River Deben entrance

[dickh]

A new entrance has opened up much closer to the yacht club.

The Woodbridge Haven buoy has been moved to 51º 58.545'N 001º 24.25'E.
The Green bar buoy is moved to 51º 58.87'N 001º 23.5'E
The Red bar buoy is moved to 51º 58.70'N 001º 23.725'E
The new bearing from the Woodbridge Haven Buoy is 300ºT

For more info contact Duncan Read on Tel 01394 285005 or Mob 07778 401 105



<hr width=100% size=1>dickh
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[sjohn_gibson]

Thanks for taking the time to give us this mnost useful post. Well done.

John

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[paulrossall]

Have you been through the new entrance yet? Is there a greater depth of water compared to the enterance last year? I moored at Ramshoult last year on my mates mooring but he wants it this year. Do you know whether there are moorings available at Felixstowe Ferry? I like the spot but my wife thinks the moorings are a bit exposed and would not enjoy the trip back to the boat after a late night pub call.

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[dickh]

Paul, no I haven't been through the new entrance yet - my boats still in the boatyard. Least depth appears to be 0.8/0.9m, going from the chartlet I have.
Regarding moorings you'll have to speak to Felixstowe Ferry Boat Yard - Tel No 01394 282173.
I don't agree that the mooorings are particularly exposed - I've been there over 5 years and only on one occasion could we not use the dinghy to get ashore(8' grp & 2 people) - don't forget there is a launch service by the Ferry during the daytime in the summer. It's a wonderful spot, one of the best on the river.

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[AndrewB]

Poked my nose into the new entrance in January, and would doubt whether there was as much as 0.8m then. The old entrance had no more. It looks like being an interesting season for yachts moored up the Deben.

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[Jean]

The Woodbridge Cruising Club web site (www.woodbridgecruisingclub.co.uk) have the latest entrance chartlet on their website (once logged in, click on Access).

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[tillergirl]

Good post, thank you. The pictures on the Woodbridge YC don't look very encouraging. I thought it was a bit scary last year, particularly when a chum got stuck around Mid Knolls.

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[pvb]

Coincidentally, I looked at the entrance from the land at Felixstowe Ferry yesterday, at about half-tide. Looked interesting!

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[paulrossall]

Thanks for the Woodbridge sailing club site. It is excellant. Looks to be a good club.


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[davidwf]

Watched a local fishing boat leave Sunday at low tide, he kept well over to the shore turning hard to port after passing the starboard mark he then kept well over to Starboard side of the entrance as he passed the outer Port hand mark. Looking at the chartlet I can see that he was avoiding the shallow bit slightly to the north of his track.

I have to say it looked considerably easier than last year.

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[dickh]

I also looked at the entrance early in the year on a spring low tide and it was exactly as the WCC pictures - in fact people had walked onto the outer knolls over the original entrance...
The entrance looks much easier and should be able to get in with a moderate draught if it isn't LW Springs - but avoiding the shallow patch. I also saw a fishing boat aground on the shallow patch two weeks ago... - it looked like he tried to cut the corner.

<hr width=100% size=1>dickh
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[DanTribe]

A very useful post, well done.
Incidentally, I've just found an old guide chartlet from 1995 and it's almost identical to the new one, except that then there were leading beacons on the beach. Are there any plans to re-introduce them? The beacons were very useful but who organised & paid for them?
Dan

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[dickh]

The leading beacons were removed about 5 years ago as it wasn't possible to line them up accurately; this was when they introduced the (old) port hand buoy. There are no plans to introduce leading beacons at the moment - but of course this may change. I believe the beacons were organised by local sailing clubs and fishermen.
They did set up a beacon on the very narrow part of the entrance last year - but it didn't even last a weekend before it was demolished by a motorboat!

<hr width=100% size=1>dickh
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[Jean]

Sailed out of the Deban several days ago and found it much easier than last year. Also, re another posting on Aldeburgh Fish and Chips, had to call in and try them after all the good comments but not impressed!

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