A cat in the Wash -where could I take her?

[stibbles]

Hi, I'd be very grateful for some local knowledge, so here's a chance to exercise your sailing grey cells in the off season.

I've long coveted a catamaran (most of my sailing experience has been on a fixed fin monohull off Suffolk & Essex, although I do have some experience of sailing a cat elsewhere).

If I got a fairly large one (big enough for family) and kept it at Fosdyke, where could I go (and, importantly, stop!)?

Stats: the cats I'm looking at have 32-35' LOA, 17-19' beam & approx 3' draught.

I've not yet sailed the Wash/N Norfolk (a good place to start, I guess!!), but from reading the charts, reading the pilots and from visiting all of the following on land, my impressions are:

Be able to visit and stop against quay/pontoon if necc:
Wells
Wisbech

Be able to visit and anchor in the right conditions/maybe pick up mooring
Blakeney
Brancaster Harbour
Overy Staithe

Be able to visit in theory, but probably not stop
King's Lynn
Boston (up to bridge)

Probably wouldn't fit
Wainfleet
Thornham


Your views much appreciated.

Have any forumites tried what I'm suggested (in the summer I saw a couple of cats on the hard at Fosdyke, but none in the water)

 

[Tommyrot]

Your list looks about spot on, Wainfleet might be possible, Alexrunic might be here sooner or later, he's moored there. Worth a PM to him.
Saltfleet is a bit further north but you'd probably have to reverse all the way out again!

 

[fergie_mac66]

Your list looks about spot on, Wainfleet might be possible, Alexrunic might be here sooner or later, he's moored there. Worth a PM to him.
Saltfleet is a bit further north but you'd probably have to reverse all the way out again!

Ive been in to wainfleet quite a few times in our westerly.A heavenly twins regularly goes in Only 2places for him to turn around probably a cat that size would only have 1 near fishing boats but I think you would struggle you would have to be v carefull negotiating the channel its very windy and the sides are steep if you clipped one hull on the top of a side as the tide dropped it would 45 degrees or more !! . anchor and dingy in settled weather
Nice to anchor near the seals at long sands at low water we went past one day and what seemd like a couple of hundred waddled down the sand all at once and swam round us for 15/20 mins .
I seem to remember theres a good place to anchor and take the ground near Hunstanton in settled weather .

 

[fergie_mac66]

wainfleet on the putty, this is early morn daylight got stuck at 00:00 am ! I know, I know , the channel is hard enough in daylight , without going in at night the channel is pretty deep with steep sides with twenty odd withies to mark the winding channel a couple of lights now mark the entrance though they weren't there at this time .

 

[stibbles]

Your list looks about spot on

Well, if that is what is available I would be pleased with that! Was just hoping this wasn't widly overoptimistic.

I could get to Fosdyke in an hour vs 3 hours to Ipswich and now we've got little ones that's long enough to make it not feasible for a weekend. Hey - perhaps this could work, I'm getting excited!

 

[stibbles]

I seem to remember theres a good place to anchor and take the ground near Hunstanton in settled weather .

Hmmmm...that's a point worth asking about, anchorages.

I have the Imray chart and I think I can see only 2 for the whole area (other than presumably in the recognised havens). One at Clay Hole on the Lower Road into Boston/Welland and another in the Bays off Gore Point north of Old Hunstanton. I'd like to know if anyone has others they could recommend in the right conditions. Perhaps I'll start a new thread on this for maximum publicity.

 

[bastonjock]

Wisbech might be a better place for your Cat the draw back there is the Bridge at Sutton,but untill they build the new marina at Sutton bridge,the tides are going to be restrictive for either Boston or Fosdyke.

I have come up the river nene at low water on neeps,with a 3ft draught you could probably access it at HW+or- 4 hours,there is a pontoon just before Sutton bridge for craft to moor up whilst they wait on the bridge openning.I have dropped the hook in the boston roads just along from Wainfleet

There are 4 bouys known as RAF nos 1-4,

Have you tried Wells for a mooring?,parking can be a pain at wells and with young children it would be a lot worse.

Going for a sail up to the Humber is quite pleasant, theres an anchorage at Spurn head and for the South theres wells etc, if your cat can take the ground then you can stop off at plenty of beaches,ive done a few,just down from Skeggy at Gibraltar point theres some quite beaches

The wild life is excellent,loads of seals and birds,i sat on RAF no 4 bouy last september just to watch the sun go down,it was quite magnificent,theres a man made island close to the entrance for the Nene,its a bird sanctuary

heres some photos of my trip around the wash and up to bridlington

http://www.flickr.com/photos/42967465@N06/sets/72157622335489321

 

[fergie_mac66]

on way south

if you go south to ore and alde and deben etc stopping place in settled weather
is sea palling 30 odd miles from wells You can anchor beach behind the reefs

There are some photos somewhere on YBW forum

 

[D3B]

There are some swinging moorings up the Ouse at Kings Lynn run by GOBA.
Not sure if they would take the weight of a cat.....

 

[stibbles]

heres some photos of my trip around the wash and up to bridlington

http://www.flickr.com/photos/42967465@N06/sets/72157622335489321

Lovely pics, especially one of boats dried out on the Humber - including a cat in the background, I think!

Fosdyke's big attraction is that it is closest to where I live. There seems to be a bit of a paradox in keeping a cat there.

The chap from the yard advises twin engines are highly desirable to cope with turning in the strong tides (sensible advice, no doubt). This tends to push up the beam as many of the smaller cats (eg Prout Quests) have a single engine. Otherwise, I'd be able to cast my net wider (including narrower cats that might get into some other places more easily).

The other disadvantage, is that the max beam for the lift at Fosdyke is reportedly 18', and al lot of the 'smaller' twin engine cats are just above that. I'm told the max beam for lift at Wisbech is a litter wider.

