Leigh on sea at neaps?

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steve yates

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How is the channel and the approach? Is it viable just now in a 1.5m draft long fin?
Whats the window if so and best time to enter it ?
Or would smallgains be a better option water wise to get to at neaps and leave a boat till close to springs?
I’ll be waiting to go up benfleet creek and get lifted out at dauntless closer to springs.
Thx
 
I would not leave a boat in Old Leigh, Bell wharf is distinctly unwelcoming these days, & liable to get damaged alongside the wall. Better to go straight up to Benfleet.
 
I am also thinking of mooring my boat at Leigh Marina to be able to sail on the estuary and beyond so would like more specific information per Steve Yates questions about water there and windows in and out. The other issue on my mind is security there. If anyone has any real experience about this then please do advise. (A PM would be appreciated if you’d prefer discretion)

Would benfleet be a better option? Pros and cons?

I’m currently moored just off the Crouch so it’s either a very long trip out and back that can’t really be done on a single tide or through the Havengore bridge - when/if it works.

I have just a metre draft on a bilge keel. Thanks in advance!
 
Leigh Marina is not much of a place. Until recently I lived within sight of it for 20 years. There were very few boats that came and went. I'd guess that an hour either side of HW would be pushing it with 1m draft. Lots of containers on site and plant.

We kept a boat at TEYC on a drying mooring near the casino. Faffing about with a dinghy in the Thames 'chop' is no fun. The Thames is not much fun really. Nowhere to come alongside (except for a brief time at Bell Wharf) and nowhere to visit except the Medway. For good sailing and plenty of places to visit come and try the Blackwater. Great for getting out and away too. The 45 minute drive from Leigh is well worth it.
 
Didnt go quite to plan :)
Was originially thinking of lw yesterday, around 7:30 ish,
didn't realise till i double checked going round north foreland that today was 8'ish as i assumed but after 9pm.
Wasn't trying that channel in the dark, so diverted to the crouch, through fishermans gat and sw sunk.
Had thick fog till almost in fishermans, then got vis of about 2 miles. Had just passed in front of a tanker, and was almost at sw sunk when the engine died. Tacked back and forth between the entrance and the cardinal while ian changed the secondary fuel filter.
Got to the entrance to the crouch when it died again, changed the cav filter, but couldn't get it bled. Sailed up the crouch and onto the rice and cole pontoon, well on the third attempt :) where we had arranged a berth for a few nights.
Got to get Ian to airport in the morn, then need to sort out the fuel bleeding thing. Will take her round to leigh on an early afternoon, and anchor, then go up small gains creek on an early high tide.
 
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Benfleet YC or Island YC? Looking at the chartlets, isn’t it easier and quicker to get on the water from IYC than Benfleet?
Would you have more time to sail from IYC?
Pros? cons?
 
steve yates said:
Didnt go quite to plan :)
Was originially thinking of lw yesterday, around 7:30 ish,
didn't realise till i double checked going round north foreland that today was 8is as i assumed but after 9pm.
Want trying that channel in the dark, so diverted to the crouch, through fishermans gat and sw sunk.
Had thick fog till almost in fishermans, then gotvis of about 2 miles. Had just oassed in front of a tanker, and was almost a n sw sunk when the engine died. Tacked back and forth between the entrance and the cardinal while ian changed the aecondary fuel filter.
Got to the entrance to the crouch when it died again, changed the cav filter, but couldnt get it bled. Sailed up the crouch and onto the rice and cole pontoon, well on the third attempt :) where we had arranged a berth for a few nights.
Got to get Ian to airport in the morn, then need to sort out the fuel bleeding thing. Will take her round to leigh on an early afternoon, and anchor, then go up smallgains creek on an early hightide.
Click to expand...

Well done. The vis was very fickle. Up the top of the Blackwater yesterday pretty poor vis while SWMBO reports broad sun all day at Mersea! Sound like a thorough clean of the fuel tank and the pipe lines. Bad luck.
 
It's a brand new fuel tank and new lines :) The original fine fuel filter wasn't changed, I had asked, but I didn't check, so my fault. It's just going to be a bleeding issue, almost certainly. My pld fuel tank primed the small primary filter by gravity, this is a different affair, with the fuel line coming out the top of the tank and a big cav filter. Ian was priming the lift pump with the bleed nuts open on the cav, just discovered that was wrong. And we never knew there was a breather nipple on the engine which needs undone, so we probably just locked air in the system, as we only had the fine filter breather nut undone.
Will go back this afternoon for another go, and once I find this breather nipple, hoping it will all go smoothly :)

Chubby, she is only going to a berth to wait until she can be lifted out at dauntless, she needs a total rewire and other bits sorting. Once she goes back in, she wouldn't be used for day sailing anyway, so it doesn't really matter to me about the access. Close to the house trumps everything else for this year at least.
 
steve yates said:
It's a brand new fuel tank and new lines :) And we never knew there was a breather nipple on the engine which needs undone, so we probably just locked air in the system, as we only had the fine filter breather nut undone.
Click to expand...

I find when bleeding the engine that once I have bled to the screws in the fuel line using the lift pump or turning over by hand I then loosen the return screws on top of the injectors and bleed them as well Some kitchen towel wrapped around the return bolt will show you when fuel comes out.

I often get sea water in my fuel as the result of waves rushing down my side decks in bad weather and the fuel breather on teh outside of my cockpit coaming. So I am well used to bleeding my system.
 
Chubbyexploder said:
Benfleet YC or Island YC? Looking at the chartlets, isn’t it easier and quicker to get on the water from IYC than Benfleet?
Would you have more time to sail from IYC?
Pros? cons?
Click to expand...

Smallgains creek was dredged ten years ago but is getting shallower by the year. Benfleet has more water but is half an hour up the creek. I can put up with that!
 
Well, turns out it was lack of fuel! There was 2 inches in bottom of tank, I was told pick up was about an inch off the bottom.
Tried everything,redid all the filters in case of a bad seal etc, there was no breathing nipple either, just the one on top of the fine secondary filter I know about. In the end went to the garage and got 20 l of deisel and added it to the tank and it bled easily. So it was fuel starvation alright, not enough fuel :)
 
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