Broad Sheet No 26 Feb 2012

free newsletter FEB 2012 No. 26
1
BROAD SHEET
Annual Meeting
Friday 18 May 7.00pm
Broads Authority’s headquarters
Dragonfly House, 2 Gilders Way,
Norwich, NR3 1UB.
Parking at St Helens Wharf
pay and display car park.
Complete our
survey for chance
to win £100 prize
Tell us your views and have the chance
to win £100 towards your toll plus a
new lifejacket by completing the 2012
boat owners’ survey.
TV presenter Nick Crane logs on to the new tolls system
Renew your tolls online
TV presenter and Broads sailor Nick Crane led the way for boaters
when he launched the Broads Authority’s new online tolls facility.
From February you will be able to
renew your tolls and purchase tide tables
at https://tolls.broads-authority.gov.uk.
The first step is to register. To ensure
online security you will then be sent a
pin number by post. This will need to be
entered online to complete the sign up
process. Once signed up, you will be able
to log on to the system, view your boat’s
details and pay your annual toll.
Nick Crane said: “I try to spend as much
time as I can on my boat on the Broads
because it’s a fantastic way to relax but,
with a busy work schedule, I never have
as much time as I’d like. This is a great
facility because it means I can renew my
tolls instantly from the comfort of home
and it’s very simple to do.”
It is not currently possible to register new
boats online but this facility will become
available at a later date.
Lowest rise in Broads tolls for 17 years
Tolls on the Broads will increase by
2.85% this year, the lowest rise for
17 years. The new charges will mean
a £12.16 increase for a large motor
boat (48m2) currently paying £424.98
and only an 80p rise for a canoe paying
£28.08.
Broads Authority Chairman Stephen
Johnson said: “We have tried to
keep the increase as low as possible
consistent with maintaining services
toll payers tell us they want and taking
account of cost pressures.
“Responsibility for Breydon Water and
the Lower Bure may transfer to the
Authority and for the first time we are
meeting the costs of Norwich Yacht
Station.
continued on page 3
This is the third time the Authority has
canvassed boat owners’ opinions. Previous
surveys provided valuable information
about your priorities which helped
determine our work plans.
The 2012 survey will be carried out online
using an independent company. This
will save money on administration and
postage. The full results will be published
on the Authority’s website.
The winner will be selected at random
by the survey company and will win
£100 towards the cost of this year’s toll
or, should your toll be less than £100,
chandlery vouchers to the value of
the difference. You will also win a free
lifejacket as part of our new ‘Wear it’
safety campaign (see page 3).
Navigation Committee Chairman David
Broad said: “The Navigation Committee
was consulted about the questions and
the way in which the survey will be done
and overwhelmingly recommended an
online poll which will save thousands of
pounds on previous surveys and enable
more questions to be asked. I invite
all toll payers to play a very active part
and join the debate on the priorities for
expenditure.”
To complete the survey please go to our
homepage at www.broads-authority.gov.
uk. No information will be passed on to
third parties.
Dragonfly House 2 Gilders Way Norwich NR3 1UB • 01603 610734
e: broads@broads-authority.gov.uk www.broads-authority.gov.uk
2
Dredging on
target again
The Broads Authority is on track to
achieve its target to dredge 50,000m³
of mud from the rivers and broads this
financial year.
At Thurne Mouth on the River Bure
18,000m³ of sediment was removed and
deposited in Upton Marshes where it will
be used to restore the set back site to
reed swamp.
Over 7,000m³ has been removed from
Thorpe River Green on the Yare to
improve depths in the approaches to the
bridges and 5,000m³ from Oulton Broad.
The lower section of the River Bure around
Scare Gap has had 2,500m³ removed over
the winter, and these works will continue
into the spring.
Following the success of the first stage
trials, the Broads Authority is currently
extending Duck Broad ‘island’ and infilling
it with a projected 12,000m³ of dredged
sediment from Heigham Sound.
