East coast boating/ Suffolk and Norfolk etc

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paul salliss

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I am up here in wet Snetterton today and it got me thinking about boating on this coast, my experience has only taken me from Channel Islands to Thames Estuary and south coast has always been the preferred spot, having said that Ispswitch, for example, is less driving time to get to than the South Coast so keen to know if people love East coast boating, do they recommend it, or do they dream of being some where else, and they are only there for convenience etc.

I realise that there is good and bad in everything but I have always liked the Eastern side of the country and interested if it makes for good boating
 
paul salliss said:
I am up here in wet Snetterton today and it got me thinking about boating on this coast, my experience has only taken me from Channel Islands to Thames Estuary and south coast has always been the preferred spot, having said that Ispswitch, for example, is less driving time to get to than the South Coast so keen to know if people love East coast boating, do they recommend it, or do they dream of being some where else, and they are only there for convenience etc.

I realise that there is good and bad in everything but I have always liked the Eastern side of the country and interested if it makes for good boating
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Theres lots of places to visit, quite a few are tide restricted, its not as convenient as the Solent for a day out, you don't get shelter on a bad day, I would say you would have to try it and make your own mind up and if you don't like it then nothing lost.
 
aquapower said:
Theres lots of places to visit, quite a few are tide restricted, its not as convenient as the Solent for a day out, you don't get shelter on a bad day, I would say you would have to try it and make your own mind up and if you don't like it then nothing lost.
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can you highlight what some good visiting places are please, would be interested in sharing your opinions
 
paul salliss said:
can you highlight what some good visiting places are please, would be interested in sharing your opinions
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My Favourite has to be the trip up the River Deben to Woodbridge, Southwold is nice to visit, River Orwell up to Ipswich good and River Crouch up to North Fambridge. There's many more but I haven't done them all yet, the trip up the Thames is also good.
Best thing to do is get a copy of East Coast Pilot and maybe a chart pack, thy will give you a good idea of what's there.
 
aquapower said:
My Favourite has to be the trip up the River Deben to Woodbridge, Southwold is nice to visit, River Orwell up to Ipswich good and River Crouch up to North Fambridge. There's many more but I haven't done them all yet, the trip up the Thames is also good.
Best thing to do is get a copy of East Coast Pilot and maybe a chart pack, thy will give you a good idea of what's there.
Click to expand...

Jack Coote - East Coast Rivers
edited by a forumite & Jacks daughter
 
I think it also depends on what boat you have.
Boating in the Solent is a lot more expensive but you can just about do it in anything.
East Coast / North Sea is quite different.
Shallow creeks and channels, large-ish rivers and quite long distances of nothing once out on the sea proper.
So if your boat draws 8 ft then the large distances will be fine but a challenge up the rivers.
If you have a 21 ft lifting keel then the creeks and rivers will be great fun but you'll have to get your tides right to get up and down the coast any distance.

Amongst others I have a lovely Pandora 700, lifting keel boat. The first couple of years we loved sailing up and down the Orwell and the Stour and round to Walton.
However now she's up at Southwold she just has not got the legs to get anywhere unless the winds and tides are spot on so sadly she'll be up for sale.
 
We enjoy being on the east coast.

Starting in the north Gt. Yarmouth doesn't offer much but provides access to the Broads with some very pleasant inland cruising. Heading south there is Lowestoft (better than Yarmouth and a good Yacht Club to visit) then Southwold, which is a lovely old harbour and a pleasant town. The Ore and the Alde provide some peaceful refuge but anchoring is required and then there is the lovely Deben and Woodbridge town. After that the Orwell provides several pleasant marinas and access to two marinas in Ipswich, which isn't an unpleasant place to visit.

Heading round towards the coast there are Walton Backwaters and Titchmarsh marina before you get to the Blackwater. Options here are Brighlingsea, Bradwell and Tollesbury, which is our favourite spot on the coast. Lovely Marina with tidal access and a cruising clubhouse with a swimming pool. Good food and a great old world butcher for barbecue meat in the village. Further up the Blackwater is Heybridge Basin at the end of the canal to Chelmsford. Moorings are in the canal basin and there is a pub nearby.

After the Blackwater there is the Crouch as already mentioned. Burnham is a good marina and town and upriver to Fambridge is well worth the trip.

After that you are into the Thames estuary with the Medway being a good place to visit and further round the Kent coast there is Ramsgate.

Overall, the east coast is far less crowded than the south coast and significantly less expensive. Navigation is a lot more challenging as there are sandbanks all over the place but nothing to be worried about with careful passage planning. We love the character of the place and the variety of cruising opportunities.

Oh damn, what I meant to say is that the water is a revolting muddy brown, the North Sea is a rough, horrible place and the beer is awful. Whatever you do don't move here :)
 
I race motorbikes but got asked if I would like to test this new Kawasaki race bike so that's what Friday was all about, live in Sevenoaks so a couple of hours from the Solent etc
 
Greg2 said:
We enjoy being on the east coast.

Starting in the north Gt. Yarmouth doesn't offer much but provides access to the Broads with some very pleasant inland cruising. Heading south there is Lowestoft (better than Yarmouth and a good Yacht Club to visit) then Southwold, which is a lovely old harbour and a pleasant town. The Ore and the Alde provide some peaceful refuge but anchoring is required and then there is the lovely Deben and Woodbridge town. After that the Orwell provides several pleasant marinas and access to two marinas in Ipswich, which isn't an unpleasant place to visit.

