Anchoring near Harwich.

[Asyra101]

Hi
We are new in sailing so I have a lot questions.
Out sailing boat now are in marina near Harwich and it is quite expensive, we would like to find cheaper alternative. I'm thinking about buoys or anchoring.
It is some places where we can leave a boat on anchor near Harwich or we need to take buoy? Boat is 10.5 metres and needs 1.8 m deep in a water.
I checked Mersea to. But I would like to have experienced advice.
Thank you

 

[tillergirl]

It would be a good idea to post on the East Coast Forum. You will get a lot of helpful comments.

On the Orwell, you can find moorings at Pin Mill. On the River Blackwater there are moorings at West Mersea that you can pick up and the Club launch will bring you ashore during the daytime and longer hours at the weekend. There are several places to anchor on the River Blackwater - Osea Island being a favourite.

How long are you planning to stay on the East Coast?

 

[jdc]

Although I used to keep a boat in the river Orwell, and can second the advice about moorings at Pin Mill and, a little upstream, at Wolverstone Marina, being great places, this is really about the difference between moorings, aka swinging moorings, and anchoring. Forgive me if I'm teaching my grandmother to suck eggs as most people on this forum will know this already, but I understood from your post that you were considering anchoring as a permanent solution, not just a temporary measure.

A mooring is a permanent assembly of things on the sea bed, and a connection to that assembly, which the yacht attached to it is not expected to lift up. Indeed, it probably wouldn't be possible as it's simply too heavy. As an example, my mooring comprises two anchors weighing 50 kg, joined together by a bit more than 10m of 28mm wire diameter stud link chain (which weighs about 17kg per metre, so >170kg). The connection between the boat and that assembly of stuff on the sea bed is also a chain, called a riser, which has to be about 1.3 to 1.5 x the maximum depth of water. That means about 13m long in my case, made from 19mm chain, so 7kg per metre or 91kg overall. It is attached at the top to a buoy which has to be man enough to support the weight of the riser, plus various swivels and shackles etc, adding yet more bulk and weight to what is already 2x50 + 170 + 91 = 361kg. I wouldn't like to carry that weight and clutter on board, but it is designed to hold my boat in 87 knots of wind.

Contrast that with the anchor I carry: a 25kg anchor (I wont get into what type) and 60m of 10mm chain which weighs 2kg per metre, so 25 + 120 = 145kg. Because of the lighter weight, one has to let out more chain, about 36m at the same location / depth as where my mooring is, for secure anchoring in 25 knots of wind (F6), more for F8, and all the chain and warp I've got for F10. At 87 knots (F12+) I'd not be confident that it would be adequate to hold us.

Thus, swinging moorings (which I think you called buoys) are suitable for leaving the boat unattended for days or weeks at a time, whereas an anchor, despite being entirely adequate for cruising all over the world, is rarely(1) suitable for leaving the boat unattended for more than a few days, having first obtained a forecast. And that boat will roam over quite an area, maybe a circle of 100m diameter, so in a river you can't fit as many boats as you could by laying moorings, and those boats will sometimes, depending on wind direction, swing out into the channel, annoying passing ships, or onto the mud at the side, neither of which is ideal.

(1) I say rarely, but some, myself occasionally, leave a boat at anchor unattended for a week or more, but we usually carry over heavy anchors, deploy two or more at once, and do it in a remote place where there his adequate room, good holding and few others around to inconvenience.

 

[Asyra101]

Thank you for answering it is very informative.
We have a plane to hold a boat in a water till the end of the season and then to take it out and rebuild how we want.

 

[tillergirl]

You should have a word with the mooring suppliers and get a price for the rest of the season. I think Harry Kings at Pin Mill are the people you should speak to (others can correct me if I am out of date). At West Mersea there are moorings available: there are at least three - two yards and at least one mooring provider. Obviously you need to plan to get from shore to boat.

You could get a copy of East Coast Pilot to consider the many options.

A PS - You could consider Brightlingsea as well. There are moorings as well as pontoons. A telephone call to the Harbour Commissioners' office would provide information.

 

[bluerm166]

If you are centred near Harwich and depending on your pattern of usage ( re. tidal access) you might consider a mooring in the Twizzle near Walton or in the Walton Yacht basin.Not an unpleasant spot and could suit until you complete your refit.