Kingsferry bridge waiting for it

[bluerm166]

Another uncomfortable wait for the bridge to open.
With a typical cross wind plus current and a lightish yacht it is often a pain to wait for an opening,particularly on the west side where holding for anchoring is rubbish unless you clear right away back to the reach and for an E/NE take the shelter of those high spoil heaps.
Dutch style waiting dolphins would be asking for the moon but surely say three waiting-only buoys could be provided.

 

[xyachtdave]

Do you not time your arrival for a lift?

They’ve been pretty helpful recently when we’ve asked for a time.

 

[bluerm166]

You must be joking.Only the Lady Clara and the aggregate ships gets immediate opening with progressive vhf discussion as they approach..

For yachts they generally say 'close up to the bridge and we will get you through',after 'contact me again when you are in sight of the bridge.' We have heard this time after time when some distance away and someone else on the radio is hopeful.
Twenty-to and ten-past have been the 'standard' times with twenty-to more recently available.You will note that I am not actually complaining in the post about the delays ,but simply the difficulty of waiting on the west side.,Since you ask ,yes we arrived at the bridge in good time for a twenty-to opening recently heading in both directions.The first crossing was delayed for an hour because of maintenance.The second was delayed until ten past.
But it seems pointless to complain about the the bridge mechanism because of its age and the limitations of the old design.

 

[mrming]

I’ve got through within 10 minutes the last couple of times, as recently as last week. Not suggesting anyone here would do this, but I hear a lot of yachts bark at the bridge keeper in a way that must surely delay their opening.

 

[Misterbreeze]

Last month when 30 mins away I called to ask when the next planned opening was and got a very curt "call when you're at the bridge". Annoying because I could have hurried up or slowed down as appropriate. Called when I got there and had a very polite response explaining when and why there would be a 20 minute delay. Must have been a shift change!

 

[Habebty]

Keep a train timetable onboard

 

[oldgit]

Having done a 10-15 year stretch on the IOS and moored for a time at Kingsferry BC can comment that various folks did propose the idea that a bouy or two either side of bridge would be a good idea, from KFBC club members point of view to stop transiting yachts from taking a "temporary" turn alongside our small moored craft and as a result dragging self laid moorings all over the shop.

The answer, a resounding "NO" came back as they would be an ideal mooring to assist the escape by water by any of the occupants of the three prisons, wishing to cut short their stays.

 

[bluerm166]

That's daft reasoning if that was the overriding consideration.Would escapees use the moorings to swim to and rest? There are already a few moorings adjacent the bridge on the IOS side east of the bridge. Or would complicit boats moor on the buoys? under the gaze of the bridge master and waiting police on the bridge.I could suggest some better spots.
As for hanging on to the club boat moorings we can plead guilty to this several years ago when we had an outboard engine but can't recommend it as the then bridge master literally forgot that we were still there. And the point about hanging onto others moorings is of course taken.
PS glad to hear that you are now going straight.

 

[bluerm166]

DELETED

 

[oldgit]

This was in the 1980s and the only moorings belonged to KBBC. The moorings on the island shore are fairly recent and more than suspect a bit of squatting going on.

 

[bluerm166]

Understood, thanks

 

[oldgit]

All the moorings at KFBC are self laid with some very interesting and inventive stuff used but most limited to whatever the owner can lift and heave over the side on LWS.
Most craft are small , with not a few engine blocks pressed into service, most moorings just able to hold whats attached on its own, add the weight of anything bigger than a Oppy and you are away.
When risers failed, find something else heavy and start again.