River Stour - All time beaches?

Minn said:
Kirby creek? ... oysters?
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Funnily enough I was thinking of starting a new topic on that subject. We pottered up Kirby Creek, around Honey Island and out into Horsey Mere on Saturday, it was a beautiful way to spend a few hours. The big sign near the entrance of Kirby Creek warning about Oyster layings is now gone (the frame is still there), so I wondered whether there are still any Oyster layings there and if not then Kirby Creek would be a great anchorage.

As an aside, near the top of the tide we decided to have a go a crossing Horsey Mere around to the Twizzle, but found the 'channel' (ho ho) too hard to follow - depth varied between 3m and 0.9m (we draw 0.86 with the keel up) whilst trying to follow the line on the plotter. We bottled it and turned around, later in the day I looked at Google's satellite view and saw it was taken at low tide and very clearly shows the channel - should have used that. I did wonder whether we'd get over the causeway though.

Apologies for the drift...
 
MikeBz said:
Funnily enough I was thinking of starting a new topic on that subject. We pottered up Kirby Creek, around Honey Island and out into Horsey Mere on Saturday, it was a beautiful way to spend a few hours. The big sign near the entrance of Kirby Creek warning about Oyster layings is now gone (the frame is still there), so I wondered whether there are still any Oyster layings there and if not then Kirby Creek would be a great anchorage.

As an aside, near the top of the tide we decided to have a go a crossing Horsey Mere around to the Twizzle, but found the 'channel' (ho ho) too hard to follow - depth varied between 3m and 0.9m (we draw 0.86 with the keel up) whilst trying to follow the line on the plotter. We bottled it and turned around, later in the day I looked at Google's satellite view and saw it was taken at low tide and very clearly shows the channel - should have used that. I did wonder whether we'd get over the causeway though.

Apologies for the drift...
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How much water is there in Kirby Creek?
 
:encouragement:
MikeBz said:
We went up at about half tide and saw 5-6m IIRC - not exactly firm information but I do remember thinking there would be plenty of water at all states of the tide, if a bit narrow at LW.
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A friend who keeps his boat in the Walton channel and often sails round in the dinghy tells me that there are now no restrictions on anchoring in Kirby Creek. As he belongs to WFYC I think he should know.
 
Kirby Creek is an ideal anchorage; plenty of water (beware the spit at the entrance!) and very well sheltered from all directions. I am speaking of fifty years ago. You used to be able to land from a dinghy at the stairs on the sea wall and walk a couple of miles to Kirby le Soken where there is a shop and a pub.
 
Minn said:
Kirby Creek is an ideal anchorage; plenty of water (beware the spit at the entrance!) and very well sheltered from all directions. I am speaking of fifty years ago. You used to be able to land from a dinghy at the stairs on the sea wall and walk a couple of miles to Kirby le Soken where there is a shop and a pub.
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I remember doing that walk, about 40 years ago! We had a bilge-keel Westerly then, so no real worries about shallow water.
 
I too can recall several happy nights anchored in Kirby Creek in the 60s, and a club “meet” there with at least a dozen boats in attendance. Pleased it is available again.
 
Yes, but they were really good oysters! I recall that the chap who ran (runs?) the layings exported the lot to Belgium and only dealt in Natives, but would sell you some if you turned up in person. Best I have ever had. Hope he's OK.

This might be a contender for the Fred Drift Award..?

In just three pages we have gone from advising on suitable all tide beaches on the Stour, concluded that there are none, recommended two high tide beaches on the Orwell, one of which cannot be reached by boat, recommended Stone Point, which isn't in the Orwell or the Stour, concluded that although the beach is fine, we would not anchor there these days, recommended Kirby Creek, which has no beach of any sort and is a bit remote and opined on its oysters!
 
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Interested to hear that the oyster restriction in Kirby Creek is apparently gone. I have anchored there before, some years ago. There was just about enough room to anchor between the southern end of the oyster beds and two or three moored boats that were just beyond it.

Like MikeBz, we also tried to cross Horsey Mere, but bottled out of it after going aground a few times (0.9 metres draft long keel). It wasn't the highest of high tides, so I intended to try another time. Will be more challenging now as current 'deep draft' boat (also long keeler) draws a giddy 0.95 metres. :D
 
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Crossing The Red Sea

MikeBz said:
Funnily enough I was thinking of starting a new topic on that subject. We pottered up Kirby Creek, around Honey Island and out into Horsey Mere on Saturday, it was a beautiful way to spend a few hours. The big sign near the entrance of Kirby Creek warning about Oyster layings is now gone (the frame is still there), so I wondered whether there are still any Oyster layings there and if not then Kirby Creek would be a great anchorage.

As an aside, near the top of the tide we decided to have a go a crossing Horsey Mere around to the Twizzle, but found the 'channel' (ho ho) too hard to follow - depth varied between 3m and 0.9m (we draw 0.86 with the keel up) whilst trying to follow the line on the plotter. We bottled it and turned around, later in the day I looked at Google's satellite view and saw it was taken at low tide and very clearly shows the channel - should have used that. I did wonder whether we'd get over the causeway though.

