Brightlingsea mooring

[absit_omen]

We are planning to move to Brightlingsea as soon as our house in Sussex sells ........
pause for peals of laughter to die down.

In any event, we would like to move the boat out of Lowestoft over next Easter.

We are on the waiting list for a pontoon or swinging mooring with the Brightlingsea Harbour Comissioners but just thought I would see if anyone had any other ideas.

I have seen (in fact I, ahem, rested on the mud for a couple of hours to admire them.........! ) moorings up the Colne around Pyefleet Channel. Who owns or administers them? Are they rented out? etc.

All local knowledge gratefully received.

Many thanks.

 

[tillergirl]

I seem to recall from a conversation with the West Mersea Water Baliff that they are owned by a guy/business at East Mersea. If I see him in the next couple of days, I'll ask.

 

[absit_omen]

I shall buy your book by way of thanking you!

 

[alan17]

What type and size of boat? Most important keel type. Can it take the ground?

Last April I moved my boat from Burnham Yacht Harbour to Morgan Marine in Brightlingsea. Very pleased with my move. My berth, on a walk on pontoon with water and electricity by metered cable, does dry and I cannot get in/out roughly 1 to 2 hours either side of low water. Dry period depends on springs or neaps.

 

[Mudplugger]

Whils't there is some dispute over the entitlement of the Colchester Oyster Fishery to do so, I think that you will find that they are the providers of moorings in the Pyefleet channel. Company operated by Chris Kerrison. If able to take the ground other possibilities exist....

 

[absit_omen]

Chinita is a teak Vertue, 25' 3", 4.5 tons and draws 4' 6" with a long keel. I have been advised of the likelier availability of drying moorings but, clearly, that is not feasible in my case.

In the past I have had a mud berth - as in Tollesbury variety -so have no objections to that but a quiet and protected swinging mooring would be the tops!

 

[Cobra]

Ceratinly if Morgans have any availability on their pontoons, you would sit in the mud at the bottom end of each tide, BUT they are sensibly priced.

The harbour commissioners have taken control of the new marina facility alongside the new development. I would STRONGLY advise against these...what you gain in ease of access from the land you lose in accessibility from the water.

Pyefleet moorings as has already been said fairly certain they are owned /managed by Chris Kerrison BUT think about accessibility if you are looking to live in Brightlingsea...it is quite a long haul to Pyefleet in a dinghy!!

OPTIONS

Whilst it is fair to say that the main HC pontoons have a massive waiting list, there may be availability on the HC's White Pontoons further up the channel. We are on these pontoons, and there were at least 3 empty berths there throughout this season. Beyond the White Pontoons, there are Morgans piled moorings which had plenty of availability this season. You then enter the world of the swinging moorings owned/managed by former Harbour Master John Hickman.

For comparison, we are 28' drawing 4', bilge keels and we remain afloat with access (albeit fairly tight) to our mooring on all but the lowest of Springs.

 

[absit_omen]

Thanks for that.

I was offered a berth in the new marina - I would not want it at even a quarter of the price - so you can imagine what they are asking.

I will have a look at Morgans to see if anything is available - I guess it all depends on the consistency of the mud and the length of time she would be sitting in it. Her last mud berth in at the Humber Yawl Club was oozy and gooey right up to her waterline and did no harm at all.

I have a Valiant 270 RIB and a Yamaha 6hp 4 stroke so getting to and from Pyefleet should not be too much of a problem - perhaps a little wet at times. Next issue is where to keep the RIB as the waiting list in the Brightlingsea dinghy park is something like 4 years! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

 

[Athene V30]

From personal experience if you are thinking of taking a Morgans mooring and are told you will settle into the mud at LW do check it out yourself.

I came down to my previous boat once to find her awash to the top of the bunks. She had not settled into the mud as suggested but toppled over the wrong way at LWS (mast downhill) and as the tide rose she didn't float quickly enough and was flooded. Fortunately the HM had seen the predicament and rather than leave her there to fall over the next day as well dragged her off to one of his moorings. No one from Morgan's ever called me to tell me of a problem. I fould out from the previous Boatman that she was on a new mooring and bailed her out before going off sailing for a week!

I do still use Morgans but only for winter storage.

 

[absit_omen]

Hmmm, thanks for that.

I am not sure I would have been as calm and philosphical about it as you appear to have been!

 

[Athene V30]

[ QUOTE ]
I am not sure I would have been as calm and philosphical about it as you appear to have been!

[/ QUOTE ]

It was 6 years ago now and I promise at the time I wasn't calm and philosphical! /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

But hey, life's too short!

 

[MikeBz]

[ QUOTE ]
Chinita is a teak Vertue, 25' 3", 4.5 tons and draws 4' 6" with a long keel. I have been advised of the likelier availability of drying moorings but, clearly, that is not feasible in my case.

[/ QUOTE ]

Though not a Vertue we are vertuelly (ha ha) identical dimensions/type (25' OD, 4.5 tonnes, 4' 6" draft long keel) and live happily on one of the HC's fore-and-aft moorings upstream of the main pontoons. We take the mud at low tide without any problems, it's nice & soft. Plenty of similar type boats doing the same thing along there. The only 'pain' is that being on a fore-and-aft means the buoy at one end is chafing away against the (transom-hung) rudder half of the time.

Mike

 

[youngwrinkley]

[ QUOTE ]

I have a Valiant 270 RIB and a Yamaha 6hp 4 stroke so getting to and from Pyefleet should not be too much of a problem - perhaps a little wet at times. Next issue is where to keep the RIB as the waiting list in the Brightlingsea dinghy park is something like 4 years! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

The Colne Yacht Club has Dinghy Racks - There are usually some available, I think.

 

[absit_omen]

Many thanks for that - will check it out.