Suffolk Yacht Harbour

[HappyHurley]

We're looking at the possibility of being based in Suffolk Yacht Harbour for the rest of this season.

And yet I know very little about the local area [we're based in Berkshire].

2 children, 7 & 8, together with a partially sailing enabled wife.

What is there locally to keep them entertained on a cold and dreary July day when sailing is uninviting please ?

 

[Sniper]

In SYH, probably very little although there are some lovely country walks around the marina. If you need bright lights and child-friendly diversions, then Felixstowe is only a few miles away. It has a pier and amusement arcades. Foot ferry trips will take you across the harbour to Harwich, which is quaint and with lots of historic interest. Ipswich is a little further in the opposite direction, with all the amenities that a medium sized town can offer.

 

[Denek]

Agree with Sniper not much actually at SYH but the prom at felixstowe is great and Ipswich not far away we sometimes head over there for nandos. We really like Harwich and from the marina if the weather is not too bad it’s not far. Although not so much there to entertain the children. nice riverside walks right out of the marina.

 

[pvb]

Don't the kids have smartphones?

 

[Leighb]

In SYH, probably very little although there are some lovely country walks around the marina. If you need bright lights and child-friendly diversions, then Felixstowe is only a few miles away. It has a pier and amusement arcades. Foot ferry trips will take you across the harbour to Harwich, which is quaint and with lots of historic interest. Ipswich is a little further in the opposite direction, with all the amenities that a medium sized town can offer.

I thin k you may be confusing SYH with Shotley Marina? The foot ferry runs from Shotley to Harwich, nowhere near SYH which is at Levington a few miles up the Orwell.

 

[pyrojames]

I used to take the kids to Framlingham or Orford castles when sailing was unappealing. Orford is nice in it's own right. Languard also has a good castle.

 

[biffandkatie]

I thin k you may be confusing SYH with Shotley Marina? The foot ferry runs from Shotley to Harwich, nowhere near SYH which is at Levington a few miles up the Orwell.

Think the ferry quote came in when describing Felixstowe where it also runs to.

 

[LittleSister]

Note that Suffolk Yacht Harbour has (or at least used to have) a waiting list, though management of the list was rather haphazard, and sometimes it appeared that you stood a better chance of getting a 'permanent' berth soon if you just turned up in your boat as a visitor and asked to stay.

Generally speaking you won't find much at the marinas themselves to entertain kids in bad weather. You can get a bus into Ipswich, or drive there or to a range of more rural attractions - museums, etc.

Other marinas in the Orwell (SYH, Shotley and Fox's prices are all uncannily similar, Woolverstone Marina dearer, and, I think, RHYC cheaper) include:
Shotley Marina - has a cafe/bar/restaurant/ice-cream counter; small museum of former adjacent naval base; a bit of a beach; lovely riverside and inland walks, short and long; a promenade overlooking 2 rivers and out to sea with various boats/shipping moored and passing etc.; foot/cycle passenger ferry to Harwich (interesting small town) and Felixstowe; a few hundred yard walk to pub at Shotley Gate; bus (or drive) to Ipswich for cinema, museums, shops etc.
Woolverstone Marina - bar/restaurant; lovely walks nearby, including short-ish riverside walk to Pin Mill and its famous pub and scenery. 10 minute (?) walk to main road to get bus to Ipswich.
Royal Harwich Yacht Club (RHYC) - has a small marina (with waiting list) adjacent to Woolverstone Marina, and moorings in the river (mixed availability according to size/draft, I believe) . Club house with bar/food etc. (river views )and various other facilities Dinghy sailing opportunities for kids, I assume. Also in easy walking distance of Pin Mill and buses to Ipswich.
Fox's Marina
Bar/restaurant (and large chandlery) on site. Other eateries and drinkeries nearby. Bus stop adjacent into Ipswich town centre, or long, unscenic, walk into town. Unlike Shotley and Woolverstone, no river views from boat.

Plus 2 Marinas in Ipswich itself, behind lock gates. Usual waterfront development attractions (repellants?) adjacent, town centre close by.

I hope you find somewhere suitable for your family and your boat.

The River Orwell and its immediate surroundings - e.g. River Stour, Walton Backwaters - and beyond - e.g. River Deben, River Blackwater, is a great cruising ground. You can usually find some reasonably sheltered direction to go, whatever the wind and tide are up to, and many of the places you can visit would have some interest to kids if they're the sort who like animals (seals, birds etc.), walks, beaches, cafes, chips, and that sort of thing.