Dredging
the River Yare
Broads Authority Chief Executive John Packman at the PRISMA conference in Rotterdam
Official launch of European Partnership
A conference was held in Rotterdam in November to mark the
signing of an agreement that will provide £800,000 of European
funding to help find innovative ways to dredge the Broads.
Representatives from the Broads Authority
joined partners from the Netherlands
and Belgium to launch the PRISMA
project (Promoting Integrated Sediment
Management) which aims to investigate
new methods for removing sediment
from our waterways and reusing it,
thus overcoming the current problem of
finding disposal sites.
As part of the event, the Broads Authority
organised a technical seminar with
presentations from the UK, Europe
and the United States. Delegates also
made a site visit to a pumping station
near Rotterdam to discuss Dutch flood
protection plans.
John Packman, Chief Executive of the
Broads Authority, said: “This was a very
successful and useful event to begin our
joint learning experience. The PRISMA
funding will enable us to compare
dredging techniques with our partners
and learn from each other about how
we reduce sediment coming into our
waterways and sustainably remove it
from them.”
South Walsham slipway
The Broads Authority has completely
refurbished the slipway at South
Walsham Broad, which is now
available to all small craft and canoes.
The slipway is kept locked but you can
book a key for £5 a day or apply for an
annual key for £25 a year
by visiting www.southwalshamvillage.
org/parish-council
A leaflet of all public slipways on the
Broads can be found on www.broadsauthority.gov.uk under Boating.
Trudi Wakelin, Director of Operations for
the Authority, said: “This money from the
European Regional Development Fund will
help us extend the island we constructed
last year at Duck Broad using dredged
material from the channel leading into
Hickling Broad.
“We are also planning to dredge the
River Bure between Salhouse and
Wroxham Broad using the sediment to
reinstate eroded riverbank at the entrance
to Salhouse Broad. And we will be
able to build a new mud wherry to aid
the dredging and transport works and
support the rather old ones we
inherited from May Gurney.”
The other PRISMA partners are Waterways
and Seacanal in Belgium, Waterboard of
Schieland and Krimpenerwaard in the
Netherlands and Armines acting through
Centre de Douai, France. The project will
run until 2014.
3
Play it safe while boating
Several instances of overloaded electric charging points at 24
hour moorings have raised concern about the threat of fire.
Steve Birtles, the Broads Authority’s
Head of Safety Management said: “It is
important to use only one plug in each
socket to prevent overheating and to use
splash proof leads. You should also make
sure the trailing leads are not a trip hazard
to others and that you unplug the lead
from the charging point before
you leave.”
Instructions for using the charging points
can be found on the side of the pillar.
At busy times electrically propelled boats
recharging batteries should be
given priority.
Smoke Alarms
Boaters are reminded never to remove
batteries from smoke alarms and to
regularly check they are working following
a recent incident on the canals where a
live aboard boater was only seconds away
from death when his boat caught fire.
Steve Birtles said: “Boaters have died from
smoke poisoning when fires developed
as they slept and a working smoke alarm
could have alerted them to escape.
The alarm should be tested weekly when
you’re using the boat.
‘‘If it regularly goes off when you’re
cooking, replace it with one that has
a hush button that temporarily stops
the alarm from sounding. These alarms
are cheap and easy to buy from online
suppliers, DIY shops and supermarkets.
“The alarm of choice is an optical alarm
with a long-life battery, a hush button,
and one that carries a ‘Kitemark’ or
‘horseshoe’ certification mark. If you can’t
hear it in the saloon while you are in the
sleeping quarters, buy two, one for each
end of the boat.”
An overloaded charging point at Bramerton
Common
For guidelines on choosing and installing
an alarm on a boat visit the Boat Safety
Scheme fire safety website
www.boatsafetyscheme.com/fire. The
website also carries a booklet ‘Fire Safety
on Boats’ which is available from local fire
services.
Hopper windows
Tolls Rise
(from front page)
“Norwich City Council, which owns the
yacht station, is also having to cope with
Government funding cuts and rather
than see this important facility close the
Broads Authority has agreed to meet the
net cost of around £13,000. If any of
these proposals do not come to fruition
The Broads Authority is
joining forces with the
Broads Hire Boat Federation,
Blakes, Hoseasons and the
Norfolk and Suffolk Boating
Association to launch a new
safety campaign.
