East coast advice...thanks!

[richlear]

Hi,

I am planning a single handed round Britain trip in 2021 in my Hunter 27. She is 27ft, draws 0.7m and has twin keels so can take the ground. I have an inflatable dinghy with outboard. My route is a series of day sails, aiming at 30nm per day with night stops preferably in marinas but also OK on a buoy. Would prefer a buoy than anchoring but can also do that if necessary. So far I have planned from Lossiemouth down the W coast, N. Ireland, Wales, Cornwall, Solent. On the journey further east I am struggling a little. So far I am routing Portsmouth along the coast ending up in Southwold or Lowestoft which is where I have run out of options!

The next marinas seem to be on the Humber so what options are there between Lowestoft and Grimsby?

Any suggestions gratefully received
Thanks
Rich

 

[Sticky Fingers]

Wells Next the Sea would be the most obvious kinda half way one. A lot more than your 30 miles though, more like 60 odd. Or pick a buoy up at Blakeney, a few miles shorter.

 

[Nimrod18]

Half way to Wells is a place called Sea Palling. There are a number of artificial breakwaters there that I have seen some folk report (I think on this forum) a successful overnight on a hook. I've not done it myself. It's not your 100% solution and judging by google maps would be untenable in anything from the NW clockwise to SE. However, it might offer to break your distance into a managble chunk and mean you don't have to stem the flood that heads SE against you.

I've also noted (through study not personal experience) that at Wells the flood starts to head East (against you) about 2 hours ahead of LW at the bar. You'll need to go over the bar towards the HW end (those with experience can advise when). This means to exploit an ebb (heading W or NW) during your CCW circumnavigation, you might need to drop a hook along the N coast of Norfolk and wait for the water to rise. All other harbours along the N Norfolk coast are similarly limited.

Repeat - no personal experience, but I've studied that journey a little with an eye to doing it myself. Good luck with your project.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

Basically, the east coast from about Whitby to Lowestoft has very few havens. The Humber has Grimsby or the anchorage inside Spurn Head, and Wells has already been mentioned. But thatvstill leaves some stretches much longer than 30 miles.

 

[nigelm]

Id go for more 50/60!mile hops and then a rest period , 30 miles is a days jolly really

 

[Kukri]

The North Norfolk harbours are only accessible towards high water and in fair weather. This automatically gives you a tide problem. I’d suggest cutting them out and making a longer passage - you can do thirty hours or so single handed quite easily, I have found.

 

[richlear]

Thanks for the info all. I missed Wells when i was looking along the coast so will make that a stop. I and doing this for enjoyment and 6 or 7 hrs a day is enough so 30nm maybe up to 40 if I have to but will try to keep it shorter than 9 or 10 hrs. Minn - I am afraid a 30hr stint is not for me!!

 

[Daverw]

If I was going north from Wells would do the long stint to Bridlington if I did not want to stop at Spurn or Grimsby, by the time you’ve got into the Humber you would be part way to Bridlington if you carried on past, 70nm leg

 

[pvb]

... you can do thirty hours or so single handed quite easily, I have found.

Unfortunately, many insurance policies restrict singlehanding to 18 hours max.

 

[pvb]

I and doing this for enjoyment and 6 or 7 hrs a day is enough so 30nm maybe up to 40 if I have to but will try to keep it shorter than 9 or 10 hrs.

I'm not sure that's really practical for your proposed trip. You need to be prepared to do some longer days, maybe 12-15 hours at times.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

I'm not sure that's really practical for your proposed trip. You need to be prepared to do some longer days, maybe 12-15 hours at times.

+1. I did the trip in the other direction, admittedly with a fin keel, and found that the only practical route was from Whitby to Lowestoft in one go. With a shallow draft bilge keel you have more options, but not a lot more - basically Holderness and Lincolnshire don't have any useable harbours, barring the Humber, and even going into Grimsby substantially lengthens the voyage. We had three aboard and found that Whitby to Lowestoft worked.

 

[Fosdyke Wash]

Lowestoft to Wells is 55 nautical miles. I'd recommend leaving Lowestoft with two hours of foul stream left to run (perhaps earlier at neaps). With a fair wind, you should be past Gt Yarmouth by slack water and in the vicinity of Sheringham/Weybourne as the fair stream ends. You then have about two hours into the strengthening foul stream to reach Blakeney (10-12 miles) or Wells (another 5 miles) by HW.
The entrance to Blakeney is well marked and lit and the sand in the outer harbour is firm and reasonably flat, so you could dry out there.

