New Boat at Brightlingsea

[Clare Spencer]

Hi everyone
We have just purchased a Merry Fisher 695 which we have at Brightlingsea at the moment .
Can anyone tell us where to visit in the area for day trips ? Can you recommend anywhere to anchor off with a view to visiting a cafe etc . We are totally new to the area
Thanks

 

[PaulRainbow]

Hi everyone
We have just purchased a Merry Fisher 695 which we have at Brightlingsea at the moment .
Can anyone tell us where to visit in the area for day trips ? Can you recommend anywhere to anchor off with a view to visiting a cafe etc . We are totally new to the area
Thanks

This would be much better in the East Coast section. You can report your own post and ask a mod to move it, if you want.

 

[Moderator]

Thread moved from the Motor Boat forum to East Coast.

 

[PaulRainbow]

Hi everyone
We have just purchased a Merry Fisher 695 which we have at Brightlingsea at the moment .
Can anyone tell us where to visit in the area for day trips ? Can you recommend anywhere to anchor off with a view to visiting a cafe etc . We are totally new to the area
Thanks

Lots of choices from Brightlingsea. Bradwell, Heybridge, Tollesbury.......

West Mersea would be a good option for a cafe etc, pick a visitor buoy up and get the water taxi ashore.

 

[Clare Spencer]

Thread moved from the Motor Boat forum to East Coast.

Thanks!

 

[Malish]

East Coast Pilot is what you need, website and link to book here: East Coast Pilot | ECP

 

[tillergirl]

Well worth buying 'East Coast Pilot'.

Up the Colne to Rowhedge. I would NOT recommend going up to Colchester
Blackwater as said by Paul - West Mersea, call up the Club launch (it isn't a taxi but they do their best to accommodate) for a mooring and a lift ashore (seasonal) - choice of sea food, eateries, Yacht Club. Bradwell marina - there is a cafe unit there, Marina restaurant and the Green Man. For a pic-nic, anchor off Osea Island or peek into the entrance of Lawling Creek, take the tide up to Maldon Quay - pubs locally.

There are tidal issues

 

[Clare Spencer]

Well worth buying 'East Coast Pilot'.

Up the Colne to Rowhedge. I would NOT recommend going up to Colchester
Blackwater as said by Paul - West Mersea, call up the Club launch (it isn't a taxi but they do their best to accommodate) for a mooring and a lift ashore (seasonal) - choice of sea food, eateries, Yacht Club. Bradwell marina - there is a cafe unit there, Marina restaurant and the Green Man. For a pic-nic, anchor off Osea Island or peek into the entrance of Lawling Creek, take the tide up to Maldon Quay - pubs locally.

There are tidal issues

yes we have already decided the tides will need forward planning

 

[tillergirl]

For West Mersea, no tide issues for the boat. But on an 'uge spring HW your feet will get wet! The road floods.

 

[Clare Spencer]

For West Mersea, no tide issues for the boat. But on an 'uge spring HW your feet will get wet! The road floods.

 

[Egret]

Good place as base - lots of places to explore within a day voyage - look at harbour board website for information and charts - and video for getting in and out of Brightlingsea. Look at creek at low tide to see where the narrow channel and oyster beds are. Generally everywhere there has been a lot of silting. Navionics chart on Garmin on mobile phone is very useful, gives a spot where you are and indication of low water depths, particularly useful on the winding channel bends near Wivenhoe and towards Maldon. Echo sounder is essential. Use depths as a guide only as changes quickly allow a metre to spare if you can. Good thing on Colne/Blackwater is that when it is high tide in the afternoon the succeeding high tides are close in time and when it is low tide in the afternoon it might be an hour and a half between tides and doesn't go out as far. Look at Harwich Tides Live to get an indication of tide surges up and down ,which can be a metre or more above or below prediction. Brightlingsea about an hour later and range greater.

Go to the Colne Yacht club - there are motor boaters there who will help you and might still do cruises in company or out to the beach - and they do RYA powerboat training from time to time and there is the professional powerboat trainers at the Marina although mainly for people working offshore. Also of course others in the marina with boats like yours. Beware of speed limits almost everywhere, the harbour board prosecutes, as they should. Look out for wild swimmers, wing foilers, paddleboards with dogs, little dots in dinghies and the big ships.

Make sure you are well defended against big seagulls (nicely) in the spring, as if they nest they will be with you until autumn and longer.

 

[Clare Spencer]

Thank you all .. useful
Info