Sailing from Ipswich to Essex Marina

[ShawnMaloney94]

Hello,
I’m buying a boat from Ipswich and am sailing back to Essex marina.
I just wanted some guidance in regards to tides and if I’ll be able to sail/motor in one tide?
ive don’t a lot of coastal sailing with someone with a lot of experience but am doing this on my own so would appreciate any advice.
Kind regards,
Shawn.

 

[Capt Popeye]

Suggest you try and get someone to go with you and go through the Essex rivers etc ; best of luck with your new boat

 

[Dan Tribe]

It would be good to know a bit about your boat, depth, speed, length etc.
It's a fairly straightforward trip. Leave Ipswich about 1/2 ebb to aim to be off Naze about low water, then you will have a flood tide with you to the Crouch. Go through the Swin Spitway and to Buxey Edge buoy then follow the channel to Burnham. Depending on speed and depth you may need to be careful going through Swin Spitway but not usually a problem
Try to avoid the trip in a strong Southwest wind, the Wallet can get bouncy!

 

[Marmalade]

It's got to be 40+ miles from Ipswich to the marina. You need to know what your likely boat speed is.
You'll want to take the ebb out of the Orwell - get outside the gunfleet and then carry the flood into the Crouch. If you can make 5kts + then one flood tide should do it, assuming you're out through Goldmer by LW, which would typically mean leaving the lock in Ipswich 2 hours before low water. Make sure you have the right charts (you can download them onto an ipad if you don't have paper charts) and if you're not familiar with the Orwell - just follow the buoyed channel - keep an eye out for ships coming up to Ipswich. Stay W / S of the deepwater channel in the harbour - but again make sure you know where the shallows are - the buoys are your friends.
The Crouch is v narrow and hard to spot - does your boat have a plotter / GPS? If not then you need to know how to navigate by compass and bearings.
Give us some more detail and we can perhaps give some more specific advice...

 

[Marmalade]

Ah - can see DT has responded as I was writing!! His suggestion of going through the Swinn would also work - be aware it's a v narrow passage between sandbanks.

 

[Tomahawk]

When Dan say it can be a bit bouncy .... think good old English understatement.
I have heard it described it as vomit alley... for good reason.

 

[[178529]]

It should be fairly easy. I would maybe leave a little earlier on the ebb than half ebb.

When you get to Essex marina on your own it's not really berthing as such, more a controlled crash. I've got dock fenders all over my berth. There's a 1-2 knot cross current unless you get there at sick water. Not a problem if you have loads of fenders out. I think that's why there are more motorboats there than sailing boats.

 

[nigelm]

If you haven’t already get Navionics installed on a tablet / phone and have a study of yr proposed routes , aim to make best possible speed and it should be easily doable in 7 hrs ish , from the spitway it’s just bouy hopping right into the crouch

 

[pvb]

I’m buying a boat from Ipswich and am sailing back to Essex marina.
I just wanted some guidance in regards to tides and if I’ll be able to sail/motor in one tide?

Welcome to the forums!

If you choose to go via the Swin Spitway, there's an excellent chartlet on Roger Gaspar's website - https://www.crossingthethamesestuary.com/Spitway 2020 V2 Download.pdf

The Crouch Harbour Authority has a useful chart showing the buoyage, which can be confusing to newcomers - https://crouchharbour.uk/wp-content/uploads/River-Crouch-Buoyage.pdf

 

[Dan Tribe]

It's got to be 40+ miles from Ipswich to the marina. You need to know what your likely boat speed is.
You'll want to take the ebb out of the Orwell - get outside the gunfleet and then carry the flood into the Crouch. If you can make 5kts + then one flood tide should do it, assuming you're out through Goldmer by LW, which would typically mean leaving the lock in Ipswich 2 hours before low water. Make sure you have the right charts (you can download them onto an ipad if you don't have paper charts) and if you're not familiar with the Orwell - just follow the buoyed channel - keep an eye out for ships coming up to Ipswich. Stay W / S of the deepwater channel in the harbour - but again make sure you know where the shallows are - the buoys are your friends.
The Crouch is v narrow and hard to spot - does your boat have a plotter / GPS? If not then you need to know how to navigate by compass and bearings.
Give us some more detail and we can perhaps give some more specific advice...

