Unidentified Day Shape

[MASH]

The Reedham chain ferry on the riverYare displays a ball over a cylinder and two reds side by side over two whites side by side.

I can't find a reference to this anywhere. Is it an official signal or a local invention?

What do other chain ferries display?

 

[alant]

The Reedham chain ferry on the riverYare displays a ball over a cylinder and two reds side by side over two whites side by side.

I can't find a reference to this anywhere. Is it an official signal or a local invention?

What do other chain ferries display?

They are separate shapes.

Ball = anchored to chain
Cylinder = constrained by draft

 

[MASH]

I'd considered that too. The ball I can sort of see, but it certainly isn't constrained by draft, it's more restricted in ability to manoeuver.

Anyway, I didn't think you could mix signals, and none of the above explains the lights.

 

[JumbleDuck]

I'd considered that too. The ball I can sort of see, but it certainly isn't constrained by draft, it's more restricted in ability to manoeuver.

Anyway, I didn't think you could mix signals, and none of the above explains the lights.

While I wait for some work to come in, Wikipedia lists 12 chain ferries in the UK. Google image searching them all (can you tell I'm bored?) suggests the following day marks:

Cowes: None
Dartmouth Higher: Black ball-diamond-ball (restricted in ability manoeuvre)
King Harry: None
Reedham: Black ball-cylinder (anchored and constrained by draught?)
Sandbanks: Black ball under way, lowered at each end (anchored when moving, not anchored when aground)
Torpoint: None
Windermere: None
Woolston: Black ball (anchored)

There are also four hand-powered pedestrian ferries listed, Butts, Hampton, Hampton Loade and Stratford, none of which have any marks.

Conclusion: Chain ferry operators make it up as they go along.

 

[PuffTheMagicDragon]

While I wait for some work to come in....

<snip>

Conclusion: Chain ferry operators make it up as they go along.

Conclusion: Idle time is not to be wasted but can be fruitfully used to gather information that might be very useful...! :encouragement:

 

[VicS]

The Reedham chain ferry on the riverYare displays a ball over a cylinder and two reds side by side over two whites side by side.

I can't find a reference to this anywhere. Is it an official signal or a local invention?

What do other chain ferries display?

Chain ferry operators make it up as they go along.

THEY ARE the lights and shapes for a ferry crossing the river required by the Broads Authority Navigation Byelaws. q.v.

 

[JumbleDuck]

THEY ARE the lights and shapes for a ferry crossing the river required by the Broads Authority Navigation Byelaws. q.v.

You are, as ever, quite right. Byelaw 43. So I shall amend my previous conclusion to

Chain ferry regulators make it up as they go along.

 

[Trundlebug]

THEY ARE the lights and shapes for a ferry crossing the river required by the Broads Authority Navigation Byelaws. q.v.

So that applies to the Broads, OK, what about all the others?

 

[prv]

So that applies to the Broads, OK, what about all the others?

They don't display the Broads ball-and-cylinder

Pete