Tall ship hits Tower Bridge
 

An unusual London traffic incident today. A tall ship, the Lord Nelson,
struck Tower Bridge in an unsuccessful attempt to do a U-turn when the
skipper realised the bridge wasn't going to open.

From http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/3717685.stm:
"The operators of the Lord Nelson thought they had requested the bridge
open for its journey from Southampton to West India Dock."

Hmm. They seem to have gone a couple of miles past the entrance to West
India Dock.

"Andy Spark, from the Jubilee Sailing Trust, said: 'We believed the
bridge was booked, but it didn't open - we don't know why yet.' ... But
the Corporation of London, which owns Tower Bridge, said: 'No lifting of
the bridge had been booked in.' ... The Lord Nelson, a training vessel
for both able-bodied and disabled people, has now moored at West India
Dock."

Did they perhaps confuse Tower Bridge with the lifting bridge over
Prestons Road that provides entry to West India Dock?

Anyway, I'm surprised that any sailing vessel would carry on towards the
bridge just hoping that it might lift, though to be fair the incoming
tide would have carried her towards the bridge. (Crossposted to
uk.rec.sailing for more informed comments on this aspect.)
--
Richard J.
(to e-mail me, swap uk and yon in address)

Tall ship hits Tower Bridge
 

On Sat, 15 May 2004 23:06:41 +0000, Andy Champ
wrote:


Richard J. wrote:
An unusual London traffic incident today. A tall ship, the Lord Nelson,
struck Tower Bridge in an unsuccessful attempt to do a U-turn when the
skipper realised the bridge wasn't going to open.

From http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/3717685.stm:
"The operators of the Lord Nelson thought they had requested the bridge
open for its journey from Southampton to West India Dock."


That link is dead,

Due to a trailing colon in the orginal message, try
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/3717685.stm

and there are no search results for this on the BBC news site.

But there's a report on it he
http://breakingnews.iol.ie/news/stor...52&p=yx43x6558

Andy

Tall ship hits Tower Bridge
 

Andy Champ wrote:
Richard J. wrote:
An unusual London traffic incident today. A tall ship, the Lord
Nelson, struck Tower Bridge in an unsuccessful attempt to do a
U-turn when the skipper realised the bridge wasn't going to open.

From http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/3717685.stm:
"The operators of the Lord Nelson thought they had requested the
bridge open for its journey from Southampton to West India Dock."


That link is dead, and there are no search results for this on the BBC
news site.

But there's a report on it he
http://breakingnews.iol.ie/news/stor...52&p=yx43x6558

Andy

The link worked for me.

Tall ship hits Tower Bridge
 

Richard J. wrote:
An unusual London traffic incident today. A tall ship, the Lord Nelson,
struck Tower Bridge in an unsuccessful attempt to do a U-turn when the
skipper realised the bridge wasn't going to open.

From http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/3717685.stm:
"The operators of the Lord Nelson thought they had requested the bridge
open for its journey from Southampton to West India Dock."


That link is dead, and there are no search results for this on the BBC
news site.

But there's a report on it he
http://breakingnews.iol.ie/news/stor...52&p=yx43x6558

Andy

Tall ship hits Tower Bridge
 

Andy Champ wrote:
Richard J. wrote:
An unusual London traffic incident today. A tall ship, the Lord
Nelson, struck Tower Bridge in an unsuccessful attempt to do a
U-turn when the skipper realised the bridge wasn't going to open.

From http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/3717685.stm:
"The operators of the Lord Nelson thought they had requested the
bridge open for its journey from Southampton to West India Dock."


That link is dead, and there are no search results for this on the
BBC news site.

Did your newsreader include the punctuation in the link? (OE doesn't.)
Putting either "tall ship" or "Tower Bridge" in the BBC News search box
finds the report straight away. Not a good day for navigation, is it?
:-)

--
Richard J.
(to e-mail me, swap uk and yon in address)

Tall ship hits Tower Bridge
 

"Richard J." wrote in message
...
Andy Champ wrote:
Richard J. wrote:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/3717685.stm:

That link is dead, and there are no search
results for this on the BBC news site.

