Moorings At Ludham Bridge.

[Viking23]

On Monday we did our first cruise of the season, we moored for half an hour, just before the yacht demasting moorings north of the bridge.

Nice to see they were clearly marked and bright green and white striped mooring posts. Not to be missed however two small  hire craft cruisers decided that this was the best mooring for them, as they had just come through the bridge. As expected a few minutes later a yacht fully masted arrives from upstream and now has nowhere to go. 

When I saw the cruisers arrive, I thought about advising them of the errors of their ways, to be honest, I didn't want to add high blood pressure to my list of ailments. I am not the Broads Police.

Something else I always notice, further upstream on the same side as we moored are moorings exclusively for boats up to 20' long. This I guess is that boats of that length normally have a narrow beam, often 6'10" this allows more river width for passing boats.

Now as I follow all BA's bylaws and notices, even though I am 6'10" beam, I cannot moor there as I am 3' longer.

Another reason for not mooring there, was this clearly marked area, was taken up by two 44' hire cruisers with beams exceeding 12'

This is not a dig at hire craft, it was an observation that the boats breaching these bylaws were not private craft, or commercial craft, but were clearly boats that had been hired.

I did not take details of these boats, or photographs, how the Broads Authourity deal with this is their business. For the same reason, I'm not logging on to the BA website to see if a boat is tolled or not. The old system with the toll stckers worked well, and seeing a big "H" in the centre of the toll sticker helped to identify a hire craft, rather than looking at the stern for the no. of passengers that can be safely carried. Mind you the livery gives it away lol. In the past I have passed on details etc, even evidence of speeding craft, and crimes in progress, but life is really too short.  I am also starting to become a fair weather boater, why sit in a confined space, cold and damp, or sit in front of a noisy engine spewing  out Carbon Monoxide. Amazing when the canopy is up, how much noisier it is, you can hardly notice it with the canopy down.

This is my type of boating, Canopy back, open skies, some cloud cover, cruising along at 4-5 mph, very few other boats, an odd white sail drifting across over the distant reeds, listening to the wildlife and observing the odd bittern, moor when you want, where you want, for as long as you want. "That bridge" has a lot to answer for lol.

Richard

[Wussername]

Out of all our bridges it is the one I like the least. A horrible looking thing in such a beautiful setting.

Andrew

[kfurbank]

I rather suspect that when Richard said "That Bridge" he was talking about Potter bridge, about time that bridge was modified to allow the masses through

[Wussername]

I agree entirely with your comment Kfurbank. A great idea. But only if we do not allow them back!

Andrew

[Broadsword]

The serious point in the OP is one that I feel strongly about!  If you find yourself coming down from Barton with a tide, hoping to pull in at the bridge to demast, only to find the moorings taken up, it can definitely raise the blood pressure!  Twice this year, we have been fortunate to find space available on the other side...  Ludham Bridge used to be much kinder to yotties... it is a bit of a pain now...

[Broadsword]

We have also chosen, at times, to demast at St Benets and then motor round, rather than risk the melee!

[JennyMorgan]

26 minutes ago, Broadsword said:

The serious point in the OP is one that I feel strongly about!  If you find yourself coming down from Barton with a tide, hoping to pull in at the bridge to demast, only to find the moorings taken up, it can definitely raise the blood pressure!  Twice this year, we have been fortunate to find space available on the other side...  Ludham Bridge used to be much kinder to yotties... it is a bit of a pain now...

Danny, Dr Packman at the BA is approachable, please let him know of your concerns.

[Wussername]

I was at Ludham bridge the other Saturday around 4pm, the day of the strong winds. Several hire boats arrived all together, heading south.

It soon became a difficult situation for an experienced helm let alone a new hirer. Some of them looked for any port in a storm and made use of the demasting area. It was an exceptional day and circumstances, high winds and peak traffic time. However it has to be said that after the situation had calmed down each and every boat moved from the mooring. Had a yacht arrived I am sure that they would have given way if asked to move.

So not all hirers are the same, some act out of necessity, but I do appreciate that there are some who abuse the rules and should be pursued by the authorities.

Andrew

[Guest]

4 hours ago, kfurbank said:

I rather suspect that when Richard said "That Bridge" he was talking about Potter bridge, about time that bridge was modified to allow the masses through

How do you modify what I believe is a listed ancient monument? I was told that by someone so it may not be true but even so it is iconic. I can only think of demolition as any other modification would be difficult.

I suppose the BA could dredge underneath it to make more room!!!!

