Southwold..... first timer

According to the pilot books every east coast entrance is a near death experience, but I found Southwold easy. Follow the Harbour Marine Services video, narrated by that nice chap off the telly. We draw 1.4m and have been in and out at LW neaps but springs we give it 90 minutes either side of LW. Always call the HM on 12 before you enter or leave and if you want a visitors berth at the weekend it's best to telephone first. On the flood you'll need to turn round just past the Harbour Inn, it's something managed without incident by about 30 boats a day in high season and there's always lots more room than it looks! Coming in on an ebb you're fine, no need to turn. HMS has a decent chandlery and the Harbour Cafe does great food and there's the Harbour Inn as well. Only a very few visitors' berths have water and electricity but what you loose in amenities you gain in the complete tranquility of an evening on a private pontoon with no need to be squashed together like caravans on a campsite. Not everybody loves it but we do.
 
Colvic Watson said:
According to the pilot books every east coast entrance is a near death experience, but I found Southwold easy. Follow the Harbour Marine Services video, narrated by that nice chap off the telly. We draw 1.4m and have been in and out at LW neaps but springs we give it 90 minutes either side of LW. Always call the HM on 12 before you enter or leave and if you want a visitors berth at the weekend it's best to telephone first. On the flood you'll need to turn round just past the Harbour Inn, it's something managed without incident by about 30 boats a day in high season and there's always lots more room than it looks! Coming in on an ebb you're fine, no need to turn. HMS has a decent chandlery and the Harbour Cafe does great food and there's the Harbour Inn as well. Only a very few visitors' berths have water and electricity but what you loose in amenities you gain in the complete tranquility of an evening on a private pontoon with no need to be squashed together like caravans on a campsite. Not everybody loves it but we do.
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You left out Adnams brewery, arrange a visit before you go.:encouragement:
 
Thursday night is steak night at the sole bay, good food in the red lion too.
As you enter swing to starboard past the knucle and hug the bank close to the lifeboat shed till past that bit of quay then middle of the river for best depth, take same route out, I think it's still 310-320 degrees for best route between shallows when aiming for the entrance.
 
I think it's still 310-320 degrees for best route between shallows when aiming for the entrance.
According to that nice chap off the telly, it's 330T but the chartlet says 310T in the box at the top but 330T on the chartlet itself.
 
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Entrance is currently easy, just don't drift North of a line from the North entrance pier on the way in.
I brought my boat in at bang on LW neaps the other week with no issues and I draw 2.1m.

I did make another updated video where we edited in some drone footage which I'll get uploaded.
 
As long as there is sufficient depth on arrival (taking onshore winds into a/c) take the ebb all the way up the coast from Harwich.
 
nigelm said:
Sounds good , so , roughly , what's most suitable time to arrive ? , say leaving from Harwich
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I'd time it to arrive an hour before LW, lots of tide to help you up the coast and mooring the first time will be easy against the last of the ebb. After you've seen a few come in and turn round you'll see how straightforward it is. It's a beautiful harbour to visit and as Poecheng says the HM's are brilliant.
 
This has really caught my interest and maybe I should visit Southwold too, however, I had always assumed that it was out as I wouldn't be able to remain afloat?
I draw 1.6m but have a wing keel configuration which I imagine would not sink into the mud, as per standard fin keel yachts. Are there deep water moorings there, where I could remain afloat?
 
The visitors moorings on either side of the river will cause no issues with your draft.
My mooring opposite the boat yard has 3.5m at low water, my guess is the visitors moorings would have maybe 1m less at most and some have more, so you wont touch.
There are moorings that dry out at springs but these are all private and usually have fishing or local boats on them anyway.
Our rise and fall is only just over 2m.
 
My mooring has 2m at LW springs and the ones around it have more as they stick out further into the river. One of the great things about Southwold is the abundance of private moorings for visitors- it makes it less like visiting a caravan park style marina.
 
Javelin's video tells you all you need to know for safe and easy access to Southwold. In various yachts with draft up to 2m, I've never had a problem with getting in over the past 50 odd years - this to me is an all tide port, provided there are no onshore gales.

Peter
 
Yes that was a bit of a fail.
They lined up 6 coaches and awaited the hoards to arrive by ships ferry.
Trouble was that they couldn't safely load/unload due to the 1m swell where they anchored.
So it was canned and the coaches sent home.

The ship drew 9m and was as close in as possible.
However they should have asked a local as if they had anchored 3/4 mile south they would have had much flatter water and slightly more depth.
 
The mooring immediately opposite Harbour Marine Services (floating pontoon downstream of motor vessel Tiger Blue, south side of river) will now be free to any ECF folk for the next two or three weeks.

If anyone asks, tell them Mike said it was fine.

Leaving for Holland tonight.
 
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