Ipswich -Dover

[tarik]

I will be collecting my new(to me) 26' Hurley in June from Dover and taking it to Ipswich Marina - direct. I would appreciate any advice as to courses etc., also is Ipswich accessible at all times of tide? How long can I expect the journey to take? Any problem areas to avoid ?

Many thanks


Mac.


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[lilianroyle]

We have crossed the Thames estuary several times to and from the Crouch. The current is the main issue here as it is pretty thankless trying to get from Dover to N. Foreland against the tide, unless it is a neap. Its really a question of timing so that you aren´t banging against the tide in the wrong time place. Ideally you want to leave Dover with the North going current and arrive so the tide takes you up the Orwell. When you work it out it probably wont work out like that, I think you will be hard pushed to do it in less than 20 hours and might think about hopping to Ramsgate first, especially as that may make all the difference tide wise. I seem to remember that the problem for us was that leaving Ramsgate with enough fair current to get us round the foreland meant we arrived too early to get up the Crouch and had to anchor and wait for the next flood.

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[Born_Free]

I've made this passage several times and tried a variety of routes. I agree with Lilianroyle that it's pobably a good idea to stop over at Ramsgate. The initial short hop from Dover will enable you to find any teething problems and fix them at Ramsgate, which is well woth a visit in its own right. I prefer the outer routes across the estuary myself as they are shorter, but if the weathers not so good then there's shelter and bolt holes if you take the inner ones. Ipswich by the way is accesible at all states of the tide. If your goiing up to the wet dock, you will have to go through the lock, but this presents no problems as there is a floating pontoon to tie up to in the lock which rises and falls with the level, and the lock operators are very helpful, just call them as you clear under the Orwell Bridge

<hr width=100% size=1>I have nothing to declare, except my genius
(With apologies to Oscar Wilde)

 

[ianwright]

You need a copy of "East Coast Rivers". The answers to questions you don't yet know enough to ask are within its covers. Buy the Bible. Do it now. You'll thank me...
IanW

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[Cantata]

So far nobody's mentioned the Dover to Ramsgate leg as being a potential problem. It is...big problem called the Goodwin Sands. Every few weeks someone on a delivery trip goes on it.
So....I presume you won't want to go up the east side, you'll go up the inshore side. Either go thro the Gull Stream, or if you use the really inshore route, up the Ramsgate Channel to port of mark B2.
The Ramsgate Channel is the shortest way if you're stopping at Ramsgate, but be really careful to avoid the Brake and the Cross Ledge. These banks are shifting all the time.
Make sure your charts are up to date for all of this trip, and stay on top of your position very frequently.

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[DeepAndy]

Mac,

Next time your in Dover, pop along and see me .... on the dive vessel TAURUS, i will show you different routes you can take , all computerised .

If you have the time the day before your intended depart date , i can print you off leave time , route , tides and passage plan etc etc etc .

Andy

I'm a charter skipper in Dover , and always on the boat for a few hours most days , if not out diving or working .

<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.taurusdiving.co.uk>http://www.taurusdiving.co.uk</A>

 

[Gunfleet]

I agree, that route up past Deal and towards Pegwell Bay until you meet B2 is safest and most sheltered, though of course you need to make sure you have up to date charts. Going from Ramsgate to N Foreland against the tide (depends on how you want to work the passage) is no problem because good water close in, as you'll see on the chart. East Coast Rivers is good, as Ian Wright suggested, but North Sea Passage Pilot is more detailed for the trip you want to do. Also, ask around in the Royal Temple Yacht Club in Ramsgate - surely the friendliest yacht club in England.

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[TonyMS]

You need to give B2 plenty of clearance - it is not quite at the edge of the bank.

I believe Ipswich is accessible at all times.

<hr width=100% size=1>www.montgomery-smith.org

 

[cngarrod]

Hi Mac,

I have bought my boat back from the Medway to ipswich when i bought her... although she was power it was great fun and straight forward crossing the thames.

If you want an extra pair of hands that is looking for some sailing experience... give me a shout - would love to come along. Will pay my way too!

Cheers,

Craig.

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[Toutvabien]

We did the trip in reverse a couple of weeks ago and it took about ten hours, at about 5 knots, from Ipswich to Ramsgate. Our route was down through the Medusa Channel from the Orwell and then across to NE Gunfleet then inside Long Sand and then down Foulgers Gat before laying a course for North Foreland. It obviously depnds on the winds strength and direction, but when we go up to the Orwell we leave Ramsgate just before the tide turns North and get the full blast up outside the banks. If its blowing a bit you may wish to go outside everything up to Long Sand Head, but otherwise going across Long Sand through Foulgers Gat is a reasonable route.

Ipswich Lock is 24/7.

Bon Voyage.

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[squidge]

Foulgers? thought that was fishermans?or am i thinking of somewhere else,.

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[Mirelle]

Foulger's gat is the new route - buoyed a couple of years ago. I agree with the advice given, with the proviso that a cautious approach with a new (to the crew) boat might be to hold the N kent coast through the Four Fathoms Channel, overnight in the Swale and go up Swin.

<hr width=100% size=1>Que scais-je?

 

[AndrewB]

You do mean Dover -> Ipswich?

This is one of those passages that just works brilliantly on the tide. Leave Dover at the start of the ebb (1 hour before HW Dover), north through the Gull Stream, round North Foreland and then outside all the Thames sandbanks, to pick up the flood (5 hours before next HW Dover) somewhere around Long Sand Head and carry it through the Harwich channel and all the way up to Ipswich around HW.

Do not attempt this passage in poor visibility for your first time, as buoy spotting is essential, even with a GPS, also care needed with shipping, particularly approaching Harwich from the SE. In a northerly or north-easterly wind of F5 or more, it would be a lot more comfortable, if slower, to take Mirelle's advice and go round the inside edge of the Estuary.

Ipswich is now accessible at all states of the tide, the lock used to be only open for around 2½ hours either side of HW. (Call Ch 68). Beware unlit moorings at night in the Orwell, also its easy to miss the channel and go aground in the river around low water.

For a more detailed passage plan, do a search as this route has been described on several previous threads.

 

[Toutvabien]

Both Gat's cross Long Sand. Foulger's Gat is a couple of miles north of Fishermans Gat, Fishermans Gat is well bouyed and deep, focused upon the needs of larger vessels I would guess, and Foulger's merely has a safe water mark at each end and no intermediate bouyage within the channel itself. I think that there was a NTM that outlined the changes when the bouyage was withdrawn from North Edinburgh Channel a couple of years ago.

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