Reedham Ferry

[kadensa]

10 hours ago, Hylander said:

   We all know what a cess pit it is at the best of times.    Why have we (NBN) a need for it in the first place.   Like many others I would not touch it with a barge pole.

Actually 'we all' don't.  I started using Facebook as a platform to play adventure games when I was more or less confined to the house owing to my having to care for a relative with a terminal illness and I have 'met' the most wonderful people from across the world.  There are people on every group and forum on the internet (including this one) whose opinions I value and those I don't; whether or not I agree with them is irrelevant.  To blame the platform for the behaviour of small minority of users is akin to blaming a religion with millions of followers for the actions of a comparatively miniscule number of terrorists. 

[MauriceMynah]

Kadensa, your statement ...

8 minutes ago, kadensa said:

To blame the platform for the behaviour of small minority of users is akin to blaming a religion with millions of followers for the actions of a comparatively miniscule number of terrorists. 

… is absolutely spot on.

We agree, now isn't that worrying? :)

[Polly]

I would blame Mark Zukerberg and his team for standing back whilst that minority exploit the  platform for    ill.

 

[dnks34]

I think coming to grief with the chain and coming out of it with your stern gear unscathed is an amazing bit of luck. 

We can all learn from other peoples errors, no harm done and any dents to pride will no doubt recover, somebody else will make a mistake before long and this will be old news. 

I did hear the Ferry Pub wasnt able to serve food due to staff not being able to get in , true or not surely somebody had a dinghy!!

 

[ChrisB]

I reminded of Andy Warhol's famous words re:- "15 minutes of fame" !

The awful truth behind social media is the "Walter Mitty syndrome"  the poor Clerk can be a CEO, a Surgeon, Fighter Pilot, or top lawyer.

You can re-invent yourself, but it aint real. And this is where I believe it all goes so wrong. Those that are so pugnatious are most likely timid creatures who would run a mile if you said "Boo". Face to face.

I find the misuse of social media very worrying, which is well documented and people who hide behind an internet persona are very vunerable.

Both this forum and the other were used just a few years ago to swing the voting in Classic Boat's restoration competition which was designed to allow readers to chose their favourite. Maybe this was the first vote rigging by social media as votes were solicited and found just because it was "Broads" even though the origins of the vessel were nothing to do with this area.

I know that Dan Huston was shocked and upset  when he was Editor, that something designed and intended to be a serious survey of readers opinions was interfered with not only in this case, but others, by soliciting votes on forums, Facebook, Twitter and the like.

[MauriceMynah]

2 hours ago, dnks34 said:

We can all learn from other peoples errors

Yeah... I learned from my father and never had kids...……………………….Doh

[Broads01]

17 hours ago, kadensa said:

Actually 'we all' don't.  I started using Facebook as a platform to play adventure games when I was more or less confined to the house owing to my having to care for a relative with a terminal illness and I have 'met' the most wonderful people from across the world.  There are people on every group and forum on the internet (including this one) whose opinions I value and those I don't; whether or not I agree with them is irrelevant.  To blame the platform for the behaviour of small minority of users is akin to blaming a religion with millions of followers for the actions of a comparatively miniscule number of terrorists. 

I agree 'we all'  don't. I don't who 'we' are but don't include me in that. Facebook can do many positive things, you just have to accept it will attract unmoderated nonsense and a whole bunch of stuff you're not interested in - the 'I'm having an ice cream at Loddon' thing, as has been said. If you sift through all the chaff to get to the wheat there's good stuff, both Broads-related on NBN (I'm not bothered about the other groups) and other things. 

[Cockatoo]

I see a lot of posts blaming Facebook but the fact is that Facebook groups are moderated by the founder of the group and whoever (s)he appoints. Sanctions range from deleting posts, muting members, deleting them from the group and finally banning them.

 

What is important, it seems to me, is the Facebook needs to be moderated to the same standard* as the forum for continuity.

 

*What that standard is should be the subject of another thread maybe.

[Wussername]

1 hour ago, SteveDuk said:

*What that standard is should be the subject of another thread maybe.

May I suggest credibility and accountability

Andrew. 

[KaptinKev]

Cor blimey! with all this talk about who is at fault with this this ferry it's not rocket science. With my first ever trip on the broads without the parents! coming across this ferry I waited until it was at least two thirds across and went in between. No problems there while on Distant Horizon.

[Cockatoo]

1 minute ago, KaptinKev said:

Cor blimey! with all this talk about who is at fault with this this ferry it's not rocket science. With my first ever trip on the broads without the parents! coming across this ferry I waited until it was at least two thirds across and went in between. No problems there while on Distant Horizon.

The problem is that in a high wind or fast running current the ferry might not be on a direct track and the chains behind him could be lifted from the bottom.

[ChrisB]

It is hardy a long crossing! ( Out of season I always use the ferry rather than drive through Yarmouth and Lowestoft if going to deepest Suffolk ). Why not just hang back until he docks and is discharging then go through?

[Wonderwall]

I never knew you were meant to wait until it is docked. I've always just judged it so as I'm not too close to the ferry.

[ChrisB]

3 minutes ago, Wonderwall said:

I never knew you were meant to wait until it is docked. I've always just judged it so as I'm not too close to the ferry.

