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Boat stuck under St Olaves Bridge

AdnamsGirl

By AdnamsGirl
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boycee

boycee

Posted
Posted

You are right Howard Alpha centre cockpits need 8ft 6" with the roof up.Apparently the roof was badly damaged and she was stuck for almost an hour, although the crew were quite close to the bank when rescued,but she could not be freed until the tide had turned sufficiently

Alan

cheersbar

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teadaemon

teadaemon

Posted
Posted

It's definitely not just hirers.

A couple of years ago I was stood on Ludham Bridge and spotted a very nice newish aft-cockpit cruiser with a green canopy heading towards the bridge. I did think they looked a bit high, but assumed the helm might know what they were doing. As they went under the bridge, it became very apparent from the tearing noises that they didn't, and after getting momentarily stuck, the boat emerged from under the bridge, the canopy now with added ventilation from a number of tears.

One wouldn't like to speculate, but the way the boat then proceeded to weave up the river, one might suspect that the helm's judgement was somewhat compromised in some way...

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goodall_m1

goodall_m1

Posted
Posted
It's definitely not just hirers.....

the boat emerged from under the bridge, the canopy now with added ventilation from a number of tears.

One wouldn't like to speculate, but the way the boat then proceeded to weave up the river, one might suspect that the helm's judgement was somewhat compromised in some way...

Speculation ?

And how good are you at steering when the crew are giving you grief over your silly mistake

and how much it is going to cost to fix whilst hitting you around the ears with a rolling pin

to make sure you get the message. :naughty::naughty: !

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donnygeoff

donnygeoff

Posted
Posted

Investagative journalism at it's best.......

They spoke to a person who only heard about it, this person then came to the conclussion that the boat was too big for the bridge.....

and...

After the journalist left he missed a big fight as another person said that the boat was NOT too big, but the tide was too high for it to fit under...allegedley :naughty:

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ranworthbreeze

ranworthbreeze

Posted
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The tides may be high at the moment but all bridges have height boards well in advance of the bridge and at high tide these can be easily read unike at low tide where the boards are worn.

If the boat does have a plate showing the air draft it is not rocket science to know if you can get under the bridge.

As I have said our air draft is 9ft 8 inches and usually we gauge for 10 foot clearance, when coming down river through Yarmouth if we can see 7 full rungs of the ladders at the Yarmouth yacht station we can get through the bridges, this is a good guide for us and being as the height boards going down river are few and our worn out at the bottom of the boards you can not see the height in time for the bridges.

Regards

Alan

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Broads01

Broads01

Posted
Posted

St Olaves bridge can catch out the unaware. It gets much less publicity than the Potter Heighams and Wroxhams of this world but add in high tide and it can be very tricky. I had a dodgy moment there on Distant Horizon (which needs about 8 ft 3 as I recall) 3 years ago. I coasted towards the bridge as gently as I could, but going with the tide ended up drifting through diagnally with about an inch to spare. I vowed to give the bridge more respect after that experience.

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  • 2 weeks later...
ExUserGone

ExUserGone

Posted
Posted

For those less experienced helms here's a good trick to remember when heading for a low bridge on the tide, turn and reverse through so you can pull away from it much easier and have far greater steering control, you throttle forward with less speed than the tide is running at so the boat goes backwards very slowly and controlled, it's the same idea as mooring into the tide.

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diesel falcon

diesel falcon

Posted
Posted

If he was going down river it,s very easy to miss the height gauge, as it,s rather like a speed camara..you only see it when it,s too late! and it,s in diabolical state of repair,the next one,s on the bridge with the tide running on a spring very easy to get it wrong and then it,s too late,and if a novice as he was there,s big signs saying don,t turn near the bridge!!.

There,s normaly 8 ft 6 on a normal tide at high water..less on springs the tide runs at about 3 knots aswell.

I see boats coming down tide from the bridge and belt past at 8mph :norty: right past my berth so it,s from first hand knowledge i am actually thinking of taking numbers as a little tired of nearly spilling my drinks!! :naughty:

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