Large Mass Of Weed Mid Channel River Ant.

[Londonlad1985]

Saw this causing some surprised faces (mine included) for returning Richardson's boats between Barton Broad and the turn off for Dilham on the Ant. Have made Broads Control aware. One stoic faced Faircraft hirer tried to go over it.  sadly this just submurged some of it. 

[marshman]

Nice hover that!!

The Rangers will shift it over and "stake" it into the side i expect!!

[thingamybob]

What! again? This is a regular occurrence on that bit of the river, just part of life on the Broads.. 

[thingamybob]

6 minutes ago, Londonlad1985 said:

One stoic faced Faircraft hirer tried to go over it.

Not a good idea.

[dnks34]

Is it a natural occurance or a result of the increasing number of boats now based on and using the Ant maybe.

[C.Ricko]

i remember in the 80s some massive hovers turning up all the time, we would get paid to remove them, no such fortune these days we just shove them up the slip and stick them on the marsh to get them out of the basins, not many others do i don't think, they just shove them out into the main river. 

one problem is that birds nest on them and you have to tie them to the bank until they hatch. you often see them floating round with yellow stakes in them. perhaps they need flashing lights!

Richardsons now have 307  hire boats at stalham so its way less than previous unless you mean the private boaters. 

[dnks34]

I did say maybe im not an expert!! 

Roughly how many hireboats were there back in the good days Clive?  

[ExMemberBobdog]

Hovers are one of the reasons for speed limits on the rivers.  The wash from boats erodes away the soil the reeds are growing in, and eventually a clump and a lump float away.  The more speed, the more wash, and the more wash the bigger the problem.  I've seen them anything from a foot across, to 12 feet across, floating down the river.  The small ones will break up, the big ones can block narrow channels.  Generally, once the area rangers are aware of them, they'll turn up, put a grapple hook into them, and tow them somewhere safe, then stake them into the bank.  That's the reason for all the yellow posts on Sutton Broad - every one of them staking a hover.  For some reason it's a particular problem up there.

[Viking23]

28 minutes ago, Bobdog said:

...That's the reason for all the yellow posts on Sutton Broad - every one of them staking a hover.  For some reason it's a particular problem up there.

It's just one of natures ways of propagation. Yellow irises are a particular problem on canals too. You don't see many of those on the Broads.

If the Broads Authority keep staking them, and they keep breaking away, then no wonder there is a problem up there. They just need to be removed, assuming no birds nesting of course. A couple of years ago Sutton Staithe had a huge one blocking their slipway, they simply removed it.

I guess they would produce some nice organic compost.... eventually lol

 

[Poppy]

I remember Potter bridge being completely blocked by a large hover on one occasion, it being held there by the tide.

It couldn't be moved until 'slack water'.

[Viking23]

Just now, Poppy said:

I remember Potter bridge being completely blocked by a large hover on one occasion, it being held there by the tide.

It couldn't be moved until 'slack water'.

Wow, and the width of Potter Heigham bridge at normal waterline level is over 20' if I recall.

 

[marshman]

They usually come from Sutton Broad - lumps have been breaking off from Sutton for years. I doubt whether Sutton Broad has any "banks" - its all hover and is one of the few places left undisturbed, primarily as its a bit dodgy to walk over!!!

All the Rangers do is tow it , if possible, and stake it back into the side. If you want to remove it you need an excavator!!

 

[Vaughan]

This is why Sutton Broad is called a Broad, since it used to be an expanse of water as big as Barton. As there is little or no rise and fall of tide, or current, the reeds have been able to grow out over the water but they are, as Marshman says, fully floating. Eventually they will form a firm base, which will then be known as fen. This, in time, will grow bushes and scrub oak, which is known as carr. This is the "natural" evolution of the Broads as we know them.

I remember in the old days before speed limits, when you could go over the broad and look behind, to see all the reeds going up and down in rows, following the waves of your wash. Nowadays wash is not a problem but heavy, stormy weather can still cause hovers to break away.

[MauriceMynah]

I wonder if a certain CEO will ever realise that he is in charge of a National Carr Park.  

[thingamybob]

1 hour ago, MauriceMynah said:

I wonder if a certain CEO will ever realise that he is in charge of a National Carr Park.  

No doubt he will reed about it somewhere in his job description.