Ore advice

[Mudhook]

I've been sailing this coast for the last six years but for some reason the Ore has always eluded me. I nailed this jinx last weekend and reached Orford from Woolverstone just on HW.

I asked the HM for the ideal time to leave on Sunday and he said two hours after LW. This seemed at odds with my usual technique for getting out of the Deben, but the HM should know, I thought.

Slow passage from Orford to North Weir Point, beyond which we just could not penetrate gainst the tide with our 13hp. Retired downriver a bit and dropped the hook (and dragged!). We got through an hour later about 15 mins before HW Orford Haven Bar, making about 0.2 knots past North Weir Point before crossing to hug the Shingle Street bank.

Incidentally, the dotted line on the local chartlet shows a track close to the west bank past the beacon; this is exactly where the current is strongest! For me, drawing 1m, there doesn't seem a lot of point to that route - unless inbound!

One of my errors was clearly to have attempted this entrance/exit on some of the biggest spring tides of the year. However there must be a better timing for outbound vessels, especially if southbound towards Harwich. It was a bit roaring forties out there on Sunday pm beating against the tide in F6!

Thanks in advance for any advice.
Regards, Mudhook

 

[rudolph_hart]

Our priorities are a) enough depth and b) best sea state - don't frighten SWMBO.

We take the view that timing it is a compromise between getting shelter from swell 'humping' into breakers & coming through the gap between N. Weir Point & N. Shoal (less depth = smaller/no breakers get through) and having enough water further out over the last of the bar. We draw 1.5m and, depending on sea state we enter from HW-4 onward, but usually exit from HW-3, leaving later if wind dir/speed less favourable.

We now have enough horses to make against the flood there, but in previous boats with less HP, we used to hug the E. side, then cross to the small 'bay' (Hollesley Creek?) and hugged the Shingle Street shore, to cheat the flood.

I'm very wary of the horse that comes & goes inside N. Weir Point. A couple of years ago, a route to the East of it was suggested, and I tried it when exiting about HW -1.5. It was quite alarming, as the depth suddenly dropped to 2.2m when cutting across to the other side.

I have to say that, in 35 yrs, I've never found too little water in the 'dotted line' course on the W. bank side (famous last words!)

Hope this is useful.

 

[Mudhook]

Thanks for the wise advice Rudolph. I'll bear it all in mind next time.


Regards, Mudhook

 

[sailorman]

when @ Orford wait till the tide has just turned then leave, keepp out of the flood tide on the sth bank in zero water /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif it can be a great sail if s/westerly as you can follow all the depth contors in little water, beating all those thrashing their enginse mid-stream. you will get a very helpful eddy near north wier pt /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif