River Ore/Butley

[Colin K]

Hello,
Well we are currently heading Back East leaving Brighton this morning on route for Ramsgate all flattened down now and the suns out. Failed though to get to the clear waters that I promised the crew!
We could do with a nice night at anchor,somewhere that we can use the barbeque to cook the Mackerel that I am going to catch crossing the Thames and perhaps even use the snorkel gear. Wondered whether the Butley River might fit the bill and if so which bit is the best bit to anchor in? From there I understand you can walk into Orford too?

Appreciate any advise, Cheers. Col.

 

[MikeBz]

It's a lovely spot to stop at. Not sure that it's much good for snorkelling, the water will be pretty muddy. I would anchor in the vicinity of the disused dock although you can go further upstream. I'm not sure if you can get ashore on the Orford side and it's a fair walk if you do. You might have to wait for a tide cycle to get back again. We've landed near to HW on the Boyton side before but there's nothing much to walk to, although if you walk to the village you do pass a stretch of water which is chocker with Avocet.

FWIW we went out through the Ore entrance last Friday at exactly half tide and never saw less than 2.7m of depth. We pretty much ignored Oxley and after leaving Weir around 20m to P headed straight for the Haven buoy. The shallowest part was about 1/3rd of the way between Oxley & Haven, after a short stretch of 2.7m it went to 5m in the space of a couple of boatlengths. IIRC the tidal range at Orford Ness that day was around 1.9m so in theory we would have no difficulty getting in & out at LW.

 

[Cantata]

You were right to stay well away from the Oxley buoy. We've added a warning note to the Imray entrance chartlet on our website, about the shallows spreading NE beyond the Oxley buoy.

 

[Leighb]

You can get ashore on the Orford side just upriver of the old dock. There is a rowing ferry across the river there which has a little landing stage on each bank, so I am sure one could land there from a tender. It is as you say a bit of a hike into Orford, but there is at least a shop and a couple of pubs there, there is nothing on the other shore for miles. The shop I am sad to say is not a patch on what it was, and the locals must be even more upset, but you can still get most essentials.

 

[Leighb]

You were right to stay well away from the Oxley buoy. We've added a warning note to the Imray entrance chartlet on our website, about the shallows spreading NE beyond the Oxley buoy.

There is plenty of water on a direct line from the Haven buoy to the Weir buoy, 2 hrs before HW we had 2.2 m below our 1.4 m keel coming and going last week. If you get close to the Haven buoy on the way in there is a convenient lone tree in a row of trees and hege directly in transit with Weir.

 

[MikeBz]

You were right to stay well away from the Oxley buoy. We've added a warning note to the Imray entrance chartlet on our website, about the shallows spreading NE beyond the Oxley buoy.

Yes we were aware of that. On the way in we followed the advice prior to your latest update which IIRC was to give Oxley a wide berth (can't remember the figure) - we still had plenty of water (maybe 2.3m at HW -2.5) but on the way out took the straight line and it was definitely better. We saw boats coming in from well North of the Haven buoy on an Easterly track, joining the rhumb line between Oxley and Weir about halfway along. Those who arrive at the Haven without knowledge of the ECP updates on the chartlet are more likely to be lured into the shallows by Oxley than be helped by it.

Agree with Leighb about the shop in Orford - the excellent cafe on the side of it closed down and it (the shop) relocated to smaller premises on the 'main' road and is now a shadow of its former self.

 

[Colin K]

Thanks everyone, Made it to Ramsgate which is fine and a good hopping point.

The crew fancy the Ore so heading that way, tide goes north at ten so will reach the entrance at half tide so work my way in with your great advise thanks.

Happy Friday, Col.

 

[Colvic Watson]

Butley Creek is the prettiest river on the East Coast, and possibly anywhere. Take a dinghy up to the head of the creek - about an hour's gentle motoring / rowing, aiming to get there an hour before HW and no earlier. It's the most magical journey we've ever taken. The swimming in the creek is good and on a rising tide the water is warm. A walk to Orford followed by a pub meal is a favourite. Water available from the town quay. One of our best haunts for a few days R&R.

