Boat Stuck | Vauxhall Bridge, Yarmouth

[LondonRascal]

Fom Great Yarmouth & Gorleston Lifeboat:

 

Relief ILB 'Braemar' was launched at 1019 this morning to reports of the Broads Hire Cruiser ‘Brinks Prelude’ stuck under the Vauxhall foot bridge Next to the ASDA superstore.

 

On route the Volunteer crew were informed by Humber Coastguard that there was originally 2 persons onboard, One had managed to get off to safety whilst the other was still onboard. The Police, HM Coastguard Gorleston and The Police’s 'Broads Beat' were also arriving at the scene.

 

Once the Volunteer crew arrived on scene it quickly became apparent that the vessel was pinned by the incoming flood tide against a beam under the bridge. The person who stayed on the hire cruiser had by this time gotten onboard the ‘Broads Beat’ boat and they had put one of their officers aboard.

 

Since there was no danger to life it was decided to wait for authorisation from the Hire craft owners before trying to recover the vessel.

 

Once this was giving The ILB placed a crewmember aboard and secured a tow line. Due to the incoming tide the vessel was now pinned in both directions by beams under the bridge.

 

After several attempts the vessel came free from the bridge with some damage done to the cabin roof and associated fixings.

 

The hire craft was secured on the river Bure and the ILB was stood down whilst employees from Barnes Brinkcraft assessed the vessel’s damage.

 

 

[donnygeoff]

Here's the EDP link

http://www.edp24.co.uk/news/broads_boat_stuck_under_great_yarmouth_bridge_at_high_tide_1_3990738
 

 

[JawsOrca]

Hope there's not too much damage for Brinks to fix.. clearly not the best start to the season for them.. At least all humans are safe though.. 

[BroadScot]

Brinks Prelude, is a big lump of a cruiser. I have been moored next to it at Oulton Broad YS. Yes, let's hope not too much damage done.

 

 

Iain

[BuffaloBill]

 

 

"At least all humans are safe though"

There maybe some ear ache for the helmsman.......

[ranworthbreeze]

Well this does happen to some of the hire boats and pivate i they get it wrong, from time to time and not only at Yarmouth, it makes me wonder how this has happened with a relatively lower air draft craft. I would assume at most a little over 8 foot, the crew were unlucky, inexsperienced or not given enough information by the boatyard.

One of Broom's hire fleet were damaged at St Olaves bridge a couple of seasons ago on its few weeks of service.

Regards

Alan

[LondonRascal]

I wonder how much information hirers need to cross Breydon Water?

 

It is so freely available online, in publications the skippers manual etc as to what time to cross.

 

  I can only guess Prelude was crossing north to south had got under the first bridge and then crashed into Vauxhall.  I say this because if was going back north there is more warning of the lower Vauxhall bridge height so one could take evasive action – even just straight into the mud bank is better than this result.

 

Still it seems all were safe, and boats can be repaired after all.

[NorfolkNog]

The unpainted bit is at the Breydon side so I wonder if it was actually going South to North??????

[JennyMorgan]

Don't expect that the tide had far to go.

Pity they don't have one of those guide things where if one touches it then the tide is too high. 

 

Surely someone has got to ask the obvious! Where was the SOB?

[Brundall1037]

We moored at Berney Arms last night with a view to going North this morning, when we looked at the tides this morning it showed a higher than predicted low tide so decided not to bother(we need 10'). I am pretty certain that about 9.30 this boat came past us, low at the Yacht Station was at 7.37, shortly after we went for a trip over Breydon, just up to the lifting bridge and back, the height gauge at the Berney Arms end was showing 8' at the bridges.

[ranworthbreeze]

Hi Jon,

 

I have had a look at the height levels of the next period that may be suitable for passage of Southern Crusader or Ranworth Breeze the Broads Authority's tide tables.

