Bradwell Marina - worthwhile?

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shortjohnsilver

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The annual saunter out of the Medway up the East Coast fast approaches and this year I thought I might take a night or two over in Bradwell, rather than Brightlingsea, or pushing up the Wallet and into the Orwell, our usual first day's passage.
Other than Brightligsea and West Mersea, which we enjoy and have visited frequently, we feel that we should take a little more time on the Blackwater and Bradwell Marina seems to offer a suitable initial starting port.
Recommendations sought and any other information available would be greatly appreciated.
 
We like Bradwell. Pub a short walk away, food is good pub grub. Clubhouse on site does food and beer too. If you have bikes on board, or even fancy a longish walk, the trip to St.Peters Chapel is a must. The village has a good community shop, a walkable distance away.
If you don't have a very deep draught and don't mind sitting in the mud, Maldon is a good visit too. And of course Heybridge Basin, a favourite haunt of ours too. Two pubs, good walks, and even a trip up the canal into Maldon if you get the dinghy out.
Been to Tollesbury? Another great little destination.
We've easily spent a good week on the Blackwater with plenty of variety.
 
The choices for the Blackwater:

Bradwell Marina - calm, pleasant marina with the Green Man PH a short walk for good food. The Marina has a restaurant but I have no personal knowledge. To walk: into the village of Bradwell and to the Church of St Cedd - arguably the oldest church in the country. Depending on draught, avoid LW + or - an hour.
West Mersea - swinging moorings or pile moorings as available - call the Yacht Club launch 'YC1' for advice on a mooring, There is an overnight charge and a charge for the YC launch that you can layoff against spending in the yacht club. The 'Company Shed' for good seafood, or the Coast Inn or the Oyster Bar or the Victory pub - all walking. Provisions in the centre - 10/15 mins. 24hr water;
Tollesbury Marina behind the sill so it's a HW trip. Food in the Club, swimming pool in the marina, another local Club that others will say.
Marconi - visitor's mooring - the Club can be used but others will have to supply info;
Osea Island - anchoring is popular
Lawling Creek - just inside anchoring is possible
Heybridge Basin - lock in just before HW - nice basin, quietest away from the roadside and close to the shower/loo block. Two pubs - the Old Ship or Jolly Sailor - close walk. Oh and the Tiptree Cafe managed by Wilkins, the jam people - good breakfasts and other food during the day.
Maldon Quay - HW visit to to Quay pontoon and dry out in soft mud. Pub on the Quay and a load of barges to look at and a promenade to walk.

Sailing in the Blackwater is lovely and simple. Radio Caroline anchored below Thirstlet Spit.
 
All of the above. Bradwell access for my 1.7m is 3.5 hours +/- but no later when falling. The tidal gauge on the North cardinal post seems to have fallen off.

The food in the marina bar is OK but not a patch on the Green Man.

Heybridge basin is great but do ring the lockkeeper the day before to make sure there is no large group going in and to check the lock in time. At springs the lock in is about an hour before HW. Reasonable loos and showers. A dinghy trip up the canal is nice.

The Marconi visitors buoy is the most westerly in the outside row. Look at their website to see when the bar is open. I cannot advise dinghying ashore and back if it is choppy (there's a strong tide through the moorings) or at night when it is pitch black out there.
 
If you have bilge keels and no larger than about 33 feet then there is also Wivenhoe sailing club, they have about 3 pontoon spaces visitors can use, and showers in the club house and then further up the Colne there is a pontoon which dries at Rowhedge ( only room for one boat, so dont leave it late in the tide in case it's already being used), also a wall you can moor against, but never tried that.
Above based on experience maybe 4 years ago, so do check.
Andrew
 
All sounds good and yes , Heybridge basin looks interesting too., but looks as if we'll be up there first week in August and I imagine that the basin will be packed over this period?
Regards Bradwell: Generally I'll be crossing the Swin around LW (always seems to be the case, when utilising the ebb out of the Medway and across the estuary) so, should arrive Bradwell HW -3/4 hours on the flood.
I draw 5'4" at 36'.
Access looks straightforward but is there any recommendation regards which pontoons are best - ie most room? Or, are you at the mercy of the HM?
Yes, have been into Tollesbury before and really enjoyed this retreat. But that was in my first boat - bilge keels, but now with more draft and fin(wing) going on, I'll wait for the springs.
Thanks to all. I'll interrogate my most recent copy of ECP ( nod ) before and liaise with the marina early doors.
 
