Poole Twin Fails Bridge

Geoffs

Geoffs

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It keeps breaking, and again today.

Has anyone any experience of the effect on navigation when stuck in the up position. I approached it by road, when it broke yesterday, and noticed there were four flashing red lights (emergency stop!), being signalled to marine traffic.

I wonder what happened when it stuck for 22 hrs last week.

It's looking like the best boating weather this year for the coming weekend, I fear we will not be able to go out anywhere.

The old Poole bridge is out of service, for maintenance, as well. When the Twin Fails breaks it is left down for pedestrians and cyclists.

Not looking good.
 
The lights had some sort of fault last week, wether this has someing to do with the flashing reds I don't know. I didn't hear anything about the bridge being out of action though? I did hear the operator warn it was lifting at about half speed.
I've only just moved into Cobbs so would be interseted in any bridge updates please.
 
Hi colhel
Sorry to tell you but the two bridge situation in Poole is never going to get better,the authorities don't care about marine traffic. And that's why we & many others have upped anchor & left after more years than we care to remember in the beautiful Poole harbour.we will miss it but not the bridges.good luck to you & I hope it doesn't get too bad for all concerned.
Regards mm1.
 
I was moving to Cobbs this year but decided to stay at Parkstone Bay because of the bridge failures. I'm glad I did now (even if it does seem to be getting stuck in the up position) but this must be really hurting Cobbs/Davies boatyards. Not good at all.
 
When I checked last year it would have cost me £1500 more to berth my boat at PBM as opposed to Cobbs Quay - and Cobbs allow payment by monthly instalment.
PBM is tide restricted , so it was a no brainer for a poor pensioner like me - Cobbs wins.
The airdraft on my Bav29 is 3m and I didn't have any probs with the Twin Sails Bridge last year -even managed to get underneath quite a few times by timing arrival
and departures with low water.
As far as I am aware most sports boat owners ( with the exception of one forumite owner who spends more time polishing his boat than using it ) who keep
their boat in the Cobbs Drystack do not have a problem with the Bridge.
Enjoy.
 
Evening

Whilst I accept that ideally we would have bridges in and out of Holes Bay that have greater air draught and (and never break down!) in reality, despite the occasional* issues with the bridge it doesn't really seem to cause the issues that some feel that it does. We pass under or through the bridges 2 - 3 times each day and I would argue that the bridges are as much an issue as you let them become just like locks into the likes of Hythe, Port Solent, Chichester etc will be an issue or not depending on your perspective.

Current issues regarding the bridges aside, the timings work fine in terms of lifts and the Bridge Operators seem to do a very good job of minimising the time spent in the 'basin' to the extent that we are tending to find it as 10 minutes ish in the basin.

Whilst I would agree that it may be that the Borough of Poole don't care much for the boaters passing beneath the bridges don't forget that on the boaters side is the Harbour Master who is very keen to protect boaters interests, and organisations such as the Poole Harbour Association which campaign on behalf of the commercial craft in the area. The Bridge Operating Board ('BOB') have also fought and 'won' exactly the bridge lift schedule that was wanted by MDL/Davis/CQBHA/PHA and the RNLI. The presence of the RNLI upstream of the bridge is also quite handy. I also understand that legally there is a greater right to navigation by water than there is by road so in the event of an issue there is a need to maintain the right of navigation.

To address Geoff's question I am not aware this week of any craft failing to get through although there were some problems last Saturday which might have been an issue had the weather been better.

In summary yes there are some breakdowns over the last few weeks but it doesn't seem to be causing us issues. Whatever problems arise with the bridge seem to get a hysterical reaction in the local press far beyond what would seem to be a justified response.

Regards, Paul

PS: I should highlight a vested interest as we have a business at Cobbs
PPS: I suggested the bridge issues were 'occasional'. Anecdotally this is the view of those of us using the bridges regularly - when they work though (which is the vast majority of the time) they don't seem to get much publicity!
 