Thu 19th 08:11 1.87 19:59 2.07 01:51 -0.19 13:57 0.14

Fri 20th 09:02 1.96 20:52 2.19 02:45 -0.37 14:49 0.00

Sat 21st 09:49 2.03 21:45 2.27 03:33 -0.48 15:39 -0.10

Sun 22nd 10:34 2.05 22:37 2.29 04:19 -0.50 16:25 -0.13

Mon 23rd 11:18 2.02 23:26 2.24 05:03 -0.41 17:11 -0.09

Tue 24th 12:01 1.96 - - 05:47 -0.22 17:57 0.01

Wed 25th 00:15 2.13 12:45 1.88 06:31 0.03 18:45 0.14

For us to get under the Yarmouth Bridges we need a low water height of less than 0.2 to be on the safe side. The minus levels are good for those people who are struggling with very high air drafts.

Regards

Alan

[MBA Marine]

Did I read correctly they dragged it out from being wedged? would it not have caused less damage to put a rope on it and wait for the tide to fall?

[ranworthbreeze]

Hi Mark,

I tend to agree with you, but assume that they wanted to clear the bridge for other boats.

Regards

Alan

[Brundall1037]

Hi Jon,

 

I have had a look at the height levels of the next period th

at may be suitable for passage of Southern Crusader or Ranworth Breeze the Broads Authority's tide tables.

Thu 19th 08:11 1.87 19:59 2.07 01:51 -0.19 13:57 0.14

Fri 20th 09:02 1.96 20:52 2.19 02:45 -0.37 14:49 0.00

Sat 21st 09:49 2.03 21:45 2.27 03:33 -0.48 15:39 -0.10

Sun 22nd 10:34 2.05 22:37 2.29 04:19 -0.50 16:25 -0.13

Mon 23rd 11:18 2.02 23:26 2.24 05:03 -0.41 17:11 -0.09

Tue 24th 12:01 1.96 - - 05:47 -0.22 17:57 0.01

Wed 25th 00:15 2.13 12:45 1.88 06:31 0.03 18:45 0.14

For us to get under the Yarmouth Bridges we need a low water height of less than 0.2 to be on the safe side. The minus levels are good for those people who are struggling with very high air drafts.

Regards

Alan

Thanks Alan,

 

Appreciate that, unfortunately we come home on Tuesday :-(

[Brundall1037]

Did I read correctly they dragged it out from being wedged? would it not have caused less damage to put a rope on it and wait for the tide to fall?

High at Yarmouth was at around 12.45, had quite a bit to go up?

[Paul]

Pelude struck the Breydon side whilst going north on a rising tide. One onlooker suggested the skipper attempted to back away and was carried broadside on the flood. I cannot vouch for that. With several feet of tide still to rise I guess leaving it in place was not an option, but it surprises me that nothing was done to lower the airdraft before it was dragged out. Six inches of water in the bilge would have worked wonders, or a dozen shoppers from Asda.

 

Peter, SOB was apparently "unavailable", good to see her earning her keep.

[Alistairr]

As a newbie to the broads, it is the tides and bridges that I am the most nervous of. I have pulled loads of info from various sources for tide tables etc. but I still feel aprehensive. Yarmouth and Ludham are the only places that I feel the need to be concerned about as they are likely to be the only bridges where passing is likely to be really restricted. The other low bridges are ruled out anyway by virtue of the boats that we have hired.

 

What is a bit scary is when watching some of the vids on YouTube where people have videoed their passing under bridges, is just how little room for error that there is sometimes. I certainly don't want to bend anything on my trips away, and I definitely dont want to be a press news story!

[JennyMorgan]

Alistair, worry not, many hundreds of boats pass under Broads bridges every day during the summer, all without problem.

 

Just don't try reversing through Wroxham Bridge though.

[imtamping2]

Alistair, worry not, many hundreds of boats pass under Broads bridges every day during the summer, all without problem.

 

Just don't try reversing through Wroxham Bridge though.

