Breydon Water Catches People Out Again!

[grendel]

14 minutes ago, Mouldy said:

Maybe I’m out of order here, but looking on social media those unfortunates who were crewing the craft concerned have been on trial and vilified without anyone having the full facts

and this is why we have tos here and enforce them unlike many other social media platforms, its a fine balance allowing a discussion to progress while also being aware of the responsibility we have to protect the victims of incidents.

it is gratifying to see that others recognise and highlight this responsibility we all have.

 

[CambridgeCabby]

Irrespective of speculation and the proportioning of blame , the only facts that we really know ( other than MYlittleboat) is that two families experienced what to them would have been a very worrying and potentially life threatening chapter , and one that has most certainly blighted their experience of the beautiful Broads .

Our thanks should go to those crew members of the various agencies involved in successfully rescuing these families and their pets off the stranded craft and transporting them safely ashore, but for their selfless action a far worse outcome could have occurred .

As a final note , could I urge all members to pop a few pounds in the Hemsby lifeboat collection box next time they see one , without public support this most needed resource wouldn’t exist ( this is a personal opinion and not in any way inferred as NBN policy)

 

[rightsaidfred]

Mouldy, definitely not out of order a top post, they are my sentiments as well.

Fred

[andyg]

Jeez what is this world coming to ?? There is nothing difficult in navigating Breydon water. Its fully explained in every skippers manual I've ever seen or read. Two sets of post !! Stay in the middle it's not brain surgery.  Absolute nonsense to debate what shape the post are !! The fact they ran aground proves they didn't see the posts in the first place regardless of its shape. It happens every year, year in year out. Its not the BA fault its not the hire companies fault. Its a simple mistake/ misjudgement it really is as simple as that, the emergency services responded and delt with the problem. Like I said a few days ago its no big drama, I absolutely guarantee it will happen again this season.. let's move on, I'm loving the pet life jackets, just need to find one for my giraffe 🦒 🙂 

[FlyingFortress]

1 hour ago, grendel said:

and this is why we have tos here and enforce them unlike many other social media platforms, its a fine balance allowing a discussion to progress while also being aware of the responsibility we have to protect the victims of incidents.

it is gratifying to see that others recognise and highlight this responsibility we all have.

 

I for one am greatful for the even handed and unbiased moderation on this forum.

A shining example to other less well run platforms.

[DAVIDH]

18 minutes ago, andyg said:

I'm loving the pet life jackets, just need to find one for my giraffe

auto-inflating apparently 

[andyg]

6 minutes ago, DAVIDH said:

auto-inflating apparently 

Stop it David..lol 

[JanetAnne]

1 minute ago, DAVIDH said:

auto-inflating apparently 

The giraffe or the life jacket?

Here's my contribution for what it's worth.... 

Moored next to a lovely couple who had these two on board with them. They had been let down so packed them and bought them with them!

We often take our parrot on the boat and he absolutely loves it. On a busy mooring like Ranworth or Wroxham he just talks to everyone non stop. 

 

 

[mikeyboy1966]

Our last couple of times hiring on the northern broads didn’t work well with the tides so no attempt was made to go across breydon.

last year we hired on the southern broads and again the tides were against us and the high airdraft of the flybridge boat but decided to go for a looksee,

around 1/2 way across,pushing against the tide an alarm sounded from the inside helm(we were on the fly)and the engine cut out.

In the time it took me to get inside the boat,assess the gauges and restart the engine we were already heading for the outer reaches of the NAV channel,

luckily the motor restarted without issue,the temp was a bit high but I have no idea if there was a safety cut out fitted as it didn’t misbehave at all for the rest of the hire.

my point being,if there had been a more serious issue,with no propulsion,

we would  probably been in a bit of trouble ourselves,

It’s  easy to be critical of hirers and hire boats but stuff happens,and it happens quickly,

if they suffered mechanical issues,with the number of people on board it is highly unlikely to have been a calm and measured response to the immediate problems at hand,

[dnks34]

Life Jacket for a Tortoise anyone? 

[Vaughan]

10 hours ago, MY littleboat said:

In Ireland and the EU, before you hire you need to undertake a CEVNI (Rules of the Road) and a competency test

After 25 years of operating hire boats in 4 European countries (and the U.S.) I have never heard of that one.  There is such a test for private boats to get an inland waterways skipper's ticket but for that, you don't even have to set foot on a boat!

 

10 hours ago, MY littleboat said:

here the handover has been replaced by a 'contactless handover' - in some cases amounting to little more than 'Have you watched the video links we sent you' and off you go..

I think it is sad that you should make such a statement whilst admitting that you know nothing of the business.

Whilst I appreciate the spirit of your post, I wish you also realised just how much effort has always gone into making a cruising holiday as safe as possible for our customers.

I am sorry but by making such incorrect assumptions you are just adding to the armchair speculation.

[Smoggy]

2 hours ago, Vaughan said:

There is such a test for private boats to get an inland waterways skipper's ticket but for that, you don't even have to set foot on a boat!

I thought there was also the ICC requirement for inland private boats in the EU as well as the CEVNI for commercial waterways Vaughan, never boated there so happy to be corrected, I know the ICC is required for coastal in EU.

Or is CEVNI just an add on endorsement to ICC for those that wish to do both?

 

[Smoggy]

8 hours ago, JanetAnne said:

The giraffe or the life jacket?

Here's my contribution for what it's worth.... 

Moored next to a lovely couple who had these two on board with them. They had been let down so packed them and bought them with them!

We often take our parrot on the boat and he absolutely loves it. On a busy mooring like Ranworth or Wroxham he just talks to everyone non stop. 

