Swanning Around

[Cal]

It seems to have been a long time since we have been on the water but this Saturday (05.10.19) we will be making the trip to Stalham on the Norfolk Broads to pick up Swan Ranger, an Alphacraft 35 Highliner from the Richardsons yard.

 

 

 

It is a long time since we booked this holiday and at the time it was booked for a completely different reason. We had hired this boat to find out how it would stack up as a liveaboard boat for the two of us and Sydney. We have of course bought a new house now so that idea has gone out of the window but we are still looking forward to spending some time on the water and this will be the first time we have hired a dual steer boat on the Broads so we are interested to see the difference that it makes to our time there.

 

Now all we need to do is pray to the weather gods for some dry weather so that the water levels can reduce enough for us to escape the River Ant and get under Ludham Bridge and access the majority of the Broads!

[Victoryv]

I know the feeling, we want to get under PH bridge on friday, I hope you have stunning weather.

[Cal]

Thank you.

Obviously we knew when we hired Swan Ranger that we would have bridge limitations. We didn't expect Ludham would be one of them 

[Cal]

Does anyone know how the EA river level gauge at Barton Broad relates to the available air draft at Ludham Bridge please? (Assuming there is an equation to work it out!)

https://flood-warning-information.service.gov.uk/station/6216?direction=u

[marshman]

Be careful on relying on what I say, as I know nothing, but there are a number of factors which will probably work in your favour!

The Barton one is probably fairly irrelevant as what needs to happen is that the water in the system needs to escape - so watch the Acle one instead or even the Three Mile house one on that website. Once the tidal heights start to drop thats a good sign!

However that is unlikely to happen today if this NW wind keeps up but this will switch tomorrow to S or SW and this really will bring a change. At the moment the N Sea is being blown into the "funnel" at the bottom and this, combining with the spring tides around now just exasperates this. I was going to say watch the tidal predictions at Yarmouth too but Peel Ports seem to have lost the page - try Lowestoft as this will give an indication as it changes - neap tides are also due around the middle of next week.

https://www.ntslf.org/data/realtime?port=Lowestoft

'ol Lorenzo looks as though it is going to sweep up the West Coast and strangely that too could help - I believe, and others can contradict as I am only guessing, a good old low to the north of Scotland tends to have the effect of "sucking" water out of the N Sea or so I believe, but rather unconvincingly!! Pressure levels too down here look set to remain fairly stable so that may stop things getting worse as well

From tomorrow I think we could see a changing picture and water levels begin to drop away - well I think they will but as you know my views are regarded as "different" ! Once it makes its mind up to go, levels can change quite quickly!!

By the weekend and certainly by Sun /Mon I think things will have improved - a quick call to LBBS late Sat may just help too as they should be able to tell you what is going on with actual levels, although that may be a bit early for significant change - or so I guess!!

[NorfolkNog]

Quality Swancraft fit out 

As MM says levels should drop, I'm sure you'll be OK 

Please keep us posted! 

[hazelgirl]

Our honeymoon boat this back in 2012 when she was still in the Swancraft Fleet, we would like to hire her again for our 10th wedding anniversary 

[dnks34]

We hired her back in 2007 on her 2nd week out on hire from new.  Time goes so quickly!

[Cal]

3 minutes ago, dnks34 said:

We hired her back in 2007 on her 2nd week out on hire from new.  Time goes so quickly!

I suspect she will have a few more war wounds and stress cracks by now 

[RS2021]

2 hours ago, Cal said:

Does anyone know how the EA river level gauge at Barton Broad relates to the available air draft at Ludham Bridge please? (Assuming there is an equation to work it out!)

https://flood-warning-information.service.gov.uk/station/6216?direction=u

In normal conditions 0.5m is roughly 8ft6in. Higher flows will obviously distort this. Also look at the Ranworth gauge.

[Jbx5]

If you can’t get under Ludham you will have to have the Sealine ready to take over 😂 

John

[vanessan]

3 hours ago, marshman said:

 

Be careful on relying on what I say, as I know nothing,

 

 

3 hours ago, marshman said:

but as you know my views are regarded as "different" !

Your views are as valid as the next guy! It is good to have opinions from someone who has a lot of knowledge of the Broads and I hope you continue to provide us with your ‘different views’. 

[Cal]

2 hours ago, Jbx5 said:

If you can’t get under Ludham you will have to have the Sealine ready to take over 😂 

John

Naughty-Cal is out of the water slowly being prepared to go for sale. 