The aim is to encourage people
to wear lifejackets while boating,
particularly when navigating alone,
getting on and off vessels, mooring
up and whilst on deck.
Four people died while cruising
on the Broads last summer and it’s
believed three of those might have
survived had they been wearing
lifejackets.
This season the ‘Wear it’ campaign
posters will be displayed in a variety
of locations including boatyards
across the Broads, with key rings
and other branded materials also
available.
A special wind up torch will also be
on sale at Broads Authority yacht
stations and information centres
for £1.
This summer two small children
climbed out of a motor cruiser’s
cabin window after removing the
glass, which could have led to a
serious accident.
Boat owners are advised to check their
hopper windows, which tip open, to
ensure that the glass is securely retained.
New safety
campaign
A cabin cruiser’s hopper window
the money will be spent on maintenance
of the waterways, with the provision of
moorings being a particular priority.
“Our tolls compare very favourably
with those of other UK waterways.
The decision on the increase was made
on the understanding that there will be
a full review of the toll structure
this summer.”
Broads Authority Head of Safety
Management Steve Birtles said:
“The Broads is such a tranquil place
people often don’t consider the
hazards. If a boat gets pulled by the
current while you’re tying up it can
drag you into the water. You can
easily trip while getting on and off
or slip on a wet deck or mooring so
it’s vital to always wear a lifejacket in
these circumstances. It’s particularly
important if you are on the water
alone. I’m delighted that the hire
boat industry is joining with us to
get that message across.”
4
New moorings added
to network
Dilham Dilham
Dyke
Stalham
Dyke
1
Sutton
Broad
The Broads Authority has added 233m of new free moorings
to its network, refurbished three 24 hour moorings, and
upgraded 30 other moorings this year. There are
now 64 Broads Authority moorings throughout
Coltishall
the system.
Barton Turf
2
Irstead
Belaugh
Tr
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How Hill
R iv e
Hoveton
Horning
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1 At Sutton Staithe 80 metres of mooring have been
refurbished with new timbers, mooring posts, a safety
ladder and chains.
Stalham
Wroxham
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Womack
5
6
7
2 At Neatishead
150 metres
of 24 hour
moorings
have been
refurbished
with a new
raised path,
mooring posts,
safety ladders
and chains.
Woodbastwick
Wroxham Broad
weedcutting
Salhouse Cockshoot
Broad
Rive
Broad Ranworth
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Broad &
South
Malthouse
Walsham
Broad Ranworth
Broad
U
Staithe
8
Upton
dredging
charging point
Neatishead Staithe refurbishment
NORWICH
yacht station
Broads Authority facilities
Dredging 7,000m3
Brundall
7 At Wroxham Broad Island the Authority has
refurbished 80 metres of the two moorings
with a new safety ladder, chains and path
with a back rail.
minor refur
new safety
Whitlingham Whitlingham
Broad
Surlingham
Broad
Surlingham
Bramerton
new signs
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HMSO. © Crown copyr
Ordnance Survey Lic
Rockland
Broad
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Rockland St Mary
Cantley
Yare
Langley
Dyke
Langley
Hardley Dyke
8 South Walsham slipway has
been refurbished.
Chedgrave
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The completed moorings at Wroxham Broad Island
Loddon
10 The recently installed 23m layby mooring
downstream of Reedham swing bridge is to
be doubled in size in spring 2012. This will
provide a total of 69m of mooring for boats
waiting for Reedham bridge to open.
14 At Aldeby moorings the footpath has been
raised with 10 tons of topsoil.
South Walsham slipway under construction
15 At Geldeston the footpath has been
resurfaced and a new back rail fitted.
9 A
be
Re
th
15
5
4 Whiteslea moorings have been raised
and a safety ladder and chain installed.
