So You Can Go Swimming!

[Guest]

2 minutes ago, Vaughan said:

What about the Wonderful Whitlingham Gravel Pits? Might make good use of them for a change. Loads of open water, access for spectators all round the bank and virtually no other water users to disturb. Just be careful you don't get fined £100 for mis-understanding the rules in the car park.

Actually I don't think there would be that much hire cruiser traffic on a Sunday as the north rivers boats would not be there then and there are very few hire yards left now, in the south. On the first of July though, there would be a  heavy traffic of trippers in hired day boats from Oulton Broad and elsewhere. How do they hope to control those?

Lots of open swimming takes place there and they have all the facilities on tap to make it a successful and incident free event , not only that better for any spectator's too n I'm pretty sure they would go for it if its presented to them , good idea Vaughan 

[Broads01]

8 minutes ago, Vaughan said:

What about the Wonderful Whitlingham Gravel Pits? Might make good use of them for a change. Loads of open water, access for spectators all round the bank and virtually no other water users to disturb. Just be careful you don't get fined £100 for mis-understanding the rules in the car park.

Actually I don't think there would be that much hire cruiser traffic on a Sunday as the north rivers boats would not be there then and there are very few hire yards left now, in the south. On the first of July though, there would be a  heavy traffic of trippers in hired day boats from Oulton Broad and elsewhere. How do they hope to control those?

Actually Vaughan I think there'll be plenty of boats around including a fair smattering of hire craft. Don't forget Monday and Friday starts are equally as popular as Saturdays now. 

[ranworthbreeze]

I am glad we are not on the boat that week, I will be advising my fellow owner who is on the boat that week of the situation and my advice to him will be to avoid the area because I feel the risks to swimmers by boats be they yachts or cruisers is too high.

I dread to contemplate the results of a boat coming  a bend to see people in the water. 

In my honest opinion the swimmers are just at risk with any safety boats that are marshaling the event, unprotected props and people in the water do not mix.

Regards

Alan 

[smellyloo]

15 minutes ago, Ricardo said:

Not a worthy statement really , the NBN carry's no weight with safety groups or events , however it clearly has an opinion and the majority have stated that its not the right area ie that stretch of river and I for one agree , I don't think anyone is being a killjoy at all but I do see a lot of common sense and experience .

A few who have felt motivated to contribute .... certainly not the majority of members.

What I find disappointing is that whilst valid concerns have been raised there appears to be an assumption that these have been ignored/overlooked in the safety review of the event.

[dnks34]

I do wonder that had the NSBA been involved from the outset (im only reading here that they were not) would the venue have needed to be rethought to begin with!  

Its one thing those of us with the relevant experience raising our concerns here, the event can carry on regardless we have no say but the NSBA on the other hand may have had more of an input, could it be why they were not consulted?

I wholeheartedly agree about Whitlingham, why not use facilities that are geared up for it and already exist? 

The road access for the first 2 BA moorings upstream of WRC also involves the open your self level crossing type affair, both just around the corner from me.

 

[WherryNice]

Well here are my thoughts on the matter(for what they are worth), I dont think an event that attracts people in their hundreds to the area can be all bad, however what concerns me is whether or not the competitors are truely aware of just how haphazard the directional control of Broads boat traffic can be and the that the skill levels of those helming them could be very basic.

If they are aware then it's up to them....

[Guest]

1 minute ago, WherryNice said:

Well here are my thoughts on the matter(for what they are worth), I dont think an event that attracts people in their hundreds to the area can be all bad, however what concerns me is whether or not the competitors are truely aware of just how haphazard the directional control of Broads boat traffic can be and the that the skill levels of those helming them could be very basic.

If they are aware then it's up to them....

Well its £70 entry and sign a disclaimer so it will be interesting to see how many they get.

I swim and have done a couple of open water 'fun' events but knowing the stretch of river and also knowing the navigation will be open to all, I would not do this one if you paid me.

[JennyMorgan]

Vaughan, re hire boats, on a Sunday many will be dayboats. Dayboats are for hire from Oulton Broad, Beccles, Burgh St Peter, Geldeston & St Olaves and I suspect that Sundays are their busiest days. The big boats from Brundall also come out to play and as they are limited as to where they can go on the Broads thus the Waveney is a popular option. As for anglers there are club events but for every club angler there are probably rather more independent individual anglers. 

