Deben entrance

[peterb]

Does anyone know what's happening at the Deben entrance? We tried to get in last week at about half-tide with a 1.5m draught, and couldn't find any way through. Got past the Bar buoy and the first red, then found what seemed to be an almost complete blockage.

I'm told that the chartlets have been withdrawn from the local chandlers and marinas. We didn't look for another entrance, but could it be that a northern entrance has opened up again?

 

[Violetta]

When we went in (late August) this year, the entrance was very close to the shore and seemed to have narrowed and moved even closer since the chartlets were published. This was confusing, as an attempt to keep to the starboard side of what we thought was the channel was foiled by boats wanting to pass inshore, in a narrow pass between high shingle banks. These included a couple of big power boats going at quite high speeds and creating wash enough to bump anyone nearby on the bottom.

We used a buoy at Ramsholt and were told by the ever helpful harbourmaster there that the owner would be late back as he was stuck on the bar. Turned out to be a deep draught boat (I refrain from giving other details that might identify him) so he must have had a hard time. I think many locals have been baffled by the entrance this year.

I believe the north entrance may have opened up again, though. We saw a small fishing boat circling via the north and south entrances. Not sure what he was doing, but he looked as if he might have been checking depths.

Where's Mirelle, I wonder? I bet he knows.