[ChrisB]

It has stood since circa 1385. If you are unable to pass through get a boat that can. Marthams Jubilee and Judiths are not exactly small and they go through. If it were not for the bridge the Upper Thurne would be like the rest of the Northern Broads overcrowded and not peaceful during the summer.

[BroadScot]

16 minutes ago, ChrisB said:

It has stood since circa 1385. If you are unable to pass through get a boat that can. Marthams Jubilee and Judiths are not exactly small and they go through. If it were not for the bridge the Upper Thurne would be like the rest of the Northern Broads overcrowded and not peaceful during the summer.

Lots of hire boats can get through that hole, it just requires lowering the water levels ! 

While I am on the subject, could someone please rebuild this pub ! Ta.

Iain

[grendel]

its just struck me why they dont dredge that area any more - perhaps the dredger doesnt fit under the bridge?

[BroadScot]

Returning to the thread proper, Ludham Bridge was ok when rebuilt but is know longer the case IMO,boats are longer and higher than before. Meeting say White Champagne as you arrive af LBBY there aint a lot of room left! Add a nice little cross wind and the novice skipper will have a new heart rate!

Solution, widen the whole area and straighten it out also a tad, if that is possible. I have sat and watched the choas there on a main change over day, carnage of Tim West proportions bump! oops sorry!

Okay, so lets forget my idea, and use the phrase common sense instead, these days not in abundance, sadly. It is a very busy part of the Ant, and has to be treated so. Yes, we can but dream.

Iain

[ExMemberBobdog]

1 hour ago, BroadScot said:

Returning to the thread proper, Ludham Bridge was ok when rebuilt but is know longer the case IMO,boats are longer and higher than before. Meeting say White Champagne as you arrive af LBBY there aint a lot of room left! Add a nice little cross wind and the novice skipper will have a new heart rate!

Solution, widen the whole area and straighten it out also a tad, if that is possible. I have sat and watched the choas there on a main change over day, carnage of Tim West proportions bump! oops sorry!

Okay, so lets forget my idea, and use the phrase common sense instead, these days not in abundance, sadly. It is a very busy part of the Ant, and has to be treated so. Yes, we can but dream.

Iain

Solution, stop building/buying/hiring stupidly inappropriate boats.  Use the right craft for the job!  Simples, innit!

[DAVIDH]

Ludham Bridge is a popular stop off point especially for those travelling to and from Richardsons. The situation has been compounded by the shortening of the Ludham Bridge moorings - think it's the left bank going towards the bridge heading to the Bure. Together with the de-mast stretch and the area taken up by the Nancy Oldfield Trust boats the room to moor is now much less than it used to be. Imagine it next summer when all the New Horizon boats are relocated to Stalham!

Regards

David

[ChrisB]

3 minutes ago, DAVIDH said:

Ludham Bridge is a popular stop off point especially for those travelling to and from Richardsons. The situation has been compounded by the shortening of the Ludham Bridge moorings - think it's the left bank going towards the bridge heading to the Bure. Together with the de-mast stretch and the area taken up by the Nancy Oldfield Trust boats the room to moor is now much less than it used to be. Imagine it next summer when all the New Horizon boats are relocated to Stalham!

Regards

David

I would rather not David!!!!

[Broads01]

I don't think Richardsons Acle to Stalham relocation will have the impact on traffic people fear. The Acle fleet is tiny compared to the current Stalham one and Richardsons are sure to pension off some older craft over the winter to be able to operate all the boats from the single location. If you factor in the modest Acle fleet is spread over multiple start days then the impact on the Ant will be minimal.

I've always enjoyed the bustle and challenge of negotiating Ludham Bridge. Having boating challenges is one of the reasons I'll always keep coming back to the Broads. It gives me a buzz passing through a busy Ludham, negotiating a sailing regatta or mooring in tricky conditions. I cant understand why anyone would avoid Wroxham and Horning just because its busy - its such a beautiful part of the Broads, in the summer as much as any time and its ever been thus.

[Viking23]

Richardson's now have many turnaround days, Saturday, Friday being the busiest, but on Monday we returned up the Ant at around 5-6:00 pm and coming the other way we must have encountered around 13 or 14 newly hired out craft, 5 were in a line a few boat lengths apart, and most craft appeared to be going faster than 4 mph, as they had a considerable bow wave and wash. they all seemed to be handling their boats well, and all kept to their side of the river.

You can tell the newly hired craft, work surfaces stacked with new packets of food, biscuits the odd case of beer, that the crew haven't had time to stow away. lol.

Children all wearing life jackets, and everone waving enthusiastically lol 

So in years gone by, we have avoided the Saturday return up the Ant in the afternoon, as we are more likely to encounter boats speeding and overtaking on blind bends but it looks like other days will be getting much busier too. 