Whitlingham has been mentioned, ideal. Perhaps swims between the piers at Lowestoft or Yarmouth might be considered, I might be game for that!

[WherryNice]

1 minute ago, 40something said:

Well its £70 entry and sign a disclaimer so it will be interesting to see how many they get.

I swim and have done a couple of open water 'fun' events but knowing the stretch of river and also knowing the navigation will be open to all, I would not do this one if you paid me.

Oh you couldnt get me to do it for a million pounds......

[Bound2Please]

2 minutes ago, JennyMorgan said:

Perhaps swims between the piers at Lowestoft or Yarmouth might be considered, I might be game for that!

The Clacton to Walton pier swim died a death a fews back

[Labrador]

On 28/03/2018 at 12:46, Labrador said:

I think this event is a grand idea, if you don't like it don't  go near it.

I refer to my earlier post. A lot of you are just arguing for arguments sake. Aren't people allowed to do anything adventurous any more? It's only one day for heaven's sake.

[Guest]

39 minutes ago, smellyloo said:

A few who have felt motivated to contribute .... certainly not the majority of members.

What I find disappointing is that whilst valid concerns have been raised there appears to be an assumption that these have been ignored/overlooked in the safety review of the event.

What I ment was the majority of people who responded to the thread not the entire forum.

[marshman]

Well I am going to go for a walk in a minute and I will be faced with tin boxes hurtling down the road at high speed whilst I walk in the gutter - and these are only minor country roads or even lanes. Yet with a bit of luck I suspect I might survive!

I might even see a few cyclists who would equally seem to taking their life in their hands - oh and I am likely to see some horses on my walk too. I suspect most if not all of the last two categories are uninsured either!

I do wonder if as is often the case, whether some are all getting rather hysterical over not a lot????

[batrabill]

3 minutes ago, marshman said:

Well I am going to go for a walk in a minute and I will be faced with tin boxes hurtling down the road at high speed whilst I walk in the gutter - and these are only minor country roads or even lanes. Yet with a bit of luck I suspect I might survive!

I might even see a few cyclists who would equally seem to taking their life in their hands - oh and I am likely to see some horses on my walk too. I suspect most if not all of the last two categories are uninsured either!

I do wonder if as is often the case, whether some are all getting rather hysterical over not a lot????

Worse than that marshman, I hear that a few lunatics are planning a 24 hour, yes 24 hour! sailing race where things called Thames A-raters will plough through 50 miles of river at 12 miles an hour scattering innocent boaters, making maidens faint and cows calve. Madness! It must be stopped.

 

Also, "majority"? - possibly, but "nearly everyone"? No.

[Guest]

3 minutes ago, marshman said:

hysterical

Really where are you looking ? Rather a flippant remark given that most people are concerned with the safety aspect , is it now wrong to be concerned about safety ? I see you have already done your mental risk assessment for your walk so clearly have an element of personal safety .

[Guest]

8 minutes ago, batrabill said:

Worse than that marshman, I hear that a few lunatics are planning a 24 hour, yes 24 hour! sailing race where things called Thames A-raters will plough through 50 miles of river at 12 miles an hour scattering innocent boaters, making maidens faint and cows calve. Madness! It must be stopped.

 

Also, "majority"? - possibly, but "nearly everyone"? No.

In all honesty how can you be expected to be taken seriously making posts like that .

[dnks34]

10 minutes ago, batrabill said:

Worse than that marshman, I hear that a few lunatics are planning a 24 hour, yes 24 hour! sailing race where things called Thames A-raters will plough through 50 miles of river at 12 miles an hour scattering innocent boaters, making maidens faint and cows calve. Madness! It must be stopped.

 

Also, "majority"? - possibly, but "nearly everyone"? No.

At least they are paying a Toll 

[Vaughan]

1 hour ago, Broads01 said:

Don't forget Monday and Friday starts are equally as popular as Saturdays now. 

