Rollesby Broad Sailing Club » General Discussion

Weed stops play

(21 posts)

  1. Andrew Winfield
    Member

    I turned up on Sunday to find racing cancelled due to weed. This raises some questions which would be of interest to all;

    1) Can anyone predict when we are likely to be sail again? Is there going to be an anouncement on the web site perhaps?
    2) I believe that this is a recent issue for the last couple of years due to some "environmental" actions - Can some one explain for my interest?
    3) Any solutions to the weed in the short or long term?
    4) Where can I go to satisfy my sailing bug for the next few weeks?

    Posted 1 year ago #

  2. Ian Ayres
    Moderator

    Hi Andrew,

    Racing was cancelled on the 20th due to the safety concerns with trying to rescue anyone capsized (very likely given conditions) from the weed.

    Racing did occur on Sun 27th and on both wed evenings since the 20th in lighter conditions.

    This weekend we intend to trial racing in the Eels Foot Broad and it is likely this will be the format for most of July, last year weed was gone before the start of August.

    There will be an official post on the website next week following this trial session.

    Meanwhile both Gorleston and Hickling Clubs will welcome day visitors from Rollesby should you fancy some open water sailing.

    Ian

    Posted 1 year ago #

  3. Nigel Crouch
    Member

    Hello everyone, I'm thinking about a sail this week having stopped 3 weeks ago due to the weed problems. Has the situation improved at all?
    Nigel

    Posted 1 year ago #

  4. David Salmon
    Member

    Hi Nigel
    Regrettably there is still an awful lot of weed which is probably made worse by the currently low water level. We raced the Summer regatta last weekend on a skinny triangular course keeping to the middle and people did keep moving.

    The best sailing at the moment is by making the effort to get into Eels Foot broad which seemed to have much less weed. Take a paddle to get through the channel which is reasonably weed free, but rather shallow.

    Give it a try but keep well away from the floating weed island South of the club where the Coot has nested!! You could be trapped in there for days!

    Cheers
    Dave

    Posted 1 year ago #

  5. Nigel Crouch
    Member

    Thanks Dave, we gave it a try yesterday and did an hour or so, but didn't venture into Eels Foot so will give that a try next time. The members fixing the slip-way were very helpful also the weekend's racing map in the Club House showing the extent of the weed helped. I reckon it would be handy to have that updated weekly on this site - I have a pic of the current one if needed.

    Thanks again for your tips.
    allthebest
    Nigel and Mike

    Posted 1 year ago #

  6. Andrew Winfield
    Member

    Is everyone aware that that the weed growth in Rollesby is a deliberate act of “bio-manipulation”.

    Reading the Trinity Broads Partnership news letter 2010, I see that this year has been a “Second great year for water plants in Rollesby” as this year “has been even better...with plants covering 100% of the broad”.

    The sailing has been badly restricted from June to close to September so far. If this continues I am concerned that Summer sailing at Rollesby will be a thing of the past!

    Are we able to do anything about this? Is the committee doing something on this vital issue, or can we as members help by putting pressure on the Broads Authority or others? Comments please...

    Posted 1 year ago #

  7. Bert Castleton
    Member

    How`s the weed at the moment?
    I am hopeful that it is disappearing by now - 14 / 09 / 2010 & sailing can start again soon.

    Posted 1 year ago #

  8. David Salmon
    Member

    Hi Bert
    Rollesby Broad is still pretty choked up and hard work with a dagger board boat, especially on the club house side. On Sunday morning we raced in Eels Foot which is clear. We then had the Eels Foot race in the afternoon and two boats (Enterprise and Wayfarer)had problems going up and I lost a lot of ground on the way back (Laser).
    The broad has a lot more water in it now, but the weed does seem to be hanging on and someone at the club said it may last another month. Who knows?

    Posted 1 year ago #

  9. Bert Castleton
    Member

    Thanks for the reply David.
    I am sure that the committee has said something to the water board about the weed problem & it will be interesting as the reply.

    Posted 1 year ago #

  10. Steve Gray
    Member

    hi bert
    sailed today 25/09/2010 winds up to high 20s good sailing and the weed dint slow us down that was in the laser 3000 i hope its the end of the weed for the sake of the club

    Posted 1 year ago #

  11. Laurence Milton
    Member

    Despite the best effort of the members removing the weed near the pontoons, there is still a significant amount of weed in the broad.

