Decision time

benw

benw

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6 May 2008
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Ok i have just spent a weekend driving with much thinking Peterborough to Inverkip and back. I have this feeling that I may be putting an offer in!

But time for some honesty - how much of our wonderful East Coast and Belgian/Dutch/French treasures will be off limits with a 6ft 8in keel (2.02m). I have gone through all our recent haunts and consider dependant upon tide most luckily are still available. Last yacht Sadler 32 4ft 1.2m keel, new potential Sigma 38 6ft8in 2.02m keel - owch!

But it seems Tollesbury a much loved haunt for the family has a MHWS clearance over the sill 2m - is this known to be the case as last time we went over it I wasnt that bothered about maxing out. most of the canals through the Dutch waterways seem ok, Bastion de Loongplaat on the Veerse Meer may be out

I know you will all be fairly brutal but please deep keelers give me a sniff of hope. Please bare in mind I realise I would be waiting for the top of the flood in most places.
 
People sail the East Coast in 2m boats, they just don't sail as much of it :D

I agree with David about getting a swinger, you'll find lots of EC marinas either off limits or very restricted access. My biggest concern would be how often our tides don't make their predicted height, easy to get neaped with that draft. Actually thinking about all the marinas we've berthed in on the EC, that draft would rule you out. We've have visited Gillingham and Catham and they'd be OK.

Mind you, when you are sailing you'll be sailing one of the most rewarding sub 40 footers out there, I bet you'll have a permanent grin on every time the sails are up!
 
Well, if you're going to have problems with 2.02m, then i'm stuffed... My new boat is 2.2m!

I'm not in the slightest worried about draft... There are still a ton of places to visit with a deeper draft. If wide ranging access to all and every east coast location was an essential feature in a boat then you wouldn't buy a fin keeler at all, regardless of draft.
 
I used to sail on a Sigma 38 out of Tichmarsh , a great boat to sail and loads of room , we never found draught to much of a problem , you just have to plan things to suit tide ect , blasting across north sea was what we enjoyed most tho , for what it's worth we didn't worry about the runners either !! They were always tied foward against cap shrouds .
 
Thanks guys,
I needed some re-assurance as you can get a bit relaxed with a twin keel and 4ft draft.
Consideration for exit and entry into a port is always part of passage planning isn't it? We always over compensate anyway.
The plus of the boat and draft is getting places swiftly and feeling well looked after. One of our trips last year having enjoyed Tollesbury for a few days wasclose hauled bashing out of the Blackwater in rising gusts of 30knts and a bunch of Dutch and Belgian cruiser racers can blasting by keeping on one tack and disappearing into the spray. We eventually started making progress but only with the aid of the Bukh. Being airborne off the top of each wave for the majority of the passage was exciting but quite intimidating for the family.
 
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