Breydon

[Gracie]

I agree with Labrador, you lot are the cleverest, wisest (ok, maybe a tad too far) on anything to do with Boats and tides etc, but for goodness sake, give it a rest lol, I have crossed Breydon a zillion times both girl and woman and never once got into trouble, even crossed in a storm (fantastic), after reading through this topic i am totally confused (easily done). Any newbies wanting to cross Breydon,  just check with your hire yard, or phone the Yacht Station, simples.

Great debate though, as usual 

Grace

[marshman]

Gracie - I had long gone to sleep!! Must be that time of year when no one has anything particular to say!!!

Breydon is easy if you can read and/or can be bothered. If not you can enjoy the extensive wide horizons and views of mud and wait until the tide comes back at no risk.

Please don't call the emergency services  - you are rarely at risk and equally I would suggest the RNLI review their local station operating criteria to ensure their resources are focussed on those in danger and not those who are not at risk. Do they register everyone "rescued" as a life saved for their records?

 

[JawsOrca]

 even crossed in a storm (fantastic),

Grace

There's no need to gloat grace

I've never been over in a storm it's always a bloody millpond when we go.. Grrr lol

 

[kfurbank]

It's worth noting that more than one boat has sunk from leaning at an angle and taking on water through vents and skin fittings before the boat has managed to get level again on a rising tide. Therefore regardless of what the tide is doing best not to venture outside those posts and get stuck on a falling tide. Off course if the official advice is followed, go round an hour after low water and you manage to venture outside the posts through breakdown or any other reason, at least the tide will rise and keep you level or push you further outside the posts, but perhaps more importantly any one looking to help you has a much better chance of towing you immediately to safety. I believe it is the people getting stranded on a falling tide that cause the most problem because it will be some time before they are afloat again, which it may be dark by then, or the boat may take on water as the tide comes in. It is probably these situations where the RNLI are making the decision to remove people from the boat until it is safely afloat again.

[Gracie]

Jaws, let me tell you (rubs it in even more ) it was fantastic, the wind was howling, the rain lashing down on the boat, with every few yards forward we went about a hundred back lol, The kids were literally chained in their cabins with life jackets on, I think Breydon was closed for the rest of that day, would I go in a storm again, you betcha. Although, I have to say Breydon is stunning when it is a mill pond, just be sensible, wear life jackets and check with the YS, then go across and enjoy every minute of the adventure 

Grace

[BroadScot]

Now now Grace, be kind to Alan, please. He canny help it if he hasn't crossed Breydon on a rough day, I love it!  Like you, done it many times, with the spray flying over the windscreen in a Aston Concorde Class, pure dead brilliant it was.

I am quite sure one day THIS century, Alan, you will experience a "rough" crossing!

 

Iain

[MauriceMynah]

Gracie, I'm interested in the concept of chaining a child in a cabin and making him (or her) wear a life jacket. This delightful stroke of gratuitous cruelty apeals to me no end.      

[Gracie]

Ok, the chaining in the cabin bit was a slight exaggeration lol, but kept them safe and secure all the same. My husband actually turned to me and said "perhaps we should turn back?" my answer to him was "Not on your bl**dy nellie" and this coming from someone who gets sick on the Isle of Wight Ferry 

Grace

p.s If we ever meet at a Meet, MM, remind me to let you spend a couple of hours with my delightful kids when they are in a strop, that would be "Gratuitous Cruelty"  

[BroadScot]

Ok, the chaining in the cabin bit was a slight exaggeration lol, but kept them safe and secure all the same. My husband actually turned to me and said "perhaps we should turn back?" my answer to him was "Not on your bl**dy nellie" and this coming from someone who gets sick on the Isle of Wight Ferry 

Grace

Grace,

Everyone is sick crossing the IOW Ferry, must be the dearest short crossing in the world!  

Iain

[JennyMorgan]

Grace,

Everyone is sick crossing the IOW Ferry, must be the dearest short crossing in the world!  

Iain

That reminds me of a terrible childhood joke.

'What comes steaming out of Cowes?' 

 

The Isle of Wight Ferry!

[Bound2Please]

Ok, the chaining in the cabin bit was a slight exaggeration lol, but kept them safe and secure all the same. My husband actually turned to me and said "perhaps we should turn back?" my answer to him was "Not on your bl**dy nellie" and this coming from someone who gets sick on the Isle of Wight Ferry 

Grace

p.s If we ever meet at a Meet, MM, remind me to let you spend a couple of hours with my delightful kids when they are in a strop, that would be "Gratuitous Cruelty"  

Well i can say weve crossed breydon over the years in rough and calm. Being used to taking fishing boats to sea it never bothered me really. But on one occasion in late 70's early 80's before the days of nanny state we got about 100yards into it from the waveney in the "Anglian Sonet" and i decided the boat wouldnt make it, i turned and eventually got safely onto the berny arms moorings. The water in breydon wasnt my worry but was the "Anglian Sonet" up to such a bashing being a boat designed to go under all broads bridges!.

