Raise The Yacht Station Bridges!

[Vaughan]

An article on the EDP website reports on the recent meeting of the Navigation Committee, where the danger of mooring in GYYS was discussed, following the Diamond Emblem accident in 2020.  According to a BA officer there has been a "run of bad luck"  with five deaths, of which 3 were boat related. (And only one was in GYYS).

The solution put up by Leslie Mogford is to raise the pedestrianised bridge (I assume he means Vauxhall rail bridge) so that boats can get under without having to try and turn when the moorings are full.

A gentleman from the North Rivers Sailing Club says he finds it too dangerous to sail there.  What???  Sail, in GYYS?

Peter Dixon says it is an "inherently dangerous place".  Seems it has taken him a lifetime as a Broadsman to finally work that out.

Rather than this apparent attitude of "take me off the fire, I'm burning",  I would suggest the committee consider two things :

1/. That hire boats should be better designed for the area in which they cruise.  The Broads has bridges and Broads boats should be designed to go under them.

2/. That mooring, turning and passing bridges in GYYS is quite normally safe if done at the correct state of the tide.

 

[Chelsea14Ian]

I saw this on another Facebook group.I said raising the bridges there are two is as likely  as me walking on the moon.I suggested  do your homework and crossing is a joy.And yes more thought  on boat design  will help,but as I said homework  care and insure all members  on board know what there doing. 

[grendel]

really its just a case of realising that the flow there can be very fast, and as you say, getting their too early (going south) is the worst possible as you have outgoing tide and the river flow, I have found its better to be late as the incoming tide and river flow opposing mean the flow is a lot less.

[Broads01]

I found out to my cost on my recent trip that getting there too early going north can be awkward too, at least if you want to moor. The tide was stronger than my bow thrusters were.

So who would pay the millions required to raise the bridge - a hidden money tree?

[Vaughan]

The Norfolk Railway, later Great Eastern, from Norwich to Yarmouth was built - by George Stevenson - in 1844 and the Vauxhall bridge to connect it to the port of Gt Yarmouth very shortly afterwards.

So for over 170 years, vessels have been navigating the mouth of the Bure under that bridge, until Mr Dixon, in his wisdom, decides it is "inherently dangerous".

I have a feeling it is also a listed structure, being a very early example of a wrought iron bridge. 

[ExSurveyor]

Driving on the road is inherently dangerous, but billions do.

 

[Broads01]

Mr Dixon had better stop crossing the road.

[Meantime]

During my last visit to the boat I witnessed two boats with the most reckless of crews. Their boats were way too tall for the bridges and they had no engine at all!!!

Ok that was a bit tongue in cheek! We had just headed South to North and were just passing the yacht station at slack water as two Hunters boats came sailing down the Bure and were starting to drop their sails and masts in preparation for a safe transit under the bridges and presumably a journey South. I know some Hunters boats now have electric quants, but the wooden quant poles were being prepared, so they were going for the traditional method. It was a joy to see and one we could so easily have missed without proper planning.

We arrived at the boat on the 27th May for a weeks holiday. We had several choices as our plan was to spend the week North and catch the 3RR before returning South. We could get up at a silly hour and travel to the Broads and cast off in time to catch the Saturday morning slack water, but that's no way to start a holiday. We could take our time getting to The Broads and load up and cast off and head North a few hours after slack water, but again this didn't seem like the ideal way to start the holiday. Instead we arrived at our leisure, cast off and took a slow trundle down to Burgh Castle against the flood and moored up for the night. A leisurely walk to The Fishermen's Inn, followed by a walk to The Queens Head Burgh Castle and then finally a walk to The Kings Head for another pint and dinner, then back to the mooring. A lie in next morning followed by a leisurely breakfast and then cast of in perfect time to reach the yacht station at slack water and witness those two beauties transiting North to South. It's all in the planning really!

[Ray]

2 hours ago, Vaughan said:

Peter Dixon says it is an "inherently dangerous place"

I must be getting a bit paranoid but this phrase rings alarm bells about access to me. Presumably as an important part of the navigation it must be kept open but could hire boats one day be restricted? 

I can imagine ways in which this could be beneficial to the BA like concentrating resources and amenities in the north.

I'm sure even the idea has not been mooted officially bur who knows what private discussions about long term possibilities may include?

I do love a good conspiracy theory... even if I have to start it myself lol

[Meantime]

3 minutes ago, Ray said:

Presumably as an important part of the navigation it must be kept open but could hire boats one day be restricted? 

I can imagine ways in which this could be beneficial to the BA like concentrating resources and amenities in the north.

I don't see how that would work! The BA have a statutory duty to all boaters, private, hire, motorboat and sail, whichever part of the Broads they happen to frequent.

[Ray]

Good point.... back to the flat earth and alien reptiles then 😁

[Mouldy]

52 minutes ago, Broads01 said:

Mr Dixon had better stop crossing the road.

Exactly!  Am I right in thinking that the last (regrettable) deaths on The Broads were in the post pandemic and slightly mad period following the first lockdown.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that it’s acceptable but people die on holiday every year, whether it’s by drowning at seaside, having gone astray on an inflatable, surfing, boating or any other form of accident.  Only a couple of days ago there was a problem in France with some stabbings.

We all take chances every day of our lives, crossing the road, driving a car, walking along the pavement, it’s a fact of life and we can’t mitigate against every eventuality.  The sooner some folk realise that, get on with living and stop worrying about spoiling things for everyone  else, the better.  We’re only here for a short time - just enjoy it!

[Chelsea14Ian]

The five deaths were after lockdown.