Ipswich to Bridlington

[scorpion331]

I am picking up a new boat in Ipswich and sailing back to Bridlington, any advice, passage times, experiences welcome

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[paulrossall]

We move our boats up and down the East coast most years, but only from Felixstowe to Boston. My crew all like to be in the pub at night so we hop along the coast. If I were doing your trip I would take the ebb tide right up the coast to Lowestoft and stay overnight. Excellent yacht club and easy 24/7 access. The bar menu is good value and the beer is Adnams. I would not go into any of the newer marina facilities, if they are now open, because the yacht club is second to non. Southwold is a difficult enterance and I would not recomend it . It is OK if you are cruising and interesting to go into but on a passage I recon you want easy access and good facilities.
Take the ebb up again which I think starts 2 hours before high water Lowestoft from memory, but check up on that. Only other place to stay on the way up is Grimsby which I like and again has excellent club in the fish dock.
I am paranoid about going with the tides. On that East coast I think it can make all the difference on a trip like yours because it saves time and the motion can be unpleasant otherwise. Have a good trip. Paul

<hr width=100% size=1>" there is nothing-absolutely nothing-half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats".

 

[seaesta]

Agree with Paul about Grimsby - nice stop-over in the "Fish Dock" and the Humber Cruising Asscoction are great guys. Have gone from Wells and Boston to Brid and enjoyed the Grimsby stop-over. It is especially important to use the tide in the Humber. The Humber is however really busy and ships come at you pdq so remember to look astern at regular intervals and get lit up like a Christmas tree at night!!. You can spend a nice day or two at Wells but access is limited by tide and bar.
There is a stopover at the N corner of the Wash (Wainfleet or Gibralter Point?), just S of Skeggy but I dont know anyone who has been in there - any views or advice on this place would be appreciated by me.
Martin

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[steve123]

I delivered my boat from the Orwell to Whitby last August. We went with the tide close to the coast to Lowestoft where we stopped for about 4 hours while we waited for a fair tide again. We had planned to top up with fuel as we were having to motor most of the time but the they had been emptied out by some Dutch motor boaters. So the crew had a hike into town with some cans. We stayed close in till past Cromer and then headed straight for Flamborough Head through the night. Only problem was some fog around dawn, when we headed in to get out of the shipping. Also, you get quite close to some gas platforms and cross the shipping routes into the Humber but at least they are easy to see at night. We left at 6am and arrived 6pm the following day. Expect it would take you about 8 hours less. PM me if you want more details. Good luck.

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[paulrossall]

Wainfleet is only a good place to visit if you are in a canoe. I only draw 1 metre and will skank over shallow patches anywhere but the gut which goes up to Gibraltar Point/Wainfleet is just a narrow ditch, perhaps only 20 ft wide at times which twists and turns. The few boats that moor at Wainfleet seem to think they have had a really good season if they get to sea more than once a year. It is also 5 miles from the town/village of Wainfleet and 2 miles walk from Skegness so if you did manage to get up the channel you have still not arrived anywhere.
DO NOT GO TO WAINFLEET.
The problem with Wells is access is only 2 hours either side of high wtaer with my draft. The channel is OK is daylight and is partially lit at night but I would be warey of attempting it with a fin keel boat unless you had plenty of time to make sure you go over the bar at the correct time. If I did get caught out when down the channel (it is 2 miles long and you are more likely to run aground down near the town where it is very flat and sandy), then I would just sit on the sand, as other boats do.
Grimsby does not have that problem. I think the almanac says access is 2 hours either side of high (look it up, don't rely on my memory) and there is a period where the lock is left open, but I think the lock keeper can lock you through at any time if he decides to. There are also places to anchor and wait if necessary.IMHO.Paul


<hr width=100% size=1>" there is nothing-absolutely nothing-half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats".

 

[uforea]

Hi Paul, as others have said you need to leave lowestoft 2hrs before high water to take full advantage of the North going ebb. This will take you to somewhere in the region of Cromer Knoll Buoy where you will then sit for about 6hrs as the South going flood hits you head on. There's not a lot you can do about this except grin and bear it, but at least you know what to expect. This assumes of course that you don't have head winds i.e. N.W.----N.E. In this situation the best thing to do is wait in Lowestoft for a good slant as the short sharp seas along this coast in Northerly winds makes progress very difficult. Once clear of the Wash and it's channels the tides are not as strong but you will need to be clear of the Humber before they ease. With a fair breeze it's a good trip with plenty of shipping in and out of the Humber to make the trip interesting.
Ted.

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[scorpion331]

Thanks for all the advice, weather permitting we will do the trip on the late May Bank holiday.

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