Crossing the Estuary

Phoenix of Hamble

Phoenix of Hamble

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mishapsandmemories.blogspot.com
The following has been posted in the Thames forum

http://www.ybw.com/forums/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/1734488/an/0/page/0#1734488

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Hello Folks, I am planning a trip that will take me from Orford Ness across the Thames estuary eventually to Dover,I havnt crossed the Thames estuary before and would welcome some advice fom the horses mouth(as it were) Do you think you could help with some local knowledge or information you feel i should know?


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Thought it'd make more sense for it to be answered here, so have redirected OP to this forum....
 
The classic route would be out to Sunk Head tower taking care to avoid Cork Sands, so via Rough Towers-ish, up Black Deep and then through Foulgers Gat, and then onto Dover going inside Goodwin through the Gull Stream...

You can of course go right round the outside, but its a lot further!
 
Heres what i had in mind,
From NE Bowdsey to S Bowdsey.
S Bowdsey to Rough Twr
Rough Twr to Sunk Hd Twr
Sunk Hd Twr Through black deep to either Foulgers Gat or Fishermans Gat
Then to NE Spit (via Outer Tounge) And down to NE Goodwin

What does the panel think?
 
Sounds like a plan to me!

Your only problem will be balancing the need to get a fair tide across the estuary, with leaving the Ore/Alde near or shortly before Low Water....

You might be better coming out of the Ore the night before, and diving into somewhere like Hamford water, or if you are feeling flush, one of the Orwell marinas, and setting off from there.....
 
From the cruising assoc almanac update site dated Nov 06plan

Not sure how the new roundabout affects first part of route, new charts being purchased in April.
 
Morgana: Ill keep the idea of hitting it early in mind,but will be arriving in the area from holland so dont know yet exactly when ill be there !!

Grahame: Thanks for that info,I am also doing my rough planning on a chart without the roundabout i do have a chartlet of the thing wihch i will consult once ive got as much info as i can.If i have a good idea of what to miss then adapting the plan should be no problem(? i hope)
 
Tug,
have a look through the East Coast forum, there is some stuff by Tillergirl here that is very knowledgeable.
What do you draw, and can it sit on mud if required?
 
She draws 1 mtr and cant take the mud.

I have PMd Tiller Girl and hopfully he will give his advice here so it may be of use to others,I tried searching for his posts but the new search thingy is not very Tug friendly
 
Ive done it 3 times and always found it a compromise, altho quite an interesting thing to do. Managed to bottom out the first time, but we dont talk about that .......... good luck with it /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
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Ive done it 3 times and always found it a compromise, altho quite an interesting thing to do. Managed to bottom out the first time, but we dont talk about that .......... good luck with it /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

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nerves starting to twitch /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif
 
Just dont do it on a falling tide, no-one should ever do that, and if per chance you do and have 2 crew to run to either side of the boat to rock and get you off, at least make sure they both run in the same direction. I've heard it works much better that way. Clearly none of this advice could ever have been borne out of personal experience. That would be far too embarrasing to admit /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
"You can of course go right round the outside, but its a lot further! "

Is it in fact?
On paper the direct route from Orford Ness to Dover [via N Foreland] is almost straight if you go outside. Not as interesting, you miss all the opportunities to hit the sands, and perhaps more dependant on weather.
I bow to your superior experience of course, not ever having done that exact trip.
Dan
 
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TG is working away in the week but is back at weekends.

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/forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif
 
Glad to say I'm back! I crossed the Estuary last night but at 20,000ft on a BA flight. Got a lovely view of the Walton to Clacton seafront beautifully lit up - clear as a bell, then able to look down on Mersea, Bradwell and Maldon. Then six views of the Millenium Dome, six views of the A13 while in the stack! Frankly, what ever the subject my only opinion today is don't go by BA - 3 hours late going out to Vienna last Sunday - 5 gate changes, each one at opposite ends of Terminal 4, each one getting more incompentent - at one point we were sent to a gate where 200 people were waiting to board a Jumbo to Newark - even I could work out it wasn't going to Vienna. Once we were on the plane, two hours late, the pilot announced we had a one hour delay before take off and took us off stand and parked up to one side. Coming back, on boarding at Vienna 'sorry there is a one hour fifteen minute delay before we have a takeoff slot'; then 'ten minutes in the hold' turned into 40 minutes of circling East London before of course we land on the north runway for Terminal 4 - 25 minutes of taxi and waiting to cross the south runway. And then on the M25 my Air Mass meter went bilge up and the car limped home on safe mode. Stuff the world, stuff BA and stuff Heathrow. I know I should never have left the Island (this one that is).

Do you know you cannot make a complaint at the BA Customer Service Desk? What's the point of a Customer Service Desk that does take complaints?

Sorry forgive the rant. I needed that out of the system. I will PM Tug
 
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"You can of course go right round the outside, but its a lot further! "

Is it in fact?


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Harwich - Ramsgate is 4NM longer if you go round the outside.
Harwich - Rough Towers - Kentish Knock - North Foreland - Ramsgate. Doddle.

I much prefer it - one tack, autopilot engaged, bliss.
You don't get echosounder paranoid, you don't have to keep looking for a buoy all the time.

The peace of mind is well worth the extra 4NM.
 
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