Apologies for the drift...
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Horsey Mere, locally known as The Wade, separates Horsey Island from the mainland?

A boat with less than 1m drought can cross The Wade on a 4m tide. A great short cut between Titchmarsh and the upper end of Hamford Water.

Going from the Kirby side, the Kirby Race Mark is a good starting point. From the Twizzle, the Wade Race Mark (close to the causeway) is a useful mid-point to use. The best water is in a straight line between the 2 race marks.

East of the Wade Race Mark there is plenty water but keep within the withies.

The channel has changed very little over the last 10 years.

We have crossed the Wade many times within 1 hour of high water and on smaller tides and never had a night out!

First time, until you have the route in the plotter, it could be wise to try it on a rising tide - Titchmarsh to Kirby (east to west - withies are easier to pick up).

Ref the oyster beds in Kirby Creek; could be wrong but I believe the company that traded them ceased trading about 3 or 4 years back so the oysters should still be there but the buoys prohibiting anchoring appear to have gone?

Crossing the Red Sea? Arthur Ransome's Secret Water.

Now I am guilty of fred drift!;)
 
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Re: Crossing The Red Sea

nortada said:
Going from the Kirby side, the Kirby Race Mark is a good starting point. From the Twizzle, the Wade Race Mark (close to the causeway) is a useful mid-point to use. The best water is in a straight line between the 2 race marks.

East of the Wade Race Mark there is plenty water but keep within the withies.
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We saw one withey on the Kirby side marking the last bit of barely-visible marsh to port, then a bit further a buoy and another withey, but no others. I was trying to follow a dotted line on the plotter which roughly matched where I've put orange lines on this clip from Google Maps:

Horsey Mere.jpg

I would be interested to know roughly where the straight line between the buoys is on that pic.

Apologies for prolonging Fred Drift...
 
Re: Crossing The Red Sea

MikeBz said:
We saw one withey on the Kirby side marking the last bit of barely-visible marsh to port, then a bit further a buoy and another withey, but no others. I was trying to follow a dotted line on the plotter which roughly matched where I've put orange lines on this clip from Google Maps:

View attachment 79545

I would be interested to know roughly where the straight line between the buoys is on that pic.

Apologies for prolonging Fred Drift...
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OK, it is now the Red Sea Thread. ;):encouragement:

Not easy from the Kirby side but the buoy you saw should have been The Kirby Race Mark. The channel runs south-east just south of that buoy and provided they are still there you should see the withies.

The channel you have marked in orange is too complicated and not very significant.

With a pair of bins you can see The Wade Mark (where the deeper water in the Twizzle runs out) from The Kirby Race Mark. Once you have picked it up, just head for it in a straight line.

As said before, as there is plenty of water to the east of the causeway, it is easier to start from the Titchmarsh side.

Should add, there is another route across The Wade closer to Horsey Island; it's doable but there is less water.

One trick, anchor in the deep water close to The Wade Race Mark and explore by dinghy. I have done this at half tide.

I have also walked the causeway at low water - interesting as you can see where the withies cross the causeway and all of the possible channels.
 
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Re: Crossing The Red Sea

Thanks for the detail. I guess the withies have gone or are very short, there were none visible on Saturday other than the one by the buoy.
 
johnalison said:
A friend who keeps his boat in the Walton channel and often sails round in the dinghy tells me that there are now no restrictions on anchoring in Kirby Creek. As he belongs to WFYC I think he should know.
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Bugger. It's been like that since last late August/early September. Why let everybody know?
 
Re: Crossing The Red Sea

nortada said:
OK, it is now the Red Sea Thread. ;):encouragement:

Not easy from the Kirby side but the buoy you saw should have been The Kirby Race Mark. The channel runs south-east just south of that buoy and provided they are still there you should see the withies.

The channel you have marked in orange is too complicated and not very significant.

With a pair of bins you can see The Wade Mark (where the deeper water in the Twizzle runs out) from The Kirby Race Mark. Once you have picked it up, just head for it in a straight line.

As said before, as there is plenty of water to the east of the causeway, it is easier to start from the Titchmarsh side.

Should add, there is another route across The Wade closer to Horsey Island; it's doable but there is less water.

One trick, anchor in the deep water close to The Wade Race Mark and explore by dinghy. I have done this at half tide.

I have also walked the causeway at low water - interesting as you can see where the withies cross the causeway and all of the possible channels.
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I've been around the creeks (if that's the word - channels perhaps) each side of the Wade at low water. Conclusion was the Wade is the high point, 80% of the rest is fairly flat with just those channels snaking around. If you're going from one end of the mere to the other nothing matters other than getting over the Wade. Whilst I've been across with my Cornish Crabber a couple of times, and in my Smacks Boat loads, and never have the keels fully up, I've wussed out of taking Storm over as she draws 3' 3" but a fixed keel.

As a matter of interest, the charts call it "Honey Island", but the locals & the W&FYC always refer to "Honeypot Island". Not sure why.
 
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