That Old Chestnut Of Passage Through Yarmouth

[WasJono]

Hello again folks

I am an old hand on the holiday cruisers but on this occasion cannot make my mind up when is best to make the trip from North to South and back. An age thing me thinks!

It may be you say don't bother but I have to ask.

Starting from Wroxham we want to at some point spend 5 or 6 nights on the Southern Broads without a stop at Yarmouth. We have 2 small dogs, a stupid Pug and a frisky Mini-Schnauzer, so at low water getting on and off can be a hardship for my old body and it ain't the place for any of us going overboard. The only other stipulation is we want to be back at BBC Wroxham for the Friday night.

The experienced amongst you will, I hope, give me the benefit of that vast experience.

The boat is Brinks Serenade so relatively new and I am hoping having the power to cope with most things and the following table is I think near enough to assist.

Cheers

J

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Chelsea14Ian]

How long are you on the boat one or two weeks?

[OldBerkshireBoy]

8 minutes ago, Chelsea14Ian said:

How long are you on the boat one or two weeks?

Going by the dates in the table I`d say two weeks.

[YnysMon]

Given I would want to be going through Yarmouth at slack water (an hour after low water), I think your window of opportunity for going south is Sunday to Wednesday in the first week. If you leave it until Tuesday or Wednesday you'd probably have to rely on mooring at Berney Arms as there wouldn't the time to get to other moorings before sunset.

Returning, I would think you'd either need to return by Wednesday 30th (a late afternoon passage) or wait until Wednesday 7th (early morning passage), or Tuesday at a push if you moored again at Berney Arms). 

I tend to take the cautious option though. I suppose there's no harm in punching against the tide, provided you have confidence in the boat's engine. We hired one boat that was miserably under-powered for that.

[Smoggy]

You don't have to moor at the berney if pushing it for time, the fishermans is just around the corner and open for beer and food.

[YnysMon]

Aren't there fewer moorings at the Fisherman's? Or is it usually quiet there?

[Smoggy]

They have the old ba moorings too.

[YnysMon]

Have they reopened then? I‘d be glad to hear that I’m behind the curve on that one.

[WasJono]

1 hour ago, Chelsea14Ian said:

How long are you on the boat one or two weeks?

As per the dates on the table. 14 nights

[WasJono]

40 minutes ago, Smoggy said:

You don't have to moor at the berney if pushing it for time, the fishermans is just around the corner and open for beer and food.

Do you have to book moorings at the Fishermans?

[Chelsea14Ian]

I agree go through at  low,slack.In doing so the tide will work with you. 

[Smoggy]

11 minutes ago, WasJono said:

Do you have to book moorings at the Fishermans?

I've never seen a reserved sign anywhere there so I assume it's not something they do, I've certainly never booked a mooring there.

Last time I was in there food was all served with disposable cutlery, next week I will go there and take a knife and fork with me, might even take a plate if moored right outside, I think they have the cheapest beer on the broads.

[WasJono]

Cheers for that Smoggy. 

What are the mornings there ? Is it pontoon?

[750XL]

Stupid question from a stupid person, so be gentle with me please 

We need to pass from N to S on Wednesday 14th October, on Waveney Pegasus which is probably about 8ft 6in (or so) air draft. I understand Slack Water is the best/easiest time to pass through with the tides...

But, we think we need to cross a little bit earlier than 1550 slack water. Will the bridge clearances at 1450 be the same height as slack? We're just worried about crossing at 1550 with a 1800 sunset, and not making the first moorings after Breydon 

[vanessan]

As a couple (elderly!) who also have two dogs, we tend to avoid mooring at Berney or Burgh Castle, if we possibly can, due to the rise and fall at those locations. It can be very difficult carrying a dog onto the bank, particularly when it is dark. We do stop there if we really have to of course - not a lot gets in the way of us going where we want! I prefer Polkey’s Mill to Berney Arms these days, the wharf posts (I assume that’s what they were intended for) are a great help in getting on and off the boat. 
 

46 minutes ago, YnysMon said:

Have they reopened then? I‘d be glad to hear that I’m behind the curve on that one.

They opened as free 24 hour moorings early last year I think it was. How well they are maintained I have no idea, when the BA gave them up they were not in a good state although usable. I believe they are owned (?) by the Fisherman’s and/or the marina there but, as far as I can tell from the signs, can be used by all. 

[vanessan]

7 minutes ago, 750XL said:

Stupid question from a stupid person, so be gentle with me please 

We need to pass from N to S on Wednesday 14th October, on Waveney Pegasus which is probably about 8ft 6in (or so) air draft. I understand Slack Water is the best/easiest time to pass through with the tides...