 

Now Now 

[Oddfellow]

A good skipper is one who fully appreciates his own lack of knowledge, experience and skill and works within that parameter to ensure the safety of the crew and vessel. 

 

Put simply, Alistair, don't take risks and plan your journeys using the information that is readily available. 

 

BTW, don't ever consider St Olaves bridge to be a doddle. The gap can get quite small and the water rips through there. Many a cruiser has been damaged on it. 

[NorfolkNog]

Please don't worry Alistairr - all hire boats have a plate at the helm giving the air draught, all bridges have a height gauge so it should be fairly easy to avoid a prang by simply checking the 2 figures. Should be simple. I think often the problem is that some people simply follow the boat in front thinking if he can get through so can I. They forget of course that different boats have different air draughts. 

 

If it's any consolation I've been hiring on the Broads for 40 years and not hit a bridge yet (touch wood) 

[ExMemberBobdog]

Surely someone has got to ask the obvious! Where was the SOB?

 

I believe SOB is out of the water for her winter refit.  All the BA launches come out for a few weeks each year, during the quiet season, for a clean up and repairs to wear and tear sustained over the year.

[Timbo]

Don't worry at all Alistair. As has been said each boat is fitted with a height plaque next to the helm and the bridges are marked. When crossing Breydon I always telephone the Yacht Station at Yarmouth before I cross. The number will be in your skipper's handbook. When you ring them a kind, calm and helpful chap will ask the height of your boat on the plaque and your position, for example Acle or St Olaves. He will then tell you at what time to move off from your current position and what time to be at Yarmouth for. The Authority Rangers will keep a look out for you as you go through Yarmouth.

 

This is the excellent, first class side of the Broads Authority.

[JennyMorgan]

I believe SOB is out of the water for her winter refit.  All the BA launches come out for a few weeks each year, during the quiet season, for a clean up and repairs to wear and tear sustained over the year.

Bob, you might well be right but then so might be the reliable person that told me where she was moored up for that day!

Anyone know for sure?

[LondonRascal]

I am going to be on the water over Easter on a boat with a high air draft of 9ft (though I suspect it is not exactly this)

 

I will be making passage over Breydon (I hope) on Sunday 5h April.  I am already planning this and am perfectly willing to not proceed with the plan come the day.  It is far better to be safe than sorry.

 

You see low water at Yarmouth is said to be 05:22 (before sunrise) and slack water will be around 06:30 but I will be up at Stracey Arms.  Now sunrise is said to be 06:22 so by the time I get to Yarmouth, it is likely to be the case the tide will have begun to have turned and will be coming in.

 

I am ok with this fact as I will be going against the current so upon arrival at the yacht station if there is not sufficient clearance under the bridge and I turn, the current will push me away from the bridge back up the Bure not down it towards the bridges.

 

This is not an exact science since civil twilight starts at 05:11 so it might well be light enough before the ‘official sunrise time’ to leave Stracey Arms and head towards Yarmouth, the issue is not just light its visibility.  I know from past experience having to wait at Stracey Arms for fog to clear enough before proceeding to Yarmouth. 

 

As for some of the videos I have shot passing under bridges (which Alistair may have seen) they do look much more hairy than they are really because there is a camera on top of a 4 inch suction mounted tripod on the roof of the boat. I know the boat will pass under the bridge but I fully admit I never give consideration on approach to the camera and almost lost one to St. Olaves bridge last year when I there was about 9ft clearance under it and I was in an 8ft 6” boat - with my camera on the roof on the mini tripod there was about 2” of space between the bridge and the top of my camera!

 

It is of course also possible to work out what the tide will e doing at various other bridges, not just Yarmouth by knowing what time after low water the flood tide begins and how long it takes to reach the various locations – this may cause me issues entering or leaving Norwich as Trowse bridge can be tight for high air draft boats.

 

Oh the fun of the Broads when you hire something tall.