Run aground in Brightlingsea

[andyb28]

Just wondered if this was anyone in here? Guessing they were down for Pyefleet Week.
They managed to get the boat pulled off with one of the wind farm boats.

 

[Tomahawk]

It was very close to not getting off.. Indeed without the wind farm boat they would have been stuck for the tide.

Do NOT stray to the north of the red cans by even half a boat length. Over the past few months the oyster bank seems to be growing. Probably pushed up by the increased shipping into the port.

 

[Mudman]

No yacht racing in Pyefleet week, apart from a handful of Sonatas. The boat in the pic did provide a lengthy entertainment for everyone on the prom. They got off (maybe 30-45 minutes after going aground, sails down, on a rapidly falling tide) using their own engine for forward motion with a windfarm boat pulling them over by a halyard from the masthead. Bets were being laid on whether the windfarm boat was going to pull the stick out! Fair play to everyone involved, which included a jet skier running a line from the windfarm boat to the yacht.

 

[Tomahawk]

Ttas two caught out this summer!

 

[Malish]

I would have waited until out of the channel before setting sails..

 

[LONG_KEELER]

I average about once every season. Otherwise I'm not trying hard enough to get the most out of our glorious East Coast.

I would rather not be towed off unless absolutely necessary.

 

[Capt Popeye]

Yep an Est Coast rule of thumb - what the Falling Tide delivers the Rising tide taketh away - simples eh ?

 

[Denek]

We draw 1.7 M and we ran aground going out of Brightlingsea a few weeks ago. On a rising tide though. The HM kindly pulled us off. I noticed the boat was a bit sluggish leaving the pontoon so I think we were dragging the bottom even then. We had to leave to get to Heybridge for the lock but I think next time we will wait till we have a bit of tide. Looks like exactly the same spot.

 

[Biggles Wader]

Bottom looks clean so no chance of using the "just stopped off for a scrub" excuse.

 

[Concerto]

At the start of my recent East Coast trip, I touched bottom on 3 out of the first 4 days sailing but not at Brighlingsea. Later I had to suffer staying over a low tide as I pushed my luck too much. Does that make me a true East Coast sailor?

 

[Daydream believer]

Back in the 70s I ran aground there in my Stella near LW.. There was little wind so we left the sails up sheeted in , in the hope a puff would tilt the boat to sail us off. No luck.
During that time I sat at the helm & 3 boats ran aground next to us, because they all thought I was sailing & had not realised there was no water. One chap gave me a right verbal. He reckoned I had ruined his afternoon's sailing by looking as though I was under way. I had no right to do that & should have waved & warned him etc etc. He was only about 1.5 boat lengths away & just went on & on, so we wound him right up with jibes of all sort.
A small speed boat shot between us & the shore in 12 inches of waterdoing about 20 kts with 2 blokes & 2 women all chatting. The prop churned the mud for a good 75 yds as the engine kicked up with mud flying everywhere. They carried on without a clue what had happened behind them.
It was worth running aground for the experience.

 

[Daydream believer]

At the start of my recent East Coast trip, I touched bottom on 3 out of the first 4 days sailing but not at Brighlingsea. Later I had to suffer staying over a low tide as I pushed my luck too much. Does that make me a true East Coast sailor?

Not really-- it makes you a bloke who needs to study tide tables a bit more

 

[andyb28]

because they all thought I was sailing & had not realised there was no water

Brilliant, very funny

 

[Malish]

Back in the 70s I ran aground there in my Stella near LW.. There was little wind so we left the sails up sheeted in , in the hope a puff would tilt the boat to sail us off. No luck.
During that time I sat at the helm & 3 boats ran aground next to us, because they all thought I was sailing & had not realised there was no water. One chap gave me a right verbal. He reckoned I had ruined his afternoon's sailing by looking as though I was under way. I had no right to do that & should have waved & warned him etc etc. He was only about 1.5 boat lengths away & just went on & on, so we wound him right up with jibes of all sort.

The very reason that I am wary about following a Southerly

 

[Rum Run]

as I.read it, you are supposed to say. " I'm here to load shingle, what about you? " tm M. Griffiths

 

[Concerto]

Not really-- it makes you a bloke who needs to study tide tables a bit more

The first time I touched was entering the Deben on a rising tide and I was slightly too far off the rocks at Felixstowe Ferry, but I came straight off.
The second time was in Lowestoft having been directed to the holding pontoon to wait for the bridge to open, only to find I was cutting through the mud. It is now being dredged.
The third time was entering Woodbridge Marina. The tide guage read 1.6m and I draw 1.6m so I entered very slowly. Just brushed the bottom of the keel and continued into the basin.
I feel I knew I my tidal calculations were correct, but I was just a little too correct!

 

[Tomahawk]

I would have waited until out of the channel before setting sails..

Truth be told he hit the putty under motor then hoisted sails in a desperate attempt to lean over to get off..

 

[ex-Gladys]

The first time I touched was entering the Deben on a rising tide and I was slightly too far off the rocks at Felixstowe Ferry, but I came straight off.
The second time was in Lowestoft having been directed to the holding pontoon to wait for the bridge to open, only to find I was cutting through the mud. It is now being dredged.
The third time was entering Woodbridge Marina. The tide guage read 1.6m and I draw 1.6m so I entered very slowly. Just brushed the bottom of the keel and continued into the basin.
I feel I knew I my tidal calculations were correct, but I was just a little too correct!

Absolutely my experience at the Tidemill... Mine was worse though, I waited for 1.6, despite drawing 1.5 and stayed on the cill for 20 minutes...

 

[Leighb]

Absolutely my experience at the Tidemill... Mine was worse though, I waited for 1.6, despite drawing 1.5 and stayed on the cill for 20 minutes...

The draft as listed in a boats specs may well be incorrect when it is loaded with cruising gear and/or is some decades old and the hull has absorbed a fair weight of water! I was astonished when we were lifted out and the crane operator told us the weight, it was a couple of tons more than the spec!! Builders give data relating to a boat with nothing onboard except what they have supplied, no water, no fuel and certainly none of the “stuff” that we all seem to accumulate. ?

 

[Denek]

When we bought our boat the spec given said draft 1.5 M and for two seasons we sailed with this knowledge but when we lifted last year I actually measured it and it’s 1.7M we must have had some close encounters in those first two seasons. We are off out today ?