    Although the amount of weed on the surface has reduced to a few floating clumps, the phantom was picking up huge amounts upwind making it virtually unsailable (board and rudder were being forced up on reaches).

    Saying that, the soslow and wayfarer coped okay...oh to have a slow boat with diddy foils!

    Posted 1 year ago #

  12. Bert Castleton
    Member

    Hi Steve & Laurence thanks for the replies & updates, But I have a cunning plan -- I have set plans in motion to buy a foiling moth & because I am too heavy to get the height I figure we could put an edge on the foils for weed cutting.

    Think it`s a plan?

    bert

    Posted 1 year ago #

  13. James Denley
    Member

    just thought you might be interested in whats happening to our broad.
    http://www.econ-ecology.co.uk/restoration.php

    and if your still interested read the Broads Annual Water Plant Monitoring Report 2008
    http://www.broads-authority.gov.uk/broads/live/managing/rivers-and-broads/2008__Water_Plant_Survey_Report.pdf

    Posted 1 year ago #

  14. Bert Castleton
    Member

    Hi james

    You are a member of the club aren`t you?

    Thanks for the links.

    I must admit that the info has very pretty pictures but has NO timescales on it as to the lenght of time or outcome for this work after all it states that barton broad has been cleaned up over a peroid of 25 years.
    Well I`ll be dead by then!
    From the point of veiw of being able to use the broad for sailing I am hoping that the owner`s have talked to the committee & the outcome of those talks will become available to the sailors / users of the club.
    I am hoping that some sort of time line for this "works" will be given & the club can make plans based on those talks.

    Also can someone from the committee confirm that discussions have been had or even a commutation of some kind with the "league of weed growers" has been used to gain an insight into the problems of the sailing club & what their furture plans are for the broad?.

    Hopefully by starting a bit of info trading going on via the forum people will be more informed & a bloody big shouting match can be avoided at the AGM.
    The AGM can be a useful tool rather then a place to vent anger towards people who are trying to help the club prosper.

    bert

    Posted 1 year ago #

  15. Steve Blackman
    Member

    Hi,

    we have a simple problem here, abundant sunlight is now passing through clear water to reach the nutrient rich mud at the bottom of the broad. The result is heavy weed growth that reaches all the way to the surface over the whole area of the broad.

    Unless the water is clouded by algae, or the mud is dredged out, the same will happen next year. So during the summer months sailing on Rollesby broad will not be practical.

    It is sad but how can the club survive under these circumstances? I suspect our only hope is to relocate to another broad that has not yet been "improved". If I am wrong please say so, I have sailed at Rollesby since the early 1990's and do not want to be forced out!

    Steve

    Posted 1 year ago #

  16. Steve Blackman
    Member

    Hi,
    so is there any new info from the AGM?
    Steve

    Posted 1 year ago #

  17. Steve Blackman
    Member

    Anything at all?
    Steve

    Posted 1 year ago #

  18. Ian Ayres
    Moderator

    Hi Steve, Long discussion at the AGM.

    Martin Cornwell, myself and Tony Gibbs have all talked to the Broads Authority (either formally or informally), Martin has also been in touch with our landlord and the RYA.

    Needless to say we are not resting on our laurels but we are very much in the hands of higher authorities when it comes to weed management.

    The situation this year is a new one for all involved in the management of Rollesby Broad.

    The Broads Authority are attending our November committee meeting to discuss the situation which has arisen this year and any possible management for next year - will try to ensure something is added to this forum more quickly after that meeting - probably start a new string!

    In the mean time the weed has now gone from almost all of the broad so get out some warm gear and come sailing!

    IAn AYres

    Posted 1 year ago #

  19. Steve Blackman
    Member

    Hi,
    the Ormesby broad dredging article in the clubhouse looks interesting, are they going to do Rollesby next? If they start next year then summer sailing may be possible again in a year or two and the broad will be much improved!
    Steve

    Posted 1 year ago #

  20. Bert Castleton
    Member

    Hi

    When is the Nov Committee meeting?
    so I know when to return to see the results of the discussions.

    Thanks

    bert

    Posted 1 year ago #

  21. Ian Ayres
    Moderator

    Time to finish this chain, thanks for all contributions - new string started - Broads Authority 'Who Are We' document might be of interest too.

    IAn

    Posted 1 year ago #

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