The first week in August is during Marconi's camping fortnight so the bar should be open every night and also the kitchen. There will be plenty of people around to talk to. My deep water mooring is unlikely to have my boat on it unless I get some work done over the next two weeks so may be available. Pm me nearer the time if you are interested.
 
shortjohnsilver said:
All sounds good and yes , Heybridge basin looks interesting too., but looks as if we'll be up there first week in August and I imagine that the basin will be packed over this period?
Regards Bradwell: Generally I'll be crossing the Swin around LW (always seems to be the case, when utilising the ebb out of the Medway and across the estuary) so, should arrive Bradwell HW -3/4 hours on the flood.
I draw 5'4" at 36'.
Access looks straightforward but is there any recommendation regards which pontoons are best - ie most room? Or, are you at the mercy of the HM?
Yes, have been into Tollesbury before and really enjoyed this retreat. But that was in my first boat - bilge keels, but now with more draft and fin(wing) going on, I'll wait for the springs.
Thanks to all. I'll interrogate my most recent copy of ECP ( nod ) before and liaise with the marina early doors.
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The HM will give you a berth when you call up. If you are wide then tell them as some berths are a bit tight. The shallow bit is between the middle two cans in the approach channel. With that timing you should be fine. If you arrive after they have gone home then there is often space on the hammerheads.
 
MoodySabre said:
The HM will give you a berth when you call up. If you are wide then tell them as some berths are a bit tight. The shallow bit is between the middle two cans in the approach channel. With that timing you should be fine. If you arrive after they have gone home then there is often space on the hammerheads.
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Summer 2015 the HM ?? Told us he would allocate a berth "once we were in the marina --- if there was one! And by the way, the bouyage is not accurate so watch your depth". Gave the place a miss and anchored at Osea.
 
If you don't need walk-ashore access, Osea is a peaceful, pretty anchorage with good holding and shelter - have spent many a quiet night there.
 
We really like Bradwell - great food in the Yacht Club; we came out at half tide last week with a 2M draft and no problems!
Would echo that the berths are tight though & they really squeeze them in & don't allow much room for fenders!!
 
kayenox said:
Indeed it is, as I found out this weekend, just made it out with a bit of bumping across the bottom at this point. I would almost assume a charted depth of zero at that point to ensure calculating a safe depth!
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If you look at Crossing the Thames Estuary you will see that there is a survey showing more water outside the red cans. I can confirm this is so.
 
MoodySabre said:
If you look at Crossing the Thames Estuary you will see that there is a survey showing more water outside the red cans. I can confirm this is so.
Click to expand...

Ahh - wish I'd seen that on Sunday morning! Thanks for that pointer, just looked at the chart on the website - wonder why they haven't adjusted the cans then? There's something very law-abiding in me that makes me nervous about going outside a marked channel, even when (if this survey is correct) there is good reason to do so... thankfully had just enough power to get through the occasional contact with the mud!

As a relative newcomer to east coast sailing, finding these little gems of info on the web is invaluable.
 
kayenox said:
Ahh - wish I'd seen that on Sunday morning! Thanks for that pointer, just looked at the chart on the website - wonder why they haven't adjusted the cans then? There's something very law-abiding in me that makes me nervous about going outside a marked channel, even when (if this survey is correct) there is good reason to do so... thankfully had just enough power to get through the occasional contact with the mud!

As a relative newcomer to east coast sailing, finding these little gems of info on the web is invaluable.
Click to expand...
When the marina were shown this they wanted to move the channel but Trinity House told them they had to pay for proper buoys instead of using just withies and old oil drums. That didn't happen then.

There was a tidal gauge attached to the north cardinal post but it seems to have fallen off. All good east coast fun.
 
MoodySabre said:
When the marina were shown this they wanted to move the channel but Trinity House told them they had to pay for proper buoys instead of using just withies and old oil drums. That didn't happen then.

There was a tidal gauge attached to the north cardinal post but it seems to have fallen off. All good east coast fun.
Click to expand...

The office told me they were re-attaching the tide gauge last Thursday...?
 
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