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tips on crossing breydon


jillR

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over the years this question comes up regularly so i thought this thread was needed

Re: Breydon Water

by Ellaboat » Tue Jul 15, 2008 2:04 pm

Passage time from "Marina Keys" to either of the first moorings (close to the other side of Breydon) will take 45 mins.

There's the Fisherman's Arms at Burgh Castle on the Waveney or Berney Arms on the Yare - Both are owned by the respective pub/restaurants and are free moorings (both free I think) but will require patronage of the establishment.

Alternatively, just a few hundred yards further up the Waveney are free 24 hour moorings with one electricity point if you're seeking one (although there's just one electricity "pylon" along a large stretch of free moorings).

There's a lot of hype talked about crossing Breydon, but for a first timer following a few guidelines will make for an easy passage (and you'll wonder why you ever worried about it before):-

1) Leave Yarmouth Yacht Station (or "Marina Keys" for that matter) at slack water - 1.5 hours after low water at YYS

2) Avoid crossing in extremely high winds or very poor weather that restricts visibility (i.e. heavy rain).

In totally unsuitable conditions the Rangers would stop you anyway.

3) Ensure that you have plenty of time to cross and reach a mooring before it gets dark.

4) Stay inside the boat or always ensure that anyone that needs to go on deck wears a lifejacket

5) Keep to the right side of the marked channel and don't stray out of the marked channel.

(15 ft outside a channel marker could find you stuck on the mud for at least 6 hours).

6) Don't cut the first corner when leaving the Bure. Go round the yellow marker as directed and pass under the right hand span of Breydon Bridge. (Going north you would be over the other side using what would again be your right hand span).

Otherwise, the only other hazard is the remains of an old jetty as the channel narrows on the far (South) side of Breydon. The submerged stakes are very clearly marked and just outside the marked channel on your right as you go South.

..........................................................................................

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and after a visit to Asda yesterday eve DO NOT do what a hire boat did and try and pass on the inside of the markers while at low tide :party:

i had great fun watching the poor RNLI try with no luck to pull them off the mud

i did feel sorry for the RNLI and the boat company who where there also trying with no luck

when we left Asda they'd all gone apart from the hire boat which still sat there with no-one on board

markers are there for a reason :naughty:

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and after a visit to Asda yesterday eve DO NOT do what a hire boat did and try and pass on the inside of the markers while at low tide :party:

markers are there for a reason :naughty:

Personally I would rather run aground at low-tide than at high...

Do it at low and the next rising tide will eventually lift you off.

Do it at high water springs and it might be a couple of weeks before the tide is high enough for the boat to lift off.

I've never come across Breydon when there was a boat aground, but I do remember one a little further up the Waveney...

They had apparently nosed into a little dyke in the reeds to moor up, but did it at high water.

When I came by, having come through Yarmouth at slack water, I was looking UP at the boat as it sat there nice and secure in its little mud patch...

The tide had gone out and left her on sitting nicely in the bottom of the dry dyke.

I just hope that the incoming tide was high enough for them to get her off.

The worse thing about running aground is that you feel like an idiot,

and then have to sit there and wait whilst everybody looks at you until the tide comes in again...

One other point to remember is that if the boat settles onto the putty horizontal she should float again easily when the water returns.

If she settles at an angle, either fore and aft or side to side, there will be a risk of water getting in somewhere where it shouldn't be before the tide is high enough to float her. That is why the boat yards sometimes have to block off ventilators when they are waiting to retrieve a boat.

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o

There's a lot of hype talked about crossing Breydon, but for a first timer following a few guidelines will make for an easy passage (and you'll wonder why you ever worried about it before):-

5) Keep to the CORRECT side of the marked channel and don't stray out of the marked channel.

(15 ft outside a channel marker could find you stuck on the mud for at least 6 hours).

6) Don't cut the first corner when leaving the Bure. Go round the yellow marker as directed and pass under the right hand span of Breydon Bridge. (Going north you would be over the other side using what would again be your right hand span).

I entirely agree, Jill...

Going up-river (From Gt Yarmouth) you will have RED markers on the LEFT and GREEN markers on the RIGHT.

