nice trip out last week

[sanderling]

Hi all

Just to say we had a couple of nice days cruising the broads last weekend

We set off from johns boat yard at Wayford   Friday and made our way down the ant ,turned hard to port and headed for gr Yarmouth ,we had to stop on the way to let barney wag his tail (good job we have plenty poo bags on board) then made our way under the bridges and out over Breydon

At reedham the ferry was doing its thing so we had to navigate round the chains, it won't do your prop much good to get hooked up in that lot, we thought about going up the river to Norwich but decided to spend the night at Hadley cross on the new moorings.

Saturday morning back to Reedham and up the new cut to make our way to Oulton broad.

We chugged round Oulton and I suggested using the lock and taking the salty way back to Yarmouth but Lyn was none to keen on that idea, so we moored at the free moorings about a mile back down the river.

Had some breakfast, met couple on another steel boat, had a nice chat with them about the pros and cons of steel boats, then we headed back to Yarmouth.

After we had passed under the bridges we chugged up the river to slowly make our way back to our home port ,we had only done about a mile and half when down the river comes a 40ft broads cruiser two adults in the cockpit completely unaware that the kids out side were running up and down the roof with no life jackets on,,i guess some people think that they are on holiday and nothing bad can happen.

We slipped under Ludham bridge to find total gridlock, someone in one of the big fancy rentals had decided to wedge it across the river between all the other moored boats, after about 20mins it started to look like the m25 at leaving off time.

After awhile when things had cleared we pressed on up the river over Barton broad where we met two gentlemen in a vintage sailing boat, as we passed them one shouted "there are three boats in your mooring spot,i will move them when I get back from sailing".    ok John see you in a while...

When we got back to Wayford  we spotted a gap between the boats moored on the river front, we stuck her in there bows first and tied up.

From out of the darkness we heard chugging of a small engine and a voice "you can't leave that there with the **** sticking out I'll move them other boats" 20mins later we were moored in our usual spot..

So all in all we had a good trip out. Next time I will radio the harbour master and tell him we are on our way back ,,, John

 

 

         all the best.  Lyn and Russell. 

[Happy]

Lynn and Russell, good to see you are out and about.  What is the air draft of your boat-you can obviously get under Ludham bridge OK?  Regards Alan   

[sanderling]

Hi Alan

Our air draft is 8ft4in with everything folded  so no problem with Ludham

 

 

                all the best Russell

[Happy]

Russell, thanks for that.  We have got a Seamaster 30 which I measured at 9'4"

with everything down and it didn't look like we could get under even at slack low tide.  Jason from LBBY did tell us that the height guage at the bridge reads 

under the actual height available and did offer to walk us through (nice guy)

but I did chicken out!  Maybe next time?!  Regards Alan  

[BroadScot]

Alan get yer (_!_) and yer boat through yon bridge, if Jason says it can go, dinny chicken out, it would be a lovely cruise up the Ant in your own boat am sure! Then all that is braw about Irstead and Barton Broad. 

 

You might even be unlucky and see me on that river in about a fortnight or so.

 

Iain.

[sanderling]

Alan

 

 

I think it would be very tight at 9ft 4ins,,,, nice boat the seamaster30 

Next time we go under I will see what clearance there is above us

 

     All the best Russell

[diesel falcon]

we want to try and get under in may, can get down to about 8 ft 10, any info would be a god send  thanks in advance.

[BroadScot]

From what I can see the neap tides next month are Saturday 10th and Sunday 25th may if that is any help. Both late afternoon Low Water.

 

I hope you can squeeze through. It was over on very low tides ( 9ft ) last year early October.

 

Iain.

[ranworthbreeze]

Quite a few years ago we engaged a guy with a Freeman (a very tidy boat, could have been a 26 or 28)  whose moorings were above Ludham Bridge. We got talking as you do and saw him over several days in our out of season allocation. I know he tried for three days in a row to get back to his moorings but the tides were against him at each of those low tides.

 

We never found out if he got back under the bridge. As with all bridges and tides it is not about getting under, it is about getting back!

 

Regards

Alan

[Happy]

Thank you all for the info!  This is in fact our third Seamaster 30.  All of them have been moved to the 'Broads'.  Our first was factory built in the early 70's 

and had the nav. lights in boxes on the wheelhouse roof and we took her through a couple of times at low water but this was probably about 15 years ago and I wonder whether the river is higher now due to global warming etc?  Regards Alan.