Did your newsreader include the punctuation in the
link? (OE doesn't.) Putting either "tall ship" or "Tower
Bridge" in the BBC News search box finds the report
straight away. Not a good day for navigation, is it?

LOL.

I heard that the bridge was left down because the ship hadn't paid the
congestion charge.

--
John Rowland - Spamtrapped
Transport Plans for the London Area, updated 2001
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acro...69/tpftla.html
A man's vehicle is a symbol of his manhood.
That's why my vehicle's the Piccadilly Line -
It's the size of a county and it comes every two and a half minutes

Tall ship hits Tower Bridge
 

Richard J. wrote:
An unusual London traffic incident today. A tall ship, the Lord
Nelson, struck Tower Bridge in an unsuccessful attempt to do a U-turn
when the skipper realised the bridge wasn't going to open.

From http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/3717685.stm:
"The operators of the Lord Nelson thought they had requested the
bridge open for its journey from Southampton to West India Dock."

Hmm. They seem to have gone a couple of miles past the entrance to
West India Dock.

"Andy Spark, from the Jubilee Sailing Trust, said: 'We believed the
bridge was booked, but it didn't open - we don't know why yet.' ...
But the Corporation of London, which owns Tower Bridge, said: 'No
lifting of the bridge had been booked in.' ... The Lord Nelson, a
training vessel for both able-bodied and disabled people, has now
moored at West India Dock."

Did they perhaps confuse Tower Bridge with the lifting bridge over
Prestons Road that provides entry to West India Dock?

Anyway, I'm surprised that any sailing vessel would carry on towards
the bridge just hoping that it might lift, though to be fair the
incoming tide would have carried her towards the bridge.
(Crossposted to uk.rec.sailing for more informed comments on this
aspect.)

Perhaps they didn't recognise the bridge.

Remove "nospam" from return address.

Tall ship hits Tower Bridge
 

LOL.

I heard that the bridge was left down because the ship hadn't paid the
congestion charge.

--
John Rowland - Spamtrapped

Nice one, John!

Marc.

Tall ship hits Tower Bridge
 

In message , Richard J.
writes
"Andy Spark, from the Jubilee Sailing Trust, said: 'We believed the
bridge was booked, but it didn't open - we don't know why yet.' ... But
the Corporation of London, which owns Tower Bridge, said: 'No lifting of
the bridge had been booked in.'

From having done a tour of the bridge I'm pretty sure that vessels
requiring it to lift have to call in on the radio, that all bigger
vessels have to carry. I wonder why the Tall Ship didn't (either have
such a radio, or use it).

The Thames bridges also have "traffic lights" for vessels, so this is
actually a SPAD as well!
--
Roland Perry

Tall ship hits Tower Bridge
 

Roland Perry wrote:
In message ,
Richard J. writes
"Andy Spark, from the Jubilee Sailing Trust, said: 'We believed the
bridge was booked, but it didn't open - we don't know why yet.'
... But the Corporation of London, which owns Tower Bridge, said:
'No lifting of the bridge had been booked in.'

From having done a tour of the bridge I'm pretty sure that vessels
requiring it to lift have to call in on the radio, that all bigger
vessels have to carry. I wonder why the Tall Ship didn't (either
have such a radio, or use it).

One news report said that the Tower Pier lifeboat crew heard the Lord
Nelson on the radio asking for the bridge to be lifted, but all lifts
have to be booked in advance, and this one apparently wasn't.

The Thames bridges also have "traffic lights" for vessels, so this
is actually a SPAD as well!

I doubt it. AFAIK the lights are to show which bridge arches are
available for navigation. There was no reason to stop vessels passing
under the bridge, but it's the skipper's job to ensure he has enough
headroom.
--
Richard J.
(to e-mail me, swap uk and yon in address)

Tall ship hits Tower Bridge
 

In article , Richard J.
writes
Anyway, I'm surprised that any sailing vessel would carry on towards the
bridge just hoping that it might lift, though to be fair the incoming
tide would have carried her towards the bridge. (Crossposted to
uk.rec.sailing for more informed comments on this aspect.)

