Looking for sheltered estuary setting in the East

[NealB]

How many 'crazy' speed boats are there?

I have never had any serious problems with motorboats of any sort, though I'm a fairly easy going sort who doesn't get too bothered by a bit of wash.

The bigger boats, from Fambridge, Essex Marina and Burnham Yacht Harbour, are generally very considerate, and stick to the main channel and speed limits.

Waterskiers, jetskis, etc also generally stick to speed limits, and play in the appropriate areas shown on the chart.

So, in my experience, we generally all get along pretty well.

 

[Lucky Duck]

Another feature of the Crouch is once you leave the river it's another 10 miles or so before you can turn left or right unless you take the Ray Sand channel at HW

 

[PeterWright]

Hi again,

I don't know about well run, in my experience the less people try to "run" things, the better people get along with each other. But yes, in general we do all get along fine most of the time. Occasionally one of us yotties has a go about the "Romford Navy" and no doubt the mobo people have a moan about fleets of yachts or dinghies zig zagging about the place. However (touching wood) we don't seem to suffer from lunatic acts by speedboat and jet ski drivers that I have occasionally seen and more often heard of on the Blackwater and Colne.

Good luck with your boat buying - it's probably worth seeing a few before you make your mind up. While your around the Crouch, it's probably worth taking a look at the clubs - they can be very helpful with finding moorings, learning the skills and cruising in company can add to the interest. There are many to choose from:

South Woodham Ferrers Yacht Club: http://www.swfyc.com/
North Fambridge Yacht Club: http://www.nfyachtclub.co.uk/index.html
Burnham Sailing Club: http://s521131730.websitehome.co.uk/
Royal Burnham Yacht Club: https://rbyc.uk/
Royal Corinthian Yacht Club https://royalcorinthian.co.uk/


Any one is quite enough, and it's best to join a club near where you base your boat. Don't let the Royal titles put you off the last 2 (although the annual subscriptions might) they are very welcoming. If you join one of the upriver clubs, you can always sign in to any of the Burnham clubs as a guest off the water when you sail to Burnham and sample their wares. I'm sure any of these clubs would welcome a visit from a potential new member.

Peter

 

[PeterWright]

Another feature of the Crouch is once you leave the river it's another 10 miles or so before you can turn left or right unless you take the Ray Sand channel at HW

While that's true, it hardly matters to someone who has declared that he wishes to remain in the estuary and not go to sea. I'm afraid the Crouch feels like a ditch all the way to Swin Spitway.

Peter

 

[Stork_III]

I understand that none of the Cambridge University's were ever Polytechnics, if that helps at all

One of Cambridge's Universities was a Polytechnic though.

"Over the years, a number of colleges and institutes have become part of Anglia Ruskin. They include the Cambridgeshire College of Arts and Technology (CCAT) and the Essex Institute of Higher Education (formerly the Chelmer Institute – itself formed from the Mid-Essex Technical College and the Brentwood College of Education). At first, these colleges combined to become Anglia Polytechnic, and then Anglia Polytechnic University in 1992. We’ve been known as Anglia Ruskin University since 2005."

 

[Daydream believer]

I suggest that you go to Stone sailing club ( has all the usual amenities)& look at St Lawrence Bay. Great for the kids. ( we have 40 cadets) Deep water moorings,( £120-00 PA) plenty of water & places to sail. Some of our members think Bradwell power station is like the moon--- They have never seen the other side ---,why? because they do not have to!!!. Have a drive there then look at the river towards Osea etc. Great for learning & when you have more experience you can go to West Mersea & even Brightlingsea. if windy weather you can head towards Maldon etc. More room than on the Crouch & not so tide dependent but like most rivers it can be a problem. If you want electric conectivity then you need a marina & I suggest an enquiry to Bradwell marina. You do not have to turn right & go to sea but the option is there if you want it.. Much easier to get to sea than at Burnham, where navigating the Swallowtail can be a nightmare & the narrow width of river & extensive moorings can be daunting, as can parts of the Orwell etc

 

[slawosz]

Thanks!
I was today in Marconi, plenty of water there. However, I was talking with someone (not in Marconi) that sometimes wind over tide makes sailing in Blackwater quite harsh. Is it like this often?

 

[johnalison]

Thanks!
I was today in Marconi, plenty of water there. However, I was talking with someone (not in Marconi) that sometimes wind over tide makes sailing in Blackwater quite harsh. Is it like this often?

Yes. I have a vivid memory of sailing in company with a friend in a Sadler 32 and watching his hull disappear below the waves just off Bradwell. Up to Stone gets a bit easier but beware the "Stone blow", and even the 'Osea blow' where the tide runs a bit faster.

 

[CCJ]

Thanks!
I was today in Marconi, plenty of water there. However, I was talking with someone (not in Marconi) that sometimes wind over tide makes sailing in Blackwater quite harsh. Is it like this often?

Wind over tide will be lumpy, anywhere its the nature of the beast

 

[Daydream believer]

Thanks!
I was today in Marconi, plenty of water there. However, I was talking with someone (not in Marconi) that sometimes wind over tide makes sailing in Blackwater quite harsh. Is it like this often?

