Areas requiring Extra Care

Great Yarmouth

Great Yarmouth is the point where the Broads Rivers reach the sea.  Here the current is at its strongest and the rise and fall of the tide greatest. Being the largest seaside resort on the Broads, it is a very busy stopping place, as well as being a crossroads and so extra care must be taken.

Study your tide table and the river distance in this manual and plan your arrival in Great Yarmouth to coincide with low slack water.  If the weather is windy, telephone the Yacht Station (01493 842794) and ask for the time of low slack water as it can be significantly affected by the wind.

If you are going to stop at Great Yarmouth you should plan your arrival for any time between low slack water and two hours later.

Remember the rise and fall of the tide is particularly noticeable at Great Yarmouth.  When mooring up, remember to make allowance for this with the ropes if leaving your boat for any length of time or if you are staying the night at the moorings.

Important Notice

A road bridge spans Breydon Water approximately 270 metres from the mouth of the River Bure.  This should be approached with caution.  If you are coming down the Bure and planning to go up Breydon Water, or, if you coming down Breydon Water and planning to go up the Bure, you should time your arrival in Great Yarmouth to coincide with low slack water.  This is the recommended time, but if your boat has a fixed superstructure beware of rapidly rising tide which may prevent you negotiating the bridges.  With other types it is quite safe to go through two or three hours after and one hour before, low water.

Keep clear of large commercial vessels on Breydon Water and at the mouth of the River Bure, these vessels are restricted by depth of water.  Do not approach or pass under Haven Bridge.  Tidal flow around Great Yarmouth can be very strong and there are two bridges to negotiate.  At average high water the clearance under these bridges is only about seven feet, so it is not wise to arrive then as there may be insufficient clearance if the water is especially high.

Keep about 100 yards distance from any boat going in the same direction to give yourself room to manoeuver.  Yacht skippers have difficulties in manoeuvring their yachts with their masts down and it is impossible to reverse.  Motor cruisers should always give way to yachts.

Windscreen and canopies must be lowered well in advance of these bridges.

Crossing Breydon Water

Do not attempt short cuts on Breydon Water.

Marker posts show the navigable channel across this large estuary lake.  It is essential that you steer between the lines of these marker posts to avoid difficulties – if you leave the channel you will almost certainly go aground and have to remain there until the tide rises.

If crossing Breydon Water towards Great Yarmouth, keep the green (or black- and -white )marker posts to your left and the red marker posts, to your right.  If you are crossing Breydon Water after leaving Great Yarmouth to go south, keep the green (or black-and-white) marker posts to your right and the red marker posts to your left.

Do not moor up to a channel marker unless there is an emergency or mechanical breakdown.  If you should suffer a mechanical breakdown, drop down the mud weight and pay off as long a rope as you can.  This will help to prevent you from drifting.  Try to establish exactly where the defect/mechanical failure is; if you cannot rectify it yourself contact the boatyard immediately of if you have no means of contact, hail a passing boat and ask them to contact the boatyard for you.

Going south down the River Bure, the Stracey Arms Wind Pump, (about 7.5 miles from Great Yarmouth) is the last safe mooring place before reaching the Port of Great Yarmouth Marina and Great Yarmouth Yacht Station.

Going north towards Great Yarmouth, the last safe moorings are the Berney Arms on the River Yare and Burgh Castle on the River Waveney.  Both of these places are about four miles from Great Yarmouth and Breydon Water.

Reedham Ferry

Particular care should be taken here if the chain operated ferry if working.  You should wait until it has docked before passing to avoid catching the chains with your propeller.  Be prepared to obey the instructions of the ferry operator.

At Reedham

1. Check which way the tide is flowing and always come in to moor against the tide.
2. Don’t try to turn round within 200 yards of the bridge, especially on the outgoing (ebb) tide, you may be carried into the bridge. Go down stream of the bridge and turn there.
3. Keep to the right through the bridge.  If necessary boats going against the tide should hold back to allow passage of boats going with the tide.  Keep out of the way of large vessels passing through the bridge.
4. Double alongside mooring is allowed at the Quay, treble or stern on mooring is not allowed.
5. Single mooring only is allowed at the Ship Hotel near the Bridge.