Stour and Orwell - best anchorages?

Crazy-Diamond

Crazy-Diamond

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Hello all,

I'd be interested to hear where people like to anchor on these two rivers? I'd like to visit Stutton Ness in particular. With east/west winds I assume best to go for the Orwell, and north/south to head for the Stour?

Many thanks,

Giles

PS - It pains me to say, but the following topics are not requested as part of this discussion:

1. "Why are you anchoring? We always use a marina"
2. Any discussion of anchoring technique or equipment
3. "We never visit those rivers"
 
What do you draw? There’s not a lot of water there. Erwarton has much more but is noisy.

The Orwell isn’t quite the Hamble yet (!) but it is more difficult to find somewhere than it once was. I like Shotley a bit north of and inside the Babergh buoy, and Butterman’s Bay below the moorings.
 
I draw 1.5m, fin keel Moody 30.

Ah yes, I do have the East Coast Pilot, I'll have a look.

Thank you for the suggestions Kukri, is there much wash from commerical vessels at those places you mention just north of Shotley?
 
I haven't been there lately, thus failing your entry requirements, but the last time we anchored north of Shotley the bottom was steeper to that in the past and appeared to be changing, as all rivers do. It is still a nice spot and there isn't a lot of big stuff going by. Below Pin Mill is also somewhere we used to stay when a couple of quid for a buoy seemed too much.
 
If there is any North in the wind, Ewarton Ness is magic and fairly clean to get ashore, but a bit of a hike to visit Stutton Ness and I think you have to divert inland around the Royal Hospital School. There is an anchorage shown on charts just off Stutton Ness but I've never used it, a bit marginal for us and not sure what the landing is like.
In any Southerly wind Wrabness is comfortable and easy to get ashore. The moorings make anchoring difficult but there is usually a spare mooring, not sure if they are maintained, some look a bit neglected. A long dinghy ride to Stutton though.
Very little shelter in Easterlies in most of Stour.
In the Orwell, between Levington Creek and Pin Mill there is room to anchor or usually some spare moorings. Pretty comfortable in any wind direction and lots of passing interest. Difficult if you want to get ashore, need to get to Pin Mill or Suffolk Marina for that.
The tradional anchorage at Shotley, Stone Heaps is OK in Westerlies, but can be very noisy from the container port.
 
I can confirm Dan's observation that the moorings at Wrabness aren't, in the main, going to be well or regularly maintained, so bear that in mind if you choose to borrow one!
It's a nice place though.
 
Dan Tribe said:
If there is any North in the wind, Ewarton Ness is magic and fairly clean to get ashore, but a bit of a hike to visit Stutton Ness and I think you have to divert inland around the Royal Hospital School. There is an anchorage shown on charts just off Stutton Ness but I've never used it, a bit marginal for us and not sure what the landing is like.
In any Southerly wind Wrabness is comfortable and easy to get ashore. The moorings make anchoring difficult but there is usually a spare mooring, not sure if they are maintained, some look a bit neglected. A long dinghy ride to Stutton though.
Very little shelter in Easterlies in most of Stour.
In the Orwell, between Levington Creek and Pin Mill there is room to anchor or usually some spare moorings. Pretty comfortable in any wind direction and lots of passing interest. Difficult if you want to get ashore, need to get to Pin Mill or Suffolk Marina for that.
The tradional anchorage at Shotley, Stone Heaps is OK in Westerlies, but can be very noisy from the container port.
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Re Stutton Ness .

On the chart there is a hole on the other side of the fixed beacon. Plenty of water there but you have to watch swinging room . Landing is good with a fair bit of sand . Last anchored there season before last so hopefully things
haven't changed much . Unfortunately Stutton Ness is very exposed and I only tend to anchor for the night in balmy periods .
 
Pinmill just down river off what is locally know as Second Sands. Quite deep inshore, you'd be fine there . Usually a couple of empty
moorings in the area as well. Best shelter in a south westerly. Sandy or shall I say less mud!
Sutton Ness around on the Stour always seems popular. Reasonable depth near the post. Went past in the heat wave a couple of weeks ago and quite busy. Maybe better shelter for Saturday night (NW ?) tho' you are further off shore than second sands.
 
Aquaboy said:
Pinmill just down river off what is locally know as Second Sands. Quite deep inshore, you'd be fine there . Usually a couple of empty
moorings in the area as well. Best shelter in a south westerly. Sandy or shall I say less mud!
Click to expand...
Good anchorage, but just don’t try and get ashore there except close to HW, the mud is deep and very tenacious. We watched two Dutch couples land there from a dinghy at half tide and they got pretty stuck and two of them ended up full length in the mud. When they eventually reached the shore they asked if there was anywhere they could wash off the mud, we had to reply “no nearer than by the pub at Pin Mill”. They should have rowed up to the pub in the first place.
 
Dan Tribe said:
In any Southerly wind Wrabness is comfortable and easy to get ashore. The moorings make anchoring difficult but there is usually a spare mooring, not sure if they are maintained, some look a bit neglected.
Click to expand...

There's a raft-like device usually moored there which is used for lifting the moorings to check/service them. I wonder whether it is actually used?
 
I usually go for the grottiest mooring I can find with a slimy weedy rope. The thinking being
A..... its owner isn't likely to return and disturb me during dinner.
B.... being unused the chain/ shackles wont be as worn as one in regular use.
 
Seriously, though, some of those moorings are just place markers, with the owners having no intention of putting a boat on them for a while, and therefore no interest in spending money on checking or renewing the mooring, despite the new shiny red mooring raft the moorings master now owns.

I'm not sure I'd risk my boat on some of them, and especially not raft up like some people do.
 
Corribee Boy said:
Seriously, though, some of those moorings are just place markers, with the owners having no intention of putting a boat on them for a while, and therefore no interest in spending money on checking or renewing the mooring, despite the new shiny red mooring raft the moorings master now owns.

I'm not sure I'd risk my boat on some of them, and especially not raft up like some people do.
Click to expand...

I generally pick up a buoy on the trot furthest from the shore. Are these likely to be OK?
 
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