Heading round towards the coast there are Walton Backwaters and Titchmarsh marina before you get to the Blackwater. Options here are Brighlingsea, Bradwell and Tollesbury, which is our favourite spot on the coast. Lovely Marina with tidal access and a cruising clubhouse with a swimming pool. Good food and a great old world butcher for barbecue meat in the village. Further up the Blackwater is Heybridge Basin at the end of the canal to Chelmsford. Moorings are in the canal basin and there is a pub nearby.

After the Blackwater there is the Crouch as already mentioned. Burnham is a good marina and town and upriver to Fambridge is well worth the trip.

After that you are into the Thames estuary with the Medway being a good place to visit and further round the Kent coast there is Ramsgate.

Overall, the east coast is far less crowded than the south coast and significantly less expensive. Navigation is a lot more challenging as there are sandbanks all over the place but nothing to be worried about with careful passage planning. We love the character of the place and the variety of cruising opportunities.

Oh damn, what I meant to say is that the water is a revolting muddy brown, the North Sea is a rough, horrible place and the beer is awful. Whatever you do don't move here :)
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^^^^^ THIS ^^^^^

I am based at North Fambridge and while getting to the Swin / Whitaker (that allows access North & South) is 1 ish hour, the options are fairly good from there. Gillingham Marina down the Medway is very nice and reasonable, with excellent facilities. Chatham is also good, but expensive. As already said Ipswich & definately Woodbridge, very, very picturesque. The Deben has a very interesting moving Sandbar, so get the east coast pilot information and use that, not your plotter or chart........ Follow the entry bouys and you will have no issue. Local knowledge of sandbanks is great for cutting corners, but sticking to the marked channels is HIGHLY recommended.

Ramsgate offers easy access to France / Belgium & if you do spend anytime on the east coast I can highly recommend Holland. Burnham is a nice Marina, Fambridge is a very friendly place also. As already said Tollesbury is a good destination. Much to see, including low water at the Maplin sands with all of the seals / sea lions (whatever they are) that bask in the sun / rain / wind :). Oh and the water is a muddy brown colour.......
 
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Greg2 said:
We enjoy being on the east coast.

Starting in the north Gt. Yarmouth doesn't offer much but provides access to the Broads
Click to expand...

Of course Gt Yarmouth is not the most northerly point of the East Coast. There is life for those who dare to cruise north west of Gt Yarmouth. If you can dry out there are the magical harbours of Burnham and Blakeny. If not then Wells next to sea is a charming harbour with floating pontoons and a great welcome for leisure boaters. Further on there is the interesting port of Kings Lynn where the brand new pontoons give walking access to the town. A quick sprint across the Wash at high tide will get you to Boston..... should you wish.

But of course it is all muddy water and treacherous sand banks so no one would ever come here.....
 
Alpha22 said:
Of course Gt Yarmouth is not the most northerly point of the East Coast. There is life for those who dare to cruise north west of Gt Yarmouth. If you can dry out there are the magical harbours of Burnham and Blakeny. If not then Wells next to sea is a charming harbour with floating pontoons and a great welcome for leisure boaters. Further on there is the interesting port of Kings Lynn where the brand new pontoons give walking access to the town. A quick sprint across the Wash at high tide will get you to Boston..... should you wish.

But of course it is all muddy water and treacherous sand banks so no one would ever come here.....
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You are quite right but our boat just won't turn left out of Gt. Yarmouth! :)

Actually, having worked the Wash and N. Norfolk coast with work our plan is to visit Wells this year. Lovely place :)
 
I used to sail on the East Coast back in the Eighties and had a great time exploring the rivers, creeks and pubs. I have in fact moved the home berth of my boat from Northney to Woolverstone for this season although at the moment I am still 'freedom berthing' in the Solent. I am looking forward to the trip from Chichester and exploring the old haunts, rivers, creeks and pubs. I haven't seen any beaches mentioned, but we quite often anchored off a beach for a paddle and barbies (bbqs not Essex dollies :) ) - oh and the water is warmer. I can also look forward to drying out, whether intentionally or otherwise, in my Motorcat.
 
Javelin said:
I think it also depends on what boat you have.
Boating in the Solent is a lot more expensive but you can just about do it in anything.
East Coast / North Sea is quite different.
Shallow creeks and channels, large-ish rivers and quite long distances of nothing once out on the sea proper.
So if your boat draws 8 ft then the large distances will be fine but a challenge up the rivers.
If you have a 21 ft lifting keel then the creeks and rivers will be great fun but you'll have to get your tides right to get up and down the coast any distance.

Amongst others I have a lovely Pandora 700, lifting keel boat. The first couple of years we loved sailing up and down the Orwell and the Stour and round to Walton.
However now she's up at Southwold she just has not got the legs to get anywhere unless the winds and tides are spot on so sadly she'll be up for sale.
Click to expand...

we had a fin keel 800 & would go Ramsholt to Oostende for the w/e, fastest trip 13 hrs & proberbly in time for a lunch time pint in The Arms
 
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