You don't have to but it is just the way I have always passed it. You can see it from a fair way off so throttle back. It only takes two average size cars these days so the wait is mimimal. He gets going even taking the money underway, it is no hardship just to hold station for a couple of minutes.

[NorfolkNog]

I must say I have always waited until the ferry has docked as I'm concerned that the chains could be nearer the surface if the tide is fast. Its no problem to hold station or slow down even if the tide is with you. We have always found the ferryman very courteous and he will wait if you are reasonably close. It shouldn't be a problem although I guess at this time of year, when the river is more congested, the ferry will have to make reasonable progress.

[vanessan]

I feel pretty sure there is a sign somewhere saying ‘wait until the ferry has docked before proceeding’ or similar. 

[Broads01]

Yep, I wait until docked otherwise its a lottery as to what the position of the chains might be. 

[Happy]

1 hour ago, Wonderwall said:

I never knew you were meant to wait until it is docked. I've always just judged it so as I'm not too close to the ferry.

  I have been going to the 'Broads' for over 45 years, originally on hire boats and then like a great deal of people

on my own boats.  In all that time I did not realise that you were supposed to wait for the ferry to dock.  I have always

let it get at least half way accross and then passed astern.  It appears that I have been bloody lucky!

[DaveRolaves]

I feel pretty sure there is a sign somewhere saying ‘wait until the ferry has docked before proceeding’ or similar. 

You are right there is a sign which says that. When the tide particularly on the ebb is running very strongly then the ferry is carried sideways a bit and this increased the pressure on the chains.

[JennyMorgan]

If there is any tide then I have always waited not just for the Ferry to dock but also for the crew to slack off the chains. Not sure that it is particularly wise to pass astern of it whilst the chains are under tension.

 

[Guest]

35 minutes ago, Happy said:

 

I have always let it get at least half way across and then passed astern.  It appears that I have been bloody lucky!

You, me and thousands of others, I suspect. All boatyard instructions that I can remember, going back to the 'early seventies' have been along the lines of "Always pass the Reedham Ferry behind the direction of it's travel, because the chains drop almost vertically from it's @rse end" or words to that effect. I've never been advised to wait until the ferry had 'docked' before passing. Oh well, you learn something new every day...

[JennyMorgan]

I've crossed on the Ferry when very clearly the chains were not hanging down vertically, far from it, the tide pushing the Ferry sideways and lifting the chains both astern and ahead. For the sake of a minute I'd rather hold back, not worth the risk. 

[Guest]

16 minutes ago, JennyMorgan said:

I've crossed on the Ferry when very clearly the chains were not hanging down vertically, far from it, the tide pushing the Ferry sideways and lifting the chains both astern and ahead. For the sake of a minute I'd rather hold back, not worth the risk. 

It would appear that both 'Happy', myself and probably many others have indeed, just been lucky. Having said that, I really don't know how many times I've passed the Reedham Ferry, but I would hazard a guess that most of those times the ferry would have been 'docked' anyway. I do have this 'mental picture' of us passing the ferry and it's chains hanging down at the back, so perhaps I've never passed when the chains, because of tide/wind, are taut both ends. But, one thing is for sure, next time I pass, I'll be taking a lot more notice...

[Meantime]

The signs do say something along the lines of "You are advised not to pass this point until the ferry has docked".

There was a review of the ferry undertaken by the BA Boating Safety Management Group after a collision involving Martin Broom on his sailing boat getting tangled in the chains. Martin Broom is a very accomplished helm and was I believe taking part in a sailing race on that day.

As a result of the review it was agreed that the signs would be put up over the Winter, and it was re-iterated to the Ferry Operator that they did not have right of way. For clarity I should mention that Martin Broom was chair of The Navigation Committee at the time. The signs have been there ever since and were erected over the Winter of 2010.

I made mention of perhaps a traffic light system being needed towards the start of this thread and a few people commented that no more signs were needed, in fact there were already too many. Clearly these "new" signs have been missed by quite a few people over the last eight years, so perhaps my suggestion of lights was not so far off the mark.

The signs use the phrase you are "advised" not to pass, because as was reiterated by the BA, the ferry should give way. In practise this is extremely hard to do once under way, but I still stand by my earlier comment that if helms are to follow the advisory sign, then the least the operators can do is not to depart if you are within the area covered by the signs. My own personal experience (I know nothing off the recent incident) is that this is not always the case.

After much searching I have found the relevant section from the minutes of the BSMG meeting held on the 10th November 2010.

Reedham Ferry – Following the investigation undertaken after reports of problems and incidents of vessels getting caught on the underwater chains, it had been agreed to install additional signage this winter. Officers have briefed the Ferry Operator in which it was reiterated that they did not have right of way reference Byelaw 26. An informal procedure had been agreed whereby the ferry operator would not commence passage when approaching boats were inside a zoned area.

[Meantime]

Having been past the ferry today I took some pictures of the signs. The first shows the standard caution ferry sign that has been there for years and is the furthest away from the ferry. The second shows the position of the second sign in relation to the ferry, whilst the third shows the wording of the second sign. It is this one that was added over the Winter of 2010.

I have always assumed or read it as do not pass this sign until the ferry has docked, but on thinking about it, it probably just means do not pass the ferry until it has docked. Note the use of the word advised. I generally unless really punching the tide slow down and wait before the sign for the ferry to dock, however as I said previously I have had the ferry depart when I am past the sign! Not often, but on occasion.