Crossing the wash

[Martyn2461]

I’m planning cross the wash on my way to Lincoln as newbie/1st time crossing the wash all and any tips, experiences and advice appreciated.

Martyn

Sea Treking

 

[PaulRainbow]

Would be useful to know where you plan to cross from/to and what you're crossing in.

 

[Momac]

crossing the wash ... any tips

Avoid days when the wind has any East in it.

 

[nortada]

I’m planning cross the wash on my way to Lincoln as newbie/1st time crossing the wash all and any tips, experiences and advice appreciated.

Martyn

Sea Treking

Suspect your you are crossing from Lynn/Denver to Boston?

What kind of vessel and what drought?

 

[Martyn2461]

Hi Nortada
From Great Yarmouth to Boston My boat 38 twin engine motor cruiser draught 1.1 max cruising speed 15 knots
Martyn

 

[nortada]

Hi Nortada
From Great Yarmouth to Boston My boat 38 twin engine motor cruiser draught 1.1 max cruising speed 15 knots
Martyn

Thanks.

A long trip with all of the real excitement at the end.

My advise. Arrive in the Freeman Channel with time to spare, anchor and then drift up with the tide. Do not arrive at Boston too early (before the water). Assume you can take the bottom so if too late to lock you can always take the next lock into the Witham.

When are you proposing to make this trip?

 

[Martyn2461]

Nortada,
It’s part a trip to be in Loch Ness by June so i’m Aiming at mid April, I’ve checked my charts I should be ok for room but will obviously check more throughly at cruise time.

Martyn

 

[tillergirl]

By coincidence there is a NtM this week with a couple of buoy moves and one deleted in the approaches to Boston. I'll post it on the usual Monday evening update on my web site where the changes will be illustrated. Any other recent changes can be found in the Area page at http://www.crossingthethamesestuary.com/page9.html

 

[PaulRainbow]

Depart from Yarmouth inland of Scroby Sands, using the Caister Channel. Keep heading North until you are about 5 miles offshore and follow the coastline, this will keep you clear of most of the pot buoys. As you get closer to Blakeney move closer to the shore to pass inland of Sherringham Shoal and Blakeney Overfalls. Head for the Bridgirdle buoy, then the Woolpack buoy, then steer 250° until you get closer to the NW side of the Wash, then follow along the coastline to the Freeman Channel.

If you time your departure so you pass the Bridgirdle buoy at around LW you'll have a fair tide all the way from Yarmouth, by the time you turn into the Wash it'll be flooding and you'll get some fair tide again to the Freeman channel. You'll have to calculate tidal heights from there to make sure you have enough water to get to Boston, or drop the hook and have a break until you do. A short break here will beat pushing the tide along that stretch of coast and most certainly beats pushing anything through the Wash, tides there can be rather fast.

Keep a sharp lookout for pot buoys all the way, being 5 miles off will help enormously along the coast, be very wary of them in the Wash, especially the deep water areas as these can be heavily populated with Lobster pots.

 

[Martyn2461]

Paul

I’ve just roughly plotted the course above it spot on thanks very much
Martyn

 

[PaulRainbow]

Paul

I’ve just roughly plotted the course above it spot on thanks very much
Martyn

You're welcome :encouragement:

 

[Kurrawong_Kid]

Slight thread drift. If your boat has previously been on the Broads for a period it might be sensible to check that the fuel tanks are free of sludge, or worse! It is common for river craft to suffer blocked filters at the first sign of rough water which activates the deposits. A good supply of spare filters would also be a good idea.

 

[fergie_mac66]

Avoid days when the wind has any East in it.

Or much north

 

[Martyn2461]

All’s fine there but thanks anyway

Martyn

 

[Momac]

Or much north

Indeed .
and
there can be no wind but The Wash /North Sea is s till slopping about from wind a day or two before.

 

[Momac]

Hi Nortada
From Great Yarmouth to Boston My boat 38 twin engine motor cruiser draught 1.1 max cruising speed 15 knots
Martyn

Why Boston ?
Seems a bit of a detour if you are ultimately aiming for Loch Ness.

 

[fergie_mac66]

I wondered about that 6 miless tabs head to the lock gates got to.be carefull with timing

 

[snowbird30ds]

I got it wrong once when the tide was running later than expected going into boston, got pushed along with too little water and found a washing machine under the town bridge, managed to carry on for the week (got to nottingham and back to gt.ouse) but when I went to do the minor repair to the reversing catch found I had shattered the swivel forks on both outdrives.
On another boston entry we anchored in clay hole and watched another boat motoring straight in so assumed local knowledge of a deeper route when suddenly it stopped dead and the nose reared up, not local knowledge just stupidity, turned out it was an old broads cruiser they had been given from a swinging mooring in kings lynn and just fired it up and took it across the wash with a handheld gps mobile phone and tank full of unknown crud, they had to punch out a UV yellowed perspex screen to see where they were going, plonkers!
For a stopover heading north wells is a far better bet.

 

[fergie_mac66]

I got it wrong once when the tide was running later than expected going into boston, got pushed along with too little water and found a washing machine under the town bridge, managed to carry on for the week (got to nottingham and back to gt.ouse) but when I went to do the minor repair to the reversing catch found I had shattered the swivel forks on both outdrives.
On another boston entry we anchored in clay hole and watched another boat motoring straight in so assumed local knowledge of a deeper route when suddenly it stopped dead and the nose reared up, not local knowledge just stupidity, turned out it was an old broads cruiser they had been given from a swinging mooring in kings lynn and just fired it up and took it across the wash with a handheld gps mobile phone and tank full of unknown crud, they had to punch out a UV yellowed perspex screen to see where they were going, plonkers!
For a stopover heading north wells is a far better bet.

Yes salt water side of lock aeen cars shopping trolleys washing mhines,. Rocks stakes wrecks at low water
Wells def better specialy as dredged to low neeps for windfarm vessels.

 

[PaulRainbow]

If the OP is only using Boston as a stopover, then i agree with Wells being a better bet, vastly better.