I agree with what you say Paul from the marine viewpoint.
I do however think that the " hysterical reaction" is justified as it comes, not from the boating community, but from motorists, cyclists
and pedestrians who suffer considerable inconvenience when the Twin Sails Bridge breaks down.
I have yet to meet someone from Poole / or read an online comment from someone from Poole who welcomes the Bridge. They
didn't want another lifting bridge but rather a fixed bridge in another location.
The Twin Sails has been there a year now - it should be working properly - it isn't. I am not an engineer but my friends who are engineers
tell me by engineering standards its performance is poor.
And all the time the Council goes on about its iconic status. Poole doesn't want an icon, it just wants a bridge that works.
 
beejay190 said:
I agree with what you say Paul from the marine viewpoint.
I do however think that the " hysterical reaction" is justified as it comes, not from the boating community, but from motorists, cyclists
and pedestrians who suffer considerable inconvenience when the Twin Sails Bridge breaks down.
I have yet to meet someone from Poole / or read an online comment from someone from Poole who welcomes the Bridge. They
didn't want another lifting bridge but rather a fixed bridge in another location.
The Twin Sails has been there a year now - it should be working properly - it isn't. I am not an engineer but my friends who are engineers
tell me by engineering standards its performance is poor.
And all the time the Council goes on about its iconic status. Poole doesn't want an icon, it just wants a bridge that works.
Click to expand...

I must admit, a year old bridge should be working pretty much faultlessly now after sorting out initial teething troubles.
Such initial problems are to be expected on large, bespoke projects but fundamentally if the design is right and manufacturing sound then after they're resolved the bridge should work without issue for many many years.

Yet this doesn't seem to be the case.

All I can think is that it can't be down to poor maintenance - it's too new
It can't be down to age, corrosion or excessive wear - it's too new.
So it must be down to poor design or poor manufacture.
If this bridge is experiencing regular, (albeit arguably occasional) failures after a year, what can we expect in 10 years time? 20 years? 50 years?
These are the sort of timelines that should have been considered at the specification, design and manufacture stages.

At this rate I can't see it still being there in 10 years; a large steel craft (coaster) might have "accidentally" damaged it beyond repair requiring its demolition for fear of it being a navigational hazard...
 
PaulGlatzel said:
Evening

Whilst I accept that ideally we would have bridges in and out of Holes Bay that have greater air draught and (and never break down!) in reality, despite the occasional* issues with the bridge it doesn't really seem to cause the issues that some feel that it does. We pass under or through the bridges 2 - 3 times each day and I would argue that the bridges are as much an issue as you let them become just like locks into the likes of Hythe, Port Solent, Chichester etc will be an issue or not depending on your perspective.

Current issues regarding the bridges aside, the timings work fine in terms of lifts and the Bridge Operators seem to do a very good job of minimising the time spent in the 'basin' to the extent that we are tending to find it as 10 minutes ish in the basin.

Whilst I would agree that it may be that the Borough of Poole don't care much for the boaters passing beneath the bridges don't forget that on the boaters side is the Harbour Master who is very keen to protect boaters interests, and organisations such as the Poole Harbour Association which campaign on behalf of the commercial craft in the area. The Bridge Operating Board ('BOB') have also fought and 'won' exactly the bridge lift schedule that was wanted by MDL/Davis/CQBHA/PHA and the RNLI. The presence of the RNLI upstream of the bridge is also quite handy. I also understand that legally there is a greater right to navigation by water than there is by road so in the event of an issue there is a need to maintain the right of navigation.

To address Geoff's question I am not aware this week of any craft failing to get through although there were some problems last Saturday which might have been an issue had the weather been better.

In summary yes there are some breakdowns over the last few weeks but it doesn't seem to be causing us issues. Whatever problems arise with the bridge seem to get a hysterical reaction in the local press far beyond what would seem to be a justified response.

Regards, Paul

PS: I should highlight a vested interest as we have a business at Cobbs
PPS: I suggested the bridge issues were 'occasional'. Anecdotally this is the view of those of us using the bridges regularly - when they work though (which is the vast majority of the time) they don't seem to get much publicity!
Click to expand...

Some very well reasoned points, Paul. And thanks, just what I wanted to know, that no marine traffic has been
stuck.

I'm looking forward to getting out this weekend, but feared that marine traffic would be blocked if push came to shove. Lets hope those in control remember that, even with both bridges closed to road traffic, there is still an alternative route. Albeit a long way round. Marine traffic has no alternative route.
 
No problems today

I drove across the Twin Fails at 11.00. Passed through at 14.33. Passed underneath at 16.15 ( 3.4m on the Airdraft Meter)
and drove across again on my way home at 18.25.

All tickety boo. Hope this sets a precedent for the future.
 
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