But, we think we need to cross a little bit earlier than 1550 slack water. Will the bridge clearances at 1450 be the same height as slack? We're just worried about crossing at 1550 with a 1800 sunset, and not making the first moorings after Breydon 

Where are you intending on stopping having crossed Breydon?

[Smoggy]

36 minutes ago, WasJono said:

Cheers for that Smoggy. 

What are the mornings there ? Is it pontoon?

Outside the fishermans is steel piling with concrete behind, not great but on a hireboat it's less of a worry (I fend well) with posts to tie too, the section past the marina is steel piled with a top edge and posts, that one has a gravel path behind the piling, no electric at either.

Next softer mooring options are polkeys on the yare or st.olaves on the waveney.

[WasJono]

Hi Vanessan

We want to head for Loddon and then on to Rockland and Brundall. 

Never eaten at Coldham Hall in all the years we have been on the Broads.

J

[YnysMon]

23 minutes ago, 750XL said:

We need to pass from N to S on Wednesday 14th October, on Waveney Pegasus which is probably about 8ft 6in (or so) air draft. I understand Slack Water is the best/easiest time to pass through with the tides...

But, we think we need to cross a little bit earlier than 1550 slack water. Will the bridge clearances at 1450 be the same height as slack? We're just worried about crossing at 1550 with a 1800 sunset, and not making the first moorings after Breydon 

 

Others might correct me, but my understanding is that the clearance should be at its maximum at low water, even though the tide still appears to be flowing out. I suspect that the surface waters might still be flowing out whilst the current starts to flow up river nearer the river bed, something like that anyway.

If you're worried about the air-draft under the bridges it's best to phone the Yarmouth yacht station and ask their advice as the actual time for low water on the day might be different from the published tide tables, as the tides are affected by things like atmospheric pressure. We were on the Broads during and after storm Ciara in February, and we noticed that the tides and river levels were all over the place for the few days after that. We had flood warnings for a couple of days, where the tide didn't seem to fall at all (this was in Brundall) and another day the levels dropped so much some boats were grounded on their moorings. It was quite an something for us, as we hadn't experienced that before.

[vanessan]

3 minutes ago, WasJono said:

Hi Vanessan

We want to head for Loddon and then on to Rockland and Brundall. 

Never eaten at Coldham Hall in all the years we have been on the Broads.

J

If you get to GY at slack water crossing time 15.50, you will have 2+ hours to get to Reedham which is 10 miles from the Bure mouth. Should be ample time, just don’t dawdle over Breydon watching the birdlife! If you do get worried about the timing, I would suggest stopping at Polkey’s Mill if there’s room. 

[Chelsea14Ian]

Loddon and Chegrave well worth a visit.Can highly  recommend  the Whitehorse  at chegrave very good.We always go there.Rockland.Thr New Inn had problems  with there card machine. Perhaps give them a call.Coldham hall very good.The Ferry house at Surlingham great pub and food.You won't  go hungry. 

[oldgregg]

44 minutes ago, 750XL said:

Will the bridge clearances at 1450 be the same height as slack? We're just worried about crossing at 1550 with a 1800 sunset, and not making the first moorings after Breydon 

It depends - Those times are purely a forecast and of course tides are governed by the moon as well as the wind and how much rainfall there has been.

Sometimes, yes you'll have a lovely run through Yarmouth at low water but often it's a long hard slog against the tide until you're past Acle. As others have intimated, depending how much power the boat has (and what its hull speed is) at times you barely move on the narrow bit past the yacht station.

I'd say that going North to South you can be a bit early, but South to North it is a lot easier at slack.

[WasJono]

39 minutes ago, 750XL said:

Stupid question from a stupid person, so be gentle with me please 

We need to pass from N to S on Wednesday 14th October, on Waveney Pegasus which is probably about 8ft 6in (or so) air draft. I understand Slack Water is the best/easiest time to pass through with the tides...

But, we think we need to cross a little bit earlier than 1550 slack water. Will the bridge clearances at 1450 be the same height as slack? We're just worried about crossing at 1550 with a 1800 sunset, and not making the first moorings after Breydon 

Still trying to fathom what this has to do with my post????

[ExSurveyor]

1 hour ago, WasJono said:

Still trying to fathom what this has to do with my post????

Its called thread drift, posts tend not to stay exclusive to the original topic if someone has a similar question.

[Mouldy]

1 hour ago, WasJono said:

Still trying to fathom what this has to do with my post????

Thread drift - nothing unusual on here😉.  It won’t be long before ‘that virus’, Christmas and life jackets get a mention.