 

So i say its not breydon but is the boat upto it?>

[Gracie]

"So I say its not Breydon but is the boat upto it" Very fair point Charlie, don't know much about the mechanics of a boat, only the pretty bits like curtains etc lol, but we've been across in some pretty old hire boats in the past and still here to tell the tale. Do get your point though, maybe a silly question but would something like a little Norman, Hamptons or Freeman 22 etc make it across in a storm?

Grace

[BroadScot]

That reminds me of a terrible childhood joke.

'What comes steaming out of Cowes?' 

 

The Isle of Wight Ferry!

JM, I must say, that comes pretty close to overtaking Poppy in the worst Joke stakes! 

Iain.

[Hockham Admiral]

We made it from Dartmouth to the Channel Isles to Brundall in this, Grace! 22ft, single petrol engine,

 

 

[senator]

Yes but look how young you were then John, you could probably have swam the rest of the way if it sunk.

[Bound2Please]

 Do get your point though, maybe a silly question but would something like a little Norman, Hamptons or Freeman 22 etc make it across in a storm?

Grace

Well theres a lot to take into consideration, one main one is how confident you are in the boat for starters. Lets say ive been out to sea in 19ft open clinker wooden boat with a bmc diesel engine and felt safe in a force 8 gale. But ive also been out to sea in 30 ft fibre glass cabin boat in a force 3 and felt very uneasy in her. sadly a friend of mine in a boat out of the same mould tragically lost his life and two boys who were with him on a perfectly calm day. Only one body ever recovered.

 

So there are lots of factors to take into account not just running aground and boat becoming swamped by incoming tides or by the water conditions ........................ That said Ive never felt unsafe in any broads boat in normal conditions wether north south or on breydon

 

[BroadScot]

With regards to a Hampton Safari 25 Mk2 "Sunmist" Grace, http://www.broads.org.uk/wiki/index.php5?title=Boat_Details&BoatId=4470&BoatHistory=6846  that one, yes it handled a "rough" crossing with a bit of bobbing up and down! P&H went overboard to excuse a pun in cupboard layout on her, so we had to check all the cupboards to check nothing was damaged, after we crossed and stopped at Berney Arms. Super little boat to hire she was.

 

Iain 

[senator]

Gracie,  one of the most likely causes of engine failure on boats at sea is fuel, this is even more the case when boats have been used on the river for a couple of years then are taken out to sea and the tanks given a good shaking.

Even if the hire boat is sea worthy enough to be on Breydon being chased by Krakens hiding in 12' waves, the chances are the tanks will have last been given a shaking years ago on the last rough crossing of Breydon. This makes the likelihood of filters blocking far more likely.

Having said that I am surprised we do not hear more about blocked filters as the reason for breakdown.

Edited October 2, 2015 by senator

[Graham]

I have never given it a fort when crossing just stay in between the posts how hard can it be,  and allways on a outgoing tied,  it has been on hire boats no real information on how dangerous it can be , and on a outgoing tied. 

But now after reading this and owning my own boat am going to think .   Graham

[MauriceMynah]

Fear ye not Graham, the Elysian 27 was originally designed as a sea going craft and so is capable of handling anything that Breydon can throw at it.

The attached pic is of an Elysian Mk1 (same as yours I believe)

[LondonRascal]

I also think it was a slightly modified Elysian hull that went on to become the Senior 31/Princess 32.

[senator]

they will all still stop if the filters are blocked so worth keeping an eye on

[MauriceMynah]

That's certainly true Senator, As a maker of BioDiesel I know that only too well.

[Viking23]

That reminds me of a terrible childhood joke.

'What comes steaming out of Cowes?' 

 

The Isle of Wight Ferry!

I had a different childhood to you JM,

I heard...  What is Brown and Smelly and steams out of cows...

But yours was not the first answer that I gave lol.... Well I had never heard of Cowes on the Isle of Wight lol...

I get the joke now...

lol

[Viking23]

they will all still stop if the filters are blocked so worth keeping an eye on 

For sea going boats, I had heard that having two fuel filters, in parallel, with an isolator,  on the in and out, with one in service, and the other, new and on standby.

This could quickly eliminate a blocked filter, but may not help in getting rid of loads of water, but some filters do have water drains.

The other alternative is to use a smaller day tank.