 

[Colin K]

Hey,
Thanks for the heads up we are just watering up filling the fuel tanks and off, no wind at all here much to our delight but not the Ramsgate regatta brigade!
A cpl of days R+R is just the ticket stuck in marinas for 10 days.. The wind is really favourable which is cool I think I will be getting to the entrance at quite low tide so might have to wait or feel my way in I guess? We only draw a metre so fingers crossed and I will read the earlier replies to find the best route.

Once again thanks fir your help. Cheers, Col.

 

[Plum]

Hey,
Thanks for the heads up we are just watering up filling the fuel tanks and off, no wind at all here much to our delight but not the Ramsgate regatta brigade!
A cpl of days R+R is just the ticket stuck in marinas for 10 days.. The wind is really favourable which is cool I think I will be getting to the entrance at quite low tide so might have to wait or feel my way in I guess? We only draw a metre so fingers crossed and I will read the earlier replies to find the best route.

Once again thanks fir your help. Cheers, Col.

Colin K, Did you get there? Any feedback on entrance, moorings, etc would be appreciated as I am planning a trip to the Butley river, Orford, Aldebrough and maybe Snape in 3 weeks time.

Thanks.

Colin. www.solocoastalsailing.co.UK

 

[Colin K]

Colin K, Did you get there? Any feedback on entrance, moorings, etc would be appreciated as I am planning a trip to the Butley river, Orford, Aldebrough and maybe Snape in 3 weeks time.

Thanks.

Colin. www.solocoastalsailing.co.UK

Hello,
Thanks for the message I was going to post a reply tomorrow but here we go I can add bits if anything else comes to mind.
We got to the entrance at low tide having a good passage from Ramsgate, We went to the Haven buoy to sus it out and I got a heads up on the line of the buoys ahead. We had to move on as the bell from the haven buoy was turning our mutt into the howling dog from a horror movie!!!! there was a rubbish SE swell so quite uncomfy to wait so we anchored off the beach just in the bay South of the entrance and rowed ashore not knowing what to expect, I had briefed the family that we might have to do a Hawaii five O style landing but it ended up very very sedate and we pulled the rib up the beach.
I pulled it up judging that if the rising tide reached it then we would have that amount of water over the bar?? Plus the bit of water there already?? There was not any swell so a good sea to do a tester.
Eventually we went for it (mid rise of tide) and it all went well from the Haven buoy until we reached a point adjacent Oxley where it went very shallow and I have to admit (hands up). I began a propeller polishing operation!!! I nudged on when I was sure we were floating and eventually got into slightly deeper water as we approached the Weir buoy, from there on we were ok. Motoring on up the river and into the water ski area I tested the engines/drive and all was ok and I am now back in Ipswich and all is ok, I was lucky.
We had an amazing night that night at anchor on the Butley river and then two fantastic nights on a buoy at Orford. The HM at Orford was helpful and could not do enough to help us.
On the way out yesterday I left it until two hours before high before I left Weir behind me heading for the Haven buoy and at the same point again adjacent Oxley it went shallow and I saw 1.8m. I had given it a wider beam, From talking to local sailors in Orford and looking at my plotter tracksI think Oxley is actually on the bank and I think the best route to take at this point in time is to take a line straigt from Haven to Weir with perhaps a slight Northern arc to your course(if that makes sense) ?
Hope this is some help we went in on 31/7 (mid rise of tide) and out on 3/8 (2hrs before high) if you need to check tidal heights.

All the best, Colin.

 

[MikeBz]

This is all mentioned in response to your original post Colin - give Oxley a very wide berth, in fact ignore it completely and take the rhumb line from the Haven buoy to Weir.

 

[MikeBz]

Colin K, Did you get there? Any feedback on entrance, moorings, etc would be appreciated as I am planning a trip to the Butley river, Orford, Aldebrough and maybe Snape in 3 weeks time.

Thanks.