Duck Broad
currently being extended
Horsey
Mere
Hickling
Broad
3
Martham
Broad
4
ree clearance with
Broadsword volunteers
Martham
Broadsword volunteers clearing trees near Whiteslea
Potter Heigham
Riv
5 At Womack
Island the
mooring has
been raised with
new woodchip,
mooring posts
and trees cleared.
e
er Thurn
6 The Authority has taken on 139m of moorings in
Womack Dyke as a new 24 hour mooring. It has
refurbished 100m and added mooring posts, signs
and levelled and re-seeded the path.
Dredging 18,000m3
3 Deep-Go Dyke
moorings and Deep
Dyke moorings have
been raised.
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Upton
Dyke
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Stokesby
Dredging 20,000m3
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Womack Dyke
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Herringfleet moorings
St Olaves
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12 A 23m mooring
pontoon upstream
of Somerleyton
swing bridge is to be
extended by 46m in
spring 2012.
et
9
11 Herringfleet
moorings
have been
extended by
40m and a
safety ladder
and chains
added.
Berney Arms
h
11
13 An extra 54m of mooring has been provided by
four timber pontoons at the Dutch Tea Gardens
in Oulton Dyke including an 11.5m low freeboard
section suitable for canoes and dinghies. This is
linked to the shore by a new walkway.
12
R iv
new 23m pontoon is to
e installed upstream of
eedham bridge opposite
he village in spring 2012.
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Oulton
Dyke
14
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avene
yacht station
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13
Oulton
Broad
Dredging 5,000m3
Oulton Broad
yacht station
Pontoon under construction at the Dutch Tea Gardens
6
New look Navigation
Committee
Broads boat owner and resident
David Broad has taken over the
helm of the Navigation Committee
from Martin Broom.
Since joining the committee three
years ago, David has been the lead
member on Navigational Safety
and chaired the Boating Safety
Management Group.
Martin Broom is presented with a clock by Administrative Officer Sandra Beckett
Martin Broom calls time after 31 years
He has cruised throughout the UK and
Europe, and is the co-author of the
only full Imrays guide in the English
language to the Inland Waterways of
the Netherlands.
The Broads Authority’s longest serving member Martin Broom MBE has
retired after 31 years service.
Martin has been advising the Authority as
chairman of the Navigation Committee
since its inception in 1988. He has also
served on the Planning Committee since
1983 and was vice chairman of the full
Broads Authority from 2002 – 2005.
At his final meeting in September he was
presented with a clock from members and
staff by Sandra Beckett, an original
staff member.
A director of Broom Boats for over half
a century, Martin has been chairman
of Blakes Holidays Ltd, the Norfolk and
Suffolk Yacht Owners Association, the
Network Rail update
By Andy Wheele, Senior Structures
Engineer, Network Rail.
Reliability of Broads swing bridges over
the summer months was not as good as
hoped and while this justifies our
planned course of action we were
still very disappointed.
In the summer we said that we would
embark on a two phase course of action
at Somerleyton.
The first phase was substantially
completed during a nine-day blockade of
the railway in October, when we carried
out steelwork repairs and refurbishment
of the pivot mechanism. Working closely
with the Broads Authority, we managed
to maintain a navigable passage for the
vast majority of that time. We expect to
complete this phase this year.
The second phase will involve a
Broads Hire Boat Federation and the
British Marine Federation East Anglia,
vice chairman and director of the British
Marine Federation, director of National
Boat Shows and chairman of Boat Shows
in 1989 and 1990, and a council member
of the Royal Yachting Association.
Martin is currently a board member of
the Great Yarmouth Port Authority, a
committee member of the Norfolk and
Suffolk Boating Association and a member
of the Royal Yachting Association Inland
Waterways Group. He is commodore of
the River Cruiser Class and a member of a
number of sailing clubs.
comprehensive study of the options
available for the long-term management
of this bridge. High-tech monitoring over
the course of a whole year will allow us to
better understand the seasonal expansion
and contraction patterns that appear to
be the root cause of the problems that
affect reliability. We are currently finalising
the remit for this study and hope to begin
monitoring early this year.