 

[RivalRedwing]

The crabbing is good at SYH

 

[johnalison]

The only place with built-in entertainment I can think of is Tollesbury, with a swimming pool, but it is not everyone's cup of tea, being tidally restricted. I think that Levington with a car should be fine.

 

[ditchcrawler]

The obvious place with access to all the facilities is Tide Mill Marina in Woodbridge as it is in the middle of the town. The drawback being that it is some distance up the Deben and has a cill giving access at about half tide depending on your draught.

 

[Charlie Boy]

The obvious place with access to all the facilities is Tide Mill Marina in Woodbridge as it is in the middle of the town. The drawback being that it is some distance up the Deben and has a cill giving access at about half tide depending on your draught.

Ipswich has the Haven and the Neptune very close to its centre. I’m not sure that’s necessarily a recommendation though.

 

[pvb]

The obvious place with access to all the facilities is Tide Mill Marina in Woodbridge as it is in the middle of the town. The drawback being that it is some distance up the Deben and has a cill giving access at about half tide depending on your draught.

I don't think that's the obvious choice. I can't imagine that 7/8 year old kids are going to be enamoured with Woodbridge! Plus there's the restricted access to the marina, not to mention the access to the Deben at Felixstowe Ferry.

 

[Koeketiene]

Ipswich has the Haven and the Neptune very close to its centre. I’m not sure that’s necessarily a recommendation though.

We spent a year at Ipswich Haven.
Our berth was quite near to the lock, so noise levels were not that bad on Fri/Sat night.

Would not consider Neptune if you intend to spend nights aboard.

 

[Bob@SYH]

Hi, I hope I'm not out of place replying here, but I'm happy to offer any info that might be useful.

Admittedly we are geographically located about midway (first typo came out as a Freudian 'mudway' ?) between Ipswich & Felixstowe and as such we don't have a huge amount of non sailing amenities within walking distance, There are though some pleasant walks both up and down the river, East towards Trimley bay and it's beach, or west to Levington and Nacton foreshore. The Ship in Levington and the Hand in Hand and The Mariners, both in Trimley can all be reached on foot if you fancy a change from the Haven Ports Yacht Club.

However, and just to re iterate what has been mentioned above, presumably you will have a car available which would put you within an easy 10 minute drive from Felixstowe with its beach front amusements, Landguard Fort, shops and beaches. Only slightly further in the other direction is Ipswich with a larger range of shops and cinemas (when open again) and swimming pool. Head north up the A12 for about 15 mins gets you to picturesque Woodbridge (shops, swimming pool, pubs, restaurants and cinema and the Tide Mill museum), Or a bit further as Pyro James says, Orford & Framlingham have great castles to explore (the latter made famous in Ed Sheeran's 'Castle on the Hill' which might spark youth interest)

With car access there should be plenty to see & do on those (incredibly rare?) inclement days and all of the above have a good selection of pubs and restaurants to suit all tastes. Even without a car there is a bus service that runs from the top of the lane to either Felixstowe or Ipswich that passes every 30 mins or so.

For the sake of balance though I should add that transport links from any of the local marinas are reasonably good and much of what is close to us is similarly close to the others.

I hope that helps.

 

[Dan Tribe]

In my experience with my own kids and grand kids, it's important to have access to other sprogs for them to fully enjoy sailing, so maybe seek places where kids are catered for. This restricted our proper "yachting" for a few years but the rewards were tremendous.
Suffolk Yacht Harbour is idyllic for grown ups, but perhaps not for juniors.
Royal Harwich Yacht Club has a lively youth sailing programme and is adjacent to Woolverstone Marina. The club also has access to Alton Water reservoir I believe.
Other nearby clubs with excellent kids / youth sailing are Waldringfield and Felixstowe Ferry, but no convenient marinas adjacent.

 

[shaunksb]

The only place with built-in entertainment I can think of is Tollesbury, with a swimming pool, but it is not everyone's cup of tea, being tidally restricted.

Bloody hell!

Thats one big swimming pool...

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[tillergirl]

There are two pools at Tollesbury Marina, one heated 'proper', t'other one is saltwater.

 

[johnalison]

Bloody hell!

Thats one big swimming pool...

________________________

 

[Poecheng]

There are two pools at Tollesbury Marina, one heated 'proper', t'other one is saltwater.

One is deep and the other is not.