When Did People Become Scared?

[Meantime]

I was always told by the owner of Anchorcraft, aim for 60 mins after slack when going South and 90 mins when coming back North. I normally aim for that and it seems to be about right, although to be honest you can easily allow 120mins heading North.

However, and it's a big however, the water will start to rise quite some time before the ideal time to pass through Yarmouth. If bridge clearance is an issue you may have to go at low water, or some time before slack water. Remember by the time slack water has occurred the incoming tide is starting to hold back the outgoing ebb and the water is rising fast.

[Malanka]

If it’s wet or I’m solo go through at low to ensure bridge clearance of 8ft 2 with top up. Don’t really bother with slack or tides outside of clearances as that’s our control factor. Prefer not to punch all the way oop North but doesn’t make much difference to us. When being 10ft wide with a sharp pointy bit works to your advantage.

 

M

[BroadAmbition]

When Did People Become Scared?

Didn't know they generally had!

When did that happen then?

Is it compulsory or optional?

Is it seasonal?

Griff

 

[JennyMorgan]

In the sixties Breydon was a big part of the adventure for holiday makers. Today, judging by comments on Broads related forums, it is more likely to be private owners that won't cross Breydon. Holiday makers have crossed Breydon for generations so why private owners should feel intimidated is a bit of a mystery to me. By not coming South they are missing so much.  

[Broads01]

Yep nothing to worry about as long as you use common sense and stick to the well published guidelines. If I'm aboard for a full week a crossing is very much part of the fun. 

I can understand people preferring north or preferring south but I can never understand why some exclusively stick to one or the other.

[SwanR]

We've done north and south but by hiring on that side and spending up to a week on board. Ideally if I was going to do Breydon I think I would want to hire for ten days so as not to lose too much of my holiday to the long stretches either side which are often described as a bit of a slog.

I've watched so many videos of other people crossing Breydon that as long as we time it right I have no worries about doing it.

But I am glad that our first hire a few years back now was on the southern rivers before I joined any forums or groups or read anything on Facebook about the Broads. So we just did it without thinking about the higher rise and fall, needing more slack on your ropes etc.

[grendel]

I am happily going to enjoy taking Jayne from Martham boats to the august wooden boat show, I have booked her for the week, and am not at all worried about the trip over breydon, timings should be reasonable for the days I plan to cross, then I will have a few days down that end of the system before heading for Beccles. I will be hiring solo, but this holds no terrors for me, if it takes a half dozen attempts to moor it takes a half dozen, care will be taken.

[Meantime]

29 minutes ago, grendel said:

I am happily going to enjoy taking Jayne from Martham boats to the august wooden boat show, I have booked her for the week, and am not at all worried about the trip over breydon, timings should be reasonable for the days I plan to cross, then I will have a few days down that end of the system before heading for Beccles. I will be hiring solo, but this holds no terrors for me, if it takes a half dozen attempts to moor it takes a half dozen, care will be taken.

I must say that's rather forward of you Sir!  What boat will you be on? We'll keep an eye out for you and come and say hello to you and your good Lady

[trambo]

Agree with those that think social media does not help. People love to exaggerate, just human nature and social media platforms are great for doing that.

Passed over Breydon on the 17 March during the last windy weather. It was rough. In fact very rough. Great fun though. Pearl Horizon with her open fore cockpit turned back but Maycrafts Hampton 25 Mayfair soldiered on. I thought later that if the season had started the BA rangers would have stopped the hire craft crossing. This would have hit social media perpetuating peoples fears about Breydon. Similarly last year during foggy conditions a convoy was organised. Was that really necessary? I know from an owner on Silver Cloud it was over the top. Again just adds to myth. In fact this thread is probably doing just that by putting sub conscious thoughts into peoples heads who don't make the passage!

fred

Only real minus for me crossing in rough weather is having to clean the salty windows later. It's a b*gger.

[Cockatoo]

35 minutes ago, trambo said:

Only real minus for me crossing in rough weather is having to clean the salty windows later. It's a b*gger.

Rain-X helps :)

[JennyMorgan]

I've crossed in some really daggy/foggy conditions. I reckon those old timers were canny old *uggers when they spaced the posts out, leave one astern and within moments the next one will loom into sight, even at night. 

 

[JennyMorgan]

1 minute ago, SteveDuk said:

Rain-X helps :)

Not if you are in an open boat it doesn't!

[Cockatoo]

I've got the posts plotted in Viewranger on my tablet in case viz is poor :)

[JennyMorgan]

53 minutes ago, EastCoastIPA said:

I must say that's rather forward of you Sir!  What boat will you be on? We'll keep an eye out for you and come and say hello to you and your good Lady

I've heard that that Lady Jayne is a bit of a goer,  hope that won't put Peter's back out and spoil his holiday!

[Cockatoo]

2 minutes ago, JennyMorgan said:

Not if you are in an open boat it doesn't!

Does if you wear glasses

 

But I actually meant it makes them easier to clean.

[SteveO]

I never realised that taking your boat across Breydon was necessary in order to prove that you have got proper boater's "cojones". I have crossed it many times but now find the stretch between Stokesby and Gt Yarmouth, across Breydon all the way up to Reedham or down as far as Herringfleet extremely boring, so we tend to avoid it.  If I was a hirer, I would question the wisdom of spending 2 days of your precious holiday looking at mud banks and counting ruined windpumps when you could be exploring the delights of the Northern or Southern systems. 

 

[ZimbiIV]

We have only crossed Breydon 2 and a half times.

We bought a boat from NYA Horning brought it back to Brundall and handed the old one into NYA Brundall.

Then we had a foray north, got to Acle and got a call to say the granddaughter had been taken into hospital came back the next day ready to come home if need be, she was ok the next day.

Last foray we got as far as Thurne Mouth and boats were all over the place (high season) traffic lights were needed to control things, Jill was not happy so turned round and went back south the next day.

So Breydon is not the problem for us it is what is waiting for you when you get to the other side!

paul

[Ray]

9 minutes ago, SteveO said:

I never realised that taking your boat across Breydon was necessary in order to prove that you have got proper boater's "cojones". I have crossed it many times but now find the stretch between Stokesby and Gt Yarmouth, across Breydon all the way up to Reedham or down as far as Herringfleet extremely boring, so we tend to avoid it.  If I was a hirer, I would question the wisdom of spending 2 days of your precious holiday looking at mud banks and counting ruined windpumps when you could be exploring the delights of the Northern or Southern systems. 

Never heard such a load of twaddle as this thread and can only imagine it was started to provoke controversy.

I'm not sure anyone has implied it takes cojones to do it, in fact we've all said that it's fun and not a problem.

However I have genuinely spoken to many people both hirers and owners who fear and or avoid the crossing. Surely a thread like this can only give them confidence, if they read it.

[Smoggy]

7 minutes ago, ZimbiIV said:

So Breydon is not the problem for us it is what is waiting for you when you get to the other side!

That is very much the deal for me, a good season is when I don't go north at all as the weather is good enough to use all longer breaks to get out to sea and go somewhere different.

I find the northern rivers just too much hassle during the summer and want to turn back south almost as soon as I get to stokesby and find the moorings full, from there the stress levels just rise, that's not what I go boating for.

During winter I have used all my holiday or saving it for better weather.

I would have said this thread should give confidence to anyone worried about the crossing as most have moaned about boredom on the approaches more than anything.

[RumPunch]

I'll admit to being intimidated by it, but never really having had long enough to justify going South it is just fear of the unknown. Plus on a boat that only does about 5 kts max under power, with a metre of sticky down bits for the mud to grab and 8m of sticky up bit to drop there are perhaps more areas of concern than a motor boat.

[oldgregg]

33 minutes ago, SteveO said:

Never heard such a load of twaddle as this thread and can only imagine it was started to provoke controversy.

That's a bit harsh?

It genuinely is a thing and I think the OP is basically asking why is it that newer Broads boaters have become scared of Breydon. He's not saying they're wimps - More that a number of factors have made people wary of it and exploring why that is.

[Meantime]

43 minutes ago, SteveO said:

Never heard such a load of twaddle as this thread and can only imagine it was started to provoke controversy.

There is a member here who is a Thames pilot by trade. His wife will not cross Breydon on their boat. Instead alternative arrangements have to be made whilst he transits back and forth solo.

There are many and varied reasons why someone may have anxieties about crossing Breydon.

From my own personal point of view I have never had a problem with crossing Breydon, having done so many times solo, but still always treat it with the caution it deserves, as does any boat trip. However would always respect anyone who felt they would rather not.

[tim]

My first holiday on the broads was 1981, now it might be because I was a 'fireproof' 21 year old with two mates and our girlfriends but I don't remember being given any information about crossing Breydon at all!

We hired from Stalham (I think) it was an old woodie with no power (well they were unlikely to give six kids anything decent) and we just 'rocked up' one day and went through!

From memory, it must have been on ebbing tide, as we flew through the yacht station with little control and just a bit scary!

The girls hid downstairs and only came up when they thought it was safe, one of them telling me off when they came up because they thought I'd turned the wrong direction and were heading for the sea!

It might just be my mind playing tricks, but I seem to remember the channel markers being floating buoys rather than posts back then?

For some bizarre reason it took me over 30 years to come back to the broads, and the first time I re-crossed Breydon I read just about every post and internet info I could find including printing loads of stuff to take with me.

And I found if you do it by the book it's an absolute doddle!

However, the heart still beats a little faster as I round the yellow post and approach the low bridges!  

[chrisdobson45]

When we first went on the Broads as a family in the mid 1970's my mother slept in a life jacket for the first three nights. Crossing Breydon was an adventure and we had a couple of rough passages, a memorable one in a Brister Craft Broom 30 (remember the bright yellow decks and upper works?) when a galley cupboard door burst open and spewed the contents all over the floor, breaking most of the plates, cups and saucers. A little shop in Oulton Broad sold the exact ones and replacements were purchased...

My sister was very, very sick, good times....

[SteveO]

2 hours ago, oldgregg said:

That's a bit harsh?

It genuinely is a thing and I think the OP is basically asking why is it that newer Broads boaters have become scared of Breydon. He's not saying they're wimps - More that a number of factors have made people wary of it and exploring why that is.

OK I have read it again and it was a bit harsh of me. I stand by remarks regarding the crossing of Breydon but would be grateful if one of the mods with better editing powers than me could remove the last line of my previous post. Apologies and thanks.