 

 

Tortoises or terrapins? (they all look the same to me, sorry if that is shellist) I know giant red terrapins can survive in UK waterways (not sure about brackish/salt) as we had at least one on the great ouse around st.neots for years, originally seen near the power station outlet (for warmth) and later regularly sunning itself by the town bridge in summer, not sure if they are still about though.

I think they got released after the turtle craze when people either got bored of looking after them or realised they are savage little gits.

[Vaughan]

Just to clarify, the requirement in most European countries, certainly France and Germany, is for all private boats to have an inland waterways skipper's ticket, or recognised equivalent. The RYA Yacht Masters is not a recognised equivalent.  There is also a commercial ticket for barge skippers, which is anything over 15 metres.

In France, hirers are issued with a "Permis de Plaisance" after an instruction by the boatyard, and this is only valid for the duration of their holiday.  The French do love to have a piece of paper with a stamp on it!  Apart from the need to pass through locks, the instruction given to hirers does not differ in any way from that given on the Broads.  The boatyard instructors however, all have to hold the French "Permis Bateau" which is simply a paper exam taken in the canal authority offices.

In Germany, you cannot hire a boat without a German skipper's ticket, which is why there  are almost no hire companies in Germany and all the Germans come and take their boating holidays in France!

 

[CeePee1952]

Ok, I'll participate in pet lifejackets!   Ideal pet perhaps to take on the Broads? If it falls overboard, it'll just plod along the bottom until it reaches the bank  (also handy for extra weight when navigating low bridges)!

I

[FlyingFortress]

1 hour ago, Smoggy said:

I thought there was also the ICC requirement for inland private boats in the EU as well as the CEVNI for commercial waterways Vaughan, never boated there so happy to be corrected, I know the ICC is required for coastal in EU.

Or is CEVNI just an add on endorsement to ICC for those that wish to do both?

 

Never boated on the Continent either but I was the subject of much teasing by some of our offshore brethren as I do not possess a CENVI or an ICC so even with my unrestricted Master Mariners certificate I would not be allowed to helm my 35' boat on continental waterways with the exception of those ports that I held a  Current Pilot Exemption Certificate for.

All good natured fun though 

[annv]

Hi My Brother married a German girl she said to me that she liked England because it is so free to do what you like unlike Germany that has so many rules about everything, here you use common sense there you wait for permission. I do like Germany but you can cross the road in the wrong place and get a fine. John

[ExSurveyor]

It appears from reports that the rescue vessel has had to be rescued by Hemsby lifeboat after getting its prop fouled.

 

[Chelsea14Ian]

Just crossed over the road bridge  at BW.Boats are cleared from the water.Think the recure boat is still there 

[Bikertov]

17 hours ago, ExSurveyor said:

It appears from reports that the rescue vessel has had to be rescued by Hemsby lifeboat after getting its prop fouled.

 

So, irony aside, if even the 'pro's' can get stuck then we can't criticise a party of hirer's for running aground.

I remember as a child when we hired one year that we ran aground on Breydon - a kind crew from another boat towed us off without further incident.

But certainly, as a young kid probably only just in my teens, my memories of Yarmouth and Breydon were that they were a bit scary. The part. if I recall correctly, where you turn right for Breydon but left to go out to sea was always a bit of a 'moment', especially in a strong current. 

[Roy]

I can remember a good few years ago following a broads hire boat down Yarmouth harbour we were heading out to sea and so they were too! 

 

Tide was running out like mad as usual they had to go out harbour mouth to turn as tide to strong if I remember a lifeboat crew man went aboard to help them enter the harbour and tie up on the lifeboat moorings till the tide turned !

[Meantime]

20 minutes ago, Bikertov said:

if even the 'pro's' can get stuck then we can't criticise a party of hirer's for running aground.

I think that's a bit of a harsh statement. The pro's EMS know where the channel is and were only outside the channel to rescue a stranded boat. Every rescue carries a risk. That's why everything should be done to minimise the number of rescues needed.

[Vaughan]

17 minutes ago, Meantime said:

The pro's EMS know where the channel is and were only outside the channel to rescue a stranded boat.

Funnily enough I went aground many years ago in about the same place, in Jenners' tow boat, while trying to get near enough to another aground, so as to throw a heaving line.  I eased in very gently but you only have to touch that mud and it sticks like glue.  I was on a rising tide luckily but I still had to wait over an hour to get off, even with the power of a 6 cylinder engine.

You can walk out on the mud but that is very much a last resort.  The mess is incredible!

[MY littleboat]

On 26/04/2022 at 22:50, andyg said:

Jeez what is this world coming to ?? There is nothing difficult in navigating Breydon water. Its fully explained in every skippers manual I've ever seen or read. Two sets of post !! Stay in the middle it's not brain surgery.  Absolute nonsense to debate what shape the post are !! The fact they ran aground proves they didn't see the posts in the first place regardless of its shape. It happens every year, year in year out. Its not the BA fault its not the hire companies fault. Its a simple mistake/ misjudgement it really is as simple as that, the emergency services responded and delt with the problem. Like I said a few days ago its no big drama, I absolutely guarantee it will happen again this season.. let's move on, I'm loving the pet life jackets, just need to find one for my giraffe 🦒 🙂 

Very serious question and point you raise here and one that has definitely kept me pondering....are the Broads deep enough that your giraffe needs a life jacket, or will it have the neck to stick two hoof-fingers up and be able to nonchalantly just wade out?

[Smoggy]

3 minutes ago, Vaughan said:

You can walk out on the mud but that is very much a last resort.  The mess is incredible!

I wouldn't fancy trying, I would imagine getting to shore would take a huge amount of effort.