Littlehampton ebb tide - pretty good lick I reckon
- Thread starter dylanwinter
- Start date
Seajet
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Dylan,
yes it had struck me that I and everyone else was going on about Chi bar while Littlehampton doesn't seem much fun.
I've never sailed there but I get the impression there are shallows near the entrance; a friend of a friend in a dodgy old overpowered mobo hit these shallows at speed, resulting in the whole transom hingeing off the back courtesy of the grp sheathing !
Think I've seen things like ' fastest ebb in the UK ' quoted ?
yes it had struck me that I and everyone else was going on about Chi bar while Littlehampton doesn't seem much fun.
I've never sailed there but I get the impression there are shallows near the entrance; a friend of a friend in a dodgy old overpowered mobo hit these shallows at speed, resulting in the whole transom hingeing off the back courtesy of the grp sheathing !
Think I've seen things like ' fastest ebb in the UK ' quoted ?
rotrax
Well-known member
I used to fish there as a kid-on a Spring Ebb I could never hold bottom with the weights my rod could handle.
Went in with our boat a couple of years ago, really liked it.
Harbourmasters shower block was unheated and bloody cold though!
Went in with our boat a couple of years ago, really liked it.
Harbourmasters shower block was unheated and bloody cold though!
lenten
Active member
launched at littlehampton then went up to pulborough---came back in the evening---the sea was dead calm so wife wanted a quick look outside the harbour----as we got to the entrance i saw the bottom---large pebbles about the size of tangerines---depth 18 inches---cut the outboard and tilted----reached deeper water and turned trying to find a way back in----luckily a dangler fishing on the littlehampton breakwater pointed us to the other side and we got back in with only the occasional ding on the prop----end of an eventful day which included a bull/firebrigade and a poor woman looking after a madman---but thats another story---regards lenten
Iliade
Well-known member
I just missed HW slack one day. Got in fine, but then the current really got going. With an o/b-in-well powered boat (24'/6hp) running flat out, we had full sail up and two crew on the dock pulling lines to just make it up to somewhere to moor.
Probably Sussex's best sandy beach immediately to the east of the entrance.
Probably Sussex's best sandy beach immediately to the east of the entrance.
Seajet
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rotrax
Well-known member
I think East Head might argue with that !
IIRC Littlehampton just shades it-and you can get an ice cream!
Daedelus
Well-known member
Flows out v quick, quite fast at times coming in too.
Every so often some bone headed dog jumps in and then finds it's between the sheer concrete walls in a strong current and it can't swim against it. Seen that twice so far though fortunately each time the family managed to get the dog back. Once by a herculean effort one swam near enough to the end to be grabbed and the other someone picked up in a rib. But since the water is going fast, it swirls and a yacht would be lucky not to be crunched on the concrete. You then get out into the bay but you're still between the arms of the breakwater with a strong sideways current and not much depth.
Shudder to think what it would be like with a strong onshore wind.
Every so often some bone headed dog jumps in and then finds it's between the sheer concrete walls in a strong current and it can't swim against it. Seen that twice so far though fortunately each time the family managed to get the dog back. Once by a herculean effort one swam near enough to the end to be grabbed and the other someone picked up in a rib. But since the water is going fast, it swirls and a yacht would be lucky not to be crunched on the concrete. You then get out into the bay but you're still between the arms of the breakwater with a strong sideways current and not much depth.
Shudder to think what it would be like with a strong onshore wind.
oldharry
Well-known member
I used to run trip boats out of Littlehampton and up the river. The Arun is said to be the second fastest flowing commercial waterway in the country (fastest being the tidal Severn} HW at at Amberley is almost 6 hours after HW at the entrance. The beaches east and west of the entrance beat East Head hands down in every way: extent, safety for bathing and kids, access for holidaymakers, and ice-creams!
The bar is a well known killer of props and outdrives. There used to be a pair of tripper speedboats powered by 6cyl turbo charged Perkins 6354 diesels running Castoldi jets. On the plane they could operate in less than a foot of water, and quite regularly conventionally powered OB or outdrive powered boats used to try to follow them in at LW .... rich pickings for the marine mechanics up the harbour! Yes, in strong onshore weather it is not a good place to be on the ebb! I was there in the 1990 hurricane with waves overtopping the light on the end of the w pier. Couldnt see any further because of flying spray.
