Deben BAR (Last one did'nt post)

[spurnclass]

Deben BAR (Last one did\'nt post)

Hi There.

I would be much obliged for some help concerning the best times in relation to the tides to cross the notorious Deben bar on exit from the river Deben at Felixstowe Ferry.

My draft is relatively small (3ft 6 inches)

Questions are.

1. Can I assume that provided I keep right on course (down the channel to the first green port buoy, (ninety degree turn to the first starboard buoy) that I will actually be able to safely cross at any stage of the tide or is this unadvisable?
2. Following a successful passage through to the first starboard buoy as mentioned above is there any thing else to look out for before entering deeper, more open water.
3. Any one know of any good tales of people getting stuck on the bar?

Any advise/good tales would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks


<hr width=100% size=1>Anyone got any info on 'the spurn class' yachts, 23ft GRP built by marine plastics in 1970-ish?

 

[Twister_Ken]

Here

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.writeforweb.com/twister1>Let's Twist Again

 

[spurnclass]

Re: Deben BAR (Last one did\'nt post)

Exactly what I was after.. Thanks



<hr width=100% size=1>Anyone got any info on 'the spurn class' yachts, 23ft GRP built by marine plastics in 1970-ish?

 

[sailorman]

Re: Deben BAR (Last one did\'nt post)

your item 3.
a number of drownings, wrecked boats for a start.

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[spurnclass]

Re: Deben BAR (Last one did\'nt post)

Blimey, I didn’t realize there had actually been drownings. Heard a few stories of coastguard rescues in a couple of the Woodbridge sailing pubs last year. Myself and the missus are looking to go across there for the first time this weekend. I have been down there on foot a couple of times this year for a recky and it all looks pretty straight forward to me. Just hope I'm not getting over confident. I’m hoping that there will be a yacht in front of us we can follow then it should be easy. (I hope).

<hr width=100% size=1>Anyone got any info on 'the spurn class' yachts, 23ft GRP built by marine plastics in 1970-ish?

 

[paulrossall]

Re: Deben BAR (Last one did\'nt post)

This weekend looks as if it will be ideal for your first trip over the bar. High water is about 1400BST Saturday and 1500BST Sunday so from mid-morning onwards each day there should be constant traffic. Weather forcast looks OK as well so there should not be a lumpy sea. I hope to be bringing my boat back from its winter home at Walton to Ramsholt on the Sunday afternoon but I can anly leave Walton when the pond gate is open about 1 hours before high water so would expect to be going over the bar about 1630-1700BST. Have a good trip. Paul

<hr width=100% size=1>" there is nothing-absolutely nothing-half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats".

 

[Mirelle]

Bar (room) tales...

We residents of the Deben like to maintain that our bar is Horribly Dangerous. This is because we hope to dissuade visitors to our small but very pretty river. In fact, whilst anyone can hit it (and some very experienced local yachtsmen and yachtswomen have seriously damaged their boats there) its danger depends on two things - the state of the tide and the state of the weather.

Last summer a friend and I took his (non-radar-equipped) boat out over the bar at 0100 on a clear moonlit night (this included me getting the wrong side of the red!) and the week before last a friend who is currently borrowing my mooring brought his (radar-equipped) boat over the bar singlehanded at 0300 in a fog.

The bar varies from year to year, this year it is quite benign.

Your three questions:

1. Can I assume that provided I keep right on course (down the channel to the first green port buoy, (ninety degree turn to the first starboard buoy) that I will actually be able to safely cross at any stage of the tide or is this unadvisable?

Three things, really. First, and I really mean this, OBSERVE THE RULE OF THE ROAD!!! Far too many people decide that they are going to stick like glue to what they perceive to be the right course and ignore the Colregs when crossing the bar. This is stupid, for obvious reasons. So, don't keep "right on course", keep to the right of the centreline!

Second, no, do not think of crossing at Low Water with a 3ft 6ins draft. You might be OK at neaps, if there is no swell; at LW springs you are almost bound to go bump!

Third, as the chartlet on the website shows, the shallow bit is the bit between the red and green buoys.

2. Following a successful passage through to the first starboard buoy as mentioned above is there any thing else to look out for before entering deeper, more open water.

