tips on crossing breydon

[Mouldy]

9 minutes ago, HardleyDistant said:

Hi 

Thanks for the quick reply.  I assume then the issue is more tide than clearance the later we go across?

Obviously the clearance will reduce the more the tide comes in but it's more about how rough and difficult the passage of Breydon will be?

 

It doesn’t necessarily get rougher, it’s more to do with the the tidal flow and how long it will take to get to Yarmouth, although the speed of the rise and fall does vary.

[grendel]

last month i had a similar choice going the other way and decided to carry on the night before instead of trying the next morning, i punched the incoming tide across breydon, and got to the bridges 1 hour after slack, at this point there was only 8' on the gauges, but i did catch the flood up the bure. when I passed the upstream gauge at burgh castle it had read 9'

[RS2021]

I had a similar problem this year. I've not done Breydon yet and times were not ideal for crossing the week we were on the Broads. I phoned the Yacht station well before we went and found their advice excellent. We didn't go in the end (but plan to next year), but I would recommend phoning the Yacht station in advance.

[vanessan]

4 hours ago, HardleyDistant said:

We collect our Boat from Stalham on the Friday evening in a couple of weeks and are therefore hoping to be at Acle that evening.  

Can I just throw a spanner in the works here? Leaving from Stalham (you say evening time) you have a fair distance to travel on the Friday and may find mooring a problem as it is so busy at present. We recently spent a Friday night at Stokesby in preparation for crossing Breydon next morning. It got very busy and was full by about 5pm. Boats which had, I think, come out from Potter (and some from further afield) were later going up and down looking for spaces. One in fact arrived about 9.15pm and ended up half moored on private property. I guess Acle was full too. (However, when we passed by Stracey Arms next morning, there were only a handful of boats moored there.) Marshman’s idea of an evening tide the following day might be a better bet. 

[Maxwellian]

Stracey arms had spaces both times we used it over the last two weeks.

[Mouldy]

6 minutes ago, Maxwellian said:

Stracey arms had spaces both times we used it over the last two weeks.

To be fair, it’s not the most idyllic mooring just a few yards from the A47, but there’s plenty of space and when the traffic dies down in the evening, it can be quite pleasant.  That said, it’s handy for an early Breydon crossing.

I tend to moor a bit further upstream from the mill, away from where people generally seem to congregate.

[Maxwellian]

Acle Spice also deliver there.

[vanessan]

53 minutes ago, Maxwellian said:

Stracey arms had spaces both times we used it over the last two weeks.

I think that is generally the case but it doesn’t seem to attract people. I quite like it there, as Mouldy said the traffic dies down overnight. I like to support the shop there too. 

[oldgregg]

4 minutes ago, vanessan said:

I think that is generally the case but it doesn’t seem to attract people. I quite like it there, as Mouldy said the traffic dies down overnight. I like to support the shop there too. 

It's quite a nice mooring, and yeah there are normally spaces.

I didn't know Acle Spice deliver there but it makes sense.

We used them recently from Acle Bridge (both eateries were fully booked) and the meal was delicious, one of the best Indian takeaways we've had in ages.

[HardleyDistant]

Thanks everyone for your responses!  There is the issue of time to get there from Stalham (hit and miss at Richardsons as to whether we get the boat at 1pm or 4pm in recent years)

I guess Friday will be a changeover day for a number of boats which could render Stracey Arms slightly less busy on the Friday night but it is a risk.  

We had planned to reach Beccles on the Saturday evening but we may have to rethink that now and wait for a later opportunity to cross!

[CambridgeCabby]

I believe the Richardson’s are now giving fairly accurate time slots for boat handover so you should be able to work out your departure time within a 30min window 

[Mouldy]

12 minutes ago, HardleyDistant said:

Thanks everyone for your responses!  There is the issue of time to get there from Stalham (hit and miss at Richardsons as to whether we get the boat at 1pm or 4pm in recent years)

I guess Friday will be a changeover day for a number of boats which could render Stracey Arms slightly less busy on the Friday night but it is a risk.  

We had planned to reach Beccles on the Saturday evening but we may have to rethink that now and wait for a later opportunity to cross!

I really can’t see Stracey moorings being full, however busy the rivers are.  There's been space every time I’ve been through for as long as I can remember.  With no pub, folk tend to stop at either Acle or Stokesby.

[YnysMon]

I would say the opposite. The later you go across from north to south after low water the less clearance you’ll have, but tide should be less of an issue after slack water (through the tricky bit near the Yacht Station and under the first two bridges anyway).

