Orwell, 5.00 Sunday morning

[Charlotte Anne]

All asleep on the boat on Saturday night, the first night on board this year, and we were all woken by a ship hooting followed by severe rolling of the boat for a period doubtless caused by the wash.

We were on a mooring up river of Levington so it was not us that caused the hooting.

So, the real question is ... why did that ship cause such severe rolling compared to the 'Orwellmax' ship we watched leaving just after tea on Saturday evening whose wash barely rocked the boat. There was less water in the river on Saturday than there should have been at 5.00 on Sunday.

Did anybody else bother to get up and see what was going on? I did not!

 

[MoodySabre]

When I went to Ipswich a few weeks ago I thought some of the ships were bigger than I had remembered.

Like this one - there at the mo. If they draw quite a lot and the water is low then there will be more wash as a higher % of the sea is being displaced.

Seeing those big ones come through the moorings

I have heard it suggested that an anchor light is advisable if on board at night to make sure they don't bump you. Presumably they were hooting someone in the channel who wasn't looking behind them. I've done that

 

[PaulGooch]

When we had a swinger at Pin Mill we looked along the river one day and could see all of the masts on the yachts rocking violently as a ship passed them. As it went past our boat rocked really badly, stuff that had never moved was thrown across the boat. Never had a ship affect us that badly and it didn't look bigger or closer than any of the usual ships. Perhaps it's hull was based on a pilot boat hull

 

[Charlotte Anne]

What surprised me was that one of the big new ones passed with less water under it in the evening, so i am not sure what was going on at 5.00 in more water! I guess it could just have been very close to our side of the channel for some reason, or going a bit faster than usual.

I would have left a light on if i was anywhere I thought 'vunerable' or if we had anchored in one of the areas of the Orwell without moorings - like the spot opposite where people occassionally spend the night just above the end of Shotley Marina. We were moored in a cluster of occupied moorings.

The smaller one heading up on Sunday lunchtime was leaning on his horn for good reason, he must have wished it was raining as he headed through a sea of sail!

 

[MBM_Greg]

I used to be a yacht skipper from Ipswich, and often noticed different boats created different wakes. Some of the bigger boats created no wake, whilst some smaller ones caused quite a stir.
One ship was banned from Ipswich a few years ago when it managed to sink a number of moored vessels which were on bouys off Wolvestone.

 

[wingdiver]

I used to be a yacht skipper from Ipswich, and often noticed different boats created different wakes. Some of the bigger boats created no wake, whilst some smaller ones caused quite a stir.
One ship was banned from Ipswich a few years ago when it managed to sink a number of moored vessels which were on bouys off Wolvestone.

You often see the larger ones with their 'bulge' in front having less wake. (Oo-er, missus!!)

 

[Habebty]

I used to be a yacht skipper from Ipswich, and often noticed different boats created different wakes. Some of the bigger boats created no wake, whilst some smaller ones caused quite a stir.
One ship was banned from Ipswich a few years ago when it managed to sink a number of moored vessels which were on bouys off Wolvestone.

Yep some do, some don't.

I was on a mooring at Levington a few weeks ago, last springs actually, low water, and as the Capucine /Cervine went past, the water around me all but disappeared. It was just like the prelude to a tsunami.
Was very low spring tide though and my rudder was stuck in the mud, whilst the sounder was was saying 1.7m under the keel. Must have been on the edge of the channel. Long keel boat a few moorings along was leaning a fair bit. Never seen that on the Levington moorings.

 

[squibber]

Capucine /Cervine usually pass Levington going to Ipswich around 4am and return around 9pm. I have noticed dredging in the river in the early hours and saw this application MLA/2012/00072 ABP 13-FEB-2012 and I lodged an objection but so far I have only received an automated response. Quite a few people have noted how shallow the river is just outside the channel and it is my reckoning this is being caused by dredgers pumping out of the channel into the shallows beside the channel.

pete