East Coast question

michael_w

michael_w

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SWMBO and I get our hands on our new (20 year old!) boat next week. She (the boat) is currently at Fox's and will be for a while as some largeish jobs are completed.

Rather than drag her down to the Solent and as a change from our usual haunts we're thinking of keeping her on the East Coast for a season before we head off to foreign parts in 2009. Not to mention the money saved over South Coast parking prices.

I know the area vaguely from about a 100 years ago. What's it like at Woolverstone? Is it as sheltered as it seems? Do the local hostelries have decent beer? Eateries etc.

Is it as bouncy on a mooring at Burnham as it looks? Burnham is a shorter drive from home but seems to be quite a haul out to sea. Can you park your dinghy anywhere along the sea wall to save the trudge into town from the marina?

All suggestions appreciated. SWMBO is pretty roughty-toughty and doesn't mind the lack of walk ashore access/ablution block. This is a lady who went on a three week cruise in a First Class 8. Even the French thought we were bonkers.

We aim to cruise the area, but if there is any short-handed racing we'll be up for that too.
 
We've just moved to Woolverstone and like it, it can get a bit bouncy though when the winds in the wrong direction, but we liked the view better than the other marinas with walls or locks ! RHYC is next door & Pin Mill has a great pub 1mile walk along the bank. Cheaper swinging options are available in the Deben at Waldringfield. For the odd race, HPYC at Levington runs some local racing and there's always the Haven series too. I'm sure you'll get many more posts with other suggestions but we really love the area.
HTH
Chris
 
Michael,

we're not berthed at Woolverstone, but reported by some to be a bit tricky to access berths in the tide (it's "in" the Orwell, not adjacent, like Levington or Foxes). Plenty of swinging moorings, with a water taxi. Pin Mill & the Royal Harwich SC are close to hand. It's also not far from the A14/A12 (10 mins). A bit of a jaunt to the open water tho' - probably about 90mins.

Loads more advice from other East Coasters will be along in a minute...
 
Thanks SG. I'm thinking about a mooring rather than the marina as the marina is a bit on the pricey side.
 
I would steer clear of Burnham, the Roach/Crouch is ok but it is long slog out of the river. If I lived on the other side of the Thames I would give serious thought to a mooring at West Mersea providing I could get one within the creek system as opposed to the entrance.
 
Kings at Pin Mill may have a swinging mooring if you don't mind lack of walk on/off access and a bit of mud (but they do have a new shower and toilet). Parking is FOC in the yard for berth holders . Phone 01473 780258
 
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What's it like at Woolverstone? Is it as sheltered as it seems? Do the local hostelries have decent beer? Eateries etc.



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Woolverstone? Sheltered? Not really - can be awkward at times with the tide ripping through the pontoons.
Moorings are expensive too - admittedly a watertaxi service is included; but for a summer on a mooring at Woolverstone I would have paid more than for one whole year (summer mooring - winter pontoon) at SYH Levington.

[ QUOTE ]

Is it as bouncy on a mooring at Burnham as it looks? Burnham is a shorter drive from home but seems to be quite a haul out to sea. Can you park your dinghy anywhere along the sea wall to save the trudge into town from the marina?


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Forumite Full Circle knows pretty much everything there is to know about Burnham - no doubt he'll be along soon.
We kept Guapa there briefly 2 years ago and moved along swiftly.
Why? A LONG way out to sea.
And if you're used to the Solent - sailing on the Crouch/Roach and you're echosounder reads a depth of over 4 meters it's safe to assume it's on the blink.
Puddles surrounded by mud type scene. It might suit you or your boat, but it wasn't for us.

As the boat is at Fox's now - no chance you could keep her there for the season?
 
I'd recommend Suffolk Yacht Harbour over other Orwell Marinas for access to the sea (no lock and less miles) and good road access, followed closely by Foxes. SYH do river moorings at a saving too. You shouldn't have any trouble for a Heritage. Woolverstone are MDL and spawn of the devil. You might consider Titchmarsh too, for a range of mooring options, although you become slightly restricted by tide and road access isn't so good.
 
