Water Levels

[Mouldy]

On 18/09/2022 at 22:42, Broads01 said:

I recall a video shot some years ago when Connoisseur Cruisers were based above the bridge. They were using barrels to get the boats through.

They were using people when we started our holiday from there the Saturday after the hurricane (that wasn’t) in 1987.  After a fairly grim journey from Towcester, with every Little Chef (coffee stop) closed due to no power and diversions caused by fallen trees, we arrived in Wroxham to find Connoisseurs yard flooded.  After unloading our things into the boat, I moved the car around the back of the marina and used borrowed wellies to get back to the boat.  There were about five boats leaving that day and the crews of each were all boarding the relevant craft in turn and the staff were taking the boats under the bridge, guiding them by hand at times, to stop them hitting it.  We were then walking back across the bridge to board the next boat to go under.  It was quite a performance!

[Broads01]

Here's footage of Daniel from Bridgecraft taking Westminster Bridge back through Wroxham Bridge this week. It makes you wonder how (and why?) the bridge pilot took it upstream previously.

https://fb.watch/fSCnD0co_H/

[Meantime]

31 minutes ago, Broads01 said:

Here's footage of Daniel from Bridgecraft taking Westminster Bridge back through Wroxham Bridge this week. It makes you wonder how (and why?) the bridge pilot took it upstream previously.

If there's reasonable headroom the pilot will take you through. They are not able to predict sudden changes in clearance and whilst dramatic changes in clearance are rare at Wroxham, they can and do occur.

I remember taking my own boat through one September a number of years ago. Plenty of clearance and off we went to Coltishall. Went to The Recruiting Sargent that night and overnight it rained really heavily which we thought nothing of. In the morning we took a walk to Farm to Fork to buy some bits and were surprised at how much water was gushing through the weir at the mill. Again we thought nothing of it.

Got back to Wroxham later that day to find we were 3 inches short of being able to get back through and that side we stayed for the next four days. One day in North Walsham by train, one day in Aylsham by train, one day in Sheringham by train and one day back in Coltishall. 

I eventually got back through the bridge setting a new low record for me passing that bridge and one I wouldn't want to repeat again. One and a half inches lower than my normal minimum comfortable level.

Passing Wroxham bridge at night is not at all unusual for us. I often find it easier as the wind tends to die down at night and there is virtually no river traffic. If I'm planning on going through the next morning anyway I will often check the clearance in the evening and after dinner take it through and cruise with nav lights to Wroxham Broad and then drop the mud weight. These days I've probably passed Wroxham Bridge more in the dark, than daytime.

[Smoggy]

56 minutes ago, Broads01 said:

Here's footage of Daniel from Bridgecraft taking Westminster Bridge back through Wroxham Bridge this week. It makes you wonder how (and why?) the bridge pilot took it upstream previously.

https://fb.watch/fSCnD0co_H/

You wouldn't want to hear a powerful bilge pump kick in half way under would you.

[andyg]

There is some footage on YouTube of Nigel royall bringing his 42ft alpha bath tub ( forgotten its name now ) through wroxham at a he'll of a speed. Admittedly in daylight. How he never bump that was beyond me. He did admit to us he expected to have to replace the upper hand rails. No a scratch on it apparently. All in a days work I guess. 

[NeilB]

I took mine through very early in the morning as it's very quiet, no one to see me mess it up!!  Water levels seem high and my mooring in Stalham is a good few inches below deck level now.