River Blyth pilotage (and HMS Southwold)

[TwoHooter]

TwoHooter has turned up again like a bad penny in the shallow muddy water margins where he sort of grew up a year or two back, on the bank of the New Cut just up from Eastbridge. Last time TwoHooter was here was in 2015 in a Westerly in which he and his wife somehow got to Snape and safely back to Chichester. Now they have a motorboat which arrived at HMS Southwold on Wednesday night after a 58 hour non-stop passage from Padstow, which frankly isn't the sort of thing TwoHooter enjoys even in the good weather we had this week.. At this point there is a meaningful pause during which sincere thanks is given to John and Mike who came out in the RIB in inky blackness to lead the boat in (probably because they didn't want a wreck at the harbour entrance). Anyway, the tender was launched today and pottered around in the sunshine while pictures of Southwold were taken from the sea, but now TwoHooter wants a pint at the White Hart, Blythburgh. Isn't there a book with pilot notes for the Suffolk Rivers? Searches have not found it. Is TwoHooter imagining this? And does anyone have a good aerial photo of the Blyth at low water? Neither Bing nor Google show the river at low tide. Two Hooter is willing to get out and push the tender if necessary. TwoHooter's charming wife is not.

 

[Lucky Duck]

Pilot books are (in no particular order)

East coast cruising companion/rivers
East coast pilot
North Sea passage pilot

Dylan winter took his boat under the bailey bridge to the head of navigation, there is a video of it somewhere on utube

 

[fergie_mac66]

One of the thousands of stakes impaled dylans prop i believe and gave him the reet gyp

 

[PaulRainbow]

Not exactly low water, but http://www.visitmyharbour.com/harbours/east-coast/southwold/charts.asp?cattype=6

 

[TwoHooter]

Not exactly low water, but http://www.visitmyharbour.com/harbours/east-coast/southwold/charts.asp?cattype=6

Thanks but it's the bit above Reydon & Tinkers Marshes I need more information about.

I've got this vague memory of reading about a new edition of an old pilotage book for the Suffolk rivers, on this forum, about 18 months ago.

 

[PaulRainbow]

Thanks but it's the bit above Reydon & Tinkers Marshes I need more information about.

I've got this vague memory of reading about a new edition of an old pilotage book for the Suffolk rivers, on this forum, about 18 months ago.

Mike might be the man to ask. Just be careful not to spend too long at Southwold as you might grow extra thumbs or get webbed feet.

 

[Rivers & creeks]

I've taken a 17 foot dayboat and Canadian canoe up there a number of times. The channel is very well marked with numerous poles with colours and topmarks and buoys in the wide bits. Going up past the pub under the A12 and up into the reed beds for a mile or so is spooky but great fun. Welcome to Southwold.

 

[matthewriches]

Glad to see you arrived ok.

 

[TwoHooter]

Thanks to all for the advice and the welcome. If any of you are around while I am here please say Hi.

Mike's advice (which I will take) is to go up at half tide when the river course is still visible, which is what we did (more or less) at Snape, but I just have this recollection of reading that someone had done an updated version of a book about the Suffolk rivers so I thought I would ask. I like books about rivers.

 

[Seashoreman]

Thanks to all for the advice and the welcome. If any of you are around while I am here please say Hi.

Mike's advice (which I will take) is to go up at half tide when the river course is still visible, which is what we did (more or less) at Snape, but I just have this recollection of reading that someone had done an updated version of a book about the Suffolk rivers so I thought I would ask. I like books about rivers.

Perhaps you mean East Coast Pilot, Jarmin-Cooper-Holness? Last re-printed 2015. 4th edition.
It gives full details of Southwold Harbour but not the river past the bridge.

 

[PaulRainbow]

Thanks but it's the bit above Reydon & Tinkers Marshes I need more information about.

I've got this vague memory of reading about a new edition of an old pilotage book for the Suffolk rivers, on this forum, about 18 months ago.

Not a new edition, but could be what you were thinking about : https://www.amazon.co.uk/East-Coast-Rivers-Cruising-Companion/dp/0470990929

 

[snowbird30ds]

We did the trip up to blythborough earlier this year and the withies are fine but as you get near the road bridge(about 2 bends away) it is quite shallow as we caught the bottom with the outboard on the way back, it was getting late on the tide admittedly as we had a beer and very nice baguette with chips at blyford too, if you go under the road bridge you can stop behind the church and tie to a tree and walk through to the pub, if you fancy blyford you have to tie alongside a knackered bridge (minding the barbed wire) and walk the last 3/4's of a mile along, it's worth it as it's a nice pub.

