Lowestoft & Southwold advice

DanTribe

DanTribe

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I'm thinking about visiting Lowestoft this year, mainly because I've never been.
Any advice, recommendations, places to avoid etc?
I'd also like to visit Southwold and assume that is easier approached from Lowestoft because of the tides?
Boat is Ufo 31 depth 1.8m.
 
pvb said:
A lot of people think Lowestoft is a place to avoid! It's a very depressing town.
Click to expand...

It is a bit to be honest but the Royal Norfolk and Suffolk Yacht Club is a delightful place to visit

We haven't ventured under the bridge to the upriver moorings nor have we bothered with the other option across the docks 'cos the RN&SYC is too good to miss

OK, on the down side it can be affected by the swell coming into the dock if the wind is in the East but that has to be up with put in many places

The club is friendly and welcoming but slightly formal (especially if you want to eat in the restaurant where there is a dress code - as they say it is a Royal club after all)

There is an Asda within reasonable walking distance for supplies but that's about it

Southwold is a magical place

The entrance needs a bit of care and the tides have to be treated with considerable respect but don't let that put you off

We haven't tried the new pontoons yet but I rather like being on the staging anyway, it's kinda olde worldy and fairly unique in that respect (I noted the recent comments about noise from the fishing boats and survey vessel but we've not had a problem with that ourselves)

The walk up into Southwold is a reasonable hike but very pleasant and the town is very attractive. The Harbour Inn does good food and good beer and despite comments to the contrary (down Roger!) I can't say as we found it particularly expensive

One of these days we'll get around to taking a walk up to Walberswick too, I've heard good things about it

The only downside of SOuthwold at the moment is the iffy toilet and shower facilities. Don't even think about using the facilities in the sailing club (sorry if anybody from the club is on here but ugh!), my mate Ril reckons the showers at the campsite are better than they were having been tarted up a bit but the good news is the new facilities in the Harbour Master's office look excellent but they aren't quite finished yet

ALl in all, both Lowestoft and Southwold are places we've visited several times and enjoyed on every occasion. We'll be back to both for sure
 
Knobs and Snobs, er sorry I mean RNSYC is a very nice club but that about wraps it up for Lowestoft I'm afraid.
The entrance can be tricky and bouncy as well.

You can get into Southwold with your draft about 2 hours either side of low water.
1 hour at a pinch though I'd do that on a rising tide.

I prefer to approach from the south as from passing Sizewell you can essentially just aim at the harbour entrance.
From the North you need to stand off 1/2 mile until you can see up the river and then turn in, to be safe.

I did a chartlet earlier this year of the line to take on entry which should be on a thread in this section somewhere.
I brought a Hoek 53 in which drew 2.2 on half tide a month or so ago with no issues and my boat draws 2.1 and I've got in at 2 hours after lw though it was tight.

The ladies loos in the SC have been done up and are now v/good - the mens is still a bit agricultural.
The issue here is the club only has around 50 active members and half of them are dinghy sailors, so funds are hard to come by.

The boat yard (Harbour Marine Services) has now bought the Cafe and this is now open 7 days a week, 8 till 4 or 5 depending on weather so a bite to eat can be had there if the pub is stuffed.
During the summer we also keep the chandlery open 7 days a week, 8.30 till 5 weekdays and 10 till 4 weekends.

Found it -
The light shaded areas are the shallowest sections of the channel.
Don't stray much more than a boat length or so away from the North Harbour wall between the two light shaded areas.

southwold.jpg
 
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Yes, the N&S is a nice place to moor, and the visitors pontoons include hook up. You can top up on diesel too. There is a decent bar almost opposite, and a breakfast cafe on the front with lovely views along the beach.

If you're going that far, pop through Mutford Lock into Oulton Broad (lock needs 24hr notice and a small payment). Nice pub (The Wherry) just by the lock with decent moorings, or Oulton Broad yacht station on the left.
 
SWMBO and I have been in Lowestoft today, we arrived by car. Walked around by the harbour entrance and visited a trawler which is open to the public. Later on spent time at the entrance to Oulton Broad by the Wherry. We had a nice walk along the bank in the park and the sun was shining!
Lowestoft seems like a number of East Coast seaside towns, it has seen better days. Property prices are about half where I live. Some of the inhabitants reminded us of walking down the High St in Clacton!
The harbour looked interesting and we had a good day. You won't know what it is like unless you visit!
 
