Ferry Boat Inn , Felixstowe

[AntarcticPilot]

You aren't the first and won't be the last to make that mistake, it is even more tempting when leaving against the tide which runs very fast in the channel, but you need to be very sure of yourself to cut through that beguilingly clear area to keep out of the tide. At least you got away with it, many haven't.

I don't understand why the channel stops being marked at that point. As I see it, on the rest of the river, the channel is well marked by buoys, and is also indicated by the lack of moorings! But suddenly there are no buoys, and a large area with no moorings. Yes, I should have had the ECP open by me; I wouldn't have made the mistake if I had! But I could see the next buoy (Deben?) and an expanse of water with no moorings, and put 2 and 2 together and made 5, heading straight for the buoy as I did elsewhere!

 

[PeterWright]

Throughout my sailing life until a few years ago, the Horse Sand was marked by a substantial phb, but a few years ago changes to the bar demanded an extra phb which was solved by pinching the horse sand buoy, so it's now not surprising to me if folk make mistakes there.

However, back in the 1970s I was working as mate on the TBSC's barge Pudge with a stand in master because the regular master was unwell. Ws got over the bar without issue but this master had some great fear of the Horse so chose to give the buoy such a wide berth that we ran the barge, under sail, well up the bank. I was despatched to go through the endless rigmarole of starting the Kelvin semi diesel while the charter party made a mess of dropping the tops'l but at least got the main stowed up on the main brails. Once I had started the Kelvin, the skipper wound on the chain drive to the gear box so frantically that the chain came off its sprockets so we had no way to put it in gear. At least he agreed to me calling Charlie on the VHF so Charlie came and towed us off while I went aloft to disentangle the tops'l then on getting back on deck let go the anchor just above the Horse. An hour or so got the control chain refitted to the gearbox, with the Kelvin still ticking over to cook me while I did it, after which back on deck to get the anchor - at least the charter party were willing hands on the windlass so we were the able to motor up to just below the Waldringfield island where we anchored and launched the boat to fetch some friends of the charter party who they had invited to dinner.

Just proves that even a professional master can get the Horse wrong, even with a buoy.

Peter.

 

[sailorman]

Throughout my sailing life until a few years ago, the Horse Sand was marked by a substantial phb, but a few years ago changes to the bar demanded an extra phb which was solved by pinching the horse sand buoy, so it's now not surprising to me if folk make mistakes there.

However, back in the 1970s I was working as mate on the TBSC's barge Pudge with a stand in master because the regular master was unwell. Ws got over the bar without issue but this master had some great fear of the Horse so chose to give the buoy such a wide berth that we ran the barge, under sail, well up the bank. I was despatched to go through the endless rigmarole of starting the Kelvin semi diesel while the charter party made a mess of dropping the tops'l but at least got the main stowed up on the main brails. Once I had started the Kelvin, the skipper wound on the chain drive to the gear box so frantically that the chain came off its sprockets so we had no way to put it in gear. At least he agreed to me calling Charlie on the VHF so Charlie came and towed us off while I went aloft to disentangle the tops'l then on getting back on deck let go the anchor just above the Horse. An hour or so got the control chain refitted to the gearbox, with the Kelvin still ticking over to cook me while I did it, after which back on deck to get the anchor - at least the charter party were willing hands on the windlass so we were the able to motor up to just below the Waldringfield island where we anchored and launched the boat to fetch some friends of the charter party who they had invited to dinner.

Just proves that even a professional master can get the Horse wrong, even with a buoy.

Peter.

the current HM is Charlies son in law

 

[Frayed Knot]

Thanks to chart plotters at the helm far fewer yachts ground on the horse these days.
HM used to charge £10 to tow somebody off and kept himself quite busy during the summer doing so.
Asked if he ever got bored in the winter his answer was “Not really, I’m too busy topping up the sand…”

Disclaimer: Never spoil a good story by telling the truth.

 

[PeterWright]

Yes, I had heard that one too. In my world, the chart plotter is still tuck above the chart table and on Pudge in the 1970s neither GPS nor sufficient data storage for a single chart at a sensible price had been invented.

Peter.

 

[sailorman]

That’s sad, used to be two pubs there, now none. Only options are caffs. The one by the river not too bad, the other was where we had certainly the foulest coffee I have ever encountered.

ffsc is still there

 

[Snowgoose-1]

Broom Boats.
Bit of good news.
One of Norfolk's oldest boat builders to resume production after six-year lull

 

[Aquaboy]

Think you'll find the channel stops being marked just off The Rocks. Below that the river is wider with no defined deep water.........just some shallow bits.....

usual rule of thumb deeper water being around the outside of bends.........though strangely opposite Ramsholt there is good water along the edge just inside of the moorings

Disclaimer .......Not to be used for navigation etc....

