Hull to Mersea

[Gunfleet]

I have to cross in my 26ft long keel sailing boat from Hull to Mersea mid September. I have to do it alone from Hull as far as Lowestoft, then with a crew to Mersea. I just see no way of doing it but leaving Hull near high water and plugging all the way to Lowestoft (20 miles downriver to Spurn and anchoring doesn't seem to offer any advantage). Am I right? I was rather hoping to find someone here who'd made a similar crossing and had any thoughts to offer.

 

[PaulRainbow]

Overnight stop at Wells ?

 

[davidej]

Overnight stop at Wells ?

You have to get your timing right for Wells which may be difficult on a longish leg like this.

Also not good in strong N NE winds.

I've always done it non stop.

 

[Gunfleet]

Yes that's the impression I've had of Wells. Tricky after 64 miles dodging wind farms alone. Easy to make mistakes :-(

 

[PaulRainbow]

If you can't get the timing right for Wells with a 26ft long keeler you need some passage planning lessons

What does she draw ?

 

[Gunfleet]

Five feet. I have sailed alone and with crew and passage planned from Peterhead to Port Navalo over 20 years so I expect my passage planning skills are fine, but thanks for the offer. The real issue - and indeed the advantage of forums - is to mitigate risk by asking people with experience of a particular passage what if any advice they have to offer.

 

[MoodySabre]

I have crewed from Whitby to Walton. First stop Lowestoft. It's slow if you don't have tide round the top of Norfolk.

 

[PaulRainbow]

It's 60 miles to Wells or 100 miles to Lowestoft.

With 5 feet draft you can get into Wells 2 hours either side of HW. Simple enough to plan to arrive at HW and have 2 hours to spare. If you get it wrong you can carry on to Lowestoft. If the weather turns nasty you carry on to Lowestoft.

Wells is no harder to get into than many other East coast harbours. The bar is not to be crossed on a strong ebb, unless you have many horses available. The channel is twisty, care needs to be taken to follow the channel, a call the the harbour master and he'll normally come out in the harbour launch to escort you in.

Time your departure correctly and you will have a fair tide all the way to Lowestoft. If you don't like the idea of Wells, i cannot see a way of avoiding the 100nm leg direct to Lowestoft.

 

[Gunfleet]

Yes, I think 120 miles or so is too far. Maybe at midsummer but bobbing about off Sheringham while knackered is asking for trouble. Resting at Spurn and waiting for a fair tide to Wells is the prudent approach. Thanks for thoughts all.

 

[tillergirl]

Gunfleet - please see the NtM thread - at least two temporary notices this week relevant to your passage idc.

 

[jimi]

Yes, I think 120 miles or so is too far. Maybe at midsummer but bobbing about off Sheringham while knackered is asking for trouble. Resting at Spurn and waiting for a fair tide to Wells is the prudent approach. Thanks for thoughts all.

When I came down that way it was at night and I was surprised by the amount of large commercial traffic about

 

[Gunfleet]

Thanks very much for this note - very helpful. I'm not setting off till 7th or 8th but I'll ring Wells Hmr (MBE on the website - congratulations to him) before I set off and adjust my plan accordingly. I always give Sea Palling a wide berth ;-)

 

[Gunfleet]

Thanks Jim. Glenrosa on the East Coast?

 

[jimi]

Thanks Jim. Glenrosa on the East Coast?

John, sold her about 4 years ago and bought a Moody. Based at SYH on the Orwell, be good to see you again.

 

[Gunfleet]

Well I 'should' have time on my hands to buy you a pint or whatever - I've retired. Of course my wife doesn't see it that way.

 

[Daverw]

We just done Tollersbury to Hull, Set off Friday 14:00 and got to Hull Monday 09:30, stopped at Wells for 10 hours before heading up and after brief stop at Spurn, hull to Wells last month about 15 hours from hull, issue may be daylight hours getting into wells, done it twice at dusk but not sure about doing it in the dark.