Mouldy’s advice is sound. I would moor at Stracey too, so to be as near to Gt Yarmouth as possible. I don’t think Breydon will be an issue as the tide will be behind you if you go through after slack water. The tide starts flowing up into Breydon whilst it’s still flowing down and out of the Bure (wierd but true). 

However, the later you go through Gt Yarmouth the less room you’ll have under those low bridges. If you are on a boat with a low air-draft you probably don’t need to worry. If you are late reaching the Yacht Station the tide will have turned and you’ll be in full control of the boat, so no worries of getting swept downstream.

 If you are on a boat that has a high air-draft then you might need to plan more carefully, particularly if the river levels are higher than usual. We last went through Gt Yarmouth on 29th June and the indicator boards showed we had 9’ clearance under the bridges as we passed through just after slack water. I think that’s a lot less than we’ve normally had in the summer months, but it’s not been as dry as normal.

If in doubt, phone the Yacht Station the day before. 

[grendel]

the best advice I have ever been given was aim to be about 15-30 minutes after the end of slack, if you hit the incoming tide around breydon bridge coming north, or the closed marina moorings headed south, you have pretty much nailed it, too early and you will fight the last of the ebb going out after you turn the corner, this assumes you are in a boat with suitable air draft of course, some boats still need to hit dead on low water to get under the bridges.

[Broads01]

1 hour ago, HardleyDistant said:

Thanks everyone for your responses!  There is the issue of time to get there from Stalham (hit and miss at Richardsons as to whether we get the boat at 1pm or 4pm in recent years)

I guess Friday will be a changeover day for a number of boats which could render Stracey Arms slightly less busy on the Friday night but it is a risk.  

No, not a risk at all, Stracey has a very long length of moorings and you can always get a space. It's a long old haul from Stalham though, so it's just a case of is it worth making the effort rather than pass through at tea time Saturday.

[grendel]

I managed Dilham to Polkeys mill in a day, with a 2 hour stop at acle to await the tide, yes its a fair way, so make your choices based upon when you get away from stalham, leave yourself options. its probably 4 hours from stalham to stracey arms so see what time it is when you get to Acle (and whether there are any moorings free) and think, stracey arms is another hour, do you have enough time before sunset?

[YnysMon]

But don’t be tempted to rush down the Ant! That’s a river that deserves respecting the speed limit. (Well they all do, but especially the narrower Ant and Chet). 

[tim]

Came past Stracey Arms a couple of times the week before last, stopping on the journey south to north to let the dog do the 'neccessary'

There were loads of room both times, which is like going into an empty car park and you cant decide where to park then mess it up, whereas only one spot available your mind is made up and you do it perfectly!  

With an 8'6'' boat I went through a dead on low water both times, you punch the tide a bit but its quite manageable

We had Acle Spice delivered to Herbert Woods yard, and yup very nice!

[Andrewcook]

Hi all Breydon terrorize me if I go along  Up or down that Stretch plus the Current is quite strong at times now again with the Engine now Govan down  to 6 or 7MPH As Griff with B A can punch up Breydon with ease going against the Tide going out may I add the other day up the other side now.  

[grendel]

if I can punch the Breydon tide on Water Rail with a 21hp engine, then it should be possible on the majority of boats, the biggest issue is getting to the mouth of the Bure early and trying to punch the outgoing tide there, you may easily go flat out and only be making 1mph or less against the current. 

[NeilB]

Hire boats are usually restricted but the yards know they could be going through Yarmouth so they will make an allowance for this.

[750XL]

I recall crossing Breydon once as a child, not sure if my dad got the timings wrong or not but as we turned off Breydon up the Bure towards Yarmouth the current was so strong, flat out we were barely moving in the old Rico’s bathtub.

 

Should the worst happen and the engine gives up at this point, what’s the best course of action? Throw the mud weight over and call for the coastguard? I suppose you’d be well on your way towards the sea?

[tim]

It’s a very good question and even with by paranoia one I’ve never thought of

My Initial thought would be to try and ‘ground it’ then throw the mud weight over but that might be very foolish!

I’ll be interested in the replies from the more experienced members

[BroadAmbition]

My Initial thought would be to try and ‘ground it’ then throw the mud weight over but that might be very foolish!

If your engine has failed then you won't have the option to try and ground it.  My course of action would be to use a headrope or even two tied onto a mudweight and rhond anchors and chuck the lot over pdq.

On 'B.A' we have a second mudweight and a sea anchor they would be used pronto

Whilst al the above is going on at full speed, straight on the pmr/vhf/mobile asking for assistance

Griff

[750XL]

Interestingly, just stumbled across this video on YouTube