Bet We Don't See Anymore Problems With Reedham Bridge

[MY littleboat]

Now the first of the commercial vessels are off up to Cantley (I presume) I can't see NR not opening the bridge at Reedham at least!

Can't see the sailies trying to make them 'give water' either!!

Yesterday evening at Reedham - French as well!

it's giving it maximum revs on the bow thruster after a hire boat pulled off the quay straight accross the river!!

[DaveS]

Its good to see the river being used to carry the sort of load that would have otherwise seen the roads clogged up with even more HGVs.

Maybe this will mean that hirers, and probably some less well informed private boaters, will have learn and abide by the "rules of the road", if they are to stay out of trouble

Dave

[ZimbiIV]

Was it going down the Chet to Loddon?

[GrantS]

Some things are never what they seem..........

If you know what i mean Gav

[MY littleboat]

Just found the press release;

East Anglian Daily Times – Friday 22nd July 2011 – 19.31 PM

NORFOLK SUGAR EXPORTS SUPPORT THIRD WORLD HUNGER

The first of a regular service bringing raw sugar cane from developing countries arrived in Cantley, Norfolk today following a somewhat fraught journey via a 200 ton bulk carrier. It is the first time that a commercial ship has entered the River Yare in Norfolk for over 15 years and, since gaining planning permission for the plants cane sugar processing plant.

A spokesman for British Sugar, Clive Underton, said; “We are extremely pleased to be seeing this cane processing begin here in Norfolk. The plant was originally opened in 1912 and was the first sugar processing plant in the UK.â€

“By bringing in Fair Trade sugar cane from developing countries we in turn aim to invest in those countries, thereby enhancing their quality of life. In return, as our new sugar campaign begins, we will export a surplus of the more traditional beet derived sugar to markets in Europe.â€

“By utilising bulk coastal cruisers we are also able to move products between Norfolk and our bases in Holland and or course our main Tate and Lyle processing site in East London on the River Thames without the need for using numerous unnecessary and costly road trunk moves.

The initial journey was uneventful with the carrier ‘Danio’ arriving with the rising tide at Great Yarmouth before making it’s way down to the Cantley factory by river and is due to leave in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Pictured entering Great Yarmouth harbour

[diesel falcon]

[diesel falcon]

I guess they couln,t avoid it in time.....

[Jim]

I've seen that news cutting before DF but could you remember the year it happened?

When we first hired in 1979 and 1980. I remember the Rangers cruising ahead of the coasters warning people to keep well clear. After a long time without the coasters, quite a few are in for a surprise or two

[Paladin]

This cutting was posted in another forum about 4 years ago. At that time, the incident was said to have been in 1978 or 1979.

[MY littleboat]

For anyone folloowing this thread, obviously this is a glimpse into the future and I made this post as a product of a bit of spare time on a saturday morning but actually with a serious undertone - I personally feel commercial traffic should be welcomed back to the Broads, as well as keeping the Cantley factory viable (look to see how many have closed in recent years) it will also ensure that a major local employer carries on from Strength to strength. Last year, the working group study at Cantley published their final report which in short recommended shipping via barge or coaster service to resume as this is considerably more cost effective and certainly more ecologically friendly than in the past

Cantley makes a resource that we produce an excess of with many tons of sugar being sent to other countries every year. Most of this initially goes in 20 ft containers to Rotterdam and then on to China - yes - we send sugar to China! As well as to many third world coutries

Sadly though we have a year on year decline in the volume of beet processed in a campaign, and in recent years money speculators have started trading in sugar in a similar way to other commodoties like frozen orange juice etc forcing prices up in the market place but with no more money for the producers and growers. What has been identified and happened is that they have sought to implement a cane sugar processing facility and this has been ready to operate for some time, and has now permission to operate but most raw cane currently arrives at the Tate and Lyle site in East london via small coaster from Rotterdam - here is where the corrolation falls into place. The proposal to land it at Yarmouth opens up a huge possibility for the future of Cantley, but why stop at yarmouth? Small cruisers can easily make the journey as long as the dredging is done to allow them passage - I hope that the 'environmentalists' and the 'Broadies' do not obstruct this trade in the future as has been uttered in other places, because that is exactly what the Broads are for, trade by river, and has been shown above, continued for many years without any problem - it will be a welcome return, not least because NR at least will never be able to hold boats to ransom again!

For a good read, here is the final report made by the working group last year;

http://www.broads-authority.gov.uk/broa ... REPORT.pdf

I genuinely invite comment and debate regarding commercial traffic as I do feel that this is the way forward!

[MY littleboat]

. . . and she is considerably more than 200t but was worth the wheeze!!! Wouldn't be suprised if you know the boat personally Rod! No I'm not sure where the current cargo was loaded, and thank you for the correction. What bought about my moment of madness Saturday morning was a piece I saw in a paper which I found from a few months ago saying that British Sugar were hopeful that they could make the model work - ie bringing cane in and loading sugar out as this is a really cost effective measure of operation.

It certainly made mention of the fact that the intention was to bring smaller vessels straight from Rotterdam rather than the Thames and I guess, although the fact find was based around GY - obviously to keep NCC onside, I too agree that this would be an unnecessary trans-ship!

As I said, the post was to evoke conversation and debate, but started as a bit of a jape on Saturday with the 'interesting' photo and I hope it will be a topic that others contribute too!!

[MY littleboat]

And I would guess, certainly at around 70% load, exactly the type of vessel that is capable of making the trip to Cantley on a tide (Which is what the action group worked the passage units out on) - Certainly looking back the minimum draught that used to be available as far as Norwich used to be 3m! And the old days of 30m coasters are quite sadly in the past!!

Just a thought - havent BA just had a whopping grant for dredging?

[DaveS]

Just a thought - havent BA just had a whopping grant for dredging?

I guess that means that they won't now be plundering the Navigation Fund, with our money in it, to 'prop up their overheads'

And of course, 'pigs might fly'

Dave

[MY littleboat]

I guess that means that they won't now be plundering the Navigation Fund, with our money in it, to 'prop up their overheads'

And of course, 'pigs might fly'

Dave

Dave did you not hear? That although they said that they wouldn't the committee subsequently met and said they would - oh and the £200,00 is only for next year, it's £1.3million over the next three years!!!!

See here!!

viewtopic.php?f=72&t=10674&p=129061#p129061