Boat Stuck | Vauxhall Bridge, Yarmouth

[Boaters]

I would be interested to find out if the addition of water as in Donny's post would happen ? Perhaps someone in the know could verify if say six inches of water ,obviously not reaching the under floor level would lower the boat by that much ? Going on a boat of ours in the past was low in the water and after removing many sacks of iron pellets only came up an inch or so ? I remember seeing the yard above the bridge at Wroxham going through with large filled oil drums and I think some water added to the bilges to return them to their hire base

[Robbenton]

Is it only me that think the height gauges could be improved ? I haven't been under the bridges for a couple of years but if I remember correctly the were wrotten and covered in green algae so were hard to read.

Would it be hard to have digital gauges that can be easily read and spotted by a newbie before it's too late.

Or even better, take the ugly bridge down all together !

[BuffaloBill]

 

 

 "I remember seeing the yard above the bridge at Wroxham going through with large filled oil drums and I think some water added to the bilges to return them to their hire base" 

Quite correct. They had to do that for us with 'Swallowtail' back in 2007 (I have a

great little movie of it) and it only lowered the boat by about 2" hence my guess

at the 1" for 'Prelude'.

As for filling the bilge with 1" of water and it lowering the boat by 1", sorry but that

doesn't work. The bilges are usually 'V' shaped so you need considerably more in

there to do the job. I'm guessing at maybe about 8" which may bring it over the

floor boarding(on some boats).

 

 

"Or even better, take the ugly bridge down all together !"

We wish!!!!

[TrevorAndDeirdre]

There is a clip of film on facebook showing the boat being towed out bow first.

[BuffaloBill]

 

 

There is a clip of film on facebook showing the boat being towed out bow first.

Any chance of a link?

[SPEEDTRIPLE]

Of course this could have been very easily avoide if they`d hired a boat specifically designed for broads use, rather than hire what is actually nothing more than a sea going cruiser with the upstairs window removed.

 

 

Seriously though, i have no sympathy with anybody, hirer, fleet operator, or even private owner who get`s into dificulty with bridges, and encounters huge repair bills as a result. The Norfolk Broads are well known for their low bridges, and everybody knows it, so why make life difficult by having a boat which is not designed for the restrictions of the area?.

 

Lightning was designed purposely to navigate ALL broads bridges, including Potter Heigham before it started sinking in the mud, and she has an inside and outside (upper) helm position, which offers fabulous views over the countryside. There are other designs like Lightning such as the Aquafibre Lowliner 38 and 44 variants, of which we`ve hired 2 of the 38ft versions, and i can vouch for the fact they give fantastic views and go under all the bridges (accept Potter, but these days very little else can), so there`s no excuse.

 

 

One reason i can think of for people making mistakes is that most younger people cannot comprehend the use of feet and inches, having lived all their lives using the metric system. I`ve come across this with people in my industry (aviation) where Airbus drawings are in metric, but Boeing still use inches. We`ve had nemerous incidents where a unit should have a tolerance of a quarter of a MILLIMETER, but the operator has used a tolerance of a quarter of an INCH, resulting in an expensive re-manufacture.  With that in mind, i can quite understand and forgive someone mistaking a centimetre for an inch.

[ExUserGone]

Anyone with even half a brain should be able to cope with feet and inches, it's why norfolk folk have 12 fingers to count with......

As long as the boats plaque has the same unit as the height gauge there should be no problem as I'm sure most gauges leave a bit for good measure, don't the newer gauges show feet and metres?

[JawsOrca]

 

One reason i can think of for people making mistakes is that most younger people cannot comprehend the use of feet and inches, having lived all their lives using the metric system. I`ve come across this with people in my industry (aviation) where Airbus drawings are in metric, but Boeing still use inches. We`ve had nemerous incidents where a unit should have a tolerance of a quarter of a MILLIMETER, but the operator has used a tolerance of a quarter of an INCH, resulting in an expensive re-manufacture.  With that in mind, i can quite understand and forgive someone mistaking a centimetre for an inch.

 

Neil, I use feet and inches.. although if i need a precise measurement I do it in mm... doe's this mean I'm getting old? lol   

 

Also I do get why we have high sided boats on the broads, you really do see a different world from a high steering position, we always used to hire smaller boats but after hiring alpha firefly (which is the same as what my folks now have) you really struggle to go back... I saw my first wild deer at how hill that holiday (Yup I was a londoner), It's a big shame Orca is back to looking at reeds but better than nothing (and the hard top again will be good for out of season cruising which we will do a lot of).  

[BroadScot]

 

Neil, I use feet and inches.. although if i need a precise measurement I do it in mm... doe's this mean I'm getting old? lol    

 

YES Alan you are!    

