Alphacraft hurricane

[Mandybstorm]

Passed somerleyton swing bridge and saw a alphacraft boat grounded on the bankside. What happened there then?

[Matt]

It was mentioned elsewhere on the forum last week- it appeared that it was blown there in the wind.

Having just passed it ourselves I guess we are following you!

[BroadScot]

Very sad to see, that would have been someone elses next holiday booking. The question is, all you tide specialists, WHEN will they get it refloated on a high tide, please.

 

 

Iain

[dnks34]

Is it still there to date or have they managed to shift it!?

[dnks34]

Sorry question just been answered thanks broadscot! Do salvage rights apply to the broads!!

[ranworthbreeze]

There are some higher tides from the 18th to 23rd April, so the boatyard may be waiting until then.

 

Regards

Alan

[Matt]

It was high tide when we took the photos so it must have been high on the day it got stuck.

[teadaemon]

Sorry question just been answered thanks broadscot! Do salvage rights apply to the broads!!

 

I've got into big arguments on other forums about where salvage rights do or do not apply, but to give the short answer, the Broads are tidal waters navigable by seagoing vessels, so yes salvage law might apply.

 

Now before anyone jumps in a boat and heads for Somerleyton, they should probably note that:

 

1) In order to board and attempt salvage on a derelict vessel without first obtaining the permission of the owner, it must have been permanently abandoned by it's owners, which is not the case in this situation.

 

2) In order for there to be a claim for salvage, a vessel must be 'in peril'. In this case the vessel is on dry land and it's situation is unlikely to change for the next 7-10 days or so. Is she really in peril at the moment?

 

3) Even if she were, and she was refloated, she wouldn't be yours (although you'd be responsible for getting her to a place of safety and keeping her there). You'd have a claim for salvage, which (if it were accepted by the relevant court) would only ever be a proportion of the value of the vessel. You would hold a lien over the vessel while your claim was open, but in practise the boat's insurers would probably put a sum of money in escrow in lieu of you actually retaining the vessel itself.

 

I am not a lawyer, and this is not legal advice, but is my best understanding of the situation.

[dnks34]

I wasnt actually suggesting I would do it, it was meant purely tongue in cheek.

[JawsOrca]

Geez is she still there? I assumed she was towed off Poor thing.. that sadly must be affecting peoples holidays and costing alpha money hope they get her off soon and she's not damaged.

[jeffbroadslover]

Seems a bit ironical looking at the name and what happened to put it where it is.     lol

 

 

Jeff

[teadaemon]

I wasnt actually suggesting I would do it, it was meant purely tongue in cheek.

 

It's ok, I didn't think you were that serious, but I also thought it worth mentioning that salvage law isn't quite as simple as a lot of people believe it to be. (That's why there are a small but significant number of lawyers who specialise in it.)

[Matt]

It's ok, I didn't think you were that serious, but I also thought it worth mentioning that salvage law isn't quite as simple as a lot of people believe it to be. (That's why there are a small but significant number of lawyers who specialise in it.)

Should I put it back then?.........

;-)

[dnks34]

All joking aside i am actually quite suprised it is still there. I wouldnt have thought it would be that difficult to shift it can only be sat on relatively soft mud surely and the Alpha 44 highliners cant weigh all that much, Can They?!

[teadaemon]

I think part of the problem is that it went aground at a high, near (if not actual) spring tide, and the tidal range has been decreasing since then, so getting enough water just to float it off is tricky (and will probably have to wait a week or so for the next spring tides).

 

If you were going to try to use brute force to drag it off the bank, unfortunately the swing bridge is exactly where I'd want to put the tug, and even if you managed to put the tug on the other side of the bridge and get a clear path for the tow rope, if she came free the boat would be heading straight towards the bridge. If you try to drag her off the other way then you're risking damage to the stern gear, which could quite easily mean you go from a boat that's aground, to one that's afloat but sinking rapidly.

 

Also, with her being so close to the bridge, I'd wonder if there's anything other than soft mud under or around her. I'd want to check carefully for old piling, bits of old stone, etc before I tried dragging a boat through mud in that position (actually I'd probably want to check anywhere on the Broads, but I'm cautious like that).

[Chelsea14Ian]

sorry to see the boat stuck there I hope for all concerned she can be refloated .

 

Ian

[Matt]

I stuck the photos on Facebook where somebody commented:

We passed it Friday and came back past yesterday when they were trying to recover it. Listening on VHF and they are Having another go in 10 days on next high tide! Would love to know how anyone could manage to get it there!!

[dnks34]

Very strong wind played a part I believe Matt! It must be causing a big inconvenience to the hire schedule.

On our boat we have a plain burgee attached to the bow rail which gives us valuable wind direction information for less than a tenner, may have made little difference in this situation but I often wonder why something so simple isnt provided on a hire boat as standard, they are so useful.

[Matt]

I reckon your right. Given the closeness to the bridge it looked as though they realised they would not get through so stopped and then went sideways. Most unfortunate.

[BroadScot]

Very strong wind played a part I believe Matt! It must be causing a big inconvenience to the hire schedule.

On our boat we have a plain burgee attached to the bow rail which gives us valuable wind direction information for less than a tenner, may have made little difference in this situation but I often wonder why something so simple isnt provided on a hire boat as standard, they are so useful.

Many years ago a few yards did have flags on the bows or roofs. Astons certainly did and Brooms also.

 

 

Iain

[JawsOrca]

(get your NBN burgees here: )%C2%A0

[Viking23]

We have a small burgee on the roof, we find it essential when deciding what strategy to use when coming into moor or passing through Potter Heigham bridge on a breezy day.

It is very difficult to keep a boat into the wind, as once the wind gets onto the side, off she goes, unless good use of the throttle and steering is used, but even this in inexperienced hands, could result in making things worse, and cause damage to the boat

and other property in the area.

A burgee, flag or pennant is only useful if you know what the implications are, ie if you are experienced.

Add to this, strong tidal flows, and it is easy to see why it ran aground.

Does anyone know what direction she was originally travelling in? as from the boats position, there must have been some rather frantic moves prior to running aground which must have been frightening to the crew. I just hope that this experience hasn't put off any new comers.

The Southern Broads are more open, with less tree cover than the northern, with faster tidal currents, and can be a challenge for even experienced boaters.

Having said that, the Southern Broads have much wider rivers, more room to manoeuvre, less boat traffic, and on average, higher cruising speeds overall, but attention to tides and direction must be considered when planning a particular route, especially when getting close to Breydon Water.

[Viking23]

(get your NBN burgees here: )%C2%A0

Good reminder...

Just ordered mine.

I must admit, even though I am a fairly new member, I have found this site and it's members to be very helpful indeed.

In particular, I find the feed back from the "Like" button to be very supportive.

Great site, I'm proud to be a member, and so proud to fly the flag too.

[deebee29]

Good to have you here as well Viking 23

You won't be disappointed with the burgee, the quality is great.

Can't wait to display ours in 2 weeks time

David

[JawsOrca]

It's good to have you aboard too Viking23.. That like button is certainly brilliant.. I do admit I probably overuse it but it's always called for  

 

As David said the Burgee's are very very good quality! I must admit when I got mine last easter I only saw on a couple of boats so it will be good to spot more of them this year! Thanks for grabbing one (I feel a bit guilty the way I went about that post but it was aimed in good good spirits  )