One point regarding Ludham bridge, if there are exceptionally high water levels, can ALL the Richardson's craft navigate Ludham bridge? 

Imagine the chaos if a boat gets jammed on a busy Saturday afternoon, it would be a "GRP Log Jam" 

Richard

[Springsong]

I am not sure I understand this modern need for every mooring to be quay headed and barked or chipped or even gravelled. What is wrong with mud banks produced from dredgings and rhond anchors?  Taken spring 1963.

[Bound2Please]

14 minutes ago, springsong said:

I am not sure I understand this modern need for every mooring to be quay headed and barked or chipped or even gravelled. What is wrong with mud banks produced from dredgings and rhond anchors?  Taken spring 1963.

True true, when we first started coming most mooring was on rhond anchors that was late 60's early seventies.

Charlie

[vanessan]

1 hour ago, Viking23 said:

Richardson's now have many turnaround days, Saturday, Friday being the busiest, but on Monday we returned up the Ant at around 5-6:00 pm and coming the other way we must have encountered around 13 or 14 newly hired out craft, 5 were in a line a few boat lengths apart, and most craft appeared to be going faster than 4 mph, as they had a considerable bow wave and wash. they all seemed to be handling their boats well, and all kept to their side of the river.

You can tell the newly hired craft, work surfaces stacked with new packets of food, biscuits the odd case of beer, that the crew haven't had time to stow away. lol.

Children all wearing life jackets, and everone waving enthusiastically lol 

So in years gone by, we have avoided the Saturday return up the Ant in the afternoon, as we are more likely to encounter boats speeding and overtaking on blind bends but it looks like other days will be getting much busier too. 

One point regarding Ludham bridge, if there are exceptionally high water levels, can ALL the Richardson's craft navigate Ludham bridge? 

Imagine the chaos if a boat gets jammed on a busy Saturday afternoon, it would be a "GRP Log Jam" 

Richard

Boats that come out on Fridays often return on Mondays having had the 'weekend break', they then become 'weekday breaks' and are out again on Monday afternoons. Simples. Spend a Friday or Saturday afternoon moored on Barton Broad enjoying the sun and watch the fleets coming down from Richardson's. They come down in packs of about 8 or 10 boats, probably where they have finished their tuition and been let free so the yard guys can do the next batch. Quite right about the food and booze stacked up too, on the return trip it's bin sacks on the back deck!

I hope the Horizon move to Stalham doesn't have too much impact, only time will tell.

[ChrisB]

Tuesdays and Wednesdays are Ant busy days as people run out of food and drink brought from home and make for Tesco in Stalham.

[Viking23]

4 hours ago, springsong said:

I am not sure I understand this modern need for every mooring to be quay headed and barked or chipped or even gravelled. What is wrong with mud banks produced from dredgings and rhond anchors?  Taken spring 1963.

I remember Thurne mouth in the 60's and 70's particularly the inside bend of the Bure, there was no quay heading. Year on year the bank receded, it was very noticable, they tried reed beds, but that didn't work that well, so I guess maybe in the late 70's or early 80's (best guess) they fitted quay heading and this stabilised the bank.

I remember in the 60's most banks were wild, the mud banks were riddled with water vole burrows, and as our boat went past, first you saw the water depth decrease, and the holes drained, and as the boat passed, you could see the water level rise and again the vole burrows were flooded.

Imagine 200 boats passing every day, each day would take a few mm until the bank was completely destroyed. All this mud, is now in the river, decreasing water depth.

So maybe we can't afford to have that many so called "wild moorings" anymore. 

Pity really, as quay heading makes it all look like a canal.

To me the ugliest canalised part of the Broads is the New Cut, dead straight with stones in baskets down one side, I can't recall any reeds, probably too salty.

 

Richard

 

[Broads01]

3 hours ago, ChrisB said:

Tuesdays and Wednesdays are Ant busy days as people run out of food and drink brought from home and make for Tesco in Stalham.

Really? I'm not sure I follow the logic of making such a long trip just to go to Tesco! (Especially with Roys and Lathams also available on the north Broads.)

[Viking23]

On 26 August 2016 at 2:24 PM, Alone1 said:

How do you modify what I believe is a listed ancient monument? I was told that by someone so it may not be true but even so it is iconic. I can only think of demolition as any other modification would be difficult.

I suppose the BA could dredge underneath it to make more room!!!!

Following this event on the M20, where a bridge was demolished, fortunately no one was seriously hurt, hence I feel a joke coming on.

see    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-37204050

The driver has been contacted to see if he wants to be a pilot for Potter Heigham Bridge. lol...