jimi
Well-Known Member
Any tips on places to stop, I draw 2m, I'm thinking the best options are Blyth, Eyemouth and Peterhead.
Ipswich to Inverness
- Thread starter jimi
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AntarcticPilot
Well-Known Member
North Shields has a good marina, and of course the Tyne is a very easy all-tide entrance.
Andibs
Well-Known Member
You'll have no problems at Blyth. You can also get a great set of sailing directions from the club ship that goes as far as Rattery Head.
Andy
Andy
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Guise
Well-Known Member
And Whitby if you want a break before Blyth, either in the outer harbour or through the lift bridge into the marina. Not a good entrance in a strong onshore wind though.
AntarcticPilot
Well-Known Member
Watch out for the strong cross-current, as well. I was also caught out by a lump of tree coming down the river - I was safely in the harbour, congratulating myself on having got through the cross-current safely, when there was an almighty bang, and the engine stopped. Managed to get moored up to a buoy in the outer harbour using the way that was on her, and a friendly angling boat towed us into the marina. Fortunately, the branch or whatever that had jammed the propeller came off of its own accord. Apparently it's not unusual for there to be large lumps of floating debris washed down the river.
Baddox
Well-Known Member
We're berthed in the Royal Quays marina a couple of miles up the Tyne from the sea, and are members of the Northumberland Yacht Club on the river Blyth. Both offer easy access from the sea in most conditions. They’re less than 10 miles apart so passing boats would usually pick one or the other.
The next marina up the coast from here is Amble, which is deep water held behind a sill 1.8m above chart datum.
Further up, the anchorages at Newton, the Farne Islands and Lindifarne are tenable if the weather is placid.
The currents can be strong around the Farnes and worth timing the passage; and avoiding strong wind against tide, otherwise the inshore route is simple enough.
Take a few days here to enjoy the trip.
Berwick is usually avoided because of the shifting shallow sand banks.
Eyemouth has a narrow entrance with rocks to avoid outside so I’d avoid it if the wind has had any east or north in it to stir the swell. Also, the stated depth is shallower than the actual depth; the harbour master can advise. The alongside pontoons are in shallow water which reputedly is over soft mud. If you don’t want to risk it then the deeper water that they mention is in the Gunsgreen basin – a somewhat unappealing place with concrete quays and fishing boats moving around at all hours.
Port Edgar by Edinburgh is accessible but this is well out of the way of your route.
The next non-drying harbour is Abroath before you head further north.
The next marina up the coast from here is Amble, which is deep water held behind a sill 1.8m above chart datum.
Further up, the anchorages at Newton, the Farne Islands and Lindifarne are tenable if the weather is placid.
The currents can be strong around the Farnes and worth timing the passage; and avoiding strong wind against tide, otherwise the inshore route is simple enough.
Take a few days here to enjoy the trip.
Berwick is usually avoided because of the shifting shallow sand banks.
Eyemouth has a narrow entrance with rocks to avoid outside so I’d avoid it if the wind has had any east or north in it to stir the swell. Also, the stated depth is shallower than the actual depth; the harbour master can advise. The alongside pontoons are in shallow water which reputedly is over soft mud. If you don’t want to risk it then the deeper water that they mention is in the Gunsgreen basin – a somewhat unappealing place with concrete quays and fishing boats moving around at all hours.
Port Edgar by Edinburgh is accessible but this is well out of the way of your route.
The next non-drying harbour is Abroath before you head further north.
WoodyP
Well-Known Member
I would have a night in Lowestoft then catch the tide with next stop anchor behind Spurn point. Next up to Whitby or Hartlepool then Amble then Eyemouth then Peterhead. If you have the crew just go straight to Peterhead and then round the corner. Whitehills. Is OK to break the journey to Inverness
AntarcticPilot
Well-Known Member
Yes, Royal Quays is where we stopped. Easy entrance through a lock, which has pontoons in the lock to make things really simple!
Eyemouth's entrance is not difficult - check the chart and it's a clear run in. The weather would have to be really foul to make it difficult. We grounded (1.6 m draft) at the bottom of spring tides on the pontoon at Eyemouth, but we just settled into the mud - no drama. We were warned not to go beyond the ponttons, as apparently it shallows rapidly beyond that point.The Gungreen Basin might well be deeper but it is a busy fishing harbour, you moor alongside the wall and bits of it are shallow - especially next to the fuel berth, which we discovered when our plans for refuelling and leaving were scuppered by the discovery that we couldn't approach the fuel berth! In fact, the harbourmaster might not want a leisure boat to use it.
Dunbar has a similar entrance, but rather more tricky than Eyemouth - again, easy enough if you study the charts and follow the leading lines, but daunting to look at! But Dunbar may be too shallow these days; I gather it has silted up a lot since we sailed out of there in the 60s.
We discounted Arbroath as although the inner harbour has maintained depth, the entrance dries and is not an all-tide entry.
Agree with the comments about Berwick.
Stonehaven has a deep outer harbour, and is a very pleasant place, but onshore winds can make it uncomfortable and impossible to leave. When we were on passage in April we decided the rick of being trapped there by an onshore wind was too great, as we had a timetable to meet.
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PeterR
Well-Known Member
These three videos will give you an idea of what the places you mention are like. Blyth is all tide for 2m yachts. Eyemouth depends on what the dredging is like but you will sink into the mud on the pontoons and check with the harbour master on depths before going in. Peterhead main harbour is deep but has a shallow patch at the entrance to the marina.