When you do the tourist thing at the bridge, they tell you that all
ships are entitled to have the bridge opened for them. The bridge
authorities used to keep lookouts for miles down the river in case
something approaching was likely to want the bridge opened.

--
Clive D.W. Feather | Home:
Tel: +44 20 8495 6138 (work) | Web: http://www.davros.org
Fax: +44 870 051 9937 | Work:
Please reply to the Reply-To address, which is:

Tall ship hits Tower Bridge
 

In message , Richard J.
writes
The Thames bridges also have "traffic lights" for vessels, so this
is actually a SPAD as well!

I doubt it. AFAIK the lights are to show which bridge arches are
available for navigation. There was no reason to stop vessels passing
under the bridge, but it's the skipper's job to ensure he has enough
headroom.

I still think there'd be *additional* signal lights to indicate when it
was lifted.

ps Lifting schedule:

http://www.towerbridge.org.uk/bridge_lifts_schedule.htm
--
Roland Perry

Tall ship hits Tower Bridge
 

Roland Perry wrote:
In message ,
Richard J. writes
The Thames bridges also have "traffic lights" for vessels, so this
is actually a SPAD as well!

I doubt it. AFAIK the lights are to show which bridge arches are
available for navigation. There was no reason to stop vessels
passing under the bridge, but it's the skipper's job to ensure he
has enough headroom.

I still think there'd be *additional* signal lights to indicate
when it was lifted.

ps Lifting schedule:

http://www.towerbridge.org.uk/bridge_lifts_schedule.htm

.... on which the Lord Nelson does not appear! Incidentally, I
understand that the intention was to pass under a raised Tower Bridge,
turn round and return downstream to West India Dock, and that she did
the same journey last year. The Lord Nelson is currently moored,
apparently undamaged, at Thames Quay, West India Dock (200 metres east
of DLR South Quay station) until Thursday 20 May.

--
Richard J.
(to e-mail me, swap uk and yon in address)

Tall ship hits Tower Bridge
 

Clive D. W. Feather wrote:
In article ,
Richard J. writes
Anyway, I'm surprised that any sailing vessel would carry on
towards the bridge just hoping that it might lift, though to be
fair the incoming tide would have carried her towards the bridge.
(Crossposted to uk.rec.sailing for more informed comments on this
aspect.)

When you do the tourist thing at the bridge, they tell you that all
ships are entitled to have the bridge opened for them. The bridge
authorities used to keep lookouts for miles down the river in case
something approaching was likely to want the bridge opened.

But nowadays "at least 24 hours notice is required (in writing) for
Tower Bridge to lift". [from
http://www.towerbridge.org.uk/bridge_lifts.htm ]

--
Richard J.
(to e-mail me, swap uk and yon in address)

Tall ship hits Tower Bridge
 

"Clive D. W. Feather" wrote in message
...

When you do the tourist thing at the bridge, they tell you that all
ships are entitled to have the bridge opened for them. The bridge
authorities used to keep lookouts for miles down the river in case
something approaching was likely to want the bridge opened.

I worked in an office next to Tower Bridge from 1989 to 1998 and just across
the St. Katherine Docks from 1998 to 2001. It's been many years since there
was a regular lookout on the bridge (the chap on the downstream side in the
office is a waxwork dummy!). The only staff that are usually around, apart
from the ticket office staff, are the bridge lift staff who appear when a
lift is imminent (and booked in!). Prior to the website, the lifting
schedule always used to be posted in the window of the bridgemaster's
office, on the south approach to the bridge - which I used to periodically
scan for interesting visitors to the Pool of London.