In the meantime, we continue to look for
ways to help reduce the impact that both
planned works and unplanned disruption
have on river users. We have funded the
provision of further lay-up pontoons and
we hope to have electronic information
boards installed this year.
With the exception of a small number of
issues in the last few weeks, Reedham
and Oulton Broad continue to operate
with good reliability. Trowse remains
closed but is expected to be back in
service by mid April at the latest.
David Broad
Five new faces have been appointed
to replace members whose term of
appointment has expired and to fill
one vacancy.
James Knight is managing director of
Waveney River Centre and director
of Horning Ferry Marina, a chartered
surveyor and a toll payer.
Michael Whitaker is Head of
Operations for the Herbert Woods
Group, a member of the executive
committee of the Broads Hire Boat
Federation and a toll payer.
Lorne Betts is a former boat builder
who is now proprietor of Riverside
Piling & Marine Valet, with expertise in
piling and river works. He is also a
toll payer.
Company director Max Heron is a
trustee and chairman of Whitlingham
Boathouses Foundation, a member
of Norwich Rowing Club and British
Rowing and a toll payer.
Alan Goodchild is managing director
of Goodchild Marine Services
Ltd, chairman of Marine East and
a member of the British Marine
Federation committee.
7
Multi-skilled rangers boost Broads service
Head of Ranger Services, Adrian Vernon,
said: “This new arrangement is working
really well providing a much more flexible
service. It means rangers are able to cover
for each other in times of emergencies
and sickness. Instead of working in
isolation they perform as a team, sharing
skills and knowledge. We are also able
to respond to river emergencies faster in
our land based vehicles which are fully
equipped with salvage pumps and oil spill
booms.”
Ranger Matt Larkman checking boat speeds on a summer Super Safety Day
Rangers are now fully trained in both navigation and countryside
management skills which is providing a versatile and efficient service
in managing the Broads.
The 18 rangers - ten full time and eight
seasonal - are divided into five teams
which are responsible for their own
patch both on land and water. The areas,
Wroxham and Ant, Lower Bure/ Thurne,
Yare and Whitlingham Country Park,
Waveney and Breydon Water are all very
different and have varying responsibilities
and usage.
Former navigation rangers are now more
involved in countryside management
such as brush cutting, chain saw handling
and footpath legislation while former
countryside rangers have qualified in
launch handling, navigation legislation,
enforcement and pollution control. They
are backed up by multi-skilled volunteers
who are each attached to a team.
A season on patrol  Broads Control dealt with 20,000
telephone calls and 6,500 VHF
radio calls
 6,376 verbal warnings were given
to boaters
 5000 of these were for speeding,
mostly day boats
 219 written warnings were
handed out
 1,000 people were warned about non
payment or non display of tolls
 543 people were reported for non
payment of tolls
 242 were reported for not
displaying tolls
 A total of 17 prosecution reports
were submitted

In January Gt Yarmouth Magistrates
fined four people a total of £600 plus
£500 in costs for speeding. They had
all pleaded guilty
Sixty per cent of all the rangers’ time is
now spent on the navigation function.
As well as assisting boaters and enforcing
byelaws they take their turn at being on
emergency call out of hours and working
on Broads control. The job ranges from
escorting large contractors’ barges to
different work sites and supervising
bridge closures at Reedham and
Somerleyton, to dealing with pollution
incidents and working with bodies
such as the UK Border Agency, Broads
Beat and the Environment Agency in
monitoring crime.
Land duties include liaising with
landowners in managing sites,
supervising public events and school visits
and supervising volunteers carrying out
practical conservation work.