 

[Malish]

Think you'll find the channel stops being marked just off The Rocks. Below that the river is wider with no defined deep water.........just some shallow bits.....

usual rule of thumb deeper water being around the outside of bends.........though strangely opposite Ramsholt there is good water along the edge just inside of the moorings

Disclaimer .......Not to be used for navigation etc....

The Deben is buoyed to well above Woodbridge, but like the whole of the East Coast it does require the navigator to keep one eye on the depth readings

 

[AntarcticPilot]

The Deben is buoyed to well above Woodbridge, but like the whole of the East Coast it does require the navigator to keep one eye on the depth readings

I think @Aquaboy meant coming down river

 

[Frayed Knot]

The Deben is buoyed to well above Woodbridge, but like the whole of the East Coast it does require the navigator to keep one eye on the depth readings

True but be advised that from the port hand buoys near the entrance to Tide Mill YH to the boatyards at Melton the IALA buoyage is replaced with MOL-U.

More-or-less (usually)

 

[bromleybysea]

Really sad news about the Ferry Boat. IMHO was by far the best pub on the lower Deben. Still a proper pub unlike the Ransholt Arms and the Maybush, which are now (second-rate) restaurants that sell beer.

 

[ex-Gladys]

It's naive to believe that pubs can survive selling drink alone. Drink driving laws quite properly put paid to that

 

[Seashoreman]

It's naive to believe that pubs can survive selling drink alone. Drink driving laws quite properly put paid to that

Apart from the exceptions of town and tourist pubs, such as my local The White Hart, Aldeburgh. Cant get in the door on some Friday nights. They don't even sell filled rolls anymore. Otherwise I fully agree, most pubs rely on food to pay the bills.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

Apart from the exceptions of town and tourist pubs, such as my local The White Hart, Aldeburgh. Cant get in the door on some Friday nights. They don't even sell filled rolls anymore. Otherwise I fully agree, most pubs rely on food to pay the bills.

I did recently come across a village pub that doesn't serve food, but I don't know how it can survive - the village has a population of a few hundred, and it's a car journey from any other centre of population!

 

[bromleybysea]

It's naive to believe that pubs can survive selling drink alone. Drink driving laws quite properly put paid to that

Of course I realise that pubs can’t survive on beer sales alone these days. Pubs are closing at an alarming rate even in areas with large static populations like here in London. Fashions change. But some pubs manage to sell food which is of good quality and value and which still retain the character of a “proper” pub. I think the Butt and Oyster is one such, as are a couple of pubs in Woodbridge and
Orford. but it must be a grindingly hard and thankless task running a pub these days.

 

[Leighb]

There is a pub in Woodbridge which I have been told, never been in, does not sell food and also does not allow any children on the premises, and apparently is successful.

 

[bromleybysea]

There is a pub in Woodbridge which I have been told, never been in, does not sell food and also does not allow any children on the premises, and apparently is successful.

Sounds like the Okd Mariner. Lovely pub. No music or food. Not sure about their policy re, children, but can confirm that they are very dog friendly!

 

[Bigplumbs]

Hi AP,

If you don't kow the Ramsholt Arms, plan a visit next summer - by river it's easy to find. In fact it's worth taking a few days to explore the Deben estuary, where you will find Ramsholt as the first place on your starboard hand on your way upriver after entering between Felixstowe Ferry and Bawdsey, the home of radar. Don't be put off by tales of horror about the Deben bar, it's well buoyed and excellent charmless are to be found on Dick Holness' East Coast Pilot website together with excellent drone stills and videos at low water taken by John Ranson, who sails a Moody out of Felixstowe Ferry. Believe these information sources rather than any printed or electronic charts you can buy as the published stuff is often out of date.

Rarely a problem picking up a mooring in Ramsholt, just call the harbour master who will ask fra contribution t the RNLI. Moorings in Waldringfield courtesy of the boatyard, I understand LOA not greater than 35 foot and the Tide Mill marina in Woodbridge where you need to be near HW to get in and out - the entrance dries higher than Titchmarsh. A pleasant anchorage at the Rocks, between Ramsholt and Waldringfield, but it gets busy on a sunny weekend.

Peter.

Won’t be allowed to post drone videos any more. Linking to ones You Tube channel is strictly forbidden by the mods it seems. They have pulled me up several times. Any similar link here will I am sure be reported to ensure consistency

 

[johnalison]

There is a pub in Woodbridge which I have been told, never been in, does not sell food and also does not allow any children on the premises, and apparently is successful.

It’s a good while since I’ve been there, but the Railway Arms in Brightlingsea doesn’t/didn’t sell food, just its own-brewed beer. It was a bit short of charm but always something of an experience to visit.

Very many years ago, about 20, we had our favourite ever fish and chips at the shack at Felixstowe Ferry, cooked by a scruffy but rather delightful old man. It may have been the same source of line-caught local cod that we had at the Ferry Boat Inn that was almost as good around the same time, though later visits were no better than average.