Mooring at Thorpe Green

[webntweb]

Just managed to moor at Thorpe Green last week in between two of the many illegally moored dinghies.

Many of the mooring posts had dinghies padlocked to them despite BA notices on the quay heading saying "No Dinghies".

The dinghies were spaced so that only two boats could have moored in the entire length of the moorings. The dinghies do have a special section for them to moor and at the moment part of that section is fenced off but there is no reason why their owners should space them out along the entire length of the moorings.

 

Roy

[marshman]

Hi Roy  -  why are you surprised??? Perhaps this and the proliferation of birds being fed explains why "this lovely mooring" is so underused and why the BA do not want to spend money on the moorings!!

[Hockham Admiral]

I hope you telephoned Broads Control, Roy. What did they have to say?

[Guest]

Just managed to moor at Thorpe Green last week in between two of the many illegally moored dinghies.

Many of the mooring posts had dinghies padlocked to them despite BA notices on the quay heading saying "No Dinghies".

The dinghies were spaced so that only two boats could have moored in the entire length of the moorings. The dinghies do have a special section for them to moor and at the moment part of that section is fenced off but there is no reason why their owners should space them out along the entire length of the moorings.

 

Roy

 

It does sound extraordinarily selfish, and it's difficult to see any other honest reason there could be for such inconsideration.

[webntweb]

We didn't think about phoning BA until later in the day when we were on the river and then couldn't get a signal.

We then had to sort some problems on the boat with the boatyard and completely forgot about phoning BA (I'm afraid at 70 my memory is now pretty poor). I will phone them now - better late than never.

 

Roy

[webntweb]

Just telephoned River Control. They say that the moorings are no longer under the auspices of BA but have been taken back by the Parish Council. They also said that the issue goes back to before the Parish Council took over and BA did then have some success in stopping the practice. I suppose the next move will be to phone the Parish Council and ask their position on this. The chap at BA did say the dinghies mainly belong to the boats moored at the old Hearts yard. Also there was some confusion over the legality of BA removing the chains. 

[webntweb]

I have emailed Thorpe St Andrew town council asking their position on the moorings and will post their reply as I receive it.

[Matt]

I don't think we have ever moored at Thorpe in recent years. The entrances through the bridges do not look particularly enticing!

I hope the boat problems were easily sorted.

[webntweb]

Hi Matt,

 

There was nearly 8ft at low water and the two pubs are worth a visit. The mooring is still quite pleasant if you can get in and the water is very clear if a little weedy.

[BroadScot]

I started from Hearts in the late 90's. Rarely saw it at 8ft clearance, must have been a very low water. But agree, a nice place to moor. Never really noticed the traffic.

 

Iain.

[webntweb]

Things are really getting confused now. This is the reply from Thorpe town council: Sorry Roy you have been misinformed by the Broads Authority. They lease the River Green moorings from the Town Council and it is their responsibility to manage the moorings. The lease has over two years to run so I really don’t know why they told you they had transferred them back. Only the Broads Authority can enforce the 24 mooring regulations. In the event that the Broads Authority were to hand the moorings back the Town Council would aim to have new byelaws in place that would give it the power to manage the moorings properly. Hope this helps – Steven Ford, town clerk – Thorpe St Andrew Town Council tel 01603 701048. 

I suppose I will have to contact BA again

 

Roy

[Hockham Admiral]

Roy, why am I shaking my head in bemused amazement at what the BA can tell someone to keep them quiet?   :cry

[MBA Marine]

There are only one or two that chain and lock the dinghies often those that work nights and want to stop drunken fools steeling their dinghy, but I can understand the irritation, the problem is caused from a bit of complacency as those people use their dinghies all year round and for 2/3 of the year you are lucky to see a boat pass through very few moor, nobody would have minded if you had moved one or two these people are very understanding.  Communication is the key talk to people. 

[Hockham Admiral]

  Communication is the key talk to people. 

If you can find them, Mark... that's often the problem....

[Guest]

There are only one or two that chain and lock the dinghies often those that work nights and want to stop drunken fools steeling their dinghy, but I can understand the irritation, the problem is caused from a bit of complacency as those people use their dinghies all year round and for 2/3 of the year you are lucky to see a boat pass through very few moor, nobody would have minded if you had moved one or two these people are very understanding.  Communication is the key talk to people. 

 

Roy's opening post mentioned several, strung along the whole length of available mooring space.

 

I completely understand the need to chain them up to prevent vandalism and theft, but surely, being dinghies, they could be moored in bunches, rather than strung out, all the way along ?

 

It sounds as though some of the Moorers there are doing the others no favours in their cause for residential moorings.

 

.....and as John has already said, how can you talk to the owner of a padlocked dinghy if he is not present at the time you need to moor there ?

[MBA Marine]

Roy's opening post mentioned several, strung along the whole length of available mooring space.

 

I completely understand the need to chain them up to prevent vandalism and theft, but surely, being dinghies, they could be moored in bunches, rather than strung out, all the way along ?

