A BRIDGE TOO SMALL

[loribear]

hi everyone, you probably thought that it was only the broads bridges which stopped you getting through, well apparently not, here is a picture of a big boat trying to get through a small bridge & failing badly take a look at this, this guy got himself well & truly stuck lori

[Julz]

They remind me of when we used to stay in the Cordon Rouge apartments on Wroxham bridge, before the days of the bridge pilots there, you could almost gaurantee that on a busy high season weekend, there would be at least one boat get stuck under the main archway

We once watched the BA first try loading on more people to give extra balast and bring the boat to sit lower in the water, and when that failed, they sent for a big old workboat with a powerful pump onboard, which was used to fill the bilges of the stuck boat with many gallons of River water, which finally enabled the boat to be low enough to be pulled free, moored up at the De-masting moorings, and the process reversed to pump the river water out of its bilges.

The problem was solved somewhat when the pedestrian bridge was installed, and a row of dangling strips attached to act as a gauge to oncoming craft from downstream as a simple warning, if the strips touched any part of your boat, do not proceed with the bridge passage

Sadly it didnt take long for some pillocks to make a game of trying to remove these during a transit, and after a couple of seasons, they were almost non-existant again, and the Hire yards started insisting that no Hireboat was to transit the bridge without the services of the bridge Pilot.

Julz

[NeilB]

Although a little tight the boat fits through the bridge just fine, the incident occurred because he tried in flood conditions. It was Chertsey bridge which although its not the most difficult it's certainly not the easiest to navigate in flood conditions.

Not sure where they got £500,000 from either!! The red flags mentioned are actually red boards at every lock, boat owners are strongly recommended to stop cruising until the waters subside but there is no law forcing them to stop. Hire boats can be forced to stop unless they have an experienced helm on board, I've done this several times and it makes Gt Yarmouth seem like a walk in the park!!

[pks1702]

500k

Sound like a valuation for insurance purposes! Which given Red Boards might be interesting.

It was to have allegedly been carrying had trade plates on.

from the Snail - http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... ollen.html

[Guest]

Nice van lent better with the fly bridge roof off I think

Jonny

[quo vadis]

Nice van lent better with the fly bridge roof off I think

Jonny

[pks1702]

You know your boats Jonny

It is Van Lent as opposed to Hertz Van Rent

[C.Ricko]

Looks like a Caprice too,

from my armchair it looks as if the tow vessels should have pulled the bows across the river and used the power from the boat under the bridge to squeeze her out.

I have moved boats on the Thames in strong stream conditions with the boards out and it can be dangerous. stupidly, when I was out we were eight 20 year olds on 3 boats going from Benson to Thames ditton telling the lock keepers we had forgotten our pilots signs

the locks were shut the day we arrived so we had to finish the trip but perhaps is was not a good idea sending us as we all thought we were on holiday although on the final night I did consider leaving the boats as we were all a bit freaked out

We still talk about it over 15 years later, we call it the 'Pepsi Max adventure!'

[loribear]

i'm amazed & shocked that he took it through when the water level was high, i'd ave thought being a private owner that he'd had more sense, surely he must ave known how high his boat was, & surely he'd ave know not to take it through the bridge, unless he was showing off, in which case, that was utter stupidity, lori

[pks1702]

i'd ave thought being a private owner that he'd had more sense

It had trade plates on.

[Brian]

Looks like a Caprice too,

from my armchair it looks as if the tow vessels should have pulled the bows across the river and used the power from the boat under the bridge to squeeze her out.

!'

That was also my thoughts

[pks1702]

Spot the likeness and then get off to Specsavers

It did not have enough power to pull a Hen off its nest but after the rubber band wound up we just saw of the Geeermans