A Boat For Hickling

[OldBerkshireBoy]

6 minutes ago, Bluebell said:

What about this: https://www.watersidemarinesales.co.uk/boats-for-sale/bell-boats-lady-bew.html

Op wants GRP, said no wood.

[Bluebell]

Oops! It was such a long time ago I forgot that!

[grendel]

yes no wood or a silver jubilee from martham would have been perfect.

[SPEEDTRIPLE]

1 hour ago, Bluebell said:

What about this: https://www.watersidemarinesales.co.uk/boats-for-sale/bell-boats-lady-bew.html

Cracking looking boat, i remember seeing her in the Hoseasons brochure,  Always wanted to hire it, but never did. If i had a bottomless pit of money, i`d have her.

[expilot]

No Sancerre 33 ever went through Potter bridge in my ten years.  And the woody for sale with Waterside, the ex Bell boat, just a glimpse at the head-on suggests to me that she will need a whole load more than the quoted 6' 3" air draft for passing Potter bridge.  Note the squareness and width at the highest point.  I would hazard a guess at 6' 10" or more.

[SPEEDTRIPLE]

8 hours ago, expilot said:

No Sancerre 33 ever went through Potter bridge in my ten years.  And the woody for sale with Waterside, the ex Bell boat, just a glimpse at the head-on suggests to me that she will need a whole load more than the quoted 6' 3" air draft for passing Potter bridge.  Note the squareness and width at the highest point.  I would hazard a guess at 6' 10" or more.

Hi ep,

Did you ever have a convertable Sancerre through there?, well, it was a convertable when it got to the other side?.

[MauriceMynah]

If extra ballast is the only way forwards, then extra ballast it will have to be, that seems to be one compromise I'd be prepared to make. I'm now wondering what would be the optimum ballasting down I could do with a Broom Skipper or a DC30? (those are the two current front runners.)

The reason I'm looking at boats larger than Nyx is that if I'm going to be a "continuous cruiser" for a couple of years, I will need a bit more space. 6'10" beam boats do not offer this. My parents and I have owned several in years gone by when on the canal network so … not for me.... been there , done that.

It has been asked why the boatyards don't build craft that allow for PHB. I think the answer to that one might be that some years back they did just that, but someone somehow managed to move the goalposts by further reducing the clearance.

Now we have a member of the BA officially reading the forum I wonder if this issue is one the BA has investigating and if they can enlighten us here of the results. I am aware that the results of a previous inquiry into this stated that dredging the lower reaches of the Bure would have "no significant effect on flood alleviation." but that's not the answer I'm looking for.

Would thorough dredging of the lower Bure restore the navigational aspect of Potter Heigham bridge to that of the 80s and 90s?

If members think this an unsuitable question to put to our BA representative, then please delete it.

    

[Regulo]

MM, I know you love being above "that bridge", but would your circumstances permit a change of scenery? It seems you could end up for long periods above (or below) the bridge if you buy bigger. I know you were at Ludham for a short time, and were glad to move, but somewhere quieter on the main network?

[rightsaidfred]

31 minutes ago, MauriceMynah said:

It has been asked why the boatyards don't build craft that allow for PHB. I think the answer to that one might be that some years back they did just that, but someone somehow managed to move the goalposts by further reducing the clearance.

Now we have a member of the BA officially reading the forum I wonder if this issue is one the BA has investigating and if they can enlighten us here of the results. I am aware that the results of a previous inquiry into this stated that dredging the lower reaches of the Bure would have "no significant effect on flood alleviation." but that's not the answer I'm looking for.

Would thorough dredging of the lower Bure restore the navigational aspect of Potter Heigham bridge to that of the 80s and 90s?

If members think this an unsuitable question to put to our BA representative, then please delete it.

    

I don't wish to reopen all the debates about what`s happened to the bridge but having my memory jogged by a real old timer I was talking to recently I believe there are photos in existence where both side arches of the bridge were level whereas now the left hand side going upstream is noticeably lower than the right so maybe the bridge has tilted rather than sunk, just a thought.

Fred

[MauriceMynah]

Fair question Ray, and not one with an answer set in stone. I have a very strong preference to stay on the Pleasure Boat's moorings but if move I must then so be it. I would like the boat I acquire to be able to make the trip from time to time, also, I'm not sure where else I'd like to be.

[grendel]

2 minutes ago, MauriceMynah said:

I have a very strong preference to stay on the Pleasure Boat's moorings

I am sure it took quite an effort to tap directly into the beer cellar and run a new pipe direct to nyx 

[Meantime]

3 minutes ago, MauriceMynah said:

Fair question Ray, and not one with an answer set in stone. I have a very strong preference to stay on the Pleasure Boat's moorings but if move I must then so be it. I would like the boat I acquire to be able to make the trip from time to time, also, I'm not sure where else I'd like to be.

Something else to consider, based upon my recent experience above the bridge. The bigger the boat, and the more ballasted, or lower in the water it is, then more of the upper Thurne becomes a bit more hit and miss. Wider beam probably makes Catfield Dyke harder, lower in the water makes the weed at Somerton and depth of water on the way to Horsey more of a challenge. Your compromise could very well end up compromising the enjoyment of the area you want to base yourself in. I can well see the attraction of your current mooring, but the bigger you go, the less chance of getting South of the bridge and the more you may compromise your enjoyment North of the bridge. No easy answer on this one.

[Ray]

Has raising the bridge ever been seriously considered and costed? It surely is possible and there's an easy road diversion for during the work. It could be made a toll bridge for road traffic to help fund the work and reduce the load on it.