 

It sounds as though some of the Moorers there are doing the others no favours in their cause for residential moorings.

 

.....and as John has already said, how can you talk to the owner of a padlocked dinghy if he is not present at the time you need to moor there ?

You miss my point, I said move a couple and obviously not the padlocked ones and there would be lots of room, you can speak to anyone Island side they will be happy to help. Jumping the gun and making snap decisions is what leads to to bad feeling. 

[Guest]

You miss my point, I said move a couple and obviously not the padlocked ones and there would be lots of room, you can speak to anyone Island side they will be happy to help. Jumping the gun and making snap decisions is what leads to to bad feeling. 

 

With all due respect Mark, I don't think I missed the point at all.

 

Why should visiting boats need to move regularly moored dinghies anyway ?

 

They.re so much smaller than most craft that due consideration by the owners would be to not take up all of the available space in the first place.

 

Why should holidaymakers have to "speak to someone on the island side" to find a space ?  and how would they know to do that anyway ?

 

I have nothing against liveaboards, and I would be very disappointed if I were one myself and my neighbours showed such selfishness, and gave ammunition to  critics of that lifestyle.

[SPEEDTRIPLE]

We`ve moored at Thorpe river green, and it`s a really stunning place when the sun is shining. As for the bridges?, well, we`ve been under them when they`ve had 8ft clearance, and we`ve passed by them when they`ve had only 6ft, so it really does depend on tides. We`ve not been in any of the pubs, but i did read some years back that the one on the opposite side of the road was very good.

 

If we stay south on Lightning this October, we might just moor overnight if we can get through the bridges, then try the pub. If we do, we`ll let you know what it`s like.

[MBA Marine]

With all due respect Mark, I don't think I missed the point at all.

 

Why should visiting boats need to move regularly moored dinghies anyway ?

 

They.re so much smaller than most craft that due consideration by the owners would be to not take up all of the available space in the first place.

 

Why should holidaymakers have to "speak to someone on the island side" to find a space ?  and how would they know to do that anyway ?

 

I have nothing against liveaboards, and I would be very disappointed if I were one myself and my neighbours showed such selfishness, and gave ammunition to  critics of that lifestyle.

Well will all due respect, holiday makers should use common sense, I have no issues with moving day boats and dinghies and will do so as and when i need to, I see people complaining about both blocking moorings, how hard is it to temporarily tie your boat then move the boat in the way to the next post if there is a spot? answer its not difficult, so often it looks like people are being rude by leaving or not leaving space but the person who is mooring has no idea of what boats may have been in the way and have now moved on leaving a gap that was right for them but not for the next.

 

The Islanders should stick to in my opinion areas at either end, but they are not a real problem I spend many days over there and mooring on the green is hardly ever difficult, in fact its one of the few places on the broads where mooring is easy.  

[NorfolkNog]

I think Mark makes a good point in that for much of the year boats either do not or cannot get through the bridges so the moorings are generally very quiet. We have moored there several times but if the tide is rising I would usually play it safe and moor at Commissioners Cut and walk round. It’s all too easy to get stuck at the wrong side of the bridges. Certainly eight feet can be achieved but I would say from experience seven feet and under is more the norm.

 

There are usually quite a few dinghies moored there as Roy says but as has been pointed out, the owners have probably disappeared into Thorpe or Norwich. I suppose it must be possible to moor in front of the Rushcutters although I’ve never actually tried it.

 

Bit of a disappointing response from the BA though.

[Paladin]

Just managed to moor at Thorpe Green last week in between two of the many illegally moored dinghies.

I seem to have mislaid my reading glasses. Can someone please point out to me the bye law that prohibits the mooring of dinghies at BA 24 hour moorings?

[Oddfellow]

Crikey, what a fast-filling thread this is.

 

I rarely see so many dinghies tied to the bank at Thorpe River Green that it causes difficulty for cruisers.

I am unaware of any by-laws that would prevent any vessel from mooring there so long as the 24 hours period is adhered to (maybe someone knows better?)

 

From a hirer's point of view, many would be unwilling to move someone else's boat in order to moor, but I understand Mark's point. It's a little different from the Brundall Navy having 15ft gaps between boats at Brammerton (shhhhhhurly this dosen't happen?), as the captains of these ships are mostly present and don't want to be moved.

 

It's a serious point I guess but one that I have never witnessed.

 

Live and let live...

[BrundallNavy]

If the dinghy's are from the " liveaboards"on the island then they should not return within 24 hrs unless it's to a dinghy only spot, or have I got that wrong ??

When we passed about a month goo the height under the bridge was 5.6 n/e and around 5.11 s/e , this would prevent all but the smallest boats to pass under and enjoy the green.

Doug.

[webntweb]

MBA - there were more than one or two dinghies padlocked.

 

Paladin – Don't know what the by-laws say but I would have thought BA would when they put up the "No Dinghies" notices on the quay heading adjacent to the mooring posts to which these dinghies were padlocked.

[Paladin]

Those signs have as much going for them as 'Keep off the grass' signs.