Dinghies sail the area because it is so good. To be honest if one is unsure about sailing such a mild area as the Blackwater then I wonder if one should be sailing without a lot more instruction first. It does not get rough unless the wind is up in the 20+ kts & even then, unless one is out in the Wallet at sea, waves are not any bigger than I have seen on some inland waters.. Tide can be a bit strong between Osea & Marconi for an hour or so & pick up a chop at certain tide / wind conditions but one just stays away from that area for a while until the tide eases. Off Stone it is much flatter. Never heard of the " Stone Blow" & I live there & sailed dinghies there for the last 61 years.

 

[Sailerbailer]

Newbie here.Sorry haven't read the whole thread.We keep our boat at Wells-next-the-sea.North Norfolk coast,which may be closer than the Essex/Suffok rivers, depending where you are based in Cambs,but not an estuary.

 

[slawosz]

To be honest if one is unsure about sailing such a mild area as the Blackwater then I wonder if one should be sailing without a lot more instruction first

Well, I would never refuse instruction from any experienced sailor.
However, I asked this question because I heard opinion that Blackwater can be more often harsh than other waters I am researching right now: Orwell, Stour, and Crouch. So thats why I am asking here.
And yes, seeing all dinghies in Marconi is rather assuring that its mild water and I just started thinking about joining this or Stone just to sail laser.

 

[Daydream believer]

15 dinghies out at Stone today. Marconi (I think it was them) had several cruisers racing & quite a few dinghies racing as well.

 

[slawosz]

Hi, could you tell me if keeping lifting keel boat in dry mooring in club like Marconi or Stone would be fine ie do they accept lifting keels on their moorings? Some people are saying lifting keels can be tricky on moorings hence the question. And cruising racing sounds nice, is it easy to crew for them when you are club member?

 

[sailorman]

Hi, could you tell me if keeping lifting keel boat in dry mooring in club like Marconi or Stone would be fine ie do they accept lifting keels on their moorings? Some people are saying lifting keels can be tricky on moorings hence the question. And cruising racing sounds nice, is it easy to crew for them when you are club member?

The Troll 35 is a very nice lift keel yacht, Im surprised no previous contributors have mention the Class

 

[Tam Lin]

Hi, could you tell me if keeping lifting keel boat in dry mooring in club like Marconi or Stone would be fine ie do they accept lifting keels on their moorings? Some people are saying lifting keels can be tricky on moorings hence the question. And cruising racing sounds nice, is it easy to crew for them when you are club member?

It depends on how much keel sticks out of the bottom of your boat, how soft the mud is and how much the boat heels when it is dried out. Seajet keeps his Anderson 22 on a drying mooring and they have a substantial bulb on the bottom of the keel but I believe it is on soft mud.
Marconi is developing its cruiser racing, in fact it just won the RYA Club of the Year, innovation category for it. The club now owns several boats that members race and they also go off round the country racing in keelboat events. Once you join you can take part.
Both Stone and Marconi are well placed for a sail up or down the river in a cruiser, depending on the tide. It can get a bit lumpy at times but it is then a bit windy and you probably wouldn’t want to be out in it anyway!
At sometime you are going to have to bite the bullet and go for it. If you join a club and don’t like it then you can leave and go somewhere else next season! If you have any questions about Marconi, pm me.

Edit. I just realised that I didn’t answer your question. Yes, Marconi accepts lift keel boats.

 

[Daydream believer]

Hi, could you tell me if keeping lifting keel boat in dry mooring in club like Marconi or Stone would be fine ie do they accept lifting keels on their moorings? Some people are saying lifting keels can be tricky on moorings hence the question. And cruising racing sounds nice, is it easy to crew for them when you are club member?

You will not dry out on a mooring at Stone. However, if you roll over when you dry out you will need a launching trailer to come ashore. If you sit upright & we can get strops under the hull then we can probably lift you off the ground & carry you on to the hard with our gantry. That is subject to it fitting between the uprights of course. We currently have a Jeneau with a lift keel (well we would if he could find it !!!!!) but because of the stub it has to sit on a trailer.
The winter option, which I think is better, is to winter the boat at Bradwell marina, on their hard. Not really that expensive and so much more civilised.

At Stone we are well known for our own micro climate. We can sit on the club bridge & watch rain come from the south west, cross the river northwards at Marconi,or slightly west over Osea island, travel down the other side of the river & off to Mersea. So we do get slightly less bad weather than those to the west.

 

[Daydream believer]

The best thing about Stone is that it does not get very rough unless it is very windy over tide.
In spite of comments waves do not actually get above 750mm that often, apart from the odd patch.That does not even come to deck level on many small boats. So when descriptions of "lumpy" are stated I am not sure what people's idea of "lumpy" really is.
Even if one goes out into the Wallet the waves are not really much above 1 metre unless it is quite windy. People exaggerate the size a lot.

So what is "lumpy" & what do people think is too rough? Surely the real deciding factor is wind strength. It can be just as awkward sailing up the Orwell with swirling wind & sand banks nearby than at sea with a more steady wind. Is it just a case of perception of safety?

 

[slawosz]

Hi,
thank you again for all answers. I decided to join Marconi. Very, very friendly club, lot of help and advise for new members.