Depends if you like your Ports of Call earthy or twee. Lowestoft is the former, Southwold the latter. Sometimes one wonders how two contrasting places can be geographically so close.

I had 18 months living aboard my 25ft 3in wooden boat whilst I completed a boatbuilding course at the IBTC. At times I loathed the town, but - like many places - it does grow on you and you feel a strange sentimentality towards it. It is completely out on a limb, neglected, forgotten. Even the railway station is a poor apology. Lowestoft did not appear to have any charity shops - but plenty of second-hand shops which I think illustrates the parlous state of the economy there.

You could go through the bridge and stay at the Haven Marina or, if on a budget, at the Lowestoft Cruising Club (Google both of them). If you do, and you have an interest in wooden boats, call into the IBTC (next to LCC) and ask for a tour. The Wherry is ok, but far better is the Commodore just up the road. A summer evening watching yacht racing on Oulton Broad is a delight.

If you have a tender and o/b take a trip up the river to Beccles.
 
From RNSYC turn left when visiting Lowestoft. Old Edwardian style, Much nicer than the High St.
Worth a visit is the Mincarlo, old side beam trawler and the Museum in/near the gardens. If you have time take a train to Oulton Broad, also try to visit the International Boat Building College where visitors are positively encouraged, they always have some fantastic projects on the go and the workmanship is spectacular.
Don't forget to admire the gents loo at RNSYC and try to translate the motto!
PS the most interesting aspect of the trawler and the museum was the older folks who staffed them, they had fascinating stories to tell
 
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Thanks everybods, you've convinced me to have a go.
Thanks especially Javelin for the local info on Southwold. I wouldn't have attempted it that early on the tide without your say so.
 
Just to add a couple of items which don't seem to have been mentioned.

In Lowestoft there is a moderate sized Tesco in the High St, well within walking distance, a small folding trolley is always useful if bringing back liquids . :) There is also a nice bakery a bit before Tescos.
Also well worth a visit is the Maritime Museum, this is an exceptionally well laid out and informative museum primarily concerned with the history of the Port and Fishing Industry. It is a fair walk but well worth it. To restore yourself for the walk back you can call in at the Lighthouse cafe which is nearby. Billed as the "Most Easterly Diner in England", it is a classic "greasy spoon" type of eatery with a vast menu. Spotlessly clean, fast service, very good value.
RNSYC is as already said very hospitable, it was fairly bouncy though when we were there this time, but that might have been due to the strong NElys that kept us there.

If you go through Mutford lock, take care to go in on the North side both ways, the foot bridge does not quite raise fully and nearly had our port spreader except for me noticing in the nick of time.
You can do as we did and go through into the Waveney and visit Beccles in comfort, it would be a long trip in a tender!! You do have to buy a weekly licence, and it is £11 each way for the lock.

We also went up to Yarmouth and into the Yare but that is another story.
 
Leighb said:
Just to add a couple of items
You can do as we did and go through into the Waveney and visit Beccles in comfort, it would be a long trip in a tender!! You do have to buy a weekly licence, and it is £11 each way for the lock.

We also went up to Yarmouth and into the Yare but that is another story.
Click to expand...

Really, is that possible?
I assumed that our 1.8m [+ beer loading] would rule us out of going onto the Broads?
 
We only draw 1.4 m, however on most of the Waveney we had depths of 1.5 to 2m+ below the keel even quite close to the edge, you do need to be wary of shallower water on the inside of bends, and Oulton Broad itself is somewhat shallow but there is a deeper "channel" although not marked, asking local advice on the Norfolk Broads forum may help also. The only places where we saw very shallow depths and on one occasion were actually, just, aground were when alongside moored up for the night and that was at low water.

The Yare is deeper and nowhere did we feel any concern about depth.
 
With regard to Southwold, we draw 1.7m and can get in and out most states of the tide.

The harbour master will let you know where the tide is against prediction so not much of a problem.

We have been in and out on neaps at low water with at least 30cm in the shallow areas. The shallow areas are inside the harbour so swell is not an issue.
 
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