Fambridge.....A guide for the hard of understanding

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oldgit

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RCC is off to Fambridge over BH weekend.
Moorings booked somewhere or other apparently !
Tips and suggestions for a first time visitor, anything to avoid hitting or other need to know stuff ?
Anything that makes me look like competent skipper and in charge of the situation most welcome.
 
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As you enter the Crouch, you will see the seawalls keep one port & one Stbd keep going & eventually you will arrive @ North Fambridge if you get as far as Battlesbridge you have gone past NF :encouragement:
Oh yes keep straight ahead, there is a no left hand turn @ the Roach
 
It can be a long slog from the Whitttaker and one can be tempted to take refuge by way of the hard stuff.
Although it will be all around you...Avoid it.


It's called land.






By way of useful info... The northern side of Foulness rises vey sharply. Don't be tempted to overstand.
The flats on N and S side east of the Roach are soft znd can catch you out if you are being lazy. (don't ask!)
The flats on the N bank near Creeksea Sc extend a long way out... don't try and cut the corner!
The river station is much prettier than the marina.
The Ferry Boat seems to have improved of late.
 
Forty years ago, there was a rule about lashing your tiller over on the moorings. I think it was to starboard, but it may be best to check. Anyway this tells you how much room there is!

It is of course a tremendously important place in the history of our sport.

FB Cooke, of course, practically invented the place.

From the point of view of RCC history the Pyes met the Smeetons on the sea wall at Fambridge...
 
Have you told North Fambridge Yacht Club that you are visiting?
Limited facilities in the clubhouse but I'm sure you'll be made welcome.
It will be Burnham Week so you may meet a few gaggles of racers. Hold your nerve, most of them know what they are doing.
 
Minn said:
Forty years ago, there was a rule about lashing your tiller over on the moorings. I think it was to starboard, but it may be best to check. Anyway this tells you how much room there is!

It is of course a tremendously important place in the history of our sport.

FB Cooke, of course, practically invented the place.
Click to expand...

Oh, yes, you got to read FB Cooke:

"There is nothing particularly ornate about the premises of the Fambridge Yacht Club, but when one considers that it is not an uncommon occurrence for the place to be flooded to a depth of four or five feet, it is obvious that it would be folly to spend much money on the buildings..... The club steward, E. Flick, will take charge of a craft and look after her well at a moderate rate; he, moreover, (for the benefit of oldgit) understands motors."
 
tillergirl said:
Oh, yes, you got to read FB Cooke:

"There is nothing particularly ornate about the premises of the Fambridge Yacht Club, but when one considers that it is not an uncommon occurrence for the place to be flooded to a depth of four or five feet, it is obvious that it would be folly to spend much money on the buildings..... The club steward, E. Flick, will take charge of a craft and look after her well at a moderate rate; he, moreover, (for the benefit of oldgit) understands motors."
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Impressive and thoughtful of FB Cooke to anticipate Oldgit's visit! ;)
 
[Don't do that. Let it be a surprise![/QUOTE]

Frankly unless you have a confirmed booking in writing don't bother, I was told a few weeks ago there would be no problem accommodating us in the marina and when I rang today to confirm all was OK I was told by the manager that they are fully booked. Thanks for nothing. :disgust::disgust: Turning up is probably not a wise move unless you are happy taking a chance.
 
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alandalus11 said:
[Don't do that. Let it be a surprise!
Click to expand...

Frankly unless you have a confirmed booking in writing don't bother, I was told a few weeks ago there would be no problem accommodating us in the marina and when I rang today to confirm all was OK I was told by the manager that they are fully booked. Thanks for nothing. :disgust::disgust: Turning up is probably not a wise move unless you are happy taking a chance.[/QUOTE]

What, No rafting 4 deep on the pontoon
 
I keep my boat at Fambridge and know it will indeed be busy there over the bank holiday weekend, particularly at the Yacht Station (on the river, separate from the marina). When the weather is good the "River Festival" on the Sunday attracts quite a large number of people. Quite a few things happening that day - the marina (Fambridge Yacht Haven) website can provide you with further details.

This year the event features a significant number of visiting classic boats that, inevitably, will take up much of the river pontoon. Consequently I suspect visitor space will be limited, even after some rafting up. However, any visiting boats that can't get on the pontoon will either be able to go in the marina (assuming there's space - I wouldn't know) or hang off one of the many mooring buoys. These are operated by the marina and so visitor charges apply. During the day there is a "taxi" service to and from the swinging moorings (again, I don't know what the charges are) or you can use your tender, the latter being the better option if you are wanting to go to and from shore in the evening (the Ferry Boat pub is just a short walk away).

Tomahawk has already outlined some of the things to miss. As one can see from the charts, up river from Burnham there's plenty of water at most states of tide. If you have a deep keel it's worth being a bit cautious near low water but even then, if you keep roughly to the middle of the channel and stay off the inside bank on any bend, there's nowhere where an average cruising fin keeler will go aground. Going up river, once you have the "yacht station" in sight (i.e. you've got as far as Shortpole Reach) stay a bit south of mid-channel - there seems to be a few shallow spots developing along the northern side. If you are going past the "yacht station" into the marina look for Stow Post on the northern side of the river (about 0.6nm west of the yacht station and 0.3nm west of a small lone cottage) and turn starboard into Stow Creek. This is buoyed but is shallow in a few places (particularly at the northern end as you turn starboard towards the marina) so, again, be wary when the tide is low.

The North Fambridge Yacht Club celebrates its 120th birthday this weekend. We sorted out the regular flooding years ago!
 
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sailorman said:
Frankly unless you have a confirmed booking in writing don't bother, I was told a few weeks ago there would be no problem accommodating us in the marina and when I rang today to confirm all was OK I was told by the manager that they are fully booked. Thanks for nothing. :disgust::disgust: Turning up is probably not a wise move unless you are happy taking a chance.
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Two of us came in yesterday having booked it by phone late morning. It is certainly pretty full. We'll be out again Weds a.m. so there will be 2 empty berths then.
Re the depths, came in about LW+1, draught 1.2m, never saw less than 1.3m under the keel.
 
H, thanks to all who took time to comment.
Slight alteration to passage plan.Unfortunately Fambridge now unable to accomodate all RCC boats who booked in, so some of us less f(l)avoured club members will be going into Burnham and catching the train .........
Looking forward to trip and bang on time a bit of Bank Hols NE wind is in the forecast.........
 
High tide on Saturday is around 1pm and most of the fleets at Burnham start their races in the hour before that so unless you're trying to get up on the last of the flood you should manage to get past before it becomes to hectic...... Just a thought, quite a few of the boats taking part in Burnham Week come down from Fambridge so presumably their moorings will be going spare whilst they are away?
 
Thanks again to all who offered info but with F4 -5 all the way up and a cold rainy F6 to 8 on the Sunday decided that its supposed to be fun not an exercise of endurance.
Turned left and went to Allington instead.
The rest all went and most are returning tomorrow.
 
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