 

 

Iain

[alexandlorna]

Its not just the units of measurement  either , we were at LBBY one afternoon when four folk came along and as they lined up on the bridge and gave it some  , one shouted " how do you know if the boat will go under?"

I pointed to the board and heard him say to the helmsman " its summat to do with that number board in the corner !"

Alas Mr Helm was committed and as they passed with great gusto various bits and bobs were swept off , no real damage other than tv arial but after they moored and recovered it was apparent that they genuinely did not have a clue how the height gauge should be read .

When we are moored on a nice day behind the shed , A constant stream of people are often heard doing the "will it or wont it routine" , then  they ask us  and many have not even an idea of their airdraft and cant find the plate on the boat !

This begs the question - how many bridges have they negotiated by luck to arrive downstream of Ludham Bridge ?

[C.Ricko]

Neil,

it would be a pretty dull experience for boat lovers if they all looked the same , 

Personally I prefer centre cockpit and flybridge boats, but that is not to say I don't like single level or lowliner types, 

In a few years time cruisers will not pass Potter and seldom get through Wroxham, then the 'big'boats  will be laughing as they are  looking beyond the reeds which you are looking at. 

 

In my opinion, it does not matter how many engines you have and as long as your boat is within the dimensions in the bylaws then if it fits on the water then good luck to you. 

 

to be on a high horse about your boat being better than others is similar to the private/ hirer arguement, also it may be offensive to people who have anything other than a boat designed specifically to pass under ALL the bridges. 

 

I also think that Potter bridge had plenty of time to settle in the mud before the Diamond was designed..  in which case as great as the design of the diamond may be to you there is only Wroxham which is restricted to boats  above 8.5 feet in which case you can get a day boat to Coltishall.. 

[SPEEDTRIPLE]

Hi Clive, so you obviously forgot to mention Wayford, Beccles old, Thorpe railway, and even St Olaves?.

 

No high horse either, i just pointed out the benefits of the Design of the Diamond (and many other) range. I don`t seem to recall where i said  Lightning was BETTER than anybody elses at all. I did say it was more suitable to the environment for which it was designed for though.

 

Definitely a case of misquoting someones writing if you ask me?.

[C.Ricko]

Thats fine Neil,

like I said it would be dull if we all liked the same things. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. love is blind and all that.. 

[LondonRascal]

I've not been keeping up with this thread since this weekend have been rather unwell with high temperature etc - proper bona fide Man Flu!

 

Anyway the boat is Bellmore (a Princess 30) - Looking on various sites the airdraft of ones that are for sale (even Moors fit out) varies from 8ft 6" to 9ft dead.  When I hired a Broom 30 (Mystic Horizon) I moored next to Belmore on my first evening at Barnes yard.  They looked identical in height.

 

Thing is it's one thing knowing what your air draft is and another how accurate the bridge height indicator is.

 

I would say the ones at Yarmouth, Thorpe, Trowes and St. Olaves are pretty much bang on but those at Ludham, Wroxham and Acle giving a more 'generous' reading.  I have witnessed Pink Champagne pass under Ludham at under 8ft 3" when it has an air draft on paper of 9ft.

 

I can see myself with some string, a weight, a spirit level and a flat stick to discover what the actual airdraft is not because of going through Yarmouth (I suspect it won't be height under the bridge that scuppers a morning crossing but being too misty early in the morning to travel down the Bure)  in which case we will moor at Yarmouth and spend the day out by the seaside then catch the late afternoon tide and moor at Berney Arms. 

 

Low Tide is said to be 17:36 (sunset 19:30) giving us enough time to get over Breydon to Berney Arms.

 

Anyway yes so it would however be nice to know I can get under Ludham and I know the boat can as I have seen her on the upper Ant many a time and since I will be on the boat for over a week I would be annoyed if I could not visit this lovely part of the Broads. Of course,  I would really like to play it safe and not end up with egg on my face at Ludham!

[LondonRascal]

Sorry should have made it clear I was replying to  to Simon J (Broads 01) here who asked what boat I was hiring that had an airdraft of 9ft.

[Oddfellow]

Sadly, some hirers have the attitude of, well it's not mine..... Or perhaps adopt a Jeremy Clarkson approach of "how hard can it be" and then hit a bridge and find out that it's actually a lot harder than the boat.

 

Lots don't listen to the details in the handover; some get no handover apart from where to fill the water and not to drop potato peelings in the bog.

 

Who's to say why this happened except it was clearly a poorly planed passage by the skipper.

[LondonRascal]

With all the comments and photos and happiness people tend to share here, on boatyards Facebook pages and so on of their memorable times it is easy to forget the selfish few who will bring a boat back damaged, or just plan in a terrible mess inside leave aside those who do just 'go for it' and hope for the best.

