Deben transits

[MagicalArmchair]

Hello all,

I know there is lots of good information here:

http://www.eastcoastpilot.com/downloads.html
http://www.debenestuarypilot.co.uk/

And I will call the famous, wise and knowledgeable John White before I attempt the bar, however does anyone have any suggested transits for crossing the bar? We draw 1.55M are are intending to go across on Monday 8th next week (3.3M tide at 15:50 BST at Felixstow ferry) and then leave on the Friday (neap tides, of course ) (2.8M at 6:30AM).

I'm planning on going in two hours before high water to give me enough time to get up to Woodbridge and hop across the bar - Woodbridges high tide is somewhat later at 16:40 on Monday, which is helpful.

Any advice would be gratefully received.

 

[DanTribe]

The ECP download is excellent and has all the info you will need. We draw 1.8m and found the entrance very straightforward this year, entering and leaving 2 hours before HW. There is usually plenty of traffic to give you a sense of security that you are on the right line.
BTW, if you zoom straight up to Woodbridge you will miss much of the charm of the Deben in my opinion. E.g Felixstowe Ferry, Ramsholt, The Rocks & Waldringfield.
Woodbridge is a pleasant town but the Tide Mill marina seems to be undergoing extensive remodelling on a long term basis. It was a bit of a building site while we we there.
I hope they don't tidy it up and "improve" it out of all recognition.

 

[MagicalArmchair]

Thanks Dan, with two kids of 1 and 4 and the ships hound that needs to get off for a walk (not to mention a wife/1st mate keen on a shower ) the marina is going to be the starting point. We are planning to go and anchor off the rocks for one night to visit the beach there. We have a good outboard and a robust rubber dubber, so there is nothing stopping us dashing back and forth from the shore in the other places.

Are there visitor moorings at Waldringfield? I note on google earth there is a pontoon there I could moor the dingy up to with the permission of the YC (1st mate hasn't got used to wading through east coast mud yet...I'm working on that...). There is a trot boat service at Felixstowe Ferry isn't there if we use one of their moorings? Any other trot boat services like that further up the river? Looks like some cracking beaches at Felixstowe ferry too for the kiddies... might stop off there rather than/in addition to the rocks...

Thanks for the advice!

 

[DanTribe]

There are a few visitors moorings at Waldringfield and they even provide bright orange dinghies for your use, a nice touch. There were vacant ones a few weeks ago but likely to be busy at this time. Speak to Waldringfield Boatyard, the new management are much more visitor friendly than the previous regime and can probably find you a spare mooring. There's good landing on the beach at all tides, very little mud.
The Rocks is [are?] less sandy and more muddy than previously, but still good landing at the North end. It is possible to walk to Ramsholt from there, if a bit rugged.
There is a foot passenger ferry between Felixstowe Ferry and Bawdsey who will collect from yachts. Speak to John White, the fount of all local knowledge, regarding a mooring.
Ther's a good gastro pub and a decent greasy spoon cafe. The beaches are generally shingly here, not so good for sand pies.
You'll love it.

 

[CliveG]

As to Transits for the bar.

Before you pass the outer red can buoy line up it up with the inner Green buoy and then select a fixed object ashore on the same alignment and keep that in line with the Green all the way in.
This line should keep you about a couple of boat lengths to Starboard of the Middle Red Can Buoy,
Be prepared for the tide to sweep you off to port quite strongly until you reach the middle Red Can Buoy.
From about half way to the Middle Red Can Buoy there is a gravel bank on your Starboard side.
The Middle Red Can marks the start of a gravel bank to Port.

Once you have the Green Buoy along side to Starboard keep heading for the beach for about a boat length before turning to parallel the beach.
Keep over to the port side of the channel until you get to the 1st large red beacon post and then set across to the starboard side to leave the inner red can to port.
You will have quite a bit of tide under you by this point.

Hope you have a great trip.

 

[Rivers & creeks]

The rocks is a much less pleasant place than it used to be to go ashore

But there's a lot of vacant moorings at Ramsholt, we often overnight there and it's easy to get the kids and pooch ashore, once we were charged a fiver for the RNLI but haven't been asked for years now. There's a mobo landing stage just down river from there that we've used quite a few times now, not to moor up to but we anchor off for twenty minutes and take the pooch ashore in the dinghy for a run before a trip.

 

[Lucky Duck]

Bring back the 'meets' I say!

I often wondered why there were so many vacant moorings at Ramsholt but hardly any at Waldringfield until I read the thread about it here a little while back

 

[Rivers & creeks]

Bring back the 'meets' I say!

I often wondered why there were so many vacant moorings at Ramsholt but hardly any at Waldringfield until I read the thread about it here a little while back

And long may it continue

 

[MagicalArmchair]

Thanks for all the great advice. We'll go straight up, spend a night in Woodbridge (obligatory dinner at the pooch friendly and very nice Anchor pub), then drift back down river over the next few days and visit some other places.

All tide landings at Ramsholt, Waldringfield and Felixstowe ferry sound good (the trot boat sounds even better here - I still have to pluck up the courage to stick all four of us plus the hound in my 2.7 meter Plastimo dinghy ). If its more muddy at the rocks, we'll dodge there this year round. Thanks again for the advice!

 

[Rivers & creeks]

Rocks is no fun as a beach but it's still the prettiest anchorage on the East Coast.

 

[englishrobs]

I can only echo the previous good advice here. I made the Deben entrance for the first time just over a week ago at Springs to pick up a mooring at Ramsholt. Found the latest ECP and John White's advice hugely helpful and yes plenty of traffic to help reassure you're in the right place. We plan to go again this weekend (Neaps) so it will be interesting to see the difference, Spring flood on the exit was more unnerving than the entry and yes the tide does push you to port on entry.

Pleased we did it though I've now bought an outboard after experiencing rowing against the spring tide at Ramsholt. The pub was tantalisingly close, we made it but with limited drinking time. Have a great trip.

 

[Tammany]

Never been through by boat but we visited Bawdsey yesterday. Took the caravan to Melton near Woodbridge and drove down for a few hours to walk the dog and look around. The tide ripping over the bar is incredible. I wouldn't fancy going overboard their but saw plenty of different shape boats going through no problems at all. It was a lovely place to visit and the house right on the quay at Bawdsey was for sale. A great place to live if i win the lottery anytime soon lol.

 

[MagicalArmchair]

Thank you for all the great advice. We had a very successful crossing both ways over the bar, at about 2 hours before high water on the way in, and about 1.5 hours before high water on the exit and we never went below 3M on the sounder even though the tides were (very) neapish.

Woodbridge was lovely:

But, as suggested here, Ramsholt was better! (Blue boat in the background being Triola). Lots of playing in the sand, iced cream and dinner in the Arms, and some lovely walks (there are some hornets nests on the walk along the front there we were told, some people walking back had been stung, so watch out if you are headed that way...)

Summer cruise over now, ho hum, back to work.