Dog-friendly anchorages

[bromleybysea]

I prefer to anchor when cruising, and now I'm sailing with Arthur, a Jack Russell cross, I need anchorages where all tide landing is possible, as he invariably needs to go ashore to relieve himself at low water. On our last cruise we used the Rocks on the Deben, Walton Stone point though I would prefer Hamford Water I wasn't sure I could get ashore easily, and Mersea Stone on the Colne. Any other suggestions would be most welcome.

 

[tillergirl]

Osea Island - landing onto shingle. Also Lawling Creek certainly from half tide and perhaps a little earlier there is a clean landing on the point at the entrance.

 

[Gargleblaster]

I used to take my Westie sailing with me a lot until she became partially blind. She would happily wait the twelve hours between high tides to go ashore to relieve herself. Although if I was anchored somewhere that wasn't all mud I could take her ashore more often. Quay Reach steps on the Roach immediately springs to mind, but perhaps a bit too far south for you.

I met a dog in the Baltic some years ago that the German owners had trained to go to the toilet on a piece of artificial grass on the foredeck. I thought about trying to train my westie to do something similar but never got around to making any longer trips with her.

The most useful tool I found for a dog in an anchorage was a dog lifejacket not to save her from drowning as she was a good swimmer but the handle was invaluable for lifting her from the deck to the dinghy and vice versa.

 

[Hadenough]

There is an anchorage with a beach just before Pin Mill on the Orwell just inside Butt buoy. You can get ashore on firm mud with 1.6 of tide or more, any less and you are up to your knees with the lug worms.

 

[ianc1200]

I think I started a similar thread last year and had several useful suggestions made. Worst time I had was Iken Cliff, lovely beach but awful mud at 11.30pm and much washing of dogs and me resulted. We found to look for upturned dinghies on sea walls/shore as indication of places likely to be able to get dogs off. Good places we found were near the ferry on the Butley River, about 1.5 miles above Aldeborough, either side of river Stour around the Wrabness area, and Honey Island in the Walton Backwaters.