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Speeding On The Broads


Snowy

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29 minutes ago, annv said:

Member of the public. perhaps it is on test and for sale with exemption cert/licence. John

In which case it should have been showing trade plates, which the rangers would have noticed.

Please don't think I am in support of this person as I am not, but I am left with a few questions :

Judging by the photo, the ranger's launch is moored upstream of the Red House at Cantley, where my map says the speed limit is 6MPH although it drops to 5MPH as you pass the Red House.

So he was caught as he came round the bend onto Limpenhoe Reach at 7.5 MPH. What was the tide doing at the time? According to the photos, it was at high level. I would think that the ebb (on springs as we are now) goes through Reedham at something like 2.5 MPH and maybe more. So if he had the tide under him at a boat speed of 6MPH he could have been doing 8MPH or more over the ground.

Looking at it another way, if he had reduced his ground speed to 6MPH "made good", perhaps with a GPS APP, he would be left with a boat speed of around 3.5 MPH. On a big boat like that, presumably with twin engines, he would hardly have steerage way.

This poses the obvious question - is speed to be judged by boat speed, or by speed "made good" over the ground? 

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Most times when I have seen the paddle waved is from observation from the FRONT. Without a speed gun I defy anyone to tell me within 0.5 mph how quickly a boat is moving. I also suggest that if the aim of the limits is to reduce wash and therefore cumulative erosion then surely wash at any speed should be looked at. 

 

There are many boats on the broads that produce a breaking wash at 4 mph( you know to which type of boat I refer) many older wooden boats do not produce a wash of any significance until well past 5 mph. Earlier reference was made to speeding through a location ( doesn’t matter where ) with the tide . I respectfully suggest that anyone suggesting speed over  ground at 7 mph with a through the water speed of 5mph and a 2 mph tide is any sort of hazard to cumulative erosion should think carefully about what they are suggesting. If it was an hazard that limit would not exist. It is fatuous beyond belief that “speeding with a tide” is any sort of anything nefarious, get a grip people. 

Chose to go through Yarmouth at non slack passage times and maintain 4 mph over ground and you will be a hazard to all. 

By the same token maintain 5 mph the other direction and your wash will be immense and quite destructive. 

Rangers know all this and use IMO a fair amount of common sense and discretion.

personally I don’t care how speedy boats are I am concerned by wash. This season Both Fiona and Helena were almost  knocked off their feet by a boat which passed us with two feet at 4 mph. 

Commonsense is the answer pity it’s not very common.

 

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1 hour ago, Poppy said:

Sadly, many are only concerned about getting to the next pub and to be sure of a mooring there .

I hope Jayfire’s not reading this! :default_norty:

Seriously though, so many helms seem to have no idea what their wash is doing and that goes for both private and hire boats. I can understand hirers to an extent but imo all private helms should be well aware of what is happening behind them. So many of the gin palaces out of Brundall just couldn’t give a fig anyway. There are, of course, the considerate ones too but they are let down by the majority. Only my opinion by the way. 

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5 hours ago, vanessan said:

I hope Jayfire’s not reading this! :default_norty:

Oh Mrs V, the very thought :default_eusa_naughty:

For me the whole idea of coming on the broads is deliberately taking yourself out of the fast paced push and shove, hard faced reality of life and taking time out to move along at a slow pace enjoying just what happens as it happens.

If I plan to go to a particular place I'll get there when I get there, if when I do it's full, no problem it just gives you longer to enjoy your journey to somewhere else.

I'd hate for the broads to become a speeding ground, whether hirers or private and so well done to all who try and stop this becoming the norm.

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1 hour ago, Jayfire said:

Oh Mrs V, the very thought :default_eusa_naughty:

For me the whole idea of coming on the broads is deliberately taking yourself out of the fast paced push and shove, hard faced reality of life and taking time out to move along at a slow pace enjoying just what happens as it happens.

If I plan to go to a particular place I'll get there when I get there, if when I do it's full, no problem it just gives you longer to enjoy your journey to somewhere else.

I'd hate for the broads to become a speeding ground, whether hirers or private and so well done to all who try and stop this becoming the norm.

This year on our summer two weeks on the Broads we got told off by one set of mardy boat owners for speeding past them moored up at Berney.

At the time we were and had been for a few hundred feet in neutral and drifting up on the tide picking a point to turn around and moor up.

Ironically the next day,  said same Loser (Are we allowed to utter that word,) almost washed us onto the bank when he was pushing the tide past us at Reedham.

They had no idea what devastation was playing out behind them. And to be perfectly honest I don't think they cared. All they wanted to do was get back to Brundall. Clearly the annual outing was over.

Boat name noted for our next visit though. Hopefully we will find them moored on their own somewhere.

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