Bradwell will be the same distance as Burnham and is much better placed either for sailing out to sea or up the East coast. There is the opportunity for good day sailing in either direction as you leave the marina - up the river to Maldon or down passed Mersea to the Colne and Brightlingsea and plenty of places to pick up a buoy or sling the lunch hook. It's a very rural marina with showers of course and a bar with mediocre food but the excellent Green Man pub just a 100 yards away. Just don't expect shops and chandlers. It is definitely worth a look. If you can't afford the marina there are buoys in the sheltered creek which are £1000 the first year (for a new mooring to be laid) and £300 a year thereafter. Marina charges £2254 for my 31 footer.

The alternative for a swinging mooring on the Blackwater is the Marconi YC.
 
It's a long drag out to Bradwell along the B-roads though & coming from Darn Sarf as I understand the OP to be doing so, it might be quicker to go to Ipswich via A12/A14 than A127 & twisty roads to Bradwell. Nice marina though.

I like Titchmarsh as well but again quite a drag out their from the A12. Probably SYH at Levington & swinging mooring there is your best bet. Certainly, IMHO the Orwell/Stour/Backwaters/Deben offer more variety of day cruising than the Crouch.

Mind you, its 3 years since I left the East Coast so I'm not upto date with the state of the A12 traffic! /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif
 
Trouble is, more and more people are discovering the East Coast secret and abandoning the watery M25 of the Solent for our bit of water. It's good that you are going for a swinging mooring, marina berths are becoming increasingly difficult to get and Suffolk Yacht Harbour is quoting a four year wait list ( probably nearer 18 months) and the others are not exactly having to tout for custom.

Just to run through the marina options:
Suffolk Yacht Harbour is probably the best, if a bit isolated. They have spent a bit on facilities recently which has smartened it up. The Haven Ports Yacht Club is a lively outfit if you want racing and the clubhouse is a moored lightship in the marina.
Woolverstone is expensive and can be uncomfortable on the outer berths with wash from passing ships and if the wind is in the wrong direction.
Shotley can also be a bit lively and there is also the question of the lock which can be a pain at busy times.
SYH and Shotley are fairly close to open sea, whereas Ipswich Haven, right up into the town is not. However facilities are excellent and when we were there, the lock did not cause a problem. But you have to tack on a good 90 minutes to get to Harwich and the sea.
There are moorings in the Deben, but it's a question of knowing who to talk to. There is also the Deben Bar, which can materially affect your passage plans!
I would recommend that you make a couple of trips and ask around. EAst Anglians are a friendly lot and spending a bit of time in the appropriate pub is not really a hardship! Try the Butt and Oyster for Pin Mill possibilities and the Maybush or Ramsholt Arms for the Deben. The folk in the chandlery at SYH are very helpful and they are open on Sundays. Good luck!
 
As some have already mentioned , Woolverstone isn't the most comfortable marina when trying to get a nights sleep and the wind's in the wrong direction , haven't had a worse one since Kiel , with giant barges sending the boat slopping all over the place . I was also very surprised to find out how shallow the sea is round here , almost a case of no life raft needed just bring wellies
Have you thought about anywhere further North or are you sticking with the Southern East coast ?
 
Thanks guys, keep it coming.

The problem with the Mudway seems that there isn't much to cruise to over a weekend. Queenborough is not my idea of an ideal anchorage! Albeit welcome after dodging shipping in the Princes Channel. Admittedly, Medway is very close to home so we might over winter there for the final fit out before we head off.

From our initial look at the Orwell, the extra few miles drive to Levington is a minus point and it seems to be a fair old hoof to the boozer and not much else ashore.

Bradwell sounds interesting.
 
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worse than ever..

How's things in sunny Noof?

S x

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Snowy!
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You've read a lot of good sense already, and though many places have their disadvantages, they seem to suit some people. Heybridge was mentioned above, but though I have fond memories of keeping a boat there in the 70s, you are very restricted by the tide (and the lock) as is Tollesbury which is otherwise a good spot. I don't think it takes a lot longer to drive to Levington than Woolverstone as it is almost all main road. Don't let the East Coast mud put you off - it washes off eventually.
 
Don't knock the Medway as a location because there is nowhere to cruise to for a weekend. We are based at Gillingham; trips to Harty Ferry and Ramsgate are easy if you wish to stay on the south of the Thames. Going north we routinely (in a mature 32 footer) cruise to the Blackwater, Walton Backwaters and the Orwell and their environs and back in a weekend. We do tend to save the Deben and Ore for 3-day trips!
 
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