Ipswich marinas

Koeketiene

Koeketiene

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We intend to move Guapa to a marina berth when she launches again. I've always been very happy on our swinging mooring at Levington, but circumstances change.

- Eldest going to uni in September; so won't be available to crew at a regular basis.
- Wife said she would come along more often but the (often) wet & wild dinghy ride puts her off.
- Will have lots of time on my hands come September, but have to face reality: I'm not 21 any more. Launching & recovering dinghy single-handed is out of the question.

So, it's going to be a pontoon berth.

As I will be single-handed a lot/most of the time i want somewhere sheltered with room to manoeuvre. For this reason I've discounted Shotley and SYH. It can get quite windy there. Also, I don't fancy Wolverstone with the tide ripping through it - could make parking single-handed quite 'interesting'.

Fox's is our first choice, but a suitable berth may not become available soon.
That leaves Haven or Neptune in Ipswich.
Which would be best?

I treat marinas like car parks. As I don't intend to spend much time there, I'd rather be out sailing, so I don't care much about facilities, stuff nearby, etc... The only things I want to know are:
- Safe?
- Sheltered?
- Decent size pontoon with cleats? No rings or hoops.
- Nearby (safe) car park?

Any input appreciated
 
Only been there as a (fairly frequent) visitor, but my vote is for Ipswich Haven.

Safe - yes, it's a fair walk away from the main evening area where the drunks congregate, around the town side quay. Seems to be secure as well. The car park is floodlit and there's a patrol at night. I've left my car there for a week whilst we have been away and there have been no problems.

Facilities - great. Large pontoons, lots of space between them, good cleats and so on.

Very sheltered and safe from any weather. Nice friendly and helpful staff. Super showers and WCs.

The only problem is that it is a long way up and down the river, and a locked entrance is never going to be as easy as a 'drive in and out' one like Levington.
 
I expect you have done your sums with driving times etc and still fancy the Orwell.

Titchmarsh might still be another thought. Your sails are up from Stone point with a chance of a clear wind rather than the long haul down the Orwell and Felixstowe docks. It would be my first choice between Blackwater/Lowestoft.

Fox's is a very interesting place to keep a boat. So much going on but it's really a boatyard with some pontoon berths .Great new club as well reported by Sailorman. The noise and dirt both from the scrap yard and continuing commercial contracts in the yard starting to have a profound negative effect .

As mentioned, Ipswich Haven sounds the best bet but would the lock drive you bananas ?
 
LONG_KEELER said:
I expect you have done your sums with driving times etc and still fancy the Orwell.

Titchmarsh might still be another thought. Your sails are up from Stone point with a chance of a clear wind rather than the long haul down the Orwell and Felixstowe docks. It would be my first choice between Blackwater/Lowestoft.
QUOTE]

I would definately go to Tichmarsh. I could not stand the thought of mooring my boat in a busy city, so far from the sea, with that lock to negotiate every time I wanted to go sailing.

The lock at Shotley is much easier to use if single handed.
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I singlehand in and out of the lock regularly, - no problem (lock is generally quite sheltered) but can be interesting on busy Sunday afternoons with up to 15 other boats in there, Always plenty of time to get the string sorted though. Haven over Neptune every time for facilities. I thought about moving to Foxes before christmas just to save a bit of time rather than the difficulty factor, but a nice easy berth wasn't available and the club closing (at that time) made it easy for me to stay at Ipswich Haven.
Chandlery range a little limited since Burton Waters took over but staff nice.

Goood showers.

Nice atmosphere

Generally sheltered

Marina staff helpful.

Last Anchor good food but bleedin expensive and not yottie friendly.

Yacht club ok for a beer and food

Burger van has gone :(

Plenty of decent ale pubs nearby.

****e view from some berths.

Building works ongoing
 
Haven't spent any time in Haven really but we prefer Neptune (obviously as we berth there) as it's handy for the town, shops etc. Water, power and proper cleats on pontoons, diesel berth for when you need it. Lock only a pain on the odd occasion when they're slowing down the cycle (big neaps).
 
wherry said:
I singlehand in and out of the lock regularly, - no problem (lock is generally quite sheltered) but can be interesting on busy Sunday afternoons with up to 15 other boats in there, Always plenty of time to get the string sorted though. Haven over Neptune every time for facilities. I thought about moving to Foxes before christmas just to save a bit of time rather than the difficulty factor, but a nice easy berth wasn't available and the club closing (at that time) made it easy for me to stay at Ipswich Haven.
Chandlery range a little limited since Burton Waters took over but staff nice.

