Potter Bridge Heights

[750XL]

Looking to hear peoples experiences on the 'actual real world' heights at PH Bridge.

 

Broads Authority give an average summer high water height at Potter Heigham Old Bridge of 6ft 6". I presume this is outdated info, as reports everywhere seem to suggest water levels are often way higher than that.

I know there's a lot of variables in it, tides, rain, wind etc. 

How frequently could you expect to get a 6ft 5" boat through there?

[Mouldy]

As was pointed out in another thread, it’s not just the airdraft, but the beam of the boat and the shape of the roof to consider.  The hypothetical boat in question with an airdraft of 6’5” will easily pass under a square bridge, like Wayford or Ludham, but the difficulty will be with the arch shape of say Potter or Wroxham.  Those are examples of where the beam and the shape of the roof will come into play and where the issues arise.

There are other members who will have a deeper understanding of Potter and the clearances required for different craft, but I think that even with the stated airdraft, the chances of getting through are slim.  Of course, you could get through one day and not be able to get back the next, which would obviously incur a whole host of other problems.

[expilot]

Reference Mouldy's point - one of the advantages of having a pilot service available (and using it) is that it isn't in the interests of the pilots to put a vessel up through the bridge without genuinely believing they can get it back through - provided the owners/hirers have listened to their advice.  The extra hassle is simply not worth it.  In my day, every hirer and privateer was given a time slot and an absolute deadline by which they had to be back at the bridge, and ready to be piloted through - tide permitting.  Judging the next day's tide was (still is) a black art.  Did we get it wrong sometimes?  Yes, of course we did.  Often the highlight for some people's holidays was when they were joined on their boat by what would have seemed to them to be hundreds of complete strangers "volunteered" from their drinks in the Bridge Inn.  The tide hadn't gone as low as we were expecting and we had to weigh boats down to get them back through.  We have, in the past, been blessed with cooperative yards like Richardsons who often volunteered their yard staff as makeweights.  The hardest part of the job always was having to disappoint people.  

[Tractorted]

As you saying helping to get boats through Potter Heigham bridge was a highlight to the holiday, We were on a family holiday on a gold gem in the early 80’s and remember waiting to through the bridge in the late afternoon along with about 5 other boats, the pilot looked at the water levels said he was going home for tea and would be back. He returned after a couple of hours & we all took part in a pied piper style tableau, piling on to one boat to get it through the bridge then back to get the next, there was a wee lad of about four taking his role seriously but it wasn’t, getting under the bridge that made his evening, it was all his new found friends getting on his boat!

[Lulu]

My 88 year old dad still talks about everyone coming out of the pub to get on the boat to get us under the bridge. Happy memories 😊

[BrundallNavy]

6ft 5 yesterday at low water was 6-2 at 11-30 today. 

[BroadAmbition]

With the crazy amount of gear n stuff my crew managed to cram onboard last night, I reckon we could now manage PHB at 6ft 

Griff 

[grendel]

You Might even be lucky with PH bridge Repps at low water yesterday evening was at 0.26m by my reckoning, thats nearly 6'6", at 5.49am today it was at .29, which might be a shade over 6'4" might be worth a looksee

even if its under and straight back just to prove you can.

[grendel]

the pleasure boat inn has announced a pop up bar outside starting today (refurbishment inside has taken longer than planned)