East Anglia Coast Voyage

[Boofleman]

Hi All,
This spring I'm planning to take my 35' Broads cruiser over to France (inland waterways) but first I need to navigate round the East Anglia coast from Kings Lynn to Ramgate (or Dover). From what I can see there is no safe haven between Wells-on-Sea and Great Yarmouth which, I'm thinking will take about 15 hours.
From Great Yarmouth downwards there seems to be plenty of stopping places.
Has anyone made this voyage in a similar boat ? What advice can you give ?

I've crossed the channel before (Ramsgate to Gravelines) in a similar size boat but with a 100hp engine as opposed to my little old 40hp BMC plodder.

Would really appreciate help on this.
Thanks

 

[greenace]

Blimey.

At the risk of putting a downer on your trip, if it was me, I'd stick it on the back of a lorry and relax. I know some Broads cruisers are capable of making coastal passages but it always raises an eyebrow with me. And any exposed stretch of coast with no bolt-holes makes me nervous. Combine those two and I'm thinking there must be an easier way.

The stretch south from Yarmouth isn't much easier either. The tide rips out of Southwold harbour, the rivers Ore/Alde, and the Deben. Time your entrance wrong and your 40hp will struggle to make headway. The Orwell/Stour estuary is more benign but it's very busy. And then there's the race off Orfordness, and the shifting sands of the Thames estuary to contend with ...

Can you cruise in company? I know NYA at Brundall do similar – maybe they're doing one in that neck of the woods you could tag along with?

 

[Colin K]

Hello,
You are right the only painful bit is the slog from Wells to Lowestoft (gt Yarmouth isnt really an option). However we sit out the tide or have an overnight stop at Sea Palling. No on shore winds its a nice anchorage deeper water is to go in the middle breakwaters which have beacons in them we draw 1.4m and not had a problem.Doing this you can use the impressive kick from the tide that you get around that big lump of land ....... Sorry Norfolk. Last time we did it was in our 30' Kingfisher,motored all the way due to lack of wind,she has a 30hp engine with an egg whisk of a prop. As with all long passages just make sure you are happy with the weather. If you look on google earth Sea Palling is quite clear. We sometimes stay on board,sometimes bbq on the beach sometimes go to the pub.


Cheers, Colin

 

[Greg2]

If you plan to stop off in Wells then be aware that getting in and out can be tricky, particularly with a tide running accross the channel. Getting the tides right is key and people who come out of the Wash rivers to go to Wells sometimes plan on anchoring in a sheltered spot to wait for the water at Wells. Not done it myself so can't give details but I recall a post a while back from someone planning to single hand to Wells so maybe worth a search.

As for realistic options for a stop Gt. Yarmouth is doable but you would need to go upriver and round into the Bure to get to the Yacht Station to moor. A better bet is Lowestoft as it is only another seven miles or so and the Royal Norfolk and Suffolk Yacht Club is just inside the bridge channel and is a good spot to rest up.

After that it is Southwold but as previously mentioned be aware that the ebbing tide is very strong and you will not make headway against it so planning arrival and departure would be essential. As you are heading south you will want a flooding tide to help you along so may be better to skip Southwold unless the harbourmaster advises that you can get out close to low water.

Next option is the Ore/Alde but anchoring or a visitors mooring buoy will be the only options. The entrance can be tricky and calling in there may not suit an overall passage plan.

Next haven is the Deben but again the entrance can be tricky and it may not suit. Moorings are on buoys only unless you go all the way up to Woodbridge (a delightful spot but some ten miles upriver).

Next it is the Orwell with various options for marinas. Shotley is the closet to the sea so may be the best stopover. Titchmarsh may be an option in the Walton backwaters but tide may be an issue re access.

After that it is the Blackwater and then the Crouch. Both have options for marinas but you add distance busy going into those rivers.

The Thames estuary is a tricky area with various options for crossing. One would be to head for Chatham in the Medway before running round the coast to Ramsgate.

The key consideration will obviously be settled (calm) weather conditions, which in the North Sea can be tricky. After that it is a question of Lowestoft to Ramsgate in one hit via an offshore route (may not be doable) or coast hopping via one or more of the places mentioned. Whichever it will be an epic passage in a Broads cruiser and not one to be undertaken lightly IMHO!

 

[Bridgeman]

We did Humber to Nieupoort last year via Wells Lowestoft Shotley Ramsgate all covered in previous posts. Only thing we did notice was abundance of crab pots so keep a good lookout. Good luck. Neil

 

[Alpha22]

I did Wells to Yarmouth last summer. One of the big issues are the crab pots off Cromer Sherringham. If you are less than a mile out, expect to have to duck and dive to avoid fouling your prop on one. The markers are no more than 5l oil cans.

That coast can be tricky with a bit of wind. You would need a fair few days of almost no wind at all to make a successful trip.... that rarely happens so you will end up staying a few days/weeks in various ports waiting for the weather to be just right..... You have got 8 weeks available to do this trip?

Wells is £20 a night, Southwold £25 Unless absolutely benign weather conditions you do not want to be anchoring overnight away from a safe haven, You would be better carrying on in the dark with a good look out.

I know Kings Lynn, the wash and that coast reasonably well with lots of very recent experience.. PM me if you want a chat.

 

[coliholic]

Did it the other way round about twelve years ago in my Fairline Mirage, firstly with TCM, IIRC we were about the first forumites to meet up and sail together. Don't know if the report's still here, it was called Show me the way to go home. Anyway it was OK but then the Mirage could happily do 18knots. we "lost" and engine off Wells and I suggested we limp in there for repairs but the CG said if we wanted to do that he'd send out the lifeboat and it wasn't that serious so we soldiered on. As I said to tcm at the time, if we lose the other donk we'll be in deep sh1t but he looked at the depth sounder and said, well actually we're only in four feet of water so not really deep sh1t.

Second time I did it was from a MBY cruise in company back from Holland & Belgium on my own, we did Blankenburg, Calais, Ramsgate, Shotley, Lowestoft and Lynn and it was good fun but I wouldn't do it in a single engine 8knot boat, I'd rather pay the £2-300 or whatever to have the boat trucked to Ramsgate. Can't remember who I used, it was a chappie on Sheppey and he did it as a return load. Wasn't stupidly expensive. worth a ring round?

IIRC Alpha's probably still got my old charts :nonchalance:

 

[Alpha22]

IIRC Alpha's probably still got my old charts :nonchalance:

Nope.... not me!! I'm Alpha22, there is another user on here who was called Alpha. Its a long story, but I bought a boat from him called Alpha.... just as he bought a boat called Liberty. In a very strange coincidence, I now own Liberty??? It may be him???

I only own one chart of the North Norfolk coast and I remember buying it!!!

Remember, sometimes it can be like this ....

but often it is like this..... both videos shot within 2 miles of Wells-next-to-sea, but not on the same trip.