Yes, the shoal has extended to seaward for quite a distance beyond the red, as your echosounder will show you. So the best course of action is to stand on almost as far as the offing buoy (the big one marked WE HAVEN) before heading North or South.

3. Any one know of any good tales of people getting stuck on the bar?

None that I care to repeat; I've been lucky myself and why embarass friends?

Finally...

NEVER cross the bar with the ebb running and a strong easterly.

Have a good weekend!

<hr width=100% size=1>Que scais-je?<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by Mirelle on 03/06/2004 20:55 (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[paulrossall]

Re: Deben BAR

Just looked at my tide tables again. Friday night 4/6/04 has Low Water at 1900 BST 0.31mt. This is one of the lowest tides and it would be interesting to look at the entrance if you are about and have the time. I am likely to be at Walton-on-the-Naze but if I was on my mooring at Ramsholt I might be inclined to have a look out of interest.
I guess I might be having a look at Foundry Reach (goes from Walton Channel up to Walton Yacht Basin) about the same time!
Paul
PS where are you going to if this is your first time over the bar?

<hr width=100% size=1>" there is nothing-absolutely nothing-half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats".

 

[Mirelle]

Foundry Reach

I had a very good look at Foundry Reach, thirty years ago. Pushed our pram dinghy all the way up it - there was about three inches of water over the hard gravel at the bottom of the creek, so I stepped over the transom and pushed. The answer to "why on earth did'nt you land at Colonel's Hard or Eagle's Hard?" is that the pram was full of kit!

I intend to have another good look shortly as I have always wanted, but never dared, to take Mirelle alongside the clubhouse at HW to fill the water tanks - I remember seeing Sephine II, a much bigger boat, doing this, and was no end impressed!

<hr width=100% size=1>Que scais-je?

 

[mirabriani]

Re: Bar (room) tales...

I helmed a yacht (not mine) into the Deben two years ago. The skipper advised lining up the East Knoll and Mid Knoll and picking a prominently coloured beach hut in line with another fixed point (a transit) and concentrate on keeping these in line. There was a strong ebb running and we crabbed slowly in at 45 degrees. I found this advice made it easy to keep on track.
A year earlier I was again on the helm coming out. The (different) skipper had been making remarks about how easy the exit was as "The tide will spit you out staight down the middle of the channel" It worked for a while until we began drifting outwards towards breaking water, I had to ask twice before I was allowed to start the engine, I thought the skipper was stubborn and rash.
Briani

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[steverow]

Re: Deben BAR (Last one did\'nt post)

It's some years since Ive done it, but it may be worth you giving the chap on Felixstowe Ferry a shout on the radio...(From memory John White??)..or something like that.

He will guide you over.

Probably not the answer you were looking for but a far more sensible and safer solution, as it constantly shifts.

Steve.


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[paulrossall]

Re: Deben BAR HOW DID YOU DO ?

spurnclass
It would be interesting to know how you found the Deben Bar and when you came back.
I came over Sunday about 1630 which was 1 1/2 hrs after high water. Wind was South East and the bar was very lumpy. An old wooden boat sailing in front of me was swept south of the red bouy. I had the genoa up and the engine going and was doing fine until just before the red bouy when an alarm went off. I reduced throtle, checked the engine warning lights, which wern't on, and then the exhaust which was spewing out plenty of water. Whilst I did this a rouge wave caught me and I proceeded forward sideways, heading generally in the direction of the wooden boat. I quickly thought "sod the engine" and gave it full throttle and rounded the green and proceeded up past the Felixstowe Sailing club with no further problem. I then had more time to investigate the noise, which I had now decided was the altenator, gearbox or stern gland.
I was very pleased when I realised it was the autohelm which was making the noise. I had disconnected it without putting on standby correctly and it was alarming to let me know I was off course.
Later I was talking to George (the Ramsholt Harbour Master) and his brother Bill and they said that when they went out fishing they never returned on the ebb. I will be a bit more wary of returning on a springs ebb in future when there is any East in the wind and given the same circumstances would probably have gone over up to 1 hour later, but I have to balance that view with the fact there would have been less water. However if I had not had the alarm problem I would not have broached but it did make me realise how dependent I was on the engine with the amout of tide runnung. Paul

<hr width=100% size=1>" there is nothing-absolutely nothing-half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats".