East coast spots that are awkward but worth it

[mrming]

Now I’ve done a lot of the main places of interest I’m hoping to tick off a few of the slightly more difficult ports of refuge.

What places are a bit of a pain, but worth it?

A couple that are on my list (and at fairly extreme ends of the East coast) are Sandwich, and Wells-next-the-Sea.

Fin keel drawing 1.6m, happy to dry out in soft mud.

Any other suggestions? ?

 

[Bru]

Wells is definitely worth the trouble and you won't touch bottom on the visitors pontoon (but whatever you do, don't run aground on a falling tide entering or leaving!)

Just be aware that the entrance is untenable in anything much above F4 with any North in it

 

[DoubleEnder]

Faversham!

 

[Momac]

I have been to Wells a few times and plan to go again in the summer.
The route in is a video on the wells website
Navigation Video - Port of Wells
Best to arrive at high water .

 

[Simon 420]

+1 for Wells

 

[sailorman]

Now I’ve done a lot of the main places of interest I’m hoping to tick off a few of the slightly more difficult ports of refuge.

What places are a bit of a pain, but worth it?

A couple that are on my list (and at fairly extreme ends of the East coast) are Sandwich, and Wells-next-the-Sea.

Fin keel drawing 1.6m, happy to dry out in soft mud.

Any other suggestions? ?

we had a memorable bvq anchored off the oaks at iken

 

[sailorman]

we had a memorable bvq anchored off the oaks at ikenboat at the time was. A CO32

 

[johnalison]

we had a memorable bvq anchored off the oaks at iken

We only once made it to Iken. This was when we drew 4’ 6”. I seem to remember that we lay in 6’ of water in those pre-metric days. It was a delightful spot and the children enjoyed the swinging rope from the trees on the bank which are probably no longer there. Getting there wasn’t too troublesome (!) but needed care. We didn’t have the nerve to go to Snape except in the dinghy.

 

[st599]

Faversham!

What's Faversham and the Swale like for moorings? I may have an opportunity to bring a 40' (drawing 2.2m) from Chatham to Solent in the summer. The owners seem keen on visiting some of the North Kent nature bits.

 

[mrming]

What's Faversham and the Swale like for moorings? I may have an opportunity to bring a 40' (drawing 2.2m) from Chatham to Solent in the summer. The owners seem keen on visiting some of the North Kent nature bits.

Queenborough - swinging moorings and All Tide Landing

Harty Ferry - anchor and also some moorings - buy the excellent East Coast Pilot for info if you haven’t already

Conyer Creek / Swale Marina - access around high water, dries to soft mud you sit upright in. Nice marina / yacht club / pub. Access to walks including around to the legendary Shipwrights pub at Hollowshore.

Hollowshore itself is possible as is Faversham - I’m local-ish and tend to visit both by land so there are better experts on here than me.

There’s a RSPB reserve at Oare if the owners are of an ornithological bent.

2.2m draft should be fine with a bit of planning.

 

[Baddox]

Wells-next-the-Sea “at fairly extreme ends of the East coast”? There’s a lot more east coast after Wells and don’t worry you won’t fall off the edge of the world getting there.
If you want mud and currents head for the Humber or keep going to Scarbourgh and Whitby. The east coast after that leads to ribbons of golden beaches and castles with many anchorages offering challenge and scenery in equal measure even before reaching the delights of the Scottish border towns,

 

[DoubleEnder]

What's Faversham and the Swale like for moorings? I may have an opportunity to bring a 40' (drawing 2.2m) from Chatham to Solent in the summer. The owners seem keen on visiting some of the North Kent nature bits.

Moorings and anchorage in the Swale, an excellent pub there, the Shipwrights Arms, at the confluence of Oare and Faversham Creeks. That’s a dinghy ride.
You can get up to Faversham with that draught maybe but you will need a big tide, a good pilot, and a carefully chosen spot to sink the keel in to soft mud. I’m not sure I’d recommend it tbh. I can ask around for a berth if you’d like, and there may be somewhere. I no longer have my boat, she drew 1.75 and I had my own spot…even so it was sometimes a bit nervy. I spent summers on the S Coast and it always felt liberating, all that deep water. Also, when you flush the loo on The S Coast it always seems cleaner with no mud in the water.

But drive the dinghy up, Faversham is a fine town. Or go ashore in the Swale at Harty Ferry and get a taxi.

 

[Marmalade]

Heybridge basin

 

[DanTribe]

we had a memorable bvq anchored off the oaks at iken

When we had a Stella, our East Coast cruise always included a trip to Iken. The kids loved it. Never been brave enough to try it in our UFO and do miss it.

 

[snowbird30ds]

My previous mobo would float in a bowl of cornflakes so we had to have a go at Snape maltings, left orford on a rising tide a couple days before full springs so if it went wrong the next tide should be bigger, the channel is very narrow and winding but the wet bit was half a mile wide.
Turns out the os map I had on the phone was spot on for the channel, had time for a pint and had to head back while we still had water.
That was an rlm31 on enfield drives, just touched the once in the same place a little speedboat did.

 

[Seashoreman]

Unfortunately the top of the Alde and no doubt other rivers in the East are becoming more difficult with the demise of visiting barges.
I lived in the Maltings in the 80's and saw (and helped hurriedly unload) cargo cruisers full of animal feed. There were regular visits from Thames Barges, a resident Dutch Tchalk, a Baltic Trader and finally an ex-commercial trawler. These vessels slid along the channel and kept the silt down and the bends much wider. Also the withies are rarely maintained beyond Iken and it is a serious challenge to navigate without them. It takes much experience and patience.
Iken is certainly doable as Aldeburgh Yacht Club replace damaged and missing withies annually. It is an extremely narrow and winding coarse which at times defies logic but there is plenty of room to anchor on arrival and it is generally a very peaceful and beautiful spot. You ideally need a spotter on the bow with binoculars and the discipline to crawl along at a couple of knots. Iken channel doesn't dry out but at low water it can resemble a moonscape of soft mud.

 

[The Q]

Most of the broads for most sea going Yachts, either the bridges or the mud will get you.

 

[Leighb]

Most of the broads for most sea going Yachts, either the bridges or the mud will get you.

You can get to much of the Waveney and the Yare with a mast up. We got up to Beccles and down to St Olaves entering at Lowestoft, and nearly to Norwich on the Yare, can also access the Lowe end of the Waveney, again as far as St Olaves.
Amusingly we were moored just below the road bridge at Beccles, and returning from a walk into town we overheard a couple of locals commenting on our boat. One said “What’s that boat doing there? It didn’t ought be here, that’s a seagoing boat.” The other replied, “I expect it’s come up from Lowestoft” , first said ” It still don’t belong here” We said nothing, but had a laugh about it once out of earshot.

 

[johnalison]

You can get to much of the Waveney and the Yare with a mast up. We got up to Beccles and down to St Olaves entering at Lowestoft, and nearly to Norwich on the Yare, can also access the Lowe end of the Waveney, again as far as St Olaves.
Amusingly we were moored just below the road bridge at Beccles, and returning from a walk into town we overheard a couple of locals commenting on our boat. One said “What’s that boat doing there? It didn’t ought be here, that’s a seagoing boat.” The other replied, “I expect it’s come up from Lowestoft” , first said ” It still don’t belong here” We said nothing, but had a laugh about it once out of earshot.

We, my wife and I, were in Horsey Staithe in a Gay Lady some time in the ‘60s. We were sheltering inside when we heard a couple of lads talking about us. They were about 8yrs old and obviously interested in boats because one said something like “it hasn’t got an engine”, which puzzled his companion who doubted if such a thing was possible. The first justified his correct observation with “they don’t in Swallows and Amazons”, which impressed us even more.

 

[sailorman]

We only once made it to Iken. This was when we drew 4’ 6”. I seem to remember that we lay in 6’ of water in those pre-metric days. It was a delightful spot and the children enjoyed the swinging rope from the trees on the bank which are probably no longer there. Getting there wasn’t too troublesome (!) but needed care. We didn’t have the nerve to go to Snape except in the dinghy.

we walked to snapealong the seawall