Coming down-river (To Gt Yarmouth from the Yare or Waveney) you will then have the REDS on the RIGHT and the GREENS on the LEFT.

Simples! :clap:clap:clap

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:wave hi john the thing i'm not too sure about is when to go over breydon, a boatyard told us to go an hour after the tide time from acle, but how long do you leave it if you're coming from reedham with it being closer to breydon water ? :Stinky lori
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I would leave Reedham 1 hour before slack water GH. (That's at LW GH which they give you at Reedham).

That will put you at GH at about slack + 30mins, by when the Bure tide will be with you.

You'll have to punch a bit of flood across Breydon but it's worth it to get the flood up the Bure.

:grin: hi john thanks, i'll try to remember that. :Stinky lori

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I'm with John on this. 30mins after slack water in both directions is what I aim for. John explained

the going up the Bure direction so here's my take on the going down the Bure one! Having had

someone pull out and turn downstream from the YS right in front of me(and i DO MEAN RIGHT IN

FRONT OF ME!) 5yrs ago which gave me real handling problems as we were going with the tide, which

does tend to get a move on there..., I had full astern with the resulting smokeing exhaust and no

steerage and how we never hit them I'll never know. It must only have been literally inches! From my

helm position I was convinced we were going to hit! two guns Their helmsman never even looked

at us once and appeared to have never seen us at all. We were going only slightly faster than the

ebb tide to give me steerage and this was at slack water time. Most regular boaters know the Bure

continues to run out for maybe 30mins or so after slack water which had never bothered me before

but now after that incident, I always arrive at least 30mins after slack water!!

Bill.

Edited to add:- You also get the benefit of a good push through Breydon having a good tide with you!

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Most regular boaters know the Bure

continues to run out for maybe 30mins or so after slack water which had never bothered me before

but now after that incident, I always arrive at least 30mins after slack water!!

Bill.

Bill,

But I thought the definition of "Slack Water at the Yarmouth Yacht Station" is the point when the incoming flood tide cancels out the flow coming down the Bure, i.e. Slack means there shouldn't be a current...

Getting there slightly later, i.e. when the flood is actually coming up the Bure, is OK going downstream as it will give you more steerage for a given rate over the ground (i.e. the rate at which you go through the bridges)

Getting there slightly earlier, i.e. when the current is still coming down the Bure uses more fuel, is also OK when coming upstream, as you will again have control as you get to the bridges.

Of course in both these cases you will use a bit more fuel than doing it at slack.

Now doing things the other way, i.e. Early coming downstream or Late coming upstream, means that the stream is carrying you into the bridges and you don't have much control...

I've only been through Yarmouth on three of my trips, i.e. only 6 passages, and I still make sure that I do it as close to slack water as possible.

I've seen these stories from the old wherrymen of "shooting the bridges on the ebb with the mudwight towing astern to keep her straight" but I have never had the urge to try it!

Martin

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I know what your trying to get across Martin. Slack Water at YS is supposed to be just that but

whenever i went through, the river was still running out of the Bure at that time whilst the tide is

starting to flood into Breydon.

Anyway, what I was trying to get across was that I prefer the way I do it for the reasons given, Other

people may not agree but 'punching the tide' for a short stretch gives benefits with the tide later.

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But I thought the definition of "Slack Water at the Yarmouth Yacht Station" is the point when the incoming flood tide cancels out the flow coming down the Bure, i.e. Slack means there shouldn't be a current...

Doesn't really happen at Yarmouth Martin. What tends to happen instead is the ebb flow of the river continues until such a time when the flood tide can overcome it then the river rises. It's very rare for there to be no flow on the river at the Yacht Station due to the vast volume of water in the northern broads trying to funnel through a narrow channel. Indeed, I have been moored there before and the river level has been rising despite there still being quite a strong ebb current.

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My understanding also is that "low water slack" (anywhere), means exactly that.

It is the short period each tide when the surface flow reverses, from ebb to flood.

At Yarmouth it occurs at around 1 to 1½ hours after each low water, and is slightly later at the Yacht station than at Bure mouth on the Yare.

"It's very rare for there to be no flow on the river at the Yacht Station"

yes, it doesn't last for long, but it does occur just after every low water.