The bar is a well known killer of props and outdrives. There used to be a pair of tripper speedboats powered by 6cyl turbo charged Perkins 6354 diesels running Castoldi jets. On the plane they could operate in less than a foot of water, and quite regularly conventionally powered OB or outdrive powered boats used to try to follow them in at LW .... rich pickings for the marine mechanics up the harbour! Yes, in strong onshore weather it is not a good place to be on the ebb! I was there in the 1990 hurricane with waves overtopping the light on the end of the w pier. Couldnt see any further because of flying spray.
Seajet
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Ah but you get a better grade of punter at East Head, none of this speedboat malarky; and they were rich too - I say that in the past tense assuming they've just paid the car park at East Head !
Seajet
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It's a shame Dylan hasn't got the time to go up the Arun; it would take some serious timing even with Centaur power, but the river and Amberley are lovely, Old Harry's post just reminded me.
I drive through Houghton and Amberley and over the Arun every time I go to and from my boat, for anyone exploring the area the view from the garden of the 14th Century George and Dragon - of the valley, not river - is really something.
I drive through Houghton and Amberley and over the Arun every time I go to and from my boat, for anyone exploring the area the view from the garden of the 14th Century George and Dragon - of the valley, not river - is really something.
dylanwinter
Active member
ChiPete
New member
Oi! Shush! We don't want everyone knowing about our fabulous haunts!
We train our GSP for water work on the Arun; he's had to learn to ferry glide on springs!
oldharry
Well-known member
You want to try ferry gliding in a 50 foot trip boat with 100 passengers on board! Turning the old 'Brit' on a spring flood coming up to the landing just below the bridge, then ferry gliding in reverse up to the landing I reckon was the reason i'm bald now! The 50ft Brit was single screw, no thrusters, a real mind of her own in reverse and the river less than 100ft wide with a peak flood running 2.5 - 3kts. And Amberley bridge ready to catch you if you got it wrong with not enough air draft to get through near HW. There was no second chance at it, you HAD to get it right first time - every time. I loved that job!
The bridges could be fun too. On a big tide the air draft of the Arundel town bridge is barely 6ft, with a 3kt tide under you approaching that you have to get lined up with the highest point of the arch. Ford railway bridge has a vicious cross current at times which will throw you hard against the pilings it if you get it wrong.
Get the tides right, and theres no reason why Dylan shouldn't take his Centaur up to Amberley before he sets his mast up. Just watch out for the submerged WW2 American tank in the riverbed below Amberley near LW, it has around 2ft of water over it. I slid my boat over it (warning the passengers frst!) regulalrly. We had steel bands on the keel to prevent it damaging the boats!
3Sheets
New member
I proposed to SWMBO in the garden of the George and Dragon - it was a warm June evening and Hot Air balloons were drifting across the Arun Valley, and sitting at the table next to us was Alan Titchmarsh.
In the Bar area is a cartoon showing the landlord answering the phone with the caption "George and Dragon - George speaking!!!"
brianhumber
New member
Had a sea worker 22 on a trailer at Littlehampton marina the early 80s you got adept at poling yourself over the bar at LW when sea was flat. Went up the river many times so must have seen Old Harry on the big pinnances. Never had enough water to get over the mud humps towards Coldwaltham in the middle of the wild brooks. Had to do that trip in the avon from Pulborough. Marina was a friendly place in those days Tish was mangers name. Used to overwinter my Baraccuda 45 every year on the hard standing every winter from the late 90s till the Marina got sold to property developer merchant and wintering yachts were made unwelcome.
Brian
Brian
FishyInverness
New member
I used to go out on them, as a nipper, I also used to sell those Ice Creams at Smarts, awww...Dylan keeps stirring little bits of my youth up!
Still remember sitting on West Beach for hours of an evening waiting for the tide to come in sufficient for the "Lady Dorothy" to be able to float back off the Sandbar so my Stepdad could come home from a day's fishing, practicing Morse code with the floodlights from the Rancho...
mogmog2
Member
The experience in the round:I think East Head might argue with that !
The car parking at LA East Beach is less exhorbitant than East Head (& the money goes to the council instead of the impoverished Wittering Estate).
And the traffic queues are slightly less long.
And the entertainment at the harbour entrance is better, although without the slow burn of groundings on the Winner bank.
;-)
Wansworth
Well-known member
Littlehampton is a gem used to sail out in my old dinghy from theAYC then worked at Hillyards when it was a proper yachtyard.Haventbeen back for years but it was an interesting river and not over yachtified
yerffoeg
Member
Don't let this deter anyone from visiting the place. We loved it there when we visited last year - the harbour and the town. But you do need an engine with plenty of grunt...