to introduce it to others, too!” n

Find Out More: Matthew and Sarah Broadhead invite passengers on board the Rutland Belle four times a day for 40-minute pleasure cruises across the water from Whitwell to Normanton. On board facilities include café and toilet. Disabled access, dogs by appointment. Call 01572 787630 or see www.rutlandwatercruises.com.

THE STORY OF RUTLAND WATER...

n Rutland Water is the largest reservoir in England by surface, although its capacity is exceeded by Kielder Water. n Creation of the water meant flooding several square miles of the Gwash Valley. Nether Hambleton and most of Middle Hambleton were demolished and their wells were plugged as part of the ground preparation. n The water was commissioned in 1970 and was completed in 1975, it took three years, from 1975-1978 to fill. n The water is set within 3,100 acres, and at its maximum, it is 1,200m long, 34 metres deep. Its volume is 124,000,000 cubic metres of water –27 billion gallons of water. n The limnological tower at the centre of the water monitors water quality including oxygenation. It automatically analyses water at six levels from surface to 110ft down. It can initiate the injection of compressed air into the water to clean it. n Water is pumped into the reservoir from the River Nene upstream from Peterborough and the River Welland between Tinwell and Stamford. It’s filled over winter and is usually full from April. n Today the reservoir’s owners, Anglian Water, pump up to 270,000,000 litres per day through thousands of miles of underground pipes to supply 500,000 people in five counties.

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