Havengore

ChattingLil

ChattingLil

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Me and MoodySabre are going to attempt the Havengore shortcut on Sunday 7th April (all being well). Medway to Crouch in the Achilles.

Neither of us have done it before. Anyone done it lately? Are the withies/marks in good condition and easily seen? Does it make much difference as to whether you go via Middleway or Potton Creek? (sorry if that's a dumb q).
 
Not done it but interested to hear how it goes.

A friend has bought a Sadler 26 lift keel currently at Canvey and we are planning to move her to Orford that weekend. We did briefly discuss using the Havengore but having to leave Canvey at HW it doesnt work for us.

Fingers crossed for the weather!!
 
The withies were not that visible, not the last time I passed that way. They are galvanised 1" water pipe, so grey in colour and blend in well with the background apart from the red or green paint which was all flaking off!
I think that going out ought to be easier than going in so far as the withies are concerned. There's quite comprehensive info in the current edition of ECP. You can always ask the bridgekeeper as you leave if you are uncertain, he's usually helpful.
Must confess I've not used the Potton Creek route.
 
Unless you are heading for Wakering, Paglesham or Stambridge, your best bet is Narrow Cuts, Middleway, Yokesfleet to the Roach. Navigation is a bit more tricky if you go via Potton, less obvious channel after Havengore Creek and you also have the bridge to negotiate.
Afraid I have no more uptodate info re the withies except to agree with Cantata that going out is usually easier than going in as the marks blend in with the land going in but are easier to pick up against the horizon when leaving.
There is sometimes info on the Roach Sailing Assn website, if you can find it.
Hopefully it is springs that weekend?
 
nigelm said:
I have the phone numbers for both Potton & Havengore bridges if you would like them , is it really going to be much easier going via Havengore than going round the outside ? Or you just on a sightseeing tour ? .
Click to expand...

lol! With the extended winter weather forecast, I think we will be glad to save a few hours by going the overland route :) The excitment and adventure is appealing too - however, not if we get it wrong and get stuck on the mud for hours and hours with no heating or toilet...
 
Haven't done it in current boat. Its planned for this season though.

Attempted it about 8 years ago in a lift keel Jaguar 25. I was very inexperienced but adventurous. The tide had just turned to ebb when I reached the Blacktail Spit buoy. I called the bridge keeper on the VHF and asked his advice. He reckoned I could make, so I turned the engine on, gave it some Welly, rolled the Genoa in and headed in. Came to a slow halt about 1/2 mile from the bridge. Spent the rest of the day on the sands and finished up retracing my steps and going back the long way round in the dark.

Second time was going out. I had a Limbo 6.6 at the time. Spent the night in Yokesfleet, and headed for the bridge down the Narrow cuts following a catamaran as the tide made in the morning. We both went through the bridge and both went aground just as the Havengore starts to open out, but only for about 30 mins. After that I had a single beat to the East Swale. Lovely sail. Catarmaran arrived about an hour later.

All the pilot books etc. reckon it's important to reach the Broom way at or just before HW.

Best of luck!
 
I have contacted Roach Sailing Association (who maintain the withies) to get the latest info on the passage. Will let you know shortly. The creek side of the bridge is the easy bit TBH.

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The withies are still there and mark a channel Eastwards of the Havengore . The shallowest part is before you reach the entrance to the river, about 1/4 mile out. Start your approach before HW

The phone no of the bridge keeper is 1702 383436 and can be contacted on VHF, who I would call in advance to get advise of the approach. Also the river down to the bridge is deaper on one side (the north side I think).

And def do not go via Potton Bridge

The only other concern is that at HW springs the sea covers the saltings, which makes the path of the river beyond the bridge harder to see.
 
Do you mean this Potton Bridge?

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You will upset John the Bridge if you don't give him something to do. Nowt wrong with PottonBridge.


Look what we came across just the other side....

