heybridge to brightlingsea,advice please

[born2sail61]

hi all.little advice needed from local sailors please! I need to move my newly acquired kingfisher 20 from heybridge to brightlingsea this weekend.weather looks promising and will be leaving on a falling tide.i'm lacking a mainsail,but have working jib and storm jib.the only outboard i have available is a 4hp honda 4 stroke. Will this in your collective experience of local waters be sufficient for the trip? Thanks in anticipation

 

[FullCircle]

First - hope you enjoy the boat!


Looks like the weather gods are with you.
Beam reach from Heybridge to Colne, then dead downwind into Brightlingsea.
All with F3-4 max.

You can rig the storm jib on the boom to act as a main. As it will be a beam reach, halyard tension should not be a problem.

You will manage that easily in a tide, but I would come out of Heybridge before high tide and make sure everything is working to your satisfaction, and you have the crew settled in first by whizzing up and down for 30 minutes. Then head out with the tide, or return to Heybridge if you have major issues.

Best of luck!

 

[NUTMEG]

Ditto what Fullcircle said. A nice little run. You will love it. All I would add is do not be tempted to cut too many corners, Mersea Flats and so on. You need to go out a long way to stay in the channel.

Bon Voyage.

 

[johnalison]

That sounds very cautious. The tide should be fairly neapy by then and the trip should be less than three hours. As long as you keep Osea, Thirslet and the Molliette beacon on your left you shouldn't have any trouble and I imagine you could even get into Brightlingsea near LW anyway.

 

[Cobra]

As has already been alluded to, an easy run in one tide and as Jim has pointed out you should have a beam reach out the Blackwater and square up the Colne. When we bought our first cruiser, an O'Day 22 from Maylandsea we pottered along with outboard on tickover and headsail dragging us along quite nicely on the ebb. If you stay mid stream out the Blackwater and continue to the Molliette leaving the Cardinal mark to Port then turn into the Colne heading towards the Martello Tower on St Osyth stone. Once in mid river then just follow your lines up towards Batemans Tower and you will have a nice safe run home!

Enjoy! I am sure you will!!

 

[NUTMEG]

That sounds very cautious. The tide should be fairly neapy by then and the trip should be less than three hours. As long as you keep Osea, Thirslet and the Molliette beacon on your left you shouldn't have any trouble and I imagine you could even get into Brightlingsea near LW anyway.

Ah, but Captain Cautious is my nickname!

 

[born2sail61]

thankyou all for good positive advice! Am looking forward to my first trip on the new boat,but must admit to a few 'butterflies'! Your replies have been a real confidence boost.once again,thankyou.

 

[Fire99]

It's an easy sail if you are of reasonable draught and not going around Mersea flats and into Brightlingsea too close to low water. It was one of my very earliest sails and is very straightforward

 

[xyachtdave]

Have you got someone sensible to go with you?

In my experience you're better off not taking a non boaty person on your first couple of trips - someone that can tie a fender or mooring line on or helm the boat for a couple of minutes is helpful!

 

[born2sail61]

going it alone,i'm afraid.i'm not a total novice,quite a bit of motor boating and mirror dinghy sailing in the dim distant past.first trip on this boat,bit of an unknown quantity and i wouldn't want tobe responsible for someone else's safety or wellbeing first time out.

 

[johnalison]

People do get into trouble on the Blackwater but usually only when they are trying to be too clever. It won't add anything much to your distance to stay between the buoys, though you will soon learn that this isn't always necessary. Just don't cut too much inside the red buoy just after you start, opposite the sailing club and after the Molliette continue towards the main Colne channel for a good distance before turning north. The tide will be running against you there and the last mile will use up some of your fuel.

 

[born2sail61]

won't be attempting any clever stuff,for sure.too likely to make myself look a total fool! I'd rather take longer than take chances.thankyou all for the advice,it will make the trip easier,after all there's no point asking for advice if you don't take any notice of it!

 

[UncleAlbert]

Planned on giving you a wave when walking the dog on Saturday morning along Millbeach, but looking at the tide times its far too early (04.something) and dog will be sound asleep in her basket!!.
Good luck.
Heybridge to B'sea was my first out of the River experience in a Pirate 17 some years back. ( There and back easily in a day with a run ashore for a bag of chips too.) Just keep clear of the Molliete, there are some 'orrible bits of metal down there!!.

 

[Simonpk]

I don't know if this is related, but this looks very much like a Kingfisher in a bit of trouble:

http://www.gazette-news.co.uk/news/local/clacton/11031427.Lifeboat_tows_broken_down_yacht_to_safety/

 

[xyachtdave]

I don't know if this is related, but this looks very much like a Kingfisher in a bit of trouble:

http://www.gazette-news.co.uk/news/local/clacton/11031427.Lifeboat_tows_broken_down_yacht_to_safety/

This may answer the question 'Did he get there safely?'....

Don't forget the update born2sail61!

 

[mcalan]

+1 hope so !

 

[FullCircle]

Looks like it, as the 'main' appears to be hanging like a jib thats been hoisted.

Sunday was F7, so not a good choice of weather to set off in.

Feel sorry for the guy, as it sounds like the rudder broke, which would have made life difficult. Dunno about the single handed thing either....

 

[jimi]

if it was, at least he got to Brightlingsea, and no real damage to life or property. But bet a big learning experience.

 

[born2sail61]

update!

hi guys,yeah it was me,not a good start,can only get better.left heybridge saturday 4:30pm,leisurely sail down to bradwell,anchored overnight.bit blowy during the night but fairly good sunday morning.pulled the hook up about 7:30 am and got into the brightlingsea channel just after 9 wjith no iffy moments.then the wind got up and water got a bit choppy but all was going to plan until the tiller snapped off the rudder stock.tried steering via the outboard but it had got so choppy by then the prop was out of the water more than it was in it! Not a good day.Huge thanks to coastguards and especially the clacton lifeboat crew.

 

[mcalan]

Glad your safe !!