Lowestoft To Wells

[Trevor144]

Anyone with local knowledge of the above trip. Weather allowing planning a trip from Lowestoft to Wells next week. Checking the charts I note the Caister Shoal is shown as breaking heavily. Is there any problem taking the inside route close to shore.

Anything else I should look out for, I recall someone saying lots of crab pots off Cromer, is that a case of just a good look out or how far off does one need to go to miss them.

Many Thanks

 

[WoodyP]

I have always gone a fair way off shore (at least 3 miles) because of all the crab pots. The trick is timing your arrival at high water.

 

[dylanwinter]

I did it last year

I generally follow the 20 foot contour - or thereabouts

less if I can get away with it

I holed the slug on the rocks near Cromer peir - attmpting to film it

and also screwed my cutlass on lobster pots just after

bumma

so my advice... even as a dedicated thin water sailor

take the outside route

wells is lovely

D

 

[PaulGooch]

I'd steer well clear of Cromer, it really is pot city there. As already said, the trick is getting to Wells at high water, or suitably close enough to get in. It's a circa 60nm trip and it'll be impossible to plan it so that you don't either have to push the tide for a good bit of the trip, or hang around for some water.

Coming home will be a doddle. Leave Wells on a flooding tide, as soon as there is enough depth to get out.

Not sure what the situation is with the new outer harbour, i'm guessing they discourage using that to wait for a tidal window ?

 

[Jomo]

Just done that trip.

I nip over the sandbank at mid caister bouy - be careful of your positioning - and take the inside line around the top to the cockle bouy. This is because You will (should?) be stemming the tide up to then, and it's mighty fierce round that corner. From there it's (IIRC) about 40 miles to Wells, and you should have the tide with you, we were making between six and seven knots over the ground most of the way, arriving just before high water Wells, when the tide will already have turned eastwards. As already stated, many pot markers, especially around the Cromer areas. We sailed over one,pitch dark so didn't see it, but I heard it scraping down the side of the boat