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An excellent and very swift reply from the luminaries of Raoch Sailing Assocaiation. I really take my hat off to these lovely people


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Hi
A couple of years ago, richard, jonathan, john (bridge) and I replaced withies with green and red painted fibre glass poles. These could well have paint missing.

there was one red and that made a 'gate' with a corresponding green. what could be seen now is a gate of both whites. I suggest treat all as starboard and be aware that there may be a gate.
My rule is to get to man made island 1 hr before and saul a little east of N until you see a wreck marker which you pass well to port.
You will then see posts in line and pass close on sbd until you pick up withies. Water in channel to havengore best towards starboard (east).
Always a good idea to contact shoe radar if mid week, and bridge on the day to ensure it in commission!
Cheers

Sent from samsung mobile. On O2.

Ken Wickham wrote:

Jim,

We placed saplings/withies in the area some years ago, these I think have
been replaced/renewed by either Suttons Yard or local fishermen, we
definitely did not use plastic pipe.

What draft does he hold and where is he heading for?

You could row out and repaint them of course!!! And whilst you are out there
take a few spares and add to them?

Regards

Ken W

PS I have a paint brush you can borrow

_____

From: roach@yahoogroups.co.uk [mailto:roach@yahoogroups.co.uk] On Behalf Of
Jim D
Sent: 11 March 2013 17:49
To: roach@yahoogroups.co.uk
Subject: [roach] Havewngore withies?

I hear tell that the grey 1" pipes used as withies going out of Havengore
have the paint flaked off and not easily visible?

Have a boat that wants to come though on Sunday 7th April from Medway who
hasn't done the trip before.

Anyonr got any early season tips?

Thanks

Jim
 
We did it a year or so ago - Roach to Thames direction. Fairly straightforward.

We were a bit early, and went aground a little before Havengore Bridge (of course just after calling to say we'd be there in a few minutes!) - all part of the fun. Woman operating the bridge was very helpful and gave us directions (and warned us that the firing would continue just to one side of us - as indeed it did - we'd be OK, she said, so long as we kept to the corrrect track - eek!). It's hard to see quite where you're heading as you leave the bridge behind you to head into the Thames, we found - then called us again a few minutes later to say she could see we were heading too far in one direction (actually nearer the firing, and we we worried we might be erring too far the other way!) and put us on the right track. A few hundred yards on it all became clear as the small withies inshore started to distinguish themselves from the big posts miles away.

Nice sense of achievement, as I'd wanted to do it for years - but not too challenging. (First Mate has just said 'I'd like to do the Havengore again, but take longer over it. It was really, really lovely.")

Make sure you enjoy a night at anchor in the Roach or somewhere round there. Have fun!
 
Last edited:
thanks for advice. I've been in the Crouch for a couple of years already and am now returning after spending the winter at St Kats. I agree, anchoring aroundabout there is lovely (swimming with the seals even ;)), but we will be whipping up to Fambridge asap as a) we'll probably be chilly and b) I gotta be at work on Monday morning! This is another reason that we cannot afford to languish on the mud!
 
The instructions Jim has relayed from the RSA are pretty much exactly what is described in ECP and illustrated with an Imray chartlet therein, so that's a relief. Mind you, the research trip we did then was in company with someone who was receiving real-time advice from a kind soul in the RSA!
I did think the withies were steel water pipe though, that's what they looked like to me. But maybe GRP!
 
A bit more info from John the Bridgekeeper at Potton......


Just few points to add to your info on Havengore.

There should be a 'gate' of two withies just off the north east side of the creek entrance. Looking at Google Earth (haven't got a chart at home at present) these should be about N 51 38.18 E 0 51.34. Keep clear of south west as it is foul.
The gate is the shallowest area so after this you can head straight for the bridge. It is said that 4 metres of tide are required to flood the bar and April 7th is predicted at 5.4 metres so he should have a minimum of 1.4 metres at high tide. I would suggest he crosses the sands in ample time so that he is at the entrance before high tide. I tried to look for the gate withies today but although there was good visibility the water was very rough and I could not see any withies at all.
 
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