Lowestoft advice

[LittleSister]

Unless you can get under the bridges Town Quay is it.
Always been there but it is a wall on the river subject to the tides and to the vagaries of some elements of the local populace. Not sure I would think if it as under-rated.
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I had a grim experience on my first visit to Great Yarmouth, and at the time considered it, and reported it here as, the least yacht friendly harbour I'd ever visited. I have since developed a bit of a soft spot for the place, despite all its shortcomings.

Though the town is generally run down, there are some very interesting buildings, about 5 museums within a yards of the Town Quay, the last steam drifter actually (very much worth a visit - free, but you will make a donation after a tour by an enthusiastic and knowledgeable volunteer); shops, banks and eateries (some very good ones) close by, nice park about 10 mins walk, great beach and public swimming pool about 15 mins. Railway (to Norwich) and bus stations (to Norwich, Lowestoft, etc.) about 5/10 mins walk.

Peel Ports have produced an information leaflet for visiting leisure mariners https://www.peelports.com/media/sail25jg/visting-small-craft-information-ver-2.pdf

I believe the new 'Herring Bridge', a little downstream of the Haven Bridge and previously due to be competed this summer, was originally intended to have waiting pontoons (not connected to shore) both up and downstream of it. I don't know if that has transpired.

Upsides - Most northerly East Coast harbour before the long gap/diversion of the Wash. Marginal difference in distance to the Netherlands than from Lowestoft. Entry to the Broads (bridge failures permitting). Well sheltered. Free (notionally there's a charge for using the town quay, but I'm not aware it's ever collected). A variety of working craft (some unusual) and shoreside operations adds interest to the trip up the river to the town.

Downsides - The harbour authority, Borough Council and local tourist board have little interest in leisure craft using the harbour and visiting the town. Bridge lifts have to be booked (office hours only) the previous working day. (There have been chronic problems with lifting the Town bridge in recent years. I'm not whether sure they've yet been resolved.) The Town Quay has big vertical wooden bulwarks, making it quite tricky given the tide strength and range (bring fender boards if you can.) No facilities. (There are public toilets in town, and toilets in the Town Hall (directly adjacent to town Quay) in office hours. No information board or contact information (ring Broads Control 01603 756056 or email Broads.control@broads-authority.gov.uk for info on bridges planned lifts/failures, etc. if you can't get through to the Gt Yarmouth Harbour Master. Broads Authority is the navigation authority above the Haven Bridge.) A rag bag of mooring tails hang down the from the Town Quay wall, but may want to use your own, and they'll need to be long. Watch out for dog mess on the quay! Boy racer traffic adjacent can be noisy at night.

 

[Slowboat35]

The Haven bridge has been inop for 4 years now with no date of repair in sight despite navigation through it being a statutorily enforcable legal right.
I have been told - but can't confirm - that the Herring Bridge waiting pontoons have been omitted as a cost saving measure.
I can confirm that the thoughtless design does not include open channels either side of the main span so the entire river flow funnels though the greatly narrowed gap, causing high flow-speeds through the bridge and big back-eddies beyond it - eddies that have already spun and pinned the steam drifter Lydia Eva onto the wall out of control despite having a mandatory "pilot" on board (who evidently knew 4/5 of ⅝ of nothing at all about handling steam engines!). Useful sort of pilot then! Maybe the worthless skate should apply to the Suez canal...
Jeez!...pilot required for a steam drifter... At Yarmouth! Whatever next?
The eye-watering cost of this ludicrously unnecessary (and clearly utterly incompetent) bureaucratic burden must be an existential threat to a historic charity-run vessel barely subsisting on a shoestring; just crippling. Beggars belief, doesn't it?

Gee, thanks Peel Ports for the "progess" you have brought about.

 

[Greg2]

The Haven bridge has been inop for 4 years now with no prospect of repair in sight.
I have been told - but can't confirm - that the Herring Bridge waiting pontoons have been omitted as a cost saving measure.
I can confirm that the thoughtless design does not include open channels either side of the main span so the entire river flow must funnel though the narrowed gap, causing huge back-eddies - that have spun and pinned the steam drifter Lydia Eva onto the wall despite having a "pilot" on board (who knew 4/5 of ⅝ of nothng at all about handling steam engines!).

Doesn‘t sound so good with the Herring Bridge.

On a positive note Haven has actually been repaired and Breydon is due to be repaired by late September and hopefully both will become operational not long after that.
.

 

[Slowboat35]

Breydon bridge is broken too?

 

[Greemble]

I have been told - but can't confirm - that the Herring Bridge waiting pontoons have been omitted as a cost saving measure.

It would seem you've been told wrong...

Third River Crossing Construction Update (8)
MARINERS ARE ADVISED that piling works will be undertaken at berth 31 prior to pontoon installation for the Herring Bridge.
See Annexes for detail of location.
Expected dates: 29th June 2023 until 28th July 2023

 

[Greg2]

Breydon bridge is broken too?

Yes, been inoperable for quite some time. They tried to replace a ram last year but it fell and it was a very narrow escape for one of the workers. Work was suspended whilst they figured out a new way of doing it and has now re-commenced.

 

[Slowboat35]

It would seem you've been told wrong...

Delighted to be corrected, but I see nothing in your post or attachment that suggests otherwise. Perhaps the works areindeed for waiting pontoons, but then perhaps thay are for some other purpose. Whatever the purpose it isn't stated so I suppose we're none the wiser.

 

[Greemble]

Delighted to be corrected, but I see nothing in your post or attachment that suggests otherwise. Perhaps the works are indeed for waiting pontoons, but then perhaps they are for some other purpose. Whatever the purpose it isn't stated so I suppose we're none the wiser.

True, it's not stated specifically this is for waiting pontoons.
However, I can't really see any other use for pontoons that close to and either side of the bridge. Especially given the difficulties the Lydia Eva had in that area with the currents.

 

[Slowboat35]

Well, my pessimism was misplaced. This video just a day old shows what appear to be waiting pontoons, though if the bridge causes the back-eddies that have been reported they may prove - er - interesting to use.

 

[Marmalade]

Note - we went into RN&SYC on our way to Holland - had to drag our keel through the silt in the marina to get on the pontoon - our initial instinct was to raft on a 38footer that was already rafted itself - that would have put us out in the deeper water - but the marina team beckoned us onto the pontoon and we found the bottom. We sat on the pontoon having winched our selves in with 0.00 on the sounder and hoped that the next morning's early start would be OK - it was. About 6 feet of dragging keel through the gloop and we were on our way.
Can confirm all the good things said about the welcome, the food in the club etc.
We draw 2.01m for the record and we were well bunkered, provisioned and loaded; so probably a fraction more.