Goood showers.

Nice atmosphere

Generally sheltered

Marina staff helpful.

Last Anchor good food but bleedin expensive and not yottie friendly.

Yacht club ok for a beer and food

Burger van has gone :(

Plenty of decent ale pubs nearby.

****e view from some berths.

Building works ongoing
Click to expand...

Food Beer & atmos superb in Foxs now
 
MrCramp said:
LONG_KEELER said:
I expect you have done your sums with driving times etc and still fancy the Orwell.

Titchmarsh might still be another thought. Your sails are up from Stone point with a chance of a clear wind rather than the long haul down the Orwell and Felixstowe docks. It would be my first choice between Blackwater/Lowestoft.
I would definately go to Tichmarsh. I could not stand the thought of mooring my boat in a busy city, so far from the sea, with that lock to negotiate every time I wanted to go sailing.

The lock at Shotley is much easier to use if single handed.
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Tichmarsh - thanks for the suggestion, but no thanks.
Access HW +/-2 depending on draught - and Guapa draws 7'
Time I would gain being nearer to the sea I would loose due to tidal restrictions :( I don't think so.

Shotley: we wintered there with a previous boat. Locking not a problem, but a boat our size pretty much fills the lock. When it's busy - say hello to the back of the Q.

Will drop by Haven when I'm up in Ipswich next - hope to have news regarding availability of a Fox's berth by then too.
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Walton

Guapa said:
Tichmarsh - thanks for the suggestion, but no thanks.
Access HW +/-2 depending on draught - and Guapa draws 7'
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I believe that's over-stating the tidal restrictions at Titchmarsh quite a lot - we draw 3'10" and I've come in easily enough on the bottom of a spring tide - however there wasn't a lot of water to spare!

Still with your deep draft it's probably not a realistic option - access: HW +/-4 say + you might touch in the marina on the lowest of tides + there are hoops on the pontons which are a damned nuisance for those of us who single hand regularly.

Better than Walton and Finton Yacht Basin though - you'd only get in and out of there two or three times a year :-)
 
I would think with a 7' draft you would find Titchmarsh quite restrictive. It is not just the cill in the marina that is a problem, there is not much water over the flats approaching the Walton channel and we have friends with only 5' draft who have found themselves bumping the sand going across.
 
Guapa said:
Shotley: we wintered there with a previous boat. Locking not a problem, but a boat our size pretty much fills the lock. When it's busy - say hello to the back of the Q.
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Seems a fair trade to me.... half an hour of hanging around, drinking a beer or a coffee netted off against a 7nm slog back up the river.... especially as 9 times out of ten you hardly wait at all.... whereas the river isn't ever going to get shorter :)

We did the Ipswich thing for 2 seasons, and after one too many miserable windless motors into drizzle, decided that we needed to be out by the harbour mouth...

FWIW, I've done both Shotley and Wet Docks locks lots of times in 'less than ideal' weather, eg blowing its nuts off, and i'd pick Shotley every time...
 
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I mostly do single handed sailing, although the dog often comes along as sail trimmer. I find a swinging mooring much easier to handle single handed than a marina, particularly if the wind is up at all. I only have a small wooden pram dinghy with small seagull that seems to be able to handle most tide and wind conditions without me getting too wet - although the dog who likes to sit in the bow likes the spray in her face.

I don't think I would consider a marina mooring while I am mostly doing single handed sailing. Just thought I would throw that idea in.
 
Then again, if you are in a nice friendly marina, there are often folks about who will take a line (even if you are not single handed).
(Thanks to everyone who has ever taken ours)
 
Glayva said:
I don't think I would consider a marina mooring while I am mostly doing single handed sailing. Just thought I would throw that idea in.
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I was the last/only hard-core pro swinging mooring advocate in the family. If there had been a way to comfortably and safely pick up a mooring single-handed I would have stuck with the mooring.
I tried several techniques and approaches, but the freeboard of just over 5' proved to be a major obstacle. I managed to pick up the mooring 1 time out of every 3 - and even when I did, it was often a very close call.
 
Guapa said:
I was the last/only hard-core pro swinging mooring advocate in the family. If there had been a way to comfortably and safely pick up a mooring single-handed I would have stuck with the mooring.
I tried several techniques and approaches, but the freeboard of just over 5' proved to be a major obstacle. I managed to pick up the mooring 1 time out of every 3 - and even when I did, it was often a very close call.
Click to expand...

would a Dan By on the strop help, just haul it out of the water
 
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