Just Pondering...

AIDY

AIDY

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19 Jan 2004
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Muckle Flugga
www.ybw.com
I will be moving the boat from the solent next year, not sure where yet maybe france maybe east coast or even devon or cornwall areas.

Could any of you east coaster's advise on what sort or area is best for keeping a 38 foot yacht with a 2 metre draught with minimal mud banks. Also how much would you expect to pay in a marina. Ideal location would be good starting point for a channel crossing also few local places to visit of a weekend.

I've not been to the east coast for years hence the reason for asking, before i make any initial enquiries. I live in east bucks so travel to and from the boat at the right times should not be a problem.

TIA
 
But the mud is why we are all here :D

Remember mud is kind to keels when you run aground

And also you could be paying half/two-thirds what you pay elsewhere for marinas

Orwell accomodates bigger boats (Fox's,Ipswivh Haven, Levington, Shotley), Burnham, Bradwell and Titchmarsh too. You could go into Tollesbury like us but you may find the tidal cill a bit limiting
 
Sailing Areas

Deben would be good .. Nice Enterance .. :eek:

Med_Yacht2.jpg
 
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It's a mistake to think the the East Coast is surrounded by mud banks. Most of the banks are sand and shingle and very hard if you ground on them. It is however just as easy to sail without grounding as it is to cruise round the South Coast without hitting rocks.

As said above, the Orwell is the obvious place, but West Mersea and Burnham are also possible.
 
Personally speaking, Tollesbury is a very pretty natural marina and a nice place to be even if you're not out sailing. However i'm guessing you'll be limited to an hour or two either side of high tide to get out over the cill and up the creek.

Bradwell is a good marina IMO but a noticeable increase in price over Tollesbury but has better Tide access. Wouldn't say it's as pretty as Tollesbury though if that's your thing and the last time I asked they had a waiting list for berths.

I wasn't a fan of Burnham Yacht Harbour. It works well enough and Burnham itself is nice but I found the marina a bit featureless and I prefer the Blackwater to the Crouch for somewhere to keep the boat incase I just want to pop down the river rather than venture too far.

Horses for Courses though.

I know Maylandsea (Blackwater Marina) is restricted to an hour or two either side of high tide for deep draft boats and the facilities are less visually appealing but I always found it a good marina for a fair price. Also found the people there really friendly and helpfull.

Horses for courses I guess. :)
 
Aidy - just change our depth sounder from metres to feet and you'll feel quite relaxed. Only yesterday I had a good metre under the keel going up to Maldon on a spring tide.:) I didn't quite get to the quay before I chickened out:o
 
exfinnsailor said:
Deben would be good .. Nice Enterance .. :eek:

Med_Yacht2.jpg
Click to expand...

Nice photo - is that really the Deben bar? Anyway glad we've never tried it in that kind of sea.

I've never sailed around here with more than 4'6", I would feel very constrained with 2m underneath me, so many fantastic places you wouldn't be able to get to which I don't give a second thought to at our present 3'.
 
Shamal said:
Nice photo - is that really the Deben bar? Anyway glad we've never tried it in that kind of sea.

I've never sailed around here with more than 4'6", I would feel very constrained with 2m underneath me, so many fantastic places you wouldn't be able to get to which I don't give a second thought to at our present 3'.
Click to expand...

Try it in the Dark :D:D
 
Deben Bar

As we keep Sea Mist II on a swing mooring, (just outside the Ramsholt Arms) on the Deben we go over the Deben bar frequently, :eek::eek::eek:. It's not that bad, honestly. I've taken her in and out with some biggish waves. However, if we come back and conditions are really bad we pick up a mooring on the Orwell, which is always accessible. I love the river Deben, it's quite possibly one of my favourite places in the whole world!

The sailing around these parts is excellent, with lots of places to go. I'd definitely recommend a marina on the Orwell for a bigger boat, probably Shotley as Ipswich Marina's are just a tad too far from the sea.
 
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Small waves that day ..

Usually Like This

11Picture1.png






Seriously though .. Think you may find these pictures elsewhere . Some chap in Australia trying to get out to sea .. He was warned not to go .. :eek:

Just feels like it odd times :eek:
 
exfinnsailor said:
Usually Like This

11Picture1.png






Seriously though .. Think you may find these pictures elsewhere . Some chap in Australia trying to get out to sea .. He was warned not to go .. :eek:

Just feels like it odd times :eek:
Click to expand...

I was brought up on the North Coast of NSW, as we sucked at our mothers' breast shortly after birth we were warned 'never cross the bar on the ebb'. This applies to most of the rivers on the NSW and southern Queensland coast. The problem is that there is nothing to stop the swell building up between Chile and Australia, the prevailing wind is from the South East and most of the rivers are tidal and subject to depositing large amounts of soil at their mouths after the annual flood.

As kids in fact the rule was not 'never cross on the ebb' as much as 'never cross the bar'. Most kids paid little attention to the tides which only ranged about a metre but still created a swift current. We used to sail something called 'Butcher boats' which had originally been used to take fresh beef out to ships passing up and down the coast, they were more than capable of handling the bar in benign conditions but I don't know of anyone in my generation who attempted to cross the bar as a child.

They kept building training walls or breakwaters on our particular bar, the Clarence River, but unfortunately the bar just then moved further out on the next annual flood.
 
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