Big Oops!

[SPEEDTRIPLE]

The simplest way to avoid incidents such as these is to hire a boat designed to go under the bridges at all (normal) states of tide?. Of course, some people might find that idea rather a terious one, but in 45 years of boating on the broads, we`ve ALWAYS hired one designed to go under all bridges, and never had a problem.

[BroadScot]

 Ladies and Gentlemen, could you ALL calm down please, I dinny like reading about slanging matches. Hirers  v Priveteers. 

 

Ta Muchly    A auld hirer.

 

 

Iain.

[donnygeoff]

What if ALL boat yards did what dnks34 said, and just put up the hire charge by the CDW.....

 

Then charged a security deposit.....

 

NO NO NO NO NO.........

 

That would make the price of the holiday look TOO expensive........

 

Just think.....

 

When you look at booking a holiday, whether it Broads/caravanning/tenting or abroad, what is the first thing you look at......

 

The INITIAL cost

 

Boat..... £500                            caravan....... £500

 

Hey Love, they are both the same price, lets try a boat on the broads......

 

Hang on Mr Husband....  what about the fuel for the boat.....

 

Don't worry about that my lovely wife, what we spend on fuel for the boat we would spend travelling to places of interest in the car while staying in a caravan

 

What about the mooring fees I have heard of

 

Nothing at all my darling wife, we would have to pay to park the car in a car park while visiting places of interest while staying in a caravan

 

OK my husband, lets go on the broads,

 

Hang on Mrs, they want £50 for damage waiver

 

That makes it £50 dearer to go on a boat, but hey, we've spent enough time looking into it, lets book the boat......

 

.......................................

 

Boat £550      caravan £500

 

Sorry love, boat is too expensive. looks like Yarmouth in a caravan this year............

 

....................

 

And on a serious note....

 

Isn't ALL car insurance, and PRIVATE boat insurance just a CDW.....

 

You pay your premium (cdw) don't claim and loose it anyway...

 

............................................

[dnks34]

I'd expect someone to pay me £500 to get me to stay in a caravan in Gt Yarmouth donnygeoff

[donnygeoff]

I was going to say Cornwall for the caravan, but that would be showing off.....and a bit more than 500 squid...

 

[CaptinDread]

it would be a manky caravan stuck in the corner of a cornish farmers field....for £500

[dnks34]

A few years ago we stayed in a Static on the Causeway Coast in Northern Ireland and boy was it grim, it's got to be the most miserable 4 days away we had ever spent. Its really put me off them.

Mind you, I'm quite fond of Wild Duck at Belton and I've visted some friends at Vauxhall Park before and the caravan / site did seem quite nice. They are both to close to the broads and not on a boat for me and I can't see many other reasons to want to holiday in Norfolk/Suffolk if it's not on a boat!!!

[ChrisB]

I think most people would agree that both Suffolk and Norfolk have one hell of a lot to offer other than the Broads.

[Liberty]

"The key to navigating Great Yarmouth is to pass through at low slack water, then the current is low, clearance is the highest.

Simples"

I thought slack water was an hour(ish) after low tide and not lowest? If you need maximum clearance, this is at low, not slack water.

I was told there is 17' from mud to bridge, anyone know,if this is correct?

[Hockham Admiral]

Let's just hope that this doesn't put off potential new hirers from coming here. That's my concern.

[Boatingman]

Hi John

Fully agree with your comment

Norfolk's economy needs all the Holiday makers it can get

In this difficult time

Ray

[alexandlorna]

It always seems to degenerate into private vs hirer's on forums

But this is not the issue really

On our three weeks out this time we were hit by one hirer,  missed narrowly by another grinning moron and almost beached by a speeding rib (private )

 

Yesterday we saw two hirers moor perfectly at Polkes Mill, in fact one made a better job than we did! 

 

Later as we crossed Breydon though we saw a few bathtub races,  which were frankly more ridiculous than dangerous 

 

As we reached the bridges at GY we were a bit early and even with a big engine that's newish we toiled upriver

 

Passing the yatch stn Broadsman 6 pulled out and stayed on our stern,  far too close, constantly weaving out to pass,  but having no more horses to do the job!

Eventually when we passed Marina Keys I signalled. Him to pass and momentarily stop to allow this - result about 5 mins danger for both as his ability and engine struggled 

An example of the worst hireboater trait - grown ups showing off in something they don't own,  don't take responsibility for and don't have the sense to avoid 

I would say in all honesty at least a third of hirer's do this,  especially as they want to cram a lot into a short time 

 

Later we came upon "Moorhen" doing maybe 2 mph and weaving a bit,  but as we passed him he went full ahead forcing me to go up to 6 mph and take much longer passing 

The look on his face would have suggested I had annoyed him,  this is another hirer trait t is all too common 

 

But I still don't rubbish all hirer's as I was one not so long ago, but the people stuck under bridges are the worst examples of what CDW has caused

[Hylander]

Well we will be hirers again shortly,  we have been hirers in the past before we bought and  we are still owners until it is sold.    So you cant really paint us all with the same colour. I could name some really genuine knob heads that I have met and yes they have been private owners or rather family of the owner.      So it takes all sorts.    

 

You have my sympathy at Gt Yarmouth,   where on earth is people's consideration for others,  has it permanently gone from this world.   Ok so he has hired Broadsman , big deal.    Just because he has hired that boat gives him no more right to harass other boaters because that is what it is.  As you say you can only go as fast as your engine will allow.     Just a thought , he wasn't the pleb that was on its way to France the other day was he?

 

As for Moorhen, you know what they say about small dogs and men.    They usually are all yap,  may be it applies to the smaller boat. (joke).

[JawsOrca]

Ok guys this can on forever.. please can we call it a day.

 

I know I've seen some dodgy experiences recently and won't comment further.. Totally agree we all start somewhere.. There are idoits in every walk of life. That's life.. 

[ranworthbreeze]

Hi Dave,

 

I remember the time at Ludham Bridge, we kept meeting up with a chap on a Freeman who could not get back to his mooring above the bridge, over three or four days he kept going back at low water to try and get under the bridge.

 

Regards

Alan

[Matt]

This things have always happened and always will happen. The only hint that has changed is technology and social

Media. Now everybody knows about it.

[Baitrunner]

And we know about it quickly and can comment!!

 

Of course good news is boring, but bad news or a bit of misfortune are always money spinners

[Mark]

It all gets helped along with the amount of pictures that appear so quickly afterwards as well and as Matt says Social media makes it immediate and current and the knowledge  more wide spread than it otherwise would be.    

[Labrador]

It also leads to be a lot of false speculation about what really happened at this incident. I will not comment further, just keep on speculating

[dnks34]

Is it just me or does anybody else enjoy a bit of speculation and ridicule now and then!

[RayandCarole]

Of course if any one of us makes a c***up actions to take

1. Take down the NBN burgee

2. Cover up boat name

3. Hide in cabin until nightfall

4. Stiff G&T and early night

5. Promise Carole expensive gifts, champers and exotic holidays to keep quiet

Just my ideas (tongue in cheek (i hope))

Ray

[loribear]

it looks like it's one of those years does'nt it ? yet another one grounded , only this ones private , must ave been going some for that to happen. does anyone know who it belongs to ? lori

[Baitrunner]

Lori,

    Clive has already shared that one with us - you need to get up early on this forum to keep in touch.

 

Rumour was, it was on an engine trial and may have suffered a steering issue.

 

As for speed - if it was cranked up they could have been hitting 30 knots! And with a nice pointy front up in the air it would have been very easy to get that high up the wall   The good news is they are supposed to make sure the river is clear before they do these so hopefully no one hurt other than a wallet.

[dnks34]

I imagine going up the bank nose first at 30knts could hurt quite a bit when inertia kicks in !!