Southwold Harbour

[bromleybysea]

I've booked a berth in Southwold in a few weeks to coincide with a family event there. Coming from the Colne, I've always avoided spring tides and stopped at Harwich for the night, then arriving at Southwold around low tide the following day which means with my 1.8m draft I can enter shortly after LW. This time, it'll be springs. with LW about 18.45. What's my best strategy for timing the passage from Harwich- aim to punch a spring flood for the last bit maybe? I'm also a bit worried about turning in the harbour with a spring flood up my chuff in a less than handy old boat, possibly getting dark. Your views gentlemen please.

 

[Poecheng]

Just addressing the second part:
Have a word in advance with the Harbourmasters, they are very knowledgeable and helpful.
However, there are a few options:
Whilst not perfect, you don't have to turn her and can try and go alongside with the tide under you - trying to go astern against it. Depending on which way she pivots in astern you could pick which pontoon/berth suits (Walberswick or Southwold side) and then at a later time sort yourself out.
You can keep trying to turn her midstream as she floats along sideways taken by the tide - start early !
You can get the anchor ready and then drop it mid stream and swing her round on the anchor (worth having the anchor ready anyway) and if you are really good, swing her into the desired berth!
You can shove her bow into the mud on the Walberswick side where there is a large gap (can't recall precisely where off the top of my head) and watch her stern swing round in the tide - that is what the barges do and what we have done before.

 

[Slowboat35]

Bear in mind that reversal of the outflow in the river will be some time after low water. If you can time entry soon after low water you may well find the flow in the river to be almost slack. Ask the harbour master. In any case it won't be at full flow for quite a while, when as you anticipate turning in the narrow river can be awkward with a less than handy boat. If she makes way controllably astern that's the way I'd enter the berth in a strong flow- no turning involved. Before club-hauling her around on the anchor again I'd want to get the Harbourmaster's view on obstructons/chains etc on the bottom. Midstream at Southwold is no place to get an anchor snagged.

 

[hisw]

What boat is it? We get some big boats turning and as long as you turn with a bit of power, the tide will generally do the rest.

 

[LittleSister]

. . . as long as you turn with a bit of power, the tide will generally do the rest.

Yes, if all else fails it'll berth you neatly against the footbridge!

 

[Greg2]

Whenever we are in Southwold our preference is to moor facing upstream because the ebb is a lot more powerful than the flood and as we have an aft cabin boat it is better that way round. That means that we have, on occasion, come in with the flood and moored going astern against the tide - doable with our twin engined mobo but might be tricky with a single engined yacht - easier if the Harbourmaster is there to take your lines but at the time the OP is planning to arrive they won’t be around. That said I would probably prefer to try that than to turn the boat - even with twin engines it is a little disconcerting how quickly the incoming tide can take you upstream.