Swapping the Solent for Essex - is it worth it?

MissFitz

MissFitz

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We live in west London & keep our boat in Chichester, but we're getting a bit bored with the prices & crowds in the Solent. Looking at the options, we're thinking of moving ourselves to east London & the boat to Essex. Would much appreciate any advice on where's best for the sailing, & is it really so much cheaper? Also how easy is it to get to from London.

All help very gratefully received, thanks.
 
Best try this on the east coast forum, they seem quite keen on the area. I used to sail there, but so long ago that my comments would be useless, apart from it is shallow in areas and there is a lot of mud.
A
 
Yes, do it.

The East Coast is generally cheaper, much less crowded, less snobby and friendlier than the South coast. The sailing is different - lovely rivers, lonely anchorages, but a few challenging entrances and lots of mud and shallows. It is probably better to have a shoal draft or bilge keels to get to the most deserted creeks, but plenty of people manage with deep draft and say it doesn't restrict them much. A top priority is a working depth-sounder, though!

Places: I suggest you do a search based on the time to drive there from your home, your requirements for marina/boat yard/swinging mooring etc factoring in cost and tide access. There are tiny, rather basic boatyards and posh all-facilities marinas and everything in between. PBO (possibly Jan 2009) did a supplement on marina costs which included most of the marinas/boat yards that I know of. A glance at that will show you the East/south coast cost comparison. Once you have a shortlist, drive around and have a look.

We did that when we were buying a boat, and settled quickly on a place based mainly on its friendliness and the peaceful position (plus access by train, which has proved very useful - I went straight to the boat from Beijing once!).

The East Coast forum will welcome you - we are a friendly bunch, and can give you biassed opinions on just about everything!
 
There was another post a couple of weeks ago asking a similar question click http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?t=211075..

As Ali & Downwest advise its a good idea to ask questions on the East Coast Forum

Plus look at Dylan Winters excellent series of short videos entitled "Keep Turning Left" on youtube.. There are quite a few when he explores the Rivers a Creeks of Essex

http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=D055BFAC6E7B8B06

The views are pretty rubbish as well http://www.flickr.com/photos/greenacre8/3808116066/

But PLEASE dont tell anyone else, they will all want to come !!!!
 
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I suppose I'm independant - sailing the Bristol channel but having kept the boat on both the south and east coasts. I would much prefer the east coast to the Solent which is overcrowded and over priced. In fact if it werent for the M25 and the long drive I would prefer the east coast to the channel.

The main disadvantage is the cold in winter and it must be said that the Orwell on a sunny weekend in summer reminded me of the M25 or Lymington.

Only you can answer the travel question but I would certainly expect you to make a decent cash saving.
 
Swapping Solent for East Coast

I have done both, and indeed still have a share in a boat in the Solent but rarely use it. The East coast is much less crowded and much cheaper both for marinas and for overnighting. Last weeek-end is fairly typical two nights away and didn't pay for moorings in either place we stayed. The downside is that France or the Channel Islands are too far away and the Nl is also quite a bit further than France from the solent.

Regards
 
I shouldn't bother; there's absolutely nothing to see

IMG_0050.jpg
 
You would miss all the boat dodging fun in Chichester. Would be boring if you didn't have to keep constantly looking over your shoulder for the next person about to cut you up. :p
 
lucyfparker said:
We live in west London & keep our boat in Chichester, but we're getting a bit bored with the prices & crowds in the Solent. Looking at the options, we're thinking of moving ourselves to east London & the boat to Essex. Would much appreciate any advice on where's best for the sailing, & is it really so much cheaper? Also how easy is it to get to from London.

All help very gratefully received, thanks.
Click to expand...

You're getting bored with all those nice folks down on the south coast? But they congregate there for certain because, you know...are you sure you could do without that thrill of competing for space, air, drinks..everything?

If you translate to our E coast, where of course, as per our tradition, you will be most welcome, you will have to undergo the "skimmers conversion course" - this is what puts off most folks on the S coast from coming north of Dover:

First you turn off your shallow water warning device - otherwise it will be permanently at you and you will fail to hear the kettle as it boils away to smouldering ruins...

Second, you have to learn to play the tidal touch game, so that if (correction -when) you touch bottom you can smile and move on after a few moments as the water rises. Those who fail this part of the course, will endure hours at an angle fending off us helpful types who will approach and offer well meant advice.....

And so much more, that M'learned colleagues will happily acquaint you with over an ale - oh yes, lager is mostly swilled south of Dover, the gassy brew seems to go with the culture there.... we have the proper stuff up here.

PWG
 
:) :) :)

You forgot to mention that within 6 mths you'll be doing secondary port calcs in your head.... have learnt the calls of a dozen beautiful birds..... be on first name terms with several local seals.... and have become expert at how underwater profiles affect wave form.....

Seriously.... i've sailed on and off in most parts of the UK at one time or another... and I absolutely love the east coast having relocated here 5 years ago....

In our 5 seasons we've barely scratched the surface of all the great places to go... we could find a new anchorage every weekend for the next 5 years if we wanted to...

