Orford /Rver Ore

[saltyrob]

Hi Folks ,

Hope to visit Orford on Tuesday and spend evening in local noshery . Any tips on the River Ore entrance and availability of overnight mooring at Orford. Have downloaded latest chart of entrance. Also any advise re other anchorages in Ore.

Many thanks

Rob

 

[Trident160]

Ore entrance has plenty of water this year, did it last week an hour after low water and had least depth of 3ft under our 2ft 3inch keels. On the way back did it at about 2 hours after low water and had least of about 7ft under our keels. As can be seen from the chart it pays to not stray to the south of the line between Orford Haven, bearing in mind this is exactly where the flood tide will be pushing you. Tide runs very strongly just inside the entrance, we clocked 8.5 knots with not much power coming from sails coming in.

At Orford, the visitors moorings are on the North side of the channel just downstream of the quay, they're marked with 'Single Visitor' on pickup buoys attached to them. If not I think it's acceptable to pick up any vacant buoy, and then check with the harbourmaster for its availability. Can land dinghies on the inside of the pontoon at Orford Sailing club too.

For other anchorages, Abrahams Bosum by Havergate Island is nice, but still fairly deep in most places. Just inside the Butley river is also well sheltered, but if your keels allow it's even prettier if you go up to near the bicycle ferry, where there are also some moorings where there is normally a couple vacant, or anchoring is also possible (but not upstream of the moorings due to oyster beds). From here is a nice walk into Orford which isn't too far. If you can get up to the Alde then Iken Cliffs is a lovely spot, and well sheltered, but need to be able to take the ground unless you can successfully anchor in the channel. Well worth a trip to Snape too if your keels allow!

Hope this helps!

Harry

 

[DanTribe]

Chartlets for the entrance are available on East Coast Pilot website, very useful.
In 2014 the Orford harbourmaster was Philip Attwood mobile 07528092635, office 01394 459950, vhf callsign Chantry ch16 or 8. Assume this is still current.
There are visitors moorings at Aldeburgh operated by Upsons, off the Yacht Club. They can each take 3 yachts, but the boatman says you have to sort it out between yourselves, he doesn't want to get involved, wise man.
Butley River anchorage is magic, good depth near the old quay, a bit shallow in the entrance. Otherwise Abraham's Bosom as said, in S W winds or Short Gull in Northerlies.
Good luck in these forecast winds.

 

[saltyrob]

Hi ,
Many thanks for info.

Have put trip back a little and watching weather . We have the week to play , so looking for a chilled trip rather than bumpy one

Rob

 

[Chalk]

Hi Saltyrob,
We were intending on getting up the Ore this last weekend. We have not been there before so duly pulled off the March ECP Chartlet, then looked at NTM Wk.21 and NTM Wk.25 and were thoroughly confused. I rang Philip Atwood (Orford HM) last Thursday and asked him what he thought. He said, approach the haven buoy from the north, then leave the red buoy well to the south and do not also get too close to the green. Then come in the channel and the deepest water is on the spitside. He said that it is like describing a 'semi-circle'. He said best time to cross the bar was LW+3hrs. A really helpful chap, he said if you want to stop at Orford for lunch or whatever, call his mobile first (it is on the ECP Chartlet) and he will allocate a 'spare' buoy that is not necessarily one of the 'visitors' buoy. He prefers the call. Can't say fairer than that I reckon. First time each year we go up the Deben I likewise call John White - just in case. You can't beat local info straight from the horse's mouth.
We were approaching the offing on Saturday mid-day but the wind picked up something terrible, with the sea all horrible. We opted to turn tail and zipped up the Orwell instead. Only later did we hear of Colvic Watson's mishap. It was really not nice.
Chalk