Maximum draft, best location for stress-free East coast sailing?

Like the boat and the dinghy with sculling notch, and the self steering gear, Can't read the plaque. Is it a centreboarder?

At Iken you're re-creating the cover picture of East Coast Rivers a while ago.
 
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I thought it might be. Lovely condition. Remember being taken to Alan Platt's yard in Thundersley when dad was thinking about having a 21 built. Went to all the yards.

We had Dauntless, Kestrel, Mapleleaf, then GRP Seamaster - all centreboarders as they were then.

Floated off in a couple of feet of water - something for the OP to think about when considering options - maybe one of the lifting keelers for easy access to all the rivers and creeks- depending on what the OP wants to do.

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So for stress free creek sailing, crossing Deben Bar and Spitway, Rays'n? and longer at the pub at Rowhedge - lifting keel with boat which will sail down-wind with plate up.

For Stress free scrubbing and winter storage - bilge keeler

For racing and long distance passages to windward - Fin - need to check if it is OK short handed or needs half a dozen people on the windward rail for it to go - advice from existing owners like for the Hanse 331 is very useful.

Of course, you can't just have one boat.
 
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apguy said:
Well I've booked to view that Hanse on Saturday morning. (y)
Broker was honest enough to say that standing rigging is due replacement (for insurance purposes, rather than being shot) and sails are useable but tired. So priced accordingly.
Looks like I could keep that at Brightlingsea as well, which might be my preferred option.
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Mind the tide on Saturday - HW at 1402hrs so the road will be covered 1300 to 1500 (ish). While you are on the island, if you can see the white line on the scrubbing posts you can get off the island. I know the owner and he looked after the yacht very well.
 
apguy said:
… At 30'ish feet most have a 1.5m fin, which I think works, but I've seen a few with 1.8m at 32 feet. Is that extra foot going to be a problem?
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Loads of good advice above regarding potential boats and berthing locations.

In answer to your depth question, I reckon anything much over 1.8m starts to become restrictive. Below this figure the pinch points for navigating around the coast, Swin Spitway, Copperas Channel, entrance to the Deben etc aren’t a big deal at any state of the tide.

When you get above this depth you’ll certainly want to work your tidal heights out much more carefully.

Obviously this is the internet so I’m sure someone out there manages just fine with 2.5m, best of luck to them!
 
Just sold our 2m draft after 9 excellent seasons on the east coast - we were always very conscious of depths but only remember 1 day in the Tidemill….waiting for enough water to exit; it got as far as 2.05 on the gauge when the harbourmaster decided it wouldn’t get any higher and we made a run for it!
 
An update, for anyone interested.

I actually viewed the Hanse twice, once on Thursday lunchtime and then again on Saturday morning - managing to take along my boating friend who knows far more than I do. Long story short, I have now signed a contract and paid a deposit sts.
I did a scan of the forum with a bit of googling and Joe Kershaw is doing the survey in the week commencing 24 Feb (y)

I thank everyone for their advice. The wing keel is 4ft 9", so (just) less than 1.5m and therefore seems to satisfy the draft requirements. She's currently in a winter berth at Suffolk Yacht Harbour, so I have also inquired about keeping her there for at least my first season - having a walk on pontoon berth, all-tide access, easy to get to Orwell / Stour / Deben - were all solid positives for a novice. No guarantee of a place as apparently berths are in high demand. I'll find out soon enough,.
 
apguy said:
An update, for anyone interested.

I actually viewed the Hanse twice, once on Thursday lunchtime and then again on Saturday morning - managing to take along my boating friend who knows far more than I do. Long story short, I have now signed a contract and paid a deposit sts.
I did a scan of the forum with a bit of googling and Joe Kershaw is doing the survey in the week commencing 24 Feb (y)

I thank everyone for their advice. The wing keel is 4ft 9", so (just) less than 1.5m and therefore seems to satisfy the draft requirements. She's currently in a winter berth at Suffolk Yacht Harbour, so I have also inquired about keeping her there for at least my first season - having a walk on pontoon berth, all-tide access, easy to get to Orwell / Stour / Deben - were all solid positives for a novice. No guarantee of a place as apparently berths are in high demand. I'll find out soon enough,.
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Congratulations you join a very exclusive club of people who asked for advice, listened to it and then actually went forward with a purchase. Good luck with the survey and new boat.
👍
 
apguy said:
An update, for anyone interested.

