BroadAmbition

hasn't it just, a file vanished that I was working on and I lost half a days work today In between customers today, I set off to Donny to visit my main suppliers in the GriffTile van, I met mysen coming back before I had got there Griff

I can inform forumites that I have received a reply to my points / questions raised with Peel Ports GYA Some of the questions have been answered satisfactorily, However some of them have not, so I have discussed it with Robin then sent the document back electronically for them to look at it again with a bit of encouragement from yours truly Griff

I wouldn’t want the thread in full members area either. There maybe some points later from Peel that might have to go in there if I make them public at all. I along with everyone else will just have to wait and see As Robin has said, all our points to date have been and will continue to be factual Griff

Oh and Btw - I'm not putting up an argument here with any forumite, just answering questions or replying to points and telling it simply - Like it is (Was) Griff

No need to beat yourself up about this Griff, Thanks, I'm not. There a few others that I would happily 'Beat Up' though Griff

What are the rules regarding rescheduling your slot. Could they say you’ve missed yours and you have to give 24 hours to your next one? I’m not saying that would be morally ok but would it be within their rules? It could be well be. If so they should have said so. They didn't, they confirmed to Robin that they would lift the bridge at 1615, we naively believed them, why wouldn't we? If they had said Robin needed another 24 x Hrs notice then fine, just be honest and TELL US! That would have given me the option to seek a safe haven en-route instead of the battle we went through, alternatively I could have reduced speed and made the journey more comfortable for my crew. I would have had other options to consider, Lowestoft being an obvious one. But I didn't need to as we had been informed if we made 1615 we could go through. We were were doggedly pressing on. I had promised Robin months ago that I would deliver his boat safely to her new mooring. Robin also of course is a mate not a customer. I had a promise to keep and I would do my utmost to keep it. Griff

Monday evening at around 1630 I got to thinking if only I had just used fenders on the quay, got Robin onboard immediately then put Indy mid river stemming the tide waiting for the bridge to lift, they just might well have done so. That would have meant stemming the tide for 15 mins - not a problem but what a waste of fuel not to mention hogging the river if any other craft appeared that didn't need the bridge lifting. Maybe I made a wrong decision there Griff

As a matter of interest, was there any VHF communication between Indi and the bridge or was it all done by phone? I am just wondering if they treat things differently by VHF as that is how the pilot boat communicated with them. Yes, I first contacted Gya harbour master on VHF then on clearing the piers approaching Haven I contacted Haven and Breydon both on VHF. Phone calls commenced after 1617, and again Tuesday morning (Which were ignored) no further VHF comms, until the pilot boat got the bridge lifted by VHF request I know you were there in time on the Monday afternoon, but had time been tight, would you have been able to transit haven bridge first and pick Robin up on the other side? Yes that was an option if we were late, but we arrived at 1600 and went alongside so Robin could board, both options turned out to be immaterial seeing as it wasn't opened Griff

Sorry, my bad, thought it had been booked for 13:30 and then changed. It originally was JohnK. Robin rang them hours n hours before 1330 to cancel the lift so as to not inconvenience them and show normal due consideration. Annoyingly they did not reciprocate Griff

(other than not making the booked time) Actually JohnK - Indy did make the booked time, both of them. She was ready in all respects for the 1615 lift on Monday and the 0730 lift on Tuesday. Both these booked times were set by the bridge control office which Indy agreed to and complied with Griff

Simple answer no request made by Peel Ports for altering bridge opening time or asking us to overnight in GYA. They just said the bridge would not open and left us to it offering no advice or mooring Robin rang them immediately then got the excuse for not opening at 1615 due to a fault. They then stated all the staff had gone home. Robin offered to pay for an out of hour lift of £200 and incredulously they immediately stated they could open it at 0730 the next morning! Just how could they do that if there was a fault and all the staff had gone home so could not fix the fault but could still lift the bridge at 0730? Of course 0730 came and went with no opening. Robins calls Tuesday morning and answer messages left with the control office were ignored. We only got a provisional lift at 1015 because I rang them mysen from here in Donny requesting a bridge lift that morning (They answered the phone immediately, different mobile number showing on their phone) the girly sounded somewhat surprised at the end of the conversation when I told her the boats name was Independence! If it wasn't for the pilot boat requesting on vhf a lift which was granted immediately with no mention of any faults and coming through, I reckon there is a good possibility that Independence would still be there now There is a lot more to it but I want the port operations manager to get back to me first Griff

Hi Chris, Thanks for sharing very poignant. I don't know whether to be happy for your new era that is forthcoming or sad at the one now closed, probably a bit of both. You will be welcomed for a trip with us onboard 'B.A' if you fancy it, Griff

Just a question. Was any charge made/requested for opening the bridges or for Indy to stay overnight. Colin, not sure I understand your question correctly. The original lift was booked for 1330-ish (Not sure of actual time down to the minute anymore) at Haven / Breydon bridges. Once we realised there was no way we were going to make that deadline due to overnighting at Dover instead of Ramsgate plus the sea state was stopping us proceeding any faster , Robin contacted the control office,and asked what was the latest time it could be lifted. They informed him 1615 was the latest so he went with their instructions and booked the bridges for 1615 as they stated. Meanwhile onboard once we got the news, we knew we were up against it good n proper to make that revised deadline Staying the night was never requested or booked as we had no intention of staying overnight in Yarmouth. The bridge failing to open forced Indy to stay at Town Quay Griff

You're ok Mate, no need for the apology but it wasn't just missing the Yare trip, there were so many other consequences. The Team, Robin etc were treated with ignorance and an appalling attitude Griff

but what the heck, Easy for you to say, it messed up Team Indy's plans no end. Missed the Breydon / Yare trip which we were all looking forward to more than any other leg of the trip, that was to be our reward if you like. Plus my boy had further to drive to collect us and a longer journey home for all of us. By the time I got into bed with a full days work the following day booked in we had been on the go for 22 x Hrs, of which eleven of those hours were tough, eight of them especially so and for what? It put Robin onboard overnight single handed having to tend ropes / tides etc, then having to ask at short notice for volunteers from the NBN (They were the lucky ones) to be onboard early the next morning by 0700 to get Indy ready for the lift at 0730 as promised which never happened. The volunteer crew could have bimbled along for 0930 and still had plenty of time in hand. But the real biggy was Team Indy having a 'Call the hands' at 0400 for a 0500 departure, battling huge seas (Well huge to Indy) initially during a night navigation to GYA when we could have run for a safe haven on numerous occasions as Robin suggested. That is just some of the consequences - There are others plus a host of questions But what the heck. While I'm not having any of it. If I let this one go, the Haven operators will just become even more blasé and start treating river users as a nuisance or second class travellers. I'm taking them to task over it and hope it will benefit all of us A very annoyed - Griff

0730 was a published bridge opening at 1657 Monday. I believe you 100% I also believe 100% the eye witnesses onboard seeing no staff or barriers being lowered either Griff

It must be the cynic in me that wonders if they even tried for a lift in the morning rush hour. I seem to have the same cynical thoughts. Thing is 1615 isn't in the rush hour that normally commences at 1700-ish doesn't it? Not opening in case emergency vehicles are inconvenienced does not hold any water (Pun intended) either as the same emergency vehicles would be inconvenienced no matter what time of day. However it was the bridge control that suggested the time of 0730 on the Wednesday. It was also the same bridge control that gave Robin the 1615 time on the Tuesday that we battled to comply with and made it - just Griff

I think Robin did mention that when they tried for the lift earlier next morning it failed,. They made no attempt to lift Haven at 0730 despite promising they would do so the night before Griff

I hope that Robin and Griff, when they have had time to catch their breath, will be making their feelings known to Peel Ports? I hope so. Tis already done. I chased around Tuesday afternoon to get hold of the top honcho at Peel Ports in GYA - His communications with me to date have proved promising and I await his findings. I can of course comment on this thread about the subject matter but not about what I have emailed to Peel Ports Gya. I wrote a fully detailed report then finished it of with a list of questions, discussed the same then with Robin. I emailed said document off last night at 2330 and got two further replies around midnight - Impressed Griff

Well done ZimbilV and what a kind offer - I'm sure he'll accept Griff

going north to Selby tomorrow morning, you local at dinner time 1 ish Sorry Geof during working hours working days, its a no no other than a sarnie and cup of tea etc. Tomorrow I am working on the housing estate of what we did know as RAF Finningley Griff

3 tanks.. 2405 each...........7215 OUCH No, Sorry but I didn't make mysen clear there. Port and Stbd tanks, 1000 x Ltrs each, centre tank 405 x Ltrs, combined total 2405 x Ltrs, or 2:4 tonnes of diesel Griff

Anyttme, anyplace anywhere, on the understanding I buy you one back Griff

I have a question..... if topping up independence was 2,909 litres at a cost of £2,835, how much would it have been if the tanks were empty !!! Dry tanks - It would take 2405 litres to fill them, give or take the odd ten litres for fuel lines, manifolds, filters etc Griff

Amendment The amount of diesel I posted earlier is incorrect. Having discussed it with Robin, I was told the amount in cost of the Brooms fill up not the amount in Litres (Not by Robin) so a mistake, an honest one but still a mistake. . Therefore can a pesky mod alter the figures in my earlier post to:- Brooms 1123 x Ltrs Total 2'909 Thanks, Griff