East coast single handed trip

Erbas said:
Interesting! Had we made it to Whitby I would certainly have headed for the pontoon upstream of the lifeboat station based on the harbour pilotage directions

Still would if there was nowhere better to go unless and until someone told me to clear orf!
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Quite right! If there's space, take it. Especially if it is only to wait for the bridge to open. My speculation on them being allocated moorings was to indicate that there may be no vacant space. But normally someone will be away cruising and you would have been made welcome in my day - I'm sure Yorkshire folk haven't changed since then.
 
Daydream believer said:
many thanks
It appears one can really only get access 2 hours each side of high tide
Assuming I am coming from well up north I cannot be sure of hitting the tidal gate so really Whitby is a no no especially if it is a bit rough
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Not my reading of it at all

The bridge only opens 2 hours either side of HW, if you arrive outside of bridge opening times you can wait in the Lower Harbour either on the previously mentioned waiting pontoon or aongside the Fish Quay (or a spare berth on the pontoon downstream of the bridge if nobody is looking!)

By the look of the chart and in consultation with the pilotage notes there should be 1.4m below CD in the maintained channel but I'd be inclined to rely on no more than the charted depths of 0.7 minimum. Depending on your draught and the tides, that's a better than half tide in all but the roughest conditions and in rough onshore weather it's a no go port anyway
 
Give the harbour master a call for advice on entry. I found them very helpful as I went up the coast, giving them a call on the mobile well before I got within vhf range.
 
Sunderland is easy to get into at any state and diesel is available. I have heard that the fish and chips at Amble are remarkably good, but I am not supposed to have been there when on a 500 mile off shore, so I couldn't possibly comment ;)
 
dgadee said:
Give the harbour master a call for advice on entry. I found them very helpful as I went up the coast, giving them a call on the mobile well before I got within vhf range.
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yes- but it does not matter how nice the harbour master is - If there is no water when one gets there it can be a hell of a wait offshore or one might as well carry on. However, if one is a bit tired etc then that is not always an option
One really needs 24 access harbours when doing SH trips
By the way i draw 1.8 so need 2.4 minimum in any sort of swell
 
Daydream believer said:
I am thinking of going Inv - Peterhead-eyemouth-Blyth then going straight to Lowestoft
Blyth to Lowestoft is about 200 miles so I will need some sleep en route
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Before you finalise your plan, do check that your insurance doesn't have a max duration for singlehanding. Mine's 18 hours.
 
Daydream believer said:
yes- but it does not matter how nice the harbour master is - If there is no water when one gets there it can be a hell of a wait offshore or one might as well carry on. However, if one is a bit tired etc then that is not always an option
One really needs 24 access harbours when doing SH trips
By the way i draw 1.8 so need 2.4 minimum in any sort of swell
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If anyone knows whether there's enough water and when it will be the harbour master. I found that I had a number of pilot books, all of which contradicted each other. Giving the harbour master a call was the best way to solve the conflicts.
 
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