Free anchorages around the south east coast

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seafox67

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I'm planning to base my sailing over the next few seasons around the rivers on the south east coast.

Is it still possible to find sheltered anchorages that are free or should I be budgeting for paid moorings and marina's?

Many thanks for advice.
 
You won't be expected to pay for anchoring anywhere in any of the Essex or Suffolk rivers and nor should anybody even contemplate ever allowing that to become a thing either. The East Coast Pilot is your friend for finding dozens of sheltered places to anchor.

Picking up a mooring buoy overnight - after getting the yes from the HM or boatyard of course - will normally cost a few quid buy if you're staying on board for a lunch stop or afternoon snooze then find a free one and no need to ask but be ready to move. A few locations have visitors buoys so you could go for one of those and just see if anybody turns up with their hand out.

Buoys with somebody's tender on are a nono for me and the best choice is always the one with a strop that's covered in slimy weeds and heaving in crawly things because that's been in the water for some time which means it probably isn't being used.
 
There are sheltered achorages aplenty, but many of the popular ones are only sheltered from one direction. Most of the time they are fine, but it is usually obvious when you should move elsewhere. Hamford Water, Pyefleet Creek, and Osea Island come to mind, but in each case there are nearby alternatives in case of bad weather, usually from the NE. It is not even necessary to anchor at a marked anchorage if the mood takes you. I spent a very comfortable night in the middle of nowhere south of Mersea Island on one occasion when I wanted an early start in the morning.
 
Thanks for your replies... I was getting a little concerned that most anchorages will be filled up with moorings!
My boat is currently geared up for the west coast of Scotland with oversized anchors and too many solar panels (off-gridding ) so if my overnight options on the south east coast was only going to be marinas and moorings, then I would think about removing some of the gear!

Cheers
 
Perhaps worth noting that places where you can land from an anchorage are less available. For example, the Walton Backwaters are a nature reserve and the only landing sites are Titchmarsh Marina, Walton on the Naze (with limited tidal access) and Stone Point (no access to anywhere except Stone Point!). In many other places, anchorages are next to wide belts of saltmarsh, which are (for practical purposes) impassable. If you need access to the shore, your options are limited. There is also no "right to roam" as there is in Scotland, so even if you can land, there's no guarantee that you'd be able to progress past the foreshore.
 
AntarcticPilot said:
Perhaps worth noting that places where you can land from an anchorage are less available. For example, the Walton Backwaters are a nature reserve and the only landing sites are Titchmarsh Marina, Walton on the Naze (with limited tidal access) and Stone Point (no access to anywhere except Stone Point!). In many other places, anchorages are next to wide belts of saltmarsh, which are (for practical purposes) impassable. If you need access to the shore, your options are limited. There is also no "right to roam" as there is in Scotland, so even if you can land, there's no guarantee that you'd be able to progress past the foreshore.
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I guess in Scotland I've got used to anchoring off a beach to walk the dog. It does sound then that if I take the dog or want to go ashore, I should factor in using a commercial moorings or marina.
 
seafox67 said:
I guess in Scotland I've got used to anchoring off a beach to walk the dog. It does sound then that if I take the dog or want to go ashore, I should factor in using a commercial moorings or marina.
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I think you're right. There are places where you can go ashore to walk the dog - Stone Point and Wrabness come to mind near Titchmarsh, where I berth - but many such places are a long walk from facilities like shops or watering holes! Further, most of the anchorages are in waters controlled by harbour authorities, and I think they take a dim view of long-term anchoring. Fine for overnight stays, but longer-term might be problematic in some places. You also have to watch for things like oyster beds, where anchoring is a) banned and b) likely to bring the wrath of the licensee on you!

Beaches are few and far between in places where there is shelter; mud is more common!
 
We often used to anchor in Tollesbury Creek with the children. In order to give them a run ashore we would make use of the nearby hard, which consisted of a row of sandbags in the mud. This was less than fully effective and we got into the habit of saying that we were about to land on the 'soft'.
 
Anchoring and walking the dog is often tide limited. I generally found when I used to take a dog sailing on the east coast that high tide meant less mud on the paws.

Best anchorage I ever found for walking the dog was Quay Reach on the Roach, corner of the Crouch. Either shore but the steps at Foulness made it particularly easy. And only yachtpersons have a right to go ashore at Foulness without notification despite what the security people might want you to believe. Anywhere with a bit of a hard makes a dog friendly walking area. Particularly thinking of Pyefleet and Harty Ferry.
 
AntarcticPilot said:
Perhaps worth noting that places where you can land from an anchorage are less available. For example, the Walton Backwaters are a nature reserve and the only landing sites are Titchmarsh Marina, Walton on the Naze (with limited tidal access) and Stone Point (no access to anywhere except Stone Point!). In many other places, anchorages are next to wide belts of saltmarsh, which are (for practical purposes) impassable. If you need access to the shore, your options are limited. There is also no "right to roam" as there is in Scotland, so even if you can land, there's no guarantee that you'd be able to progress past the foreshore.
Click to expand...
I think it is a shame that we have lost so many rights of access to the water in recent years. In the 1970s when I started cruising there were lots of places to land or launch small boats, many of these have been fenced off or removed. On the Crouch for instance I think there is now only one public access at South Woodham. In my youth there were at least eight, not sure if we had legal rights but were never challenged or asked to pay.
 
yep - plenty of shelter in the Medway, Roach, Blackwater, Colne, Stour, Orwell, the Backwaters, Deben and Ore - you could spend a whole summer within a short row of great pubs and never pay a penny...
 
Once you're west of the Solent it's not uncommon for the river / harbour authorities to charge harbour dues just for being there - even if lying to your own anchor. We were in the Dart last summer - about £11 a day from memory. On the one hand it's not unreasonable to ask harbour users to pay for dredging, facilities, harbour-master etc.
On the other hand it can feel a bit steep especially if like us you come from an area where anchoring is free.
 
They charge in Salcombe certainly but I don’t remember about the Dart. I think they also charge those anchoring in the upper Fal too but I don’t think it was enforced when we were last there some years ago.
 
If you anchor in Chichester Harbour you are meant to pay an environmental charge. I spent a week there once waiting for a rally I think it worked out to be £11 for the week. A few years ago so prices and requirements may have changed. In Poole Harbour I normally anchor around behind Brownsea Island and haven't paid but I think you may be required to. And I have been charged for anchoring in Salcombe (£10 1 night), but just around the corner in Start Bay it is free and well protected - spent 4 days there once waiting for fog to clear in Lyme Bay.

But plenty of good places to anchor that are quiet and don't charge. But perhaps you are better finding places that others don't anchor.
 
If you're a visitor have to pay to anchor in the Carrick Roads and the River Fal. Local boats are free. Grr!
 
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