Proposed Poole Bridge Lift Timetable

[dpb]

Proposed Poole Bridge Lift Timetable -TIMETABLE ADDED-

Picked up the new copy of the Poole Harbour Guide the other day and have had a look at the bridge lift time table for both bridges.
It seems that in general, during most summer weekends, each bridge will lift every hour staggered by half an hour with the other bridge. So which ever way you are going you get to go through the first bridge and within half an hour the next one will lift. Not great, but at least the logic is understandable, and I suppose, not withstanding the other issues that have been raised here before you get more frequent access but slower passage time.
However at other times the logic seems to fall down as the lifts are scheduled in 'pairs' but at longer and irregular intervals.
The lead lift is always the same bridge, so for example, at some time, the first bridge goes up, then 15 minutes later (sometimes longer)the other bridge operates. Which is great if you are going in the one direction, but if you enter the 'pound' through the 'second' bridge to go the other way, you have yo wait sometimes up to 45 minutes before the first bridge operates again (may be more as the table is not in front of me as I write).
You can imagine the whole transit process taking over an hour.....to cover 200 or 300 meters.
You would have thought that the lifts would be in groups of three with the first to operate opening again after the second has closed to allow the pound to clear. Surely that would be better....and safer.
If I have interpretted this right it will be interesting to see how this works and develops during the season!

 

[ontheplane]

I read this too and I think you are spot on.

I can see Cobbs Quay becoming a "sports and dayboat only" marina, with everyone who needs the bridge to lift seeking alternatives...

I hope so - I'd love to keep a boat at Cobbs, and if demand drops that dramatically, then perhaps the prices would come down to what I could afford!

 

[ari]

I agree, this will kill Cobbs Quay for anything that can't squeeze under the bridges surely?

 

[Ianj68]

We left Cobbs a few seasons back purely because of it.

 

[maverickofpoole]

RIP Cobb's quay, I spot a redevelopment project on the horizon. And then along comes the extended Town Quay Marina with all it's pitfalls

Poole is getting so much wrong for boaters

Martin

 

[Richie]

We've just left Cobbs too and moved to Ocean Village. One bridge was, whilst manageable, always something we had to factor in so it felt like we couldn't come and go at our leisure - which kind of spoils one of the great elements of boating, freedom of queues and traffic lights. So the thoughts of two bridges made it just not worth it for us.
Looking forward to exploring more of the Eastern Solent too now as we never used to make it much past Cowes coming up from Poole.

 

[volvopaul]

Rich, welcome to the other end!

Seriously, weekends on the Hamble are just great and you get your free nights too there.

Bembridge, Chichester and Portsmouth are just a short hop away now for you so we hope to meet up with you this year, along with of course your engineer close at hand.

 

[colhel]

There was suggestion of the first bridge lifted was going to a second lift after the other bridge making three lifts in total, thus allowing the holding pool to empty from either way.

Information here on the last few posts.

http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?t=259563&page=3

 

[dpb]

A third lift would certainly make sense but there is no mention in the harbour guide, which I have just re read.
Copy attached.
You can see that during the week they have assumed a tidal flow of boats going out in the morning and back in the afternoon. And if you are going with the flow it is better than the weekend as the second bridge lifts 15m after the first.
min 45 mins wait going 'against the tide' though.
It is bad for the people who want to take their boats out for the evening after work though as going 'against the tide' it will take an hour just to get from Cobbs to Poole quay.
I wonder if they would add an outbound sequence early evening if enough people asked.
I'll be measuring my boat later to see how much it will actually effect me.

 

[colhel]

Seemed to be some certainty in the old thread, wonder who's changed their minds?
Another point, and I hope it isn't seen as scaremongering, if one side of the new bridge fails, ie can't lift, the passage will still be blocked. But if you get a single side fail on the old bridge (if thats possible) you can still get passage.

 

[Richie]

Rich, welcome to the other end!

Seriously, weekends on the Hamble are just great and you get your free nights too there.

Bembridge, Chichester and Portsmouth are just a short hop away now for you so we hope to meet up with you this year, along with of course your engineer close at hand.

Cheers Paul, yes those are all on the list for next year and looking forward to catching up with you for a couple of cold ones again...

 

[volvopaul]

Cheers Paul, yes those are all on the list for next year and looking forward to catching up with you for a couple of cold ones again...

Did we only have a couple? felt like more in the afternoon.

 

[Richie]

Did we only have a couple? felt like more in the afternoon.

Well maybe a couple more than a couple, the sun had just come out so refreshment was needed! I remember we had to abandon plans to go back to Poole that day

 

[cmann]

stuck between the bridges

Once the new bridge is working (February? March?) expect to be stuck between the bridges for some time between 15 minutes and 2 hours, depending on what time you try to go through. Timetable for both bridges is in the Poole Harbour Guide.