I actually viewed the Hanse twice, once on Thursday lunchtime and then again on Saturday morning - managing to take along my boating friend who knows far more than I do. Long story short, I have now signed a contract and paid a deposit sts.
I did a scan of the forum with a bit of googling and Joe Kershaw is doing the survey in the week commencing 24 Feb (y)

I thank everyone for their advice. The wing keel is 4ft 9", so (just) less than 1.5m and therefore seems to satisfy the draft requirements. She's currently in a winter berth at Suffolk Yacht Harbour, so I have also inquired about keeping her there for at least my first season - having a walk on pontoon berth, all-tide access, easy to get to Orwell / Stour / Deben - were all solid positives for a novice. No guarantee of a place as apparently berths are in high demand. I'll find out soon enough,.
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Congratulations.
Hope she turns out to be everything you hope for.

SYH had been our 'home port' for 10 years when we were East Coast based.
Should you not manage to secure a pontoon berth at SYH, ask them if they have a suitable swinging mooring available.
And then come winter, they normally offer you a pontoon berth.
 
apguy said:
An update, for anyone interested.

I actually viewed the Hanse twice, once on Thursday lunchtime and then again on Saturday morning - managing to take along my boating friend who knows far more than I do. Long story short, I have now signed a contract and paid a deposit sts.
I did a scan of the forum with a bit of googling and Joe Kershaw is doing the survey in the week commencing 24 Feb (y)

I thank everyone for their advice. The wing keel is 4ft 9", so (just) less than 1.5m and therefore seems to satisfy the draft requirements. She's currently in a winter berth at Suffolk Yacht Harbour, so I have also inquired about keeping her there for at least my first season - having a walk on pontoon berth, all-tide access, easy to get to Orwell / Stour / Deben - were all solid positives for a novice. No guarantee of a place as apparently berths are in high demand. I'll find out soon enough,.
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I suggest joining the "MyHanse" forum for loads of advice from Hanse owners.
 
Daydream believer said:
I suggest joining the "MyHanse" forum for loads of advice from Hanse owners.
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A great suggestion. In my view, Owners' Associations are a significant benefit to anyone owningor planning to buy a yacht of any make. I have extensive experience of the Westerley OA and have been a member of the Moody OA for the past 15 years. In both cases the value of the information and experience I got from membership exceeded the subscription cost by a large margin.

Peter.
 
apguy said:
Thank you. I have just joined that forum. I have also, at the suggestion of Cantata purchased a copy of East Coast Pilot

Now just waiting for the survey and looking up details on some on-boat basic training, possibly with East Anglian Sea School unless anyone has some alternative suggestions?
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Just practice. The sailing bit is easy; even Chay Blyth managed it, but it is the close-quarters stuff that needs experience and can become expensive. Watch what others do, and you will notice that the experienced ones or professionals do almost everything very slowly, with minimal use of the engine, chiefly because they are thinking ahead and have developed a sense of what momentum their vessel is carrying.
 
I would agree - basic training useful particularly for getting into and out of marina- then lots of gentle practice, try not to do too much at once - master sailing in the river first and build confidence.

Moving up from a dinghy/small boat, the sailing bit is easy once you have worked out what all the bits of string do, especially the reefing.

Biggest change I found was that the bigger boat doesn't stop so easily, carries way, Can't just grab mooring with boat hook and stop it - too much weight. Need a floating boat hook and a couple of spares. As you say, practice slowing down and stopping at a buoy, head to tide, judging if you need a little touch ahead before you lose steerage, avoiding using reverse if you can or just a touch to stop - and practicing turning circles for a tight harbour.

A couple of pieces of rope, tied forward and aft are useful if you are not pointing in the right direction, and to rope you into or out of the marina berth.

All will be very easy and soon will be instinctive - Good luck
 
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We're in Colchester and kept a couple of boats at Shotley for many years. Its a convenient spot to jump off from at any state, but the lock can get busy with midday tides in the summer (low water early and late, long lock times) and I've known people 'jump the queue' at the channel entrance coming back in. Levington is a better bet as no lock and still not too far from the sea but not sure if there is any space these days. The drive down to Shotley is tedious but its a lot quicker than coming down the river from Ipswich in the boat or any other marina miles from the sea.

You wont be able to do a 'walk on' at Brightlingsea unless you go to Morgans and you cant really do that with a fin.
 
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