From April 1st –October 31st 2011
 Norwich magistrates fined a boater
£100 for overstaying on a 24 hour
mooring and ordered him to pay
prosecution costs of £120
 21 pollution incidents, 13 of them
caused by diesel, and eight caused
by sewage or cooking fat from
restaurants, were dealt with

All adjacent waters now surveyed and
over 5,000 boats recorded
On Breydon Water
 Rangers prevented 314 boats from
going through the Gt Yarmouth
bridges when there was insufficient
headroom at high water
 212 people were advised to stay within
the channel
 7 crews were taken off stranded craft
 24 broken down craft were rescued
 184 skippers were spoken to about
their speed and wash
 33 hazards to navigation have
been removed
 Breydon Water was closed to hire craft
on nine occasions because of fog and
high waves
 Broads rangers were sent by
Gt Yarmouth coastguard to assist
with 14 incidents
On the Broads
To report any incident ring Broads Control
on 01603 756056
For an emergency ring 999
To keep up to date with navigation
issues visit www.broads-authority.gov.uk/
boating
For the Authority’s navigation committee
reports visit http://www.broadsauthority.gov.uk/authority/meetings/
navigation-committee
8
Broads boaters urged to help lead
the way in green boating
Ways you can go greener
• Use eco-friendly antifouling paints
or confine antifouling coverage to
the waterline
• Carry out winter cleaning of the
hull in a secure wash down bay to
prevent scrapings of paint or dust
entering the water
• Use phosphate free detergents and
toiletries
• Recycle your rubbish
• Toilets should have holding tanks
Barbara Greasley with Norfolk Broads Direct’s Green Boat Mark Award for Fair Sovereign
The Broads Authority is calling on all toll payers to lead the way in
green boating.
Earlier this year Norfolk Broads Direct of
Wroxham became the first business in the
country to be awarded the pioneering
Green Boat Mark accreditation for hire
boats which is a new strand of the Green
Tourism Business Scheme. Since then
its entire fleet of 57 cruisers has been
awarded the Green Mark.
Other Broads hire boat yards are now
investigating joining the scheme and the
Broads Authority hopes more private
boaters will adopt green measures too.
The award is based on 25 criteria specially
developed for boats including eco-friendly
design, energy efficiency and waste
management.
Norfolk Broads Direct’s hire cruiser Fair
Sovereign, the first to receive the award,
has a low wash hull and its engine
meets the current EU Stage 3 emissions
requirements. Water is heated as a byproduct of the engine cooling and the
majority of lighting is provided by
LED bulbs.
Norfolk Broads Direct sends customers
information about the impact of
phosphates on water quality prior to their
arrival and advises them to use phosphate
free toiletries and washing up liquid, as
well as stocking some for purchase.
To encourage sustainable transport
they offer to pick up their clients from
Wroxham Station.
This winter Norfolk Broads Direct is
building four more cruisers for the 2012
season and is trialling a copper and tinfree self polishing antifouling, Epifanes
Foul-Away, on two of them. On their
other cruisers they have limited traditional
antifouling to the waterline.
Barbara Greasley of Norfolk Broads Direct,
who is chairman of Broads Tourism, says
that the Green Boat Mark bronze award is
attainable by simply demonstrating
good practice.
• When leaving the water clean
equipment, footwear and clothing
• Use solar panels to generate
electricity and LED bulbs for
lighting
• Engines should meet EC state 3B
emissions regulators for efficiency
• Use engine heat to warm the cabin
and hot water
• Use A rated energy efficient
appliances
• Slow down! Not only does this
reduce wash and river shallowing
caused by bank erosion, it also
saves money on fuel
The Green Mark scheme in the
Broads has been financed from the
European Regional Development
Fund as part of the STEP Interreg Two
Seas Programme which promotes
sustainable tourism in estuary parks.
For further information contact
Bruce Hanson on 01603 756030
“You can get a green grading with the
boats that you’ve already got, simply by
changing products and the way that you
work,” she says.
Beware of spreading invasive species
The Department for Environment, Food
and Rural Affairs (Defra) is calling on
water users to ‘check, clean and dry’ their
equipment when leaving the water to help
stop the spread of invasive aquatic species
when they are moving from one water
body to another.
• Do not dispose of cooking fat or oil
into the river. Collect it for disposal
or recycling
thoroughly. If you find any organisms
(plants and invertebrates) leave them at
the place where you found them.
• Dry all equipment and clothing.
• Make sure you don’t transfer water
from one water body to another.
For more information visit
www.direct.gov.uk/checkcleandry
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