Interesting. Is Goldmer Gat and Kings Channel your preferred route?
I've used it a few times when conditions dictate, but normally go via Wallet and Spitway, shorter and simpler in my view.
BTW , I don't think that the Crouch or Spitway can be described as V narrow. I suppose it's all relative.

 

[[178529]]

Yes I go wallet and spitway.

 

[pvb]

Interesting. Is Goldmer Gat and Kings Channel your preferred route?
I've used it a few times when conditions dictate, but normally go via Wallet and Spitway, shorter and simpler in my view.
BTW , I don't think that the Crouch or Spitway can be described as V narrow. I suppose it's all relative.

Agreed. Wallet and Spitway is the way I go.

 

[PaulRainbow]

Agreed. Wallet and Spitway is the way I go.

Me too, Shotley to Burnham 5hrs ish.

 

[Aquaboy]

I always think the slowest part is from Harwich breakwater to the end of Walton pier. It seems to take ages for the container cranes to disappear. You can be well into the Wallet and Felixstowe still seems just behind you. Of course this is the area with least tidal assistance. There is a tower on the firing range that shows up well, just aim for the right of it until the bouyage becomes clear.

 

[shortjohnsilver]

Make sure you allow for your locking out time at Ipswich, it’s surprising how long it takes to come down the Orwell, but as said the tide will be in your favour. Also allow at least two hours to get to off the Naze aiming to arrive there lower water. This will allow the tide to turn and start flooding and means you will have tide with you down the Wallet and there should be good water over the spitway when you arrive there. Keep a good course across the spit leaving the safe water buoys to your starboard side, this helps to ensure that you don’t drift sideways - West - too much, with the cross tide.

 

[Tomahawk]

There is one small onstacle you might consider..
Essex Marine plod keep their rib just over the river in Burnham Marina.. Their latest missive states that you cannot go sailing because it is not specifically allowed by law... Ignoring the inconvenience that we still live by Common Law, I would. not put it past them to throw their weight about.

 

[Marmalade]

Interesting. Is Goldmer Gat and Kings Channel your preferred route?
I've used it a few times when conditions dictate, but normally go via Wallet and Spitway, shorter and simpler in my view.
BTW , I don't think that the Crouch or Spitway can be described as V narrow. I suppose it's all relative.

I generally do prefer to get outside the gunfleet straight out of the harbour unless the weather dictates otherwise. We draw 2m but I know I can get through Goldmer even at LW and from then on it's easy sailing. Have never compared distances and I accept it might be a little longer. Always used the Spitway in the days when we moored in the Blackwater. Must say, we haven't been into the Crouch for a few years though - Blackwater is our spiritual home (obvs via wallet) and north to Deben or Ore if tides allow.

 

[PeterWright]

Hi,

I assume you will have the necessary charts on board. Plenty of different ways to do the passage as above, However, unless you draw more than 6 feet, the Wallet /Spitway / N of the Sallowtail into the Crouch then up the river is best. If you can make around 5 knots average, time your departure to be around Stone Banks buoy at low water, if slower, perhaps an hour before LW and fight the last hour of the ebb out of the Wallet. You can cut the corner a fair bit at the Spitway, but perhaps not wise until you get to know it - it's only narrow in the middle.

Have a good passage.

Peter.

 

[cueball]

Hi shawnmaloney94, welcome to the forum. I am a berth holder at Essex marina and have done this trip on many occasions, it's fairly straightforward. I would leave Ipswich around 2 to 3 hours before low water. Let the tide take you out, wallet and spit way is the way to go. If you have a finger berth at Essex be very careful if it's not slack water when arriving. Until you get used to cross tide berthing I would use the along side births on the outer arm, put the kettle on and square away the boat till the flow eases. And remember to enjoy the trip.

 

[[178529]]

Hi shawnmaloney94, welcome to the forum. I am a berth holder at Essex marina and have done this trip on many occasions, it's fairly straightforward. I would leave Ipswich around 2 to 3 hours before low water. Let the tide take you out, wallet and spit way is the way to go. If you have a finger berth at Essex be very careful if it's not slack water when arriving. Until you get used to cross tide berthing I would use the along side births on the outer arm, put the kettle on and square away the boat till the flow eases. And remember to enjoy the trip.

As another berth holder I mentioned that in #7. One thing you could do now is put dock fenders all over your berth. In a sailing boat it really is a controlled crash when the tide is going.