Tall ship hits Tower Bridge
 

Mark Blewett wrote:


Due to a trailing colon in the orginal message, try
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/3717685.stm

Well spotted Mark. I should have seen that.

and there are no search results for this on the BBC news site.


Yet today the search engine finds it on "lord nelson bridge" with no
problem.

Either the index wasn't up to date, or (more likely!) I can't type.

Andy

Tall ship hits Tower Bridge
 

In message , Clive D. W. Feather
writes
The bridge authorities used to keep lookouts for miles down the river
in case something approaching was likely to want the bridge opened.

Nowadays, as well as giving advance notice for Tower Bridge, there are
various points on the river where ships are required to radio in.
--
Roland Perry

Tall ship hits Tower Bridge
 

Roland Perry wrote:

In message , Clive D. W. Feather
writes
The bridge authorities used to keep lookouts for miles down the river
in case something approaching was likely to want the bridge opened.

Nowadays, as well as giving advance notice for Tower Bridge, there are
various points on the river where ships are required to radio in.

The problem is quite clear - the bridge is now operated by an Oyster reader.

--
Ian Tindale

Tall ship hits Tower Bridge
 

"Roland Perry" wrote in message
...
In message , Richard J.
writes


The Thames bridges also have "traffic lights" for vessels, so this is
actually a SPAD as well!
--
Roland Perry

Sort of - see the 'Tower Bridge Signals' PLA diagrams showing Bridge Lights
lower down the page he

http://www.portoflondon.co.uk/displa...&site=maritime

Colin

Tall ship hits Tower Bridge
 

In message , Colin
writes
The Thames bridges also have "traffic lights" for vessels, so this is
actually a SPAD as well!

Sort of - see the 'Tower Bridge Signals' PLA diagrams showing Bridge Lights
lower down the page he

http://www.portoflondon.co.uk/displa...&site=maritime

"Isophase lights are exhibited on certain arches of the bridges from
Tower Bridge to Putney Bridge to warn navigators of the imminent passage
of large vessels."

[These seem to be electronically activated by the larger boats carrying
what amounts to a transponder. It's many years since I've driven down
the river by boat, but I think there used to be things much more like
conventional "traffic lights" performing the same function.]

And then there's the lights you mention that change from Red to Green
when tower Bridge is open.

ps The Interactive Leisure Map on the Port of London site is very
interesting, as it shows railways (and roads) as well as the river.
Including the new Channel Tunnel link.
--
Roland Perry

Tall ship hits Tower Bridge
 

On Sun, 16 May 2004 22:26:00 GMT, "Richard J."
wrote:

Clive D. W. Feather wrote:
When you do the tourist thing at the bridge, they tell you that all
ships are entitled to have the bridge opened for them. The bridge
authorities used to keep lookouts for miles down the river in case
something approaching was likely to want the bridge opened.

But nowadays "at least 24 hours notice is required (in writing) for
Tower Bridge to lift". [from
http://www.towerbridge.org.uk/bridge_lifts.htm ]

If you are the master of a ship at sea, how can you make the request
in writing?
--
Peter Lawrence

Tall ship hits Tower Bridge
 

In message , Peter Lawrence
writes
If you are the master of a ship at sea, how can you make the request
in writing?

The Port of London site seems to think a phone call is enough. Even
ships have Faxes, though.
--
Roland Perry

Tall ship hits Tower Bridge
 

Ian Tindale wrote the following in:


Roland Perry wrote:

In message , Clive D. W.
Feather writes
The bridge authorities used to keep lookouts for miles down the
river in case something approaching was likely to want the bridge
opened.

Nowadays, as well as giving advance notice for Tower Bridge,
there are various points on the river where ships are required to
radio in.

The problem is quite clear - the bridge is now operated by an
Oyster reader.

Well, the Lord Nelson definitely touched in.

--
message by Robin May, but I would say that, wouldn't I?
"GIVE IN! IT'S TIME TO GO!" - The NHS offers a high standard of care.

"You MUST NOT drive dangerously" - the Highway Code
Spelling lesson: then and than are different words.