Colin. www.solocoastalsailing.co.UK

For the entrance download the chartlet from ECP and read the tips in this thread about not going near Oxley. There is plenty of water at half tide (or at least there was 10 days ago).

There are tips in this thread on the Butley River.

At Orford - there are 2 or 3 visitors moorings, £10 a night, call the harbourmaster Philip Attwood on 01394 459950 or 07528 092635.

At Aldeburgh there are 4 visitors moorings on the E. side near the Martello tower - as you approach from the South they are the first 4 buoys you come to on that side, 2 orange, 1 yellow, 1 white in that order. If you stay the night then someone will come out in a launch the next morning to collect your fiver (in my experience at around 8:30).

Search the forum for advice on Snape.

 

[Colin K]

This is all mentioned in response to your original post Colin - give Oxley a very wide berth, in fact ignore it completely and take the rhumb line from the Haven buoy to Weir.

A Rhumb line from Haven to Weir is exactly what I did at the states of tide I quote !

 

[MikeBz]

Oh! Apologies. I'm puzzled as to why you saw so much less water than we did. I guess there must be lumps & bumps and we were lucky?

What location were you using for tide times?

 

[Colin K]

Hello,
Yes its a bit odd but we are not put off however will leave it close to high water. I think you said you went in/out about ten days before us? Not sure what sort of weather you had back at base here on the East coast but we got a pounding on the South coast. Wonder if the winds/ weather recently have had an effect? I am pretty strict on my Rhum lines and have checked my track on the chart plotter since we have got back to Ipswich and I didnt stray at all and photographed it also because I am sad !!!! Ha ha.
As people said the anchorage on the Butley river is magical. The only thing I would do differently is to rely on my main anchor rather than lay a kedge I feel that we would have sat easier when the tide changed half way through the night but of course every boat is different.
Ooooo just noticed your question about my tide data. I used an app I have on my ipad called Tide planner and one of their reference points is Orford Haven bar and I check that with the tide data on Navionics which has one of thir tide state symbols just at the entrance, they concurred. At the time of my entrance/exit the wind was also blowing generally towards the entrance so I dont think that would have had a negative effect?
Really looking forward to our next visit and hope others enjoy it as much as we did..

All the best, Colin.

 

[MikeBz]

The actual tide data for Harwich on the day you went in (31st July) shows a slight negative surge but not much:

http://www.ntslf.org/data/realtime?port=Harwich&from=20150731&span=5

We went in on the 22nd and came out on the 24th - slight +ve surge on the 22nd but nothing significant (unlike the 25th!):

http://www.ntslf.org/data/realtime?port=Harwich&from=20150722&span=5

I used tide times for Orford Haven Bar as well (ChronGlobal app).

 

[Plum]

Having had a lovely visit to the Butley River recently I am now wondering why it is called the "Butley River" and not the usual convention of "River Butley" ????

Colin. Www.solocoastalsailing.co.UK

 

[Seashoreman]

Having had a lovely visit to the Butley River recently I am now wondering why it is called the "Butley River" and not the usual convention of "River Butley" ????

Colin. Www.solocoastalsailing.co.UK

Don't quite get your meaning Plum? Its charted as Butley River, I suppose because of Butley Village, but locally known as Butley Creek or just The Butley. I have spent quite a few weekends up there this 'summer' waiting for the weather to improve, to get out of the river. Could be worse places to do that I suppose.

 

[Plum]

Don't quite get your meaning Plum? Its charted as Butley River, I suppose because of Butley Village, but locally known as Butley Creek or just The Butley. I have spent quite a few weekends up there this 'summer' waiting for the weather to improve, to get out of the river. Could be worse places to do that I suppose.

Yes, i am aware that locally it is called Butley Creek. However my Admiralty chart and my Ordnance Survey map and Navionics charts and Wikipedia and Visit-my-Harbour and many other internet sources all use Butley River but all refer to, for example, the River Ore.......... I agree, whatever you call it, it is lovely.

Colin. Www.solocoastalsailing.co.uk