Admit it - Who did it?

[JawsOrca]

http://www.edp24.co.uk/news/train_delays_after_boat_crashes_into_railway_bridge_outside_norwich_1_4094979

[marshman]

Unless it was a Thames Barge or a large peniche, I struggle to believe the collision between a cruiser and a rail bridge (presumably the low ones at Thorpe? ) could cause structural damage to the bridge sufficient to cancel trains?

 

Has the world gone quite mad????

[BrundallNavy]

I was at Potter on Saturday watching the 3rivers race when a large centre cockpit type boat came out of Herbert Woods and turned towards the bridge. The crew proceeded to lower the windscreen and prepare to go under the bridge. At about 40 ft from the bridge the people standing on the bridge started shouting at them to stop and told them they must use the pilot. They proceeded to reverse back and turn round and headed for the pilot moorings only to be told they had no chance as the water was to high.

This could have been a carnage had there not been so many people on the bridge shouting at them .

Doug.

[andy]

I wonder if thay would close the road on the bridge at Potter Heigham every time a boat hits it

[Hockham Admiral]

Has the world gone quite mad????

 

Definitely!   :cry

[JawsOrca]

Unless it was a Thames Barge or a large peniche, I struggle to believe the collision between a cruiser and a rail bridge (presumably the low ones at Thorpe? ) could cause structural damage to the bridge sufficient to cancel trains?

 

Has the world gone quite mad????

 

If so lets hope the same boat can make it north towards that old stone bridge...    

[MostlyAfloat]

It's quite bizarre, think I may have mentioned I was a keen broads person for roughly nine years running until working abroad and starting my own business took its toll on holidays - for me at least...

But dumb boaters were everywhere, I remember poodling into potter heigham for a bit of stores replenishment and turning left int the Herbert woods boat yard under the bridge, there was an obviously new flybridge craft for that year being ' Driven' if that's the word like it was a bumper car, 6 point turn in the small bit before the exit, he must have hit the stern and aft around 4 times before I couldn't stop myself and jumped ashore and ran round and "offered" my assistance before the gel coat disappeared completely.

Managed to do the sixpence turn without having any further hull damage and not even a word of thanks to speak of from captain pug wash...

Worse was to add insult to injury, it was the boat I wanted to hire but was gone for that week and knowing that moron had it made it a tad irksome!

Ray

[BuffaloBill]

I'm not sure if I'm reading Alphacraft's website correctly, but, on

there it says that Mustang has an airdraft of 8'3"!!

On the height gauge at the bridge it appears to show 6'3".

Although the site gives warnings about Wroxham and Potter

bridges, nothing is mentioned about Thorpe's.

Will Alphacraft want to give up hiring next.....

[Matt]

Whoops!

[JawsOrca]

Wasn't it mustang who got neaped the other month at somerleyton? If so that boat is bad luck! 

[BroadScot]

Hi Alan,

 

Right yard, wrong boat. It was Hurricane that ended up aground.

 

 

Iain.

[JawsOrca]

Ok  good good (well you know what I mean).. as usual.. hope poor Mustang is ok and shes back in service soon.. Poor Alpha certainly aren't having much luck already this season .. 

[Baitrunner]

Just heard Alpha are changing the names and styles of their boats for next season - Hurricane to be renamed "Lucky" as the flagship and Mustang to "Lucky Strike" and hired out as a convertible with soft top    

 

Definitely not a good year for them.

[Maxwellian]

They may have been working on the principle that what went in, must come out. Never gave the tidal change a thought. Then again they may have been complete Numpties. I am sure they would love anonymity though and must be really happy about this hitting the press. There but for the grace of God go I.

[Baitrunner]

Would it have even made it at low water? If it's the one I think it is I didn't think you ever got that much air draft?

[JawsOrca]

Mark if you watch the video on the news page it does appear to be exiting from thorpe... not quite sure how they got under unless it is good spring tides at the moment..

[Maxwellian]

If you watch the video clip it looks like it is taken from the pub garden looking at the back of the boat. If that is correct then it got in somehow. I have seen well over 8ft at that bridge last time we moored there.

[Maxwellian]

Snap Alan

[BroadScot]

It was showing 8ft 3" when we passed on the 10th of May. Tides have been low quite a lot recently.

 

 

Iain.

[NorfolkNog]

They may have been working on the principle that what went in, must come out. Never gave the tidal change a thought.

That sounds spot on. The gauges on that bridge are prominent enough but they obviously didn't look! There must have been tons of pressure on that boat as the tide rose.

[Baitrunner]

I am sure one bridge is a bit lower than the other as you go round, but I dont really take much notice as I cant get in there anyway.

 

It does make you wonder how they didn't realise they weren't going through there.

[BroadScot]

Hi Mark,

 

Yes, the entrance nearest Norwich is lower than the Rowing club end.

 

 

Iain

[NorfolkNog]

Pic of the bridge showing about 6'4"

The gauge is clear enough to see and mounted in a good position. Another possibility is that they may have tried to follow another boat with a lower airdraft

[ExUserGone]

It would have fitted through but they didn't give it enough throttle or run up.....

They all fit if you hit it fast enough.

[Paul]

regulations require any rail bridge struck by a vehicle to be examined before trains run over them again.

 

8'3 is not too difficult at thorpe, as long as you get the tides right. We used to take an Aquafibre 37 in with an air draft of 8'5 regularly, though we never stayed, just a drive through on the last of the falling tide, and be sure to be out again before the tide went slack (on that part of the Yare, the river height starts rising before the tide starts to flood)