In shore routes up the East coast

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ifoxwell

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Hi all

I used to have a conventional modern day 32ft cruising boat and as such used to navigate up the East coast using the standard Deep Water markers.

I now have a 20ft trailer sailor that draws bugger all so I'm looking for alternative routes.

We are on the Medway so I like the idea of cutting through to the Crouch via the Havengore bridge but where to from there. Is there a nice inshore route across to the Blackwater thus avoiding the trek out the the Whitaker?

Cheers

Ian
 
Ian,
I have just bought the 4th Edition (very latest) of East Coast Pilot and like it.
Your inshore routes that change are mapped out in the book and updated on the website and affiliated websites
Your journey from Crouch to Blackwater would be by the Ray Sand channel (three bouys)
From the Blackwater to the Wallet you can easily go over the Colne Bar and stay very close inshore if that is beneficial tidally - watch out for piers !
At the Naze you can cut across Pennyhole Bay to the Walton Backwaters (get the charts out)

With the pilot book and a Folio of charts for the East Coast you will be able to work it all out
 
Look at the Roach Sailing Association website for details of the Havengore route. Did it in a 24ftr drawing about a metre. There's not a lot of water across the flats so pick a good tide. Very nice route but don't expect marks to follow - there are lots of meaningless poles! Just be sure to ring the bridge the day before to check that it is opening (2 hours either side of HW) and call them on approach.
 
There is a succession of inshore passages, which I don't know especially well, but as well as the Ray channel, there are:

Inside Peewit island at Bradwell
North of Osea island
Inside the Moliette beacon
Inshore round Colne point
Inshore of the Pye sands to Stone point.

Others will doubtless know more than this fin-keeler.
 
johnalison said:
There is a succession of inshore passages, which I don't know especially well, but as well as the Ray channel, there are:

Inside Peewit island at Bradwell
North of Osea island
Inside the Moliette beacon
Inshore round Colne point
Inshore of the Pye sands to Stone point.

Others will doubtless know more than this fin-keeler.
Click to expand...

And round the back of Northy Island (top of the Blackwater).
 
nortonmotors said:
Inside the Molliete? I've seen boats do that and wondered how much water there is. Anyone got a route for the best crossing with one metre draft?
Click to expand...

Not a particular problem - did it about three weeks ago with 1.3m draft and plenty water underneath us; cannot remember the precise details on the sounder but I was pressing on a full tilt as I had a particular boat in sight and I felt no need to back off. When we do it, it is on a good tide and we pass about a cable away from the post. I will check the chart but it feels like pretty much the straight line from Nass/Bradwell to the Fisheries bouy in the Colne (or further into the Colne) - you just avoid the treck out to the Molly.

We have been closer in to the Molly than that with our previous boat (3'6" draft) and noticed a couple of very small bouys. Not sure what they signify but we gave them a berth and didn't hit anything !
 
I did similar last year, spent nearly a week in the Blackwater and made a point of sailing all over green bits of the (Imray) charts.
 
MoodySabre said:
Look at the Roach Sailing Association website for details of the Havengore route. Did it in a 24ftr drawing about a metre. There's not a lot of water across the flats so pick a good tide. Very nice route but don't expect marks to follow - there are lots of meaningless poles! Just be sure to ring the bridge the day before to check that it is opening (2 hours either side of HW) and call them on approach.
Click to expand...

Do you plan your route aiming to be at the bridge at high water or is it beneficial to be early/late depending on your direction through?

Ian
 
Third and fourth editions of the afore-mentioned pilot book include detailed routes and a unique chartlet on the Havengore passage. I'd suggest you plan to arrive a bit early in order to get through the shallowest areas with some allowance for refloating should you ground.
 
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