Deben Bar

[Slow_boat]

Well, we're nearly ready for the grand voyage/slow meander west.
The mast electrics and the engine service next week, then we'll be following in Lazy Kippers wake to the West Country. The itinery for the first fortnight is;

Deben-Ramsgate
Ramsgate-Sandwich
Sandwich-Dover
Dover-Newhaven/Eastbourne/Brighton
Newhaven etc-Littlehampton to leave the boat for two weeks then another month to head west.

The first question is this;

The previous owner reckons on getting out of the Deben on half ebb then ride the tide to Ramsgate.

It looks viable on the chartlet and tide tables; we draw just over 1.5m, but the pilot books say only to try cross the bar a couple of hours before HW.

Any advice welcome!

 

[sailorman]

Well, we're nearly ready for the grand voyage/slow meander west.
The mast electrics and the engine service next week, then we'll be following in Lazy Kippers wake to the West Country. The itinery for the first fortnight is;

Deben-Ramsgate
Ramsgate-Sandwich
Sandwich-Dover
Dover-Newhaven/Eastbourne/Brighton
Newhaven etc-Littlehampton to leave the boat for two weeks then another month to head west.

The first question is this;

The previous owner reckons on getting out of the Deben on half ebb then ride the tide to Ramsgate.

It looks viable on the chartlet and tide tables; we draw just over 1.5m, but the pilot books say only to try cross the bar a couple of hours before HW.

Any advice welcome!

leave at hw & go straight to Dover the flood will assist from Sandwich > Dover

 

[Otter]

But that gives you 6 hours of foul tide. I'd leave at half ebb - that's fine on your draft but keep the red and green dead inline - three hours of foul, 6 hours of fair tide. Then a short hop to Ramsgate but I can't remember when it turns at Longnose, Tillergirl's the man for this job. MLWS depth on the bar seems to be about 1m so add 1.8m for half tide and you've got buckets of the stuff under you.

BTW I'm in favour of outside everything, none of this intricate stuff. It adds five miles but takes away a lot of stress.

 

[Debenair]

I came back in at 19.15 on Tuesday and only had 2.8m at the shallowest bit.
Pressure was very high and I suspect the extended period of north easterlies and the lack of a decent spring tide to scour the bar may have contributed to a certain shallowing.
Personally I would not run the entrance more than one hour after HW.

 

[Slow_boat]

Thanks, guys.

I actually want to go to Sandwich, I'm told it's a lovely place and we're just water-born tourists, after all. Likewise, Dover is so that I can spend a day at the castle.

I aim to go outside everything, it's our first trip so I'm going to keep it simple. How far have you got so far, Lazy Kipper?

 

[Slow_boat]

I came back in at 19.15 on Tuesday and only had 2.8m at the shallowest bit.
Pressure was very high and I suspect the extended period of north easterlies and the lack of a decent spring tide to scour the bar may have contributed to a certain shallowing.
Personally I would not run the entrance more than one hour after HW.

So that was, what, 3 hrs before HW?

2.8m I can live with, as long as there's no sea running. I don't really start to twitch until it gets to 2.5m, but that was with 1.38m draught!

 

[Champagne Murphy]

Thanks, guys.

I actually want to go to Sandwich, I'm told it's a lovely place and we're just water-born tourists, after all. Likewise, Dover is so that I can spend a day at the castle.

I aim to go outside everything, it's our first trip so I'm going to keep it simple. How far have you got so far, Lazy Kipper?

I haven't ever looked at the figures for Sandwich but I did visit 2-3 years ago and it looked rather like Dylans latest video over on Scuttlebutt, ie a (not very) glorified ditch. Which rather begs the question, if getting over the bar is an issue (presumably on account of draft) then getting up to Sandwich may involve even more worries!

 

[Slow_boat]

I haven't ever looked at the figures for Sandwich but I did visit 2-3 years ago and it looked rather like Dylans latest video over on Scuttlebutt, ie a (not very) glorified ditch. Which rather begs the question, if getting over the bar is an issue (presumably on account of draft) then getting up to Sandwich may involve even more worries!

Ah, but I'll go up to Sandwich ( and maybe later Rye) on the flood!

 

[Champagne Murphy]

Ah, but I'll go up to Sandwich ( and maybe later Rye) on the flood!

Best of British to you! You've got bigger cahones than me!

 

[Slow_boat]

Best of British to you! You've got bigger cahones than me!

What's the worst that can happen?

I slide to a gentle halt in the river mud and have twelve hours to think about it. Better than hitting a shingle bank off the Deben!

 

[CliveG]

The previous owner reckons on getting out of the Deben on half ebb then ride the tide to Ramsgate.

It looks viable on the chartlet and tide tables; we draw just over 1.5m, but the pilot books say only to try cross the bar a couple of hours before HW.

Any advice welcome!

The Deben bar can be very uncomfortable on the ebb in the wrong conditions.
The new alignment (North - South) means that a strong wing with any significant south in it will kick up a short steep wave set once the ebb gets going.
During Springs the ebb (& the Flood) can run at over 4 knots.
On the Flood there is no fetch for the wave train to build up significantly in Northerlies.

I avoid the Bar on the Ebb if at all possible.
If heading for the Dover area I usually get out of the Deben and into Harwich the day before I intend to cross the Thames.

 

[Otter]

Not set off yet, waiting for the holidays - 3 weeks to go. Rye is great BTW, well worth a stop.

So far we've only crossed the Deben bar at max of HW+3, and I don't think we'd push that envelope any further. 4 years ago we merrily crossed at any state of the tide, we need the right sort of gale to shift it all.