Crossing the bar on the Deben and Ore

[Tomahawk]

What’s the latest experience for both?
Planning to do a bit of ditch crawling over the weekend in small (18’) cats. Only snag is they draw 1.5m with boards fully down.

 

[Gary Fox]

What’s the latest experience for both?
Planning to do a bit of ditch crawling over the weekend in small (18’) cats. Only snag is they draw 1.5m with boards fully down.

Sounds fun, presumably you will be under sail and going with the tide; can you briefly raise the daggers while over the thin bits?

 

[oldgit]

Went in recently with 2 other Mobos drawing about 1.2 m, fairly early, the weather was somewhat inclement , to be honest saw more water under the propellers than on many trips up to the non tidal Medway.

 

[Concerto]

Been in both recently with 1.6m draft. You should be fine. Use the chartlets on East Coast Pilot for the latest information for your approach, especially the Deben.

 

[PetiteFleur]

Both easy, make sure you follow the buoys and as concerto says, check out the ECP website and chartlets. A have 1.5m draft, 2 1/2 hrs either side of hw. Do you have an outboard as the ebb goes out fast if the wind drops!

 

[PeterWright]

Hi Tomahawk,

We've done both this year with 6 foot (1.83m) draft. For the Deben, I have changed my customary half tide or more to +/- 2 hours from HW, which makes for a bit more of a rush if we want to get ove the Tideemill cill on the same tide. No change to the half tide rule for the Ore.

I don't really know about cat sailing, but I guess you could raise the weather board and leave the lee one down then sail through the shallow, narrow bits with the lee hull in the deeper water. I have found that, when encountering boats passing in the opposite direction, some stick rigidly to the middle, leaving little space for you in the narrow bits - might ne a bit more of an issue for a cat, if you want to keep both boards down.

Peter.