East Coast Advice

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richgiddens

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Hi all,
a friends daughter who recently completed her Day Skippper is shortly skippering her first charter out of Neptune Harbour. She's done lots of sailing with me (Solent / S. Coast / Scotland) and has asked me along as a sort of comfort blanket come safety net; callow child that she is!
It'll be my first venture into an area which, from looking at the depths, is more country walking than sailing! We're going to get together with the almanac and have a butcher's at a few things but, I thought it'd be a good idea to try and get a few suggestions re pleasant places that we might be able to get to in a typical w/end.
It'll be around neaps, 38ft boat, crew more experienced than the skipper!
Many thanks in advance.
PS Real beer within tender range essential
 
Assuming it is a neap weekend...If you are out of Neptune on the Friday evening, make your way down to Titchmarsh for a overnight stop and lazy Saturday morning. Then Saturday afternoon pick up the early flood up the Wallet and head into Bradwell for a walk round and stagger back from The Green Man. Early morning start on the ebb back down the Wallet and take the first of the flood back into Neptune! Seeemples!
 
Cobra said:
Assuming it is a neap weekend...If you are out of Neptune on the Friday evening, make your way down to Wrabness for a overnight stop and lazy Saturday morning. Then Saturday afternoon pick up the early flood up the Wallet and head into Bradwell for a walk round and stagger back from The Green Man. Early morning start on the ebb back down the Wallet and take the first of the flood back into Neptune! Seeemples!
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;)
 
sailorman said:
yer, well, i couldnt remember see :D
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Try telling that to the thirsty man looking for real ale...


To aid the poor gentleman looking for refreshment a (short) row away after his days sailing, how about listing all the waterside pubs in range of a weekend's sail from Ipswich?

Maybush @ Waldringfield
Ramsholt Arms @ Ramsholt
Butt & Oyster @ Pin Mill

Any others suggestions?
 
Lodesman77 said:
Try telling that to the thirsty man looking for real ale...


To aid the poor gentleman looking for refreshment a (short) row away after his days sailing, how about listing all the waterside pubs in range of a weekend's sail from Ipswich?

Maybush @ Waldringfield
Ramsholt Arms @ Ramsholt
Butt & Oyster @ Pin Mill

Any others suggestions?
Click to expand...

The Jolly @ Orford
Pubs n Clubs in West Mersea, Brittlesea
 
Copied from my answer to your other posting:


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You shouldn't be put off by the scare-mongers. The East Coast is no harder than many places, given care. Most newcomers will stay within the buoyed channels, and that will keep you safe, though the Deben entrance certainly needs care. If you arrive an hour or so before HW there is no problem and you can carry the tide in to Ramsholt, as recommended.

Another alternative is Brightlingsea, with real pontoons to tie to and a bit of character. A short walk will take you to the Railway Tavern for their own beers. Just check the depth when leaving - it's only mud anyway.
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I'd drop down to Pin Mill from Ipswich Lock - you can mess around on the river and get a feel for the boat. Pick up a buoy at Pin Mill and go ashore to the Butt and Oyster for a meal.

Then I'd head into the Deben if the tides are right (you want to enter on the flood - probably within an hour or two of HW for a first timer). Someone earlier posted a link to the chartlet which you must download and print. The Deben is about 3.5 hours sail from Pin Mill. If you want to go further you can go up the coast to the Ore (same advice re chartlet) or down the coast to Brightlingsea.

If it's rough and you don't want a trip down the wallet (vomit alley as it's known around here) then go into the Walton Backwaters and either Titchmarsh Marina or anchor in Hamford Water - an ideal first anchorage.
 
Cheek of the man... walking?

Read the thread.. Pain in the wallet.. then search on the wallett.. as well as that thing your boat empties... it is the name of a coastal medium water chanell..

But don't be put off... It really is quite pleasant...
 
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Surprised no one has mentioned a couple of things... When on the East Coast set your Echo Sounder alarm to c 1.0m under the keel max, and be prepared to see close to zero in appropriate conditions (e.g. going through the Spitway, across the Pye Sand etc).

Also, if you enter or leave the Crouch, the seagulls really are walking either side of you at low water, the channel is very narrow, the fact that you can "see" horizon to horizon water, doesn't mean it is water, brown sea and mud are indistinguishable. The Swallow Tail, is a popular "scrubbing ground" for many yachts

This will be counter intuitive for most whose sailing grounds are not the East Coast
 
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botheras said:
Surprised no one has mentioned a couple of things... When on the East Coast set your Echo Sounder alarm to c 1.0m under the keel max, and be prepared to see close to zero in appropriate conditions (e.g. going through the Spitway, across the Pye Sand etc).
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Agree confirming the setting of the depth gauge shallow alarm is essential.

It is also vital to establish if the depth gauge offset is set to zero so that you read actual water depth (makes chart work easier); or compensates for the vessels draught, when you then get a continuous readout of clearance.

The setting you select is a matter of personal choice but do brief the crew!

I prefer the latter as it makes mental calculations when anchoring easier but as I do much of my sailing in deep water, I would be interested to hear the views of you East Coast experts.
 
I have the keel offset set so that the read-out shows depth below the keel. And then I have the alarm set to 2ft which I admit is being pretty cautious.:D
 
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