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Southern Broads Extremely Low :o


smitch6

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Hi Marshman. I agree with some of your comment but both the expensive platforms with legs were there when we passed late October, as for long armed diggers. I'm sure extra ones could be leased at far less cost than contracting out to commercial concerns. I had thought that was the general idea. Maybe the BA should put pressure on the land owners to clear their own trees overhanging the rivers. This would free up more staff for dredging.

At the end of the day, this discussion came about over a rare extreme low tide which generally occur each year at varying levels, the other 700+ tides will be within predicted heights. We could, of cause, still have weather that will cause flooding.

For those that weren't here to see it.

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Our two boats at Thorpe. Kept a close eye on skin fittings as the tide rose. The outer boat,Lady Linda, was on the bottom too as there was far less than the 3ft she needs.

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The safety ladder is just touching the ninth rung. We only need five rungs to get 8ft clearance to get Lady Linda under the eastern bridge.

 

Colin:55c8f94983015_default_happyparty::default_drinks::default_xmas2:

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"We have no data to know if the bridge at Potter has itself sunk and if it has by how much. In the 1970s there were steel braces and wooden dams over the two smaller archers - this was to try and stop the bridge 'spreading' outwards. I have no idea if this worked and that is why the bracing was removed, or if it did not and was just done to try and stop it."

We do, indeed, have the data.  Such data is collected regularly by Norfolk County Council Highways' Bridge Inspection team.  Potter Bridge has not sunk since measurements were first recorded.  The bridge was inspected again last month.

I can vouch, too, for the fact that the recent spate of exceptionally low tides was just as evident above Potter Bridge as below it.  The EA's Repps gauge almost certainly bottomed out as did the gauge in the Pilot's Office  at Potter.

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I was always under the impression that the boards were there to stop dinghys, canoes etc from getting stuck under the side arches. Hardly likely the two outer arches were spreading apart. I mean those medieval engineers didn’t muck about. Just a pity they didn’t make it a foot taller

Griff

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11 hours ago, BroadAmbition said:

I was always under the impression that the boards were there to stop dinghys, canoes etc from getting stuck under the side arches. Hardly likely the two outer arches were spreading apart. I mean those medieval engineers didn’t muck about. Just a pity they didn’t make it a foot taller

Griff

I will show you the old book, I think in our Wet Shed Locker which shows Potter Bridge and explains the braces. If not it is in a book from the 70's I have in London.

13 hours ago, expilot said:

We do, indeed, have the data.  Such data is collected regularly by Norfolk County Council Highways' Bridge Inspection team.  Potter Bridge has not sunk since measurements were first recorded.  The bridge was inspected again last month.

Well I think I will be making due enquiry to see the results of this data as would make interesting reading for me.

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On 19/12/2018 at 10:44, Vaughan said:

So is the Bure as deep as that nowadays? The Albion seems to manage although I was told that Solace grounded in the lower Bure on her way to Oulton this year.

Out of interest, I have been measuring some scale drawings of the wherry Gleaner, built by Clifford Allen.

When empty, she drew 4ft 3 over the slipping keel and when loaded "down to her binns" she drew 5ft 6.

The Gleaner was only a 29 ton north river wherry. The Albion is a 40 tonner. This gives some idea of how deep the Bure had to be in the old days! The Yare was dredged down to 12ft at low water, for the coasters going up to Norwich. I rather doubt it is as deep as that now!

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