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My understanding also is that "low water slack" (anywhere), means exactly that.

It is the short period each tide when the surface flow reverses, from ebb to flood.

At Yarmouth it occurs at around 1 to 1½ hours after each low water, and is slightly later at the Yacht station than at Bure mouth on the Yare.

"It's very rare for there to be no flow on the river at the Yacht Station"

yes, it doesn't last for long, but it does occur just after every low water.

Not true i have known the water begin to rise 30 mins after low water and you phone GYYS for bridge height they will tell you to come dead on low water sometimes

Graeme

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Not true i have known the water begin to rise 30 mins after low water and you phone GYYS for bridge height they will tell you to come dead on low water sometimes

??

The water begins to rise immediately after low water, that's why low water is called "low water", it's when the tide level is at it's lowest.

The question was about slack water, which is a completely different issue to low water, because it is when the surface current reverses, which does occur at Yarmouth 1 to 1½ hours after low water, when the incoming flood tide overcomes the natural outward surface flow of the river.

If GYYS are being asked specifically about bridge height clearance, then they probably would advise to come dead on low water if maximum air draft is required, since that is always when the water is at it's lowest....

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 years later...

My tip is to make sure loose items are secured and off shelves UNLESS you are confident Breydon will be a smooth passage.  I have made the crossing hundreds of times, however a fortnight or so back I got caught out good n proper.  Top of boat down, windows open, galley in normal state, deck gear just sat on deck / coach house roofs for a smooth crossing - It was anything but. Flood tide and a strong southerly wind (Tail end of Hurricane Bertha I believe) resulted in a genuine 5foot swell straight on the bow - Result soaked wheelhouse, cabin bedding soaked.  I tried to 'Heave to' but the wind/tide would have put me on the mudflats - there was nowt for it but to 'Come about' which is hen the galley got trashed and we lost some deck gear.  Now travelling with the swell we could get the top up and stow what hadn't just stowed itself on the deck during our 180 turn, another 180 turn and we were underway again, great fun with the spray sometimes landing astern of us (and we are 40ft)

 

I have never seen conditions like that on Breydon before now.  If one is 'Secured for sea' then you won't have any problems and it is quite exhilarating, but beware if you are not prepared - I wasn't and should have known far better - No excuses 'Guilty as charged Neptune'

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We to had a problem going over breydon a  couple of years ago we had a problem with our outboard on our old boat,therefore leaving a little later.We arrived at breydon in slight cloud with no hint of rough weather,however when we started to cross it became very rough i went over full speed,Marina first mate looked very white and holding on tight.Once crossed we made for oulton after mooring up Marina kissed the grould.Having said that crossing is nearly always fun but must be treated with respect. :Sailing

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It was after 1700 so Spirit of Breydon was secured away as it was after hours.  If they had been about I'm sure Breydon would have been closed or at least advising certain types of craft not to cross.  passage south to north would have more comfortable but with a serious risk of broaching - however this would have been unlikely due to the short swell but sideways on would have been scary for any craft

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Hmmm, Tips on crossing Breydon eh?

Right! Now I'm going to do the unforgivable! I'm going to criticize quite a few of the posters on this thread. (he says, putting on a tin hat).

Tips are usually intended for the novices or at least those with limited experience of the issues so...

 

GYYS = Great Yarmouth Yacht Station (the last safe mooring before Breydon Water).

"I would leave Reedham 1 hour before slack water GH. (That's at LW GH which they give you at Reedham)."

LW = Low water (not equal to "Slack water"  Not sure about "GH" though, "Good Heavens" perhaps!

"Slack water at YS".  YS = Yacht station, short for GYYS... see above!

 

John (Hockham Admiral) said ...

"Just to stop confusion. (as if there is any!), slack water at GH is NOT LW +1.00.... more like LW +1.30..
Thus if you want to arrive at Slack Water you need to arrive ONE and a HALF hours after LOW WATER..

So perhaps that's more likely to explain it to new-comers?
"

 

I think not John.

 

The intention of this post is not to upset anyone but to point something out by way of illustration. Some novices will be very confused by some of the posts. It would be better if on threads advising novices we stopped using abbreviations ASAP! 

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