Bradwell Marina

[saltyrob]

Hi Folks,

Is there any advice for entering the marina as have been told the entrance channel requires care

Many thanks

Rob

 

[MoodySabre]

It is not as tricky as it might seem from a chart. There is a channel from the Cardinal post that is marked by green topped withies and red cans. The shallowest bit is between the two middle red cans. There is a tidal height guage on the cardinal post but don't take that as gospel. There is in fact just as much water outside the red cans as in the marked channel.

From the last red can you will see a green buoy which marks the 90deg right turn. There is no need to leave the green to starboard - there is as much water the other side of it. Then follow the channel between the trots of moorings. Between the most inshore one and the next one out is the deepest. This leads to a red can Marina buoy which you should leave to port and then come into the marina between the posts.

I draw 1.7m and reckon 3 hours either side of HW is comfortable (in an east coast kind of way).

Tillergirl on his Crossing The Thames Estuary website has a download of the Bradwell entrance. http://www.crossingthethamesestuary.com/page29.html
Basically if you can get up the channel by the red cans then there is enough water to get into the marina.

 

[Boz]

What is your draft and when do you plan to arrive in relation to the tide?

Having asked that, MS has covered it pretty well

 

[Burnham Bob]

I think the warnings and advice tend to make things sound worse than they really are. I was petrified frst time into Bradwell looking for the leading marks etc. Just follow the cans and the withies ( Tillergirls's charlet will help) and turn hard at the green buoy then up the creek. Same with the Deben although I know there are real hazards there. As long as you keep on the line marked by the buoys and don't drift off and time it right there's no real problem.

Books like East Coast Pilot have to warn you of the hazards but in listing them makes it sound daunting. Once you've done it once you'll be happy to do it again. Common sense is a great asset when sailing and the pilot books reinforce rather than replace that.

 

[tillergirl]

Very true. And the fact is that if you do touch it isn't exactly traumatic. A light touch and you might be able to 'power' through; more heavily, well there are many worse spots to enjoy a beer. Of course Rob you could always ignore the marked channel and follow the line just outside of the moorings where there is probably 4-6" more water.

 

[Cantata]

In the days when ECP was just a twinkle in Colin Jarman's eye, I waltzed in to Bradwell on my first visit having not really looked at any information at all. I went straight on at the end of the withied/buoyed channel. Not for long, though! #grindinghalt, as someone on Twitter would probably say.

 

[tillergirl]

In the days when ECP was just a twinkle in Colin Jarman's eye, I waltzed in to Bradwell on my first visit having not really looked at any information at all. I went straight on at the end of the withied/buoyed channel. Not for long, though! #grindinghalt, as someone on Twitter would probably say.

While we are remember our yesterday, back when I had Clochard, 25ft clinker centreboarder my engine failed aux Green buoy coming out against a stiff northerly wind and I tried to sail her out. Doomed to failure, without a reef which it needed but t'were no time to set, I zoomed sideways back and forth across the channel causing Armageddon typre of confusion and mutterings before throwing the anchor down halfway up Pewit Island. I actually did have the thought that I would wreck the boat during one of my wild charges.

 

[UncleAlbert]

Did an arrival last year in the dead of a moonless night and could not:-
a) find the cardinal flashes against the power station light show, until very close.
b) could not remember the withy colours, discovered after hitting one and illuminating with flash light ( which killed night vision ) and made threading through moorings nerve wracking.
and c) get over the relief of seeing the Marina red buoy and making safe passage through the posts.

Character building stuff in my book.

Unc

 

[Burnham Bob]

As a proud owner of both East Coast Pilot and Crossing the Thames Estuary, I for one thinks it's a real bonus of this forum that the authors of both read and respond to posts like this. Thank you!

 

[Cantata]

As a proud owner of both East Coast Pilot and Crossing the Thames Estuary, I for one thinks it's a real bonus of this forum that the authors of both read and respond to posts like this. Thank you!

What a very nice man. Thank you.
I shall be blundering my way around points between Kent and Southwold over the next few weeks. If you spot a scruffy bloke in a Moody called Cornsilk, do come and say hi.

 

[Marmalade]

On my first trip into Bradwell in the 28 footer I'd just bought - my Dad was waiting for me - to give me and my friend a ride home. My phone started to ring in my pocket just as I had turned into the marina. We'd had a long sail from Dover - crossed the Thames in F7 winds and were pretty battered. The last thing I wanted was for my Dad to ring and let me know he'd arrived. So I didn't answer it.

After I'd run aground having taken the wrong line through the moorings, painfully powered her off and gained our berth, I was met by my Dad on the pontoon.

"Saw you turning down the wrong line" he said.

"tried to phone and warn you"

Blush.

 

[tillergirl]

What a very nice man. Thank you.
I shall be blundering my way around points between Kent and Southwold over the next few weeks. If you spot a scruffy bloke in a Moody called Cornsilk, do come and say hi.

Yes a very nice man. You won't see me though for the next week at least - travels and the boat engine is broken anyway!