And best of all, as many have alluded to above.... the people are great.... a really friendly atmosphere, with a much greater sense of camaraderie than you'll find in most other UK sailing locations...
 
Can only agree with all the others who recommend the East Coast. I was brought up there and sailed there for many years. We now sail in the West Country and I still haven't quite got used to the idea of "see through" water.

I've enjoyed both East and West but I have to say that the couple of seasons spent in the Solent were "different" but not as enjoyable.

Would certainly recommend shallow or bilge keels. We went back a few seasons ago and were definitely more bothered by the shallows with a six foot draught.

Try it, you have nothing to lose. Nothing stops you moving back to the South Coast, but I bet you don't.:)
 
The usefulness of C/B or bilge keels can be overrated, unless you really want to dry out regularly or explore the upper reaches of the creeks (when a dinghy will do even better). A lot of us sail with fin keels, and 6 foot shouldn't inhibit you. I have a shallow fin option, though even that is about 1.6 metres, which extends my window for getting out of my berth.

If you look at the charts of the area you will see that most of the passages are orientated SW-NE, the same as the prevailing winds, so on average half the time you'll be sailing directly upwind and a decent performance will be more rewarding (yes, I know the barges do it quite happily, but I really haven't got the patience and am unwilling to grow a beard).
 
I did some sailing out of the Crouch with a chap who had spent all his time on the West coast of Scotland. I was happily sailing over sandbanks with about 1.5 metres under the keel and he was cowering in the corner of the cockpit trying not to look at the depth sounder. 'Deep' is a relative term.

You may have to watch out for the 'Romford Navy' in some of the East coast rivers, particularly at weekends. I was told about a little speed boat with three adults and four children on board. The swell had washed over the stern and the engine was dead. The children were very cold, very wet and very frightened. No VHF and the only mobile phone on board was soaked and u/s. Nobody had a lifejacket and all were dressed in beach clothing. The tide was set away from the coast and they were heading in the wrong direction.

Dad thought all you had to do was buy a boat, put it in the water and drive it around!!
 
As said earlier, you'll find the East Coast quite different to the South. Water is very muddy and a working depth sounder is a must. Lots of free anchorages/moorings, it's common if you just want a lunch time stop to pick up a vacant mooring, and be prepared to move if the owner returns. Lots of quiet creeks to anchor in. Several Marinas which are generally cheaper, lots of boatyards with a few moorings and you can put your name down for your own mooring but you may have to wait a year or so to get one. I waited five years but now only pay a pittance per year compared to boatyard moorings. Do explore the creeks on a rising tide, I went aground on monday but was off within five minutes(I must get a working depth sounder.....)
 
Worth it?

Oh, yes. We moved up here 10 years ago, best thing we ever did. Brilliant sailing - year-round - great welcomes, not crowded, unspoiled. The only scary thing is the number of other people wanting to follow our example.
 
lucyfparker said:
We live in west London & keep our boat in Chichester, but we're getting a bit bored with the prices & crowds in the Solent. Looking at the options, we're thinking of moving ourselves to east London & the boat to Essex. Would much appreciate any advice on where's best for the sailing, & is it really so much cheaper? Also how easy is it to get to from London.

All help very gratefully received, thanks.
Click to expand...

I spent all my racing life out of the Solent and it was brilliant BUT also very expensive.

Now I sail out of the Medway- different game altogether- lots of mud and VERY shallow water but it is cheap, and much more importantly much more friendly since marinas are fewer and if you get into club life much more convivial too, in my opinion.

Perhaps the Medway is easier to get to than the Essex rivers- you must research- in which case either ours- Hoo Ness Yacht Club, or Medway Yacht Club are two suggestions.

Arguably, the Essex rivers offer even better sailing grounds if they are more accessible to you and others will be along soon to seduce you!!!
 
there is nothing as magical as an east coast dawn - nothing as beautiful as the aloneness that still exists out there -

stuck in the Solent with the masses I miss it every time I set sail -

more than anything else is a there is this sense of self - sailing midweek say from the medway to the crouch you will probably be alone on your passage -not mobbing around a marina stressing about a berth and calling up on vhf -

you can find a slice of wilderness and not much nanny state off foulness, off the eastern swale, up the suffolk coast - you are not overlooked or watched over and the birds and seals thrive - otters too.

leaving Portsmouth harbour is pretty special in the shadow of the Victory but I think when i next enter the Crouch from seaward I will be an essex boy coming home and happy to be there -
 
I keep considering this - but the answer is very complex.

Undoubtely the sailing on the East Coast is very good, but in spite of what anyone says it has nothing near the rainge of destinations as can be found in the "Greater Solent". Also it is not as easy to pop across the Channel for the weekend.

Superficially mooring on the East Coast seems much cheaper than in the Solent - but when you compare like with like the difference is less marked. What it does have that the Solent doesn't is many more cheap moorings (Club buoys and the like).

There are also other restrictions to be borne in mind, many areas of the Coast, and moorings, have restricted access times for fin keeled boats; and it seems common on the East Coast to haul out every winter for 5 months or more. Also coming from London (particularly West London) you will have a longer journey time to most moorings than you do to Chichester.
 
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