I had realised that but with the tides as they are that weekend, I still don't think there will be many hire cruisers on the Sunday.

[vanessan]

1 hour ago, Labrador said:

A lot of you are just arguing for arguments sake. 

No we are not!

[grendel]

1 hour ago, Ricardo said:

In all honesty how can you be expected to be taken seriously making posts like that .

in all honesty I dont believe that they will be taken seriously after that, most of the people who dont seem to worry about everyone elses safety concerns appear to me to be arguing for the sake of it, and that is what leads to the disruption, strangely too, they are the ones that continue other threads to the point of disruption, I would suggest that we just ignore them.

[ChrisB]

Potter to West Somerton would have less boat traffic or vikki versa. Or across Hickling if calm.

[smellyloo]

17 minutes ago, grendel said:

in all honesty I dont believe that they will be taken seriously after that, most of the people who dont seem to worry about everyone elses safety concerns appear to me to be arguing for the sake of it, and that is what leads to the disruption, strangely too, they are the ones that continue other threads to the point of disruption, I would suggest that we just ignore them.

I never thought I would read such a statement here on the nbn.

There are usually two sides to every debate, both have merit and deserve equal respect, assuming that is you want to maintain nbn as an open, welcoming, friendly forum.

 

[batrabill]

6 minutes ago, grendel said:

in all honesty I dont believe that they will be taken seriously after that, most of the people who dont seem to worry about everyone elses safety concerns appear to me to be arguing for the sake of it, and that is what leads to the disruption, strangely too, they are the ones that continue other threads to the point of disruption, I would suggest that we just ignore them.

Not be taken seriously for making a joke?????     Boy, a bit po-faced chaps..

The point, if it is too complicated to get from that, is that lots of things happen on the river that if they were subjected to this sort of trial by forum would fail on numerous counts.Windsurfing at Hickling - Weills disease! Blue Green Algae. Kids falling in from their Toppers at Sailing clubs - Weills disease, Blue Green algae, hire boats steaming past!

The 3 rivers race is a good example. Lots of people 'inconvenienced' in the way that several here have complained about. Lots of real risks.

But would that get a smoother ride because it's a boating event?

Secondly, and quite seriously Grendel I think your comment "most of the people who dont seem to worry about everyone elses safety concerns appear to me to be arguing for the sake of it" is completely wrong on two counts.

I'm guessing I am one of those "people", and so I take offence at the notion that I don't seem to worry about other people's safety concerns. We have had lists of safety concerns - Weills, Blue Green Algae, emergency access, etc etc etc I have read every single one of them, but I do not write the risk assessment nor do I assess the risks, so my view is irrelevant, but so is yours.

It was me who contacted Mel so she could answer several incorrect claims here based on zero information that none of the risks had been considered. I thought it would be better to get it from the horses mouth.

She has explained some of the measures taken, and ultimately the question of safety will rest with people who's job it is to make safety judgements on things like this - NOT the views of this forum.

The "arguing for the sake of it" has actually been used by both 'sides' now and I think it is also both annoying and also offensive. I don't argue for the sake of it, I argue because this looks like a great event and something I would like to see as part of the Broads ecology, but the tone of a number of people here is so negative that I feel it is right to stand up for the idea.

It is the nature of forums that the loudest voices usually work together and tend to drown out alternative views. It's usual that the alternative views are called "arguing for the sake of it", and I can point you at several of those in past threads, whereas the view put forward by the loudest voices (not the majority mind, just the loudest voices) is usually referred to as "just stating the facts".

 

Funny that.

 

[batrabill]

20 minutes ago, JennyMorgan said:

Or laugh at 'em! There are two posters whom I am now finding it increasingly difficult to take seriously and I think that that is a pity.

Now you're just ganging up. Not a good look.

 

[JohnK]

assuming that is you want to maintain nbn as an open, welcoming, friendly forum.
 

Perhaps we should ask Mel if that’s how she sees this forum.
It seems to me this is a friendly forum just so long as you agree with “approved opinion”

In my view the concern for safety on this thread (where genuine) is admirable.
Some of the wild assumptions less so.

Why does having a different opinion to someone so often turn into personal attacks here?