 

I have been moored at the likes of Reedham or Stracey Arms and had to go and double check tide times when a few boats would set off in the direction of Yarmouth and think 'wait have I got that right' only to find I have and then ponder what they are doing. 

 

I think as far as this case is concerned though if the boat was travelling south to north, then they would have seen what the bridge height was and if we presume they knew how to read it and knew what their air draft was (I suspect they did) though 'we will give it a go' - perhaps they had done the very same thing previously at the likes of Ludham Bridge and made it - but of course at Yarmouth they had something previously not appreciated to contend with - current.  So by the time they found actually there was not enough room it was then too late - going astern would only slow the inevitable and the moment the boat began to swing and as the current 'saw 'more of the boat so it was all lost drifting sideways into the structure.

 

I just would never risk such myself - even with St. Olaves I think in 2013 a Faricraft Loynes boat got stuck under that bridge.  It is always a rule of mine to have my binoculars at the ready so a long way off I can check the height then double check it - even if then I only realise at the last moment the camera is a lot higher than I thought o the roof lol.  But I am really not sure what would do in the shoes of those on Preulde? Perhaps power forward and steer for the shallows at the side of the river and hope the boat would ground in soft mud is perhaps better than hitting the bridge - but then there may be nasty things under the mud waiting to hole the boat!

[kfurbank]

Quote "Seriously though, i have no sympathy with anybody, hirer, fleet operator, or even private owner who get`s into dificulty with bridges, and encounters huge repair bills as a result. The Norfolk Broads are well known for their low bridges, and everybody knows it, so why make life difficult by having a boat which is not designed for the restrictions of the area?."

Quote "Lightning was designed purposely to navigate ALL broads bridges, including Potter Heigham before it started sinking in the mud,"

 

Neil, are you really suggesting that Lightning will go under all those bridges at ANY state of tide? OR that it may pass under all those bridges at a favourable tide state? because if it is the latter then it doesn't matter what boat you have, you still need to know your headroom and the gap under the bridge whether the boat was designed for The Broads or not. Therefore you really need to know the basics, maths, physics, before hiring or buying any boat designed for The Broads or not. I would suggest the only real boats that have no real issues with any of the bridges are rowing boats, canoes and RIBs, which weren't designed specifically for The Broads, but just happen to fit at all tide states.

[SweetKingfisher1]

I have drawn up an information sheet for the boat, from places for pump out to booking moorings. Also I have added the height we have passed under bridges like Ludham, which the lowest is 8ft 3ins. Alan (JawsOrca) has got her under Beccles old road bridge. This is to remind us oldies from one year to the next of things like bridge heights  .

 

Regards

Marina  

[ranworthbreeze]

A good idea is to have a burgee mast set to a forward rail so the top of your NBN burgee is set just above your highest point of your boat.

 

No doubt you will have seen a whip of some sort with a ping-pong ball attached to the top on some boats, the NBN burgee would be a better touch.

 

Regards

Alan

[MBA Marine]

A good idea is to have a burgee mast set to a forward rail so the top of your NBN burgee is set just above your highest point of your boat.

 

No doubt you will have seen a whip of some sort with a ping-pong ball attached to the top on some boats, the NBN burgee would be a better touch.

 

Regards

Alan

This is great for Northen bridges but not southern ones on a rapid current, if you were close enough to touch the flag then you would need some big engines to back off the bridge.

 

If approaching a bridge and backing off is not an option but you are not right on it, then with the tools that the boat in this threads disposal I would say helm hard over full throttle and give that bowthruster some welly, its about as close to a handbrake turn as you can get in a boat. but please don't try this just for fun! (unless is your own boat and nobody is looking   )

[JennyMorgan]

 

No doubt you will have seen a whip of some sort with a ping-pong ball attached to the top on some boats, the NBN burgee would be a better touch.

 

Regards

Alan

Alan, this is not that sort of forum, tut tut.

[Broads01]

Robin - thanks for replying about what boat you're on. I'm on Bright Horizon 1 from Saturday 4 April so I'll look out for you and give you a wave. As long as we're away from the boatyard in good time we're heading south on the Saturday evening with slack water around 6pm. It beats getting up super early the following morning!

I love fly bridge boats but I'm very happy with forward drives too. No need to worry about getting wedged anywhere really. Then again the Wroxham bridge pilot could have a bad day . . .

[Matt]

We are down south that week as well!

[Revilo]

HI,

the estimated LOW water air clearance on that day is 10ft 3 ins, i think you may well be pushing your luck?, you only have 1 ft to play with , on paper seems tight, but in your favour it is the start of springs so might get a little more,a cautious approach needed!

Hi were is that estimated low water air clearance from?