 

[TwoHooter]

Not a new edition, but could be what you were thinking about : https://www.amazon.co.uk/East-Coast-Rivers-Cruising-Companion/dp/0470990929

That's the one! Thanks.

We did the trip up to blythborough earlier this year and the withies are fine but as you get near the road bridge(about 2 bends away) it is quite shallow as we caught the bottom with the outboard on the way back, it was getting late on the tide admittedly as we had a beer and very nice baguette with chips at blyford too, if you go under the road bridge you can stop behind the church and tie to a tree and walk through to the pub, if you fancy blyford you have to tie alongside a knackered bridge (minding the barbed wire) and walk the last 3/4's of a mile along, it's worth it as it's a nice pub.

Great information, thanks. I should have gone today because the weather was so good, but I was hoping my wife could come too and she's not here at the moment. There will be other opportunities. I'll film it when I do go up. I made a little video of Southwold harbour in the sunshine today - should be edited in a week or two.

 

[Jan Harber]

Not a new edition, but could be what you were thinking about : https://www.amazon.co.uk/East-Coast-Rivers-Cruising-Companion/dp/0470990929

Two Hoots, the latest (20th) edition of the book East Coast Rivers Cruising Companion was published a year ago by Fernhurst Books and is widely available from local chandleries and bookshops. Paul's link above, refers to the previous (19th) edition. My dad Jack Coote produced the 1st edition of East Coast Rivers which was published by Yachting Monthly in 1956.

Chapter 2 of our latest edition covers Southwold, although I have to admit not in any detail above Reydon. I would recommend the OS maps Landranger 156 Saxmundham Aldeburgh and Southwold, or for more details OS Explorer 231.
Have fun...

 

[TwoHooter]

Two Hoots, the latest (20th) edition of the book East Coast Rivers Cruising Companion was published a year ago by Fernhurst Books and is widely available from local chandleries and bookshops. Paul's link above, refers to the previous (19th) edition. My dad Jack Coote produced the 1st edition of East Coast Rivers which was published by Yachting Monthly in 1956.

Chapter 2 of our latest edition covers Southwold, although I have to admit not in any detail above Reydon. I would recommend the OS maps Landranger 156 Saxmundham Aldeburgh and Southwold, or for more details OS Explorer 231.
Have fun...

Thanks, I'll get it now.

 

[hisw]

Hi,

Hi firstly welcome to Southwold.

I think it sounds like you need to join the RIVER BLYTH NAVIGATION ASSOCIATION if you are in the river for a while. It costs £15.

They produce a chartlet of the river, along with information to navigate up the river.

It also gives you the use of the pontoon at the pub, we use it a lot....!

I have PM the email address

 

[snowbird30ds]

Hi,

Hi firstly welcome to Southwold.

I think it sounds like you need to join the RIVER BLYTH NAVIGATION ASSOCIATION if you are in the river for a while. It costs £15.

They produce a chartlet of the river, along with information to navigate up the river.

It also gives you the use of the pontoon at the pub, we use it a lot....!

I have PM the email address

That sounds interesting, southwold seems to be one of my regular stops these days and it's always good to support the local clubs.

 

[TwoHooter]

Two Hoots, the latest (20th) edition of the book East Coast Rivers Cruising Companion was published a year ago by Fernhurst Books

Jan, Your book arrived today - superb. I personally am a fan of the modern trend to laminate pictures into the binding instead of having a paper dust cover which always gets scroggy in no time.
We've only been boating for 3 1/4 years but have already explored the Swale, Medway (Gillingham), the Blackwater (just to West Mersea), the Orwell (to Fox's), and the Alde right up to Snape. Next season I hope will include Norwich (in the big boat) and of course Blythburgh (in the little one). Pictures will be posted.

 

[martin g]

Hi,

Hi firstly welcome to Southwold.

I think it sounds like you need to join the RIVER BLYTH NAVIGATION ASSOCIATION if you are in the river for a while. It costs £15.

They produce a chartlet of the river, along with information to navigate up the river.

It also gives you the use of the pontoon at the pub, we use it a lot....!

I have PM the email address

Hi there, I see this is an old but would you happen to have contact details with the Blythe navigation association as I’d like to ask some questions and join (if it is still in operation)

 

[TwoHooter]

Martin - I can't send you a private message because you are a new member but I have uploaded to Flickr a copy of the letter I received in 2017 with contact details and this might still be relevant.
I will leave this copy on Flickr for just 24 hours and then delete it.

https://flic.kr/p/2mUQ5Qr