[MauriceMynah]

Quite some posts ago Expilot said...    "Broom 30 Skippers (with canvas hoods and drop down screens and side screens) needs 6' 6" provided they haven't had pulpits, pushpits and side stanchions added.

Would ballasting that down to 6' be a realistic option, and would that extra draft cause the problems ECIPA has highlighted?  If not a practical option, how far down could I take it?

[marshman]

Although I know there was talk of a shortage of depth up towards Horsey, I must admit I have never experienced that and as far as I am aware there are still plenty of sailing boats still going up there - Lustre must draw 2'9" and if you do ballast down, I guess about 3" would be the max you could realistically achieve before causing other issues like submerging your exhaust!!

[Regulo]

28 minutes ago, grendel said:

I am sure it took quite an effort to tap directly into the beer cellar and run a new pipe direct to nyx 

That'd be silly, Gren. He just had the Pleasure Boat order in an extra barrel, and had it delivered direct to Nyx.

[Davydine]

NYA had a lovely looking Ernest Collins replica for sale recently, built on a Sheereline  hull I think. I know it is half wood, so not perfect for the OP, but one wonders why builders aren't building more like this.

Does @expilot think it would have fitted through?

https://www.nya.co.uk/boats-for-sale/ernest-collins-35/

 

[inserttitle]

The Hunters cabin yachts all draw 2'6"

https://www.huntersyard.co.uk/our-boats/cabin-yachts/2-berth-hustler-class/

White boats are 2'9" and fine on pretty much all the upper Thurne, weed being the main obstacle. River Cruisers are often deeper and mostly fine.

 

[SPEEDTRIPLE]

30 minutes ago, Davydine said:

NYA had a lovely looking Ernest Collins replica for sale recently, built on a Sheereline  hull I think. I know it is half wood, so not perfect for the OP, but one wonders why builders aren't building more like this.

Does @expilot think it would have fitted through?

https://www.nya.co.uk/boats-for-sale/ernest-collins-35/

 

My favourite style of boat, with a whit GRP hull, varnished timber top, and white cabin top. The ultimate in classic broads style.

[Davydine]

24 minutes ago, SPEEDTRIPLE said:

My favourite style of boat, with a whit GRP hull, varnished timber top, and white cabin top. The ultimate in classic broads style.

Yes, to my eye, this is a classic Broads cruiser. I may be biased by memories of holidays on Brooms Skipper with my dad and my best friend.

I would imagine that if the timber is epoxied it is relatively low maintenance.

[SPEEDTRIPLE]

1 hour ago, marshman said:

Although I know there was talk of a shortage of depth up towards Horsey, I must admit I have never experienced that and as far as I am aware there are still plenty of sailing boats still going up there - Lustre must draw 2'9" and if you do ballast down, I guess about 3" would be the max you could realistically achieve before causing other issues like submerging your exhaust!!

I don`t think it`s DEPTH of water at West Somerton, i think its more the weed issue. Look at YnisMons thread aboard Lustre, they went up to West Somerton, and had to clear a myriad of weed, but did`nt run aground. I think the whole upper Thurne network is in drastic need of dredging, AND i think Ray is correct, the blockage needs to have a costings plan to raise it, i doubt it would be as difficult and espensive as people seem to believe, though i do think there`s a lack of desire in certain camps to actually look into it.  There are 3 main reasons why the blockage is getting more obvious, the bridge IS sinking into the substrate of the river bed, water levels ARE rising, and the land mass of the East anglian region of England IS gradually sinking, that`s how the Norths Sea evolved. The big problem is how we deal with it, and whether those in Authority are willing to invest in restoring the area back to a more usable state. And that means, the blockage just HAS to be raised. Had that have been done a couple of decades back, maybe Hickling village would be more vibrant than it is today.

[grendel]

2 hours ago, EastCoastIPA said:

Wider beam probably makes Catfield Dyke harder

I know 9 foot 6 on Judith was a tight squeeze, so a 12 footer would be a lot tighter, especially past any moored boats, at 9 foot 6 there wasnt room for two boats to pass except at certain places.

[Meantime]

11 minutes ago, SPEEDTRIPLE said:

There are 3 main reasons why the blockage is getting more obvious, the bridge IS sinking into the substrate of the river bed, water levels ARE rising, and the land mass of the East anglian region of England IS gradually sinking, that`s how the Norths Sea evolved. The big problem is how we deal with it, and whether those in Authority are willing to invest in restoring the area back to a more usable state. And that means, the blockage just HAS to be raised. Had that have been done a couple of decades back, maybe Hickling village would be more vibrant than it is today.

I accept the last two points, both of which are proven and backed up with scientific evidence. The South of England is tipping due to isostatic rebound and the water levels are rising due to global warming. However, can you provide any evidence, other than just repeating the words, to show that the bridge is actually sinking? After years of hearing politicians repeat phrases as though they are fact, I tend to want to see the evidence!

[Meantime]

12 minutes ago, grendel said:

I know 9 foot 6 on Judith was a tight squeeze, so a 12 footer would be a lot tighter, especially past any moored boats, at 9 foot 6 there wasnt room for two boats to pass except at certain places.

In the past I've made it no problem and bumped into (not literally) a fellow forum member in a 12ft beam boat. However having been there in a day boat last year and having a nose this year, there is no way I would attempt it until some serious work is done up that way.

[expilot]

At a guess the Collins replica would probably need iro 6' 9"