She is in no fit state to be in the water at the minute!

Not worth loading her onto the trailer for a weeks holiday anyway. 

If all else fails we will base ourselves on the upper ant for a week and hire a car to go out during the day. Fingers crossed it wont come to that though!

[Smoggy]

2 hours ago, Cal said:

I suspect she will have a few more war wounds and stress cracks by now 

Before or after your trip?

If you are not convinced you will get under take a tape measure to the bridge, you can walk under easily and the gauge board lied big time last time I went through, 8'2" on board 8'8" boat went under with clearance.

Measure all corners as it tilts both ways and I can't remember which is lowest corner (think it was SW corner).

[SPEEDTRIPLE]

30 minutes ago, Cal said:

Naughty-Cal is out of the water slowly being prepared to go for sale. 

She is in no fit state to be in the water at the minute!

Not worth loading her onto the trailer for a weeks holiday anyway. 

If all else fails we will base ourselves on the upper ant for a week and hire a car to go out during the day. Fingers crossed it wont come to that though!

Hi Cal, 

if you are in the need for a cottage on the upper Ant area, there`s a place called "Angler Cottage" adjacent to the road entrance to Gaye`s staithe. Karen and i stayed there about 7-8 years back, and can well recommend it. Somebody posted a link to it on another thread, but if you google "Angler Cottage Irstead" it should come up.

[NorfolkNog]

I don't know what the air draught of Swan Ranger is off hand but I would be very surprised if it won't get under Ludham.

If you don't get through I'll drink a pint of John Smiths!

[Seagypsy]

5 minutes ago, NorfolkNog said:

I don't know what the air draught of Swan Ranger is off hand but I would be very surprised if it won't get under Ludham.

If you don't get through I'll drink a pint of John Smiths!

Airdraft for Swan Ranger is 7ft 9ins according to Richos brochure

[Siddy]

7'9" air draft, we had this out last year, nice boat but you've need 3 spare black bags for the top door, 2 to roll and go round the seem of the top door then the 3rd to push in across the top of the twin doors and drop down. It topped the draft and kepted the heat in.

 

[NorfolkNog]

12 minutes ago, Seagypsy said:

Airdraft for Swan Ranger is 7ft 9ins

There you go then.  I think the gauge at Ludham is quite pessimistic too

My taste buds are safe

[Siddy]

This is the trick to cut the heat loss it's not air tight so your ok, checking my pictures this has radiators and there's one at the end of the bed and I put the brush against the wall let the handle go towards the bed and pulled the quilt over to make a void and bingo one warm bed when you get in.

Nice boat we were going to have it again but checked over Moon Enterprise which has lower internal steps which is better for Kaz and the dog. This now suits us better.

Both good boats in their own ways.

 

(

(ok I know it say Ranger but someone will know they should say Enterprise)

[NorfolkNog]

We never hired Ranger (or Rapier) but had a few others from Swancraft. That is a shame, the draught proofing was usually excellent, Radiance in particular was superb.

I wonder if this is a design or maintenance issue?

[SwanR]

We hired Moon Beam which is an ex-Swancraft boat of similar design. But as it was September, and hot with it, we didn't notice any draught issues. But the internal design was not their best ... the Skipper's Manual even advised not to moor from the inside helm, the view wasn't very good.

[Cal]

10 hours ago, Siddy said:

7'9" air draft, we had this out last year, nice boat but you've need 3 spare black bags for the top door, 2 to roll and go round the seem of the top door then the 3rd to push in across the top of the twin doors and drop down. It topped the draft and kepted the heat in.

 

Thanks for that tip. We will take some pipe lagging to squash into the gaps.

[Cal]

10 hours ago, NorfolkNog said:

I don't know what the air draught of Swan Ranger is off hand but I would be very surprised if it won't get under Ludham.

If you don't get through I'll drink a pint of John Smiths!

We will find out on Saturday!!

[Cal]

49 minutes ago, SwanR said:

We hired Moon Beam which is an ex-Swancraft boat of similar design. But as it was September, and hot with it, we didn't notice any draught issues. But the internal design was not their best ... the Skipper's Manual even advised not to moor from the inside helm, the view wasn't very good.

The view from the helm has not been great on several boats we have hired to be fair. Joy and Duchess from Barnes Brinkcraft were not great at all.

Probably the best view from the helm we have had was Viscount with the raised centre cockpit you could see both ends pretty well. Mind you the Broom 29 HT we hired in Brittany had a decent view from the helm as well.