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)

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

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)

"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

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

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:

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)

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

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

"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.