I've anchored overnight inside the groynes at Sea Palling and slept reasonably. Don't try to sail between the openings inshore of the groynes - sand bars extend out to them from the shore.
The spring streams run at 3kts+ along the Norfolk coast - if the wind's light, I've anchored off the wait them out.
Beware dense fields of pot markers off Cromer/Sheringham and strong northerly winds which make all North Norfolk harbour entrances dangerous.

To stage the passage from Blakeney/Wells to Spurn/Grimsby, you might consider going into Wainfleet - see the the Gibraltar Point sailing club website at https://gpsc.org.uk.
The anchorage at Spurn is suitable in north-easterlies. For winds south-east to west-north-west, anchor near Haile Sand Fort (south shore of the Humber mouth) or go into the adjacent Tetney Haven.
Sailing north on the Lincolnshire coast, the Donna Nook range (south of the Humber entrance) is often active, though I've only been refused permission to cross once. It's not an issue if sailing direct from Wells.

 

[richlear]

Thanks Fosdyke, Good info. Will digest and might come back with some questions!

Cheers

 

[Triassic]

Is making the trip "single handed" a big part of the challenge, or would you consider getting a crew on board for parts of the East coast. That might allow you to make some bigger hops, which may be both quicker and safer?

 

[Crowblack]

Done the day sailing around (singlehanded) a couple of times and found the longer passages were Milford to Padstow 14hrs - Lowestoft to Wells 12hrs and Wells to Grimsby.

Once past Grimsby going north passages become shorter but think all the way round you'll still find yourself waiting for perfect weather to anchor if you only want to sail such short days.

Good luck !

 

[Ali-alshira]

We sailed up from the Crouch to the Caledonian Canal, and Scottish West coast, in May and are now on our way back. We had a similar aim to you, but have had to include some longer days, as others have said. On the way up, we stopped at Walton backwaters, Lowestoft, Wells, anchored behind Spurn Head (not very nice), anchored off Filey Brigg (lovely), Harlepool, Royal Quays in the Tyne, anchoered off Lindisfarne, Amble, Eyemouth, Anstruther (ridiculously expensive and poor facilities), Arbroath, Stonehaven, Peterhead, Whitehills, Lossiemouth, Inverness... On the way back we skipped some of the above and are in Royal Quays at present hoping to move on tomorrow. We used the engine an awful lot.
Be prepared to sit out bad weather for several days, so preferably don't make any firm plans to be somewhere at a particular time. The main problem is waves rather than wind, making it uncomfortable or downright impossible to make decent progress.
I hope it all goes well.

 

[LittleSister]

If it helps your plans Great Yarmouth is about 8 miles north of Lowestoft: it might perhaps shave a useful small bit off a long passage.

Not the most welcoming place for yachts, but you can moor up at the Town Quay for free. (I think officially there's a fee, but I'm not aware anybody has ever collected it - they're focused on ships). This Quay is on the right hand (east) side just before the first bridge, a couple of miles up the river, so well sheltered.

Note that the Town Quay has vertical timber baulks which make fendering challenging if you don't have a fender board. You will stay afloat, but there is a rise and fall of tide to deal with, and a fair current whipping past at times. If you ask nicely and make a small donation you might be able to moor against the Lydia Eva (the last steam drifter/trawler - well worth a visit) which is moored there, and run by a jolly bunch of volunteers who seem to be there every day. This would be more comfortable than direct onto the quay.

There are no facilities as such. (There are, though, loos just inside the Town Hall immediately adjacent, open weekday office hours.) Numerous shops, cafes and museums within a few hundred yards. The town is a bit grim overall, but there are some lovely buildings and establishments dotted around.

Another unlikely spot is King's Lynn. Well out of your way, in the bottom left hand corner of the Wash, but very sheltered should you be stuck in those parts and unable to enter the North Norfolk harbours. Accessible 24hrs, I believe. There is now a visitors' pontoon next to the town centre (beyond the commercial port).

An even more unlikely, but intriguing, possibility (but only if you are into creek crawling) is the Steeping River, just inside Gibraltar Point (top right-hand corner of the Wash). Very tidal - more or less dries out - and convoluted approach channel. You would need local advice for entry, and loan of a mooring, from Skegness Yacht Club, who have some sort of a base there.

 

[Aquaboy]

http://daisyii.blogspot.com/2017/08/summer-cruise-august-2017.html

(not me)

 

[richlear]

Thanks to all for some interesting info. The possibility of an extra pair of hands for that part of the trip is not out of the question, something to consider.
Ali-Alshira - did we meet in Lossie a couple of weeks ago? I think I might have taken your lines as you arrived?

 

[Fosdyke Wash]

Have a look at visitmyharbour.com for port information - I've found it to be up to date and accurate. For example, it warned me of Anstruther's new outlandish pricing - £15.78 to enter, then berthing fee on top (in 2015, it was as £15 all in! [7.5m boat]).