Reminds me that every boat design is a compromise!!

 

[RogerMayne]

Hi, used to keep my 28" cat at Fosdyke there is not a lot there and it is 7 miles to the sea. If you do keep your cat there be very carefull if you ever try to turn the boat round when the tide is coming in, you will be stuck under the bridge in no time.

Moved my boat to a swinging mooring in Wells which was much better for the kids as they had a beach to play on every time the tide went out. They are currently making improvements to the access at Wells and it is supposedly going to be all tides entry for shallow draft so ideal for a cat.

Brancaster and Burnham Overy are good places to dry out, Saltfleet is also good.

Took my cat to Pompey last year but still missing Wells, it is the best place around the wash.

 

[fergie_mac66]

Hi, used to keep my 28" cat at Fosdyke there is not a lot there and it is 7 miles to the sea. If you do keep your cat there be very carefull if you ever try to turn the boat round when the tide is coming in, you will be stuck under the bridge in no time.

Moved my boat to a swinging mooring in Wells which was much better for the kids as they had a beach to play on every time the tide went out. They are currently making improvements to the access at Wells and it is supposedly going to be all tides entry for shallow draft so ideal for a cat.

Brancaster and Burnham Overy are good places to dry out, Saltfleet is also good.

Took my cat to Pompey last year but still missing Wells, it is the best place around the wash.

Theres a place up from Saltfleet , Tetney its a small dare I say drying harbour just a bit down from Cleethorpes, opposite hailsands fort , theres a nice club house.Ok For a rest if your on the way up north .Its a very long walk taxi to Cleethorpes though the chally park past the fair

WE miss wells too might go back for a vist this year
were you the the heavenly twins the Iroquois or different cat ?There was a 9mcatalac down below us ?

 

[fergie_mac66]

Tetney

A little way up from Saltfleet theres a small drying harbour Tetney .A good place for a rest on the way north Theres a big clubhouse and slipway but nothing else ,unless you go on a long walk or taxi through challeys past the fair to Cleethorpes children might like it !

 

[alexrunic]

I would agree with your list mainly, apart from Thornham and wainfleet,

Thornham is wider than wainfleet and should not pose any great problems, providing you do not come in too early on the tide for two reasons one having more water to play with and 2 less flow for turning.

Wainfleet, we have a resident 30 ft cat who gets out all the time and is not on the best mooring either he is up the north end past most of the other boats. If you were going to visit let me know and i will show you the way in. You would want a bigish spring tide to be on the safeside, I would recommend mooring behind the fishing boat along side a steel hulled yacht.

with both places i recomend a reci trip to see for your self where to turn etc.

as regards anchorages there are many

Parlour channel
my favorite very peacfull and often seals all around. if weather is right you can dry out on the banks and have a BBQ. You have shelter from most directions of wind apart from over the high water period.

off skeggy beach near the boat compound

Off Ingomells point

Holkham bay

Skull ridge near boston deeps

entrance to the channel to wisbech (near the wreck) there used to be mooring buoys there too.

Off Hunstanton

Clay hole

just out of the freeman channel

most of the sand banks are good to get in the lea off and wait for the tide to get into a port etc.

 

[Otter]

Most Heavenly Twins 26 (and a few 27 foot versions) are twin engined and 13 foot beam. Twin double aft cabin etc.

 

[RogerMayne]

Theres a place up from Saltfleet , Tetney its a small dare I say drying harbour just a bit down from Cleethorpes, opposite hailsands fort , theres a nice club house.Ok For a rest if your on the way up north .Its a very long walk taxi to Cleethorpes though the chally park past the fair

WE miss wells too might go back for a vist this year
were you the the heavenly twins the Iroquois or different cat ?There was a 9mcatalac down below us ?

Mine was the Amazon 28, used to have a mooring on "the run" opposit the entrance to Pinewood holiday park

 

[leomagill]

The mooring bouys at kings lynn are meant to be 'for boats up to 30' ' but I would guess they would take a bit more, there are 3 in all just before you reach the old bridge (free bridge?), it's a bit desolate there though.

 

[fergie_mac66]

Mine was the Amazon 28, used to have a mooring on "the run" opposit the entrance to Pinewood holiday park

Ahh I wondered what that cat was .I think I remember seeing it, we had our moorings up sluice creek , ten years or so Move to get 24 hr access but also they built showers there and we paid for access for a couple of years.

Then then banned all mooring holders from using the showers as they said they were getting too many visitors and they needed to give the entry cards to the visitors on the new pontoons.! Which we found more than a little annoying.

 

[stibbles]

Thornham is wider than wainfleet and should not pose any great problems, providing you do not come in too early on the tide for two reasons one having more water to play with and 2 less flow for turning.

Wainfleet, we have a resident 30 ft cat who gets out all the time and is not on the best mooring either he is up the north end past most of the other boats. If you were going to visit let me know and i will show you the way in. QUOTE]


Thanks for your kind offer! I must say one of the things I am looking forward to about exploring the sailing area is the community which from this forum seems sound.

Would be good to think that Thornham would be available - a closer bolt hole when heading East.

Would you happen to know if that 30' cat is twin engined? I presume that would make quite a difference to the turning circle - if single I'm guessing it'd need a bigger one.

 

[stibbles]

Most Heavenly Twins 26 (and a few 27 foot versions) are twin engined and 13 foot beam. Twin double aft cabin etc.

Good point, perhaps my thinking should bit a bit wider. The accommodation on a HT obviously looks amazing for its length, but I've thought that you must pay a price for the aft cabin in hobby-horsing (need to do everything to encourage my better half to come with me!) - is this fear misguided?