Titchmarsh and the Twizzle

Mukes

Mukes

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I am planning to overnight in Titchmarsh marina on Saturday night. I have been to Hamford water before but as yet have never ventured down the Twizzle. Having read my East Coast pilot etc. all seems to be relatively benign. Is there anything in particular a novice should be aware of bearing in mind that due Mrs Mukes reluctance to let gravitational forces influence her sleeping pattern, I will be arriving on a falling tide.
 
We've now been there twice in the last few weeks. As novices, we were concerned about the channel, but as Cobra says, it is well marked, and once in the Walton Channel there are plenty of moorings showing the channel. Mind you, on our first visit we found the cardinal bouy marking the entrance to the channel a bit hard to spot and got ourselves in a bit of a tiswas. (on a falling tide too)

Titchmarsh is a fairly peaceful spot, and the harbour lights restaurant is quite good.
Enjoy the trip!
 
It's pretty straightforward, though the NCM is indistinct - get the binos out and take a good look at the topmark.

For Andrew, I think that Ransome's old boat, the Nancy Blackett, resides at Titchmarsh at the moment - you might bump into one of the skippers who maintain her and be able to let the kids look over her - see the porthole through which the compass shone, the brassware that Titty so fondly polished, etc.
 
There's a tide gauge just before the entrance to the marina on the pontoons outside. That will tell you how much water there is over the sill.
Occasionally people with deep draughts hit the sill at LW springs.
After the cardinal, follow the lines of bigger moored boats and it's pretty straightforward.
 
Careful now!

After the cardinal, follow the buoyage to just inside Stone Point, THEN the lines of moorings. If you stand on from the NCM to the moorings, you'll be well outisde the channel...
 
If you are going in on a falling tide also be aware that at this point there can be a strong cross current as the water ebbs out of Hamford water.
 
On a slightly lighter note also watch out for Tommy and Charlie and may the Ground Force be with you...
 
If its not too busy, well worth dropping the hook by Stone Point, or if you are not confident in your anchor, grab a buoy, jump in your tender and take the kids on the beach at Stone Point.... its the beach on the left as you enter the Twizzle........
Its well endowed with shells and crabs(of both the dead and alive variety), and keeps my kids happy for hours.... take a bucket!

few other observations, watch the last port hand mark as you enter the Twizzle, the one right up on the beach headland.... if there's quite a lot of north in the wind, it can get blown quite a long way over at mid or low tide, and can sometimes be a bit too close to the sand for comfort.....

Its a busy and popular piece of water, so if you are at all uncomfortable with the route in, (which is a bit twisty, but actually quite clearly marked) then you'll rarely have to wait more than a few minutes to see someone else take the right route in...

If you are uncomfortable with your close quarters boat handling under sail, then drop them in between Pye End mark and the next mark and motor in.... the last bit of the channel, while perfectly clear in buoyage is quite narrow, and needs you to be confident in order to sail in...

Buy and read them 'Secret Water' by AR, and keep it on board.... take them out in the tender to explore the channel between the Twizzle and Hamford Water, as shown in Titty's map.... they'll love it, and feel like real explorers!

Finally, Do be careful to follow the channel from Pye End to the next Mark (East Coast Sails?) when at or near low water..... at most states of tide its not a problem, and I don't know your keel configuration, but at low water, it can get quite shallow, especially South of the channel....

Titchmarsh itself is a nice marina, although we don't go into the marina that often..... its a fair walk for kids into Walton-on-the-Naze, and probably more taxi ride distances if they are young.... there's not a great deal for them to do there, but plenty of space for them to let off a bit of steam.... and if they are at all interested in fishing, there are ENORMOUS Grey Mullet in the marina (although suspect your not allowed to fish in there...)

Bottom line... its a delightful location, pretty, quiet, and remarkably unspoilt..... as Stargazer said.... our absolute favourite!
 
"Do be careful to follow the channel from Pye End to the next Mark (East Coast Sails?) when at or near low water"

Seconded - we came out of the backwaters on Sunday morning close to Low water, and were recording about 2.2m depth on the way to Pye End.
 
Just overnighted at Titchmarsh on Monday last. Very pleasant and helpful Harbourmaster and good clean facilities. Went in close to LW with no problem. The Backwaters are lovely at this time of year.
Morgan
 
It is possible to cross "The Wade" when there is sufficient water. East Coast Rivers state "It is possible to sail straight across...The Wade.... provided the boat does not draw more than 1 metre and the trip is made about an hour before HW, on a day near to, but before, spring tides."
I went round last year in a dinghy and I suspect it is a trip the kids would enjoy. I suggest it is done clockwise as the shallow bit is at the end, as you cross the Wade, in sight of the mooring outside Tichmarsh Marina. I also think kids would enjoy a trip into Walton which is an old fashioned seaside town. The pier is worth walking along, if only to see the lifeboat mooring near the end. It is also worth walking down Mill Lane to the Walton and Frinton Yacht Club site and to see the boatyards there which are unspoilt by the passage of time.
 
I think you have enough responses about navigation.

If you intend to eat ashore then, from my last couple of visits the meals have been (a) ok (b) poor. I would much rather recommend the Walton & Frinton YC (no, I'm not a member) for good food and better prices. Others may have had different experiences.

Also a bit of adventure for the kids to dinghy up the creek to the W&FYC (accessible approx 1.5 hrs after LW onto a dinghy pontoon, so clean and dry feet).

Hope this helps,
Paul.
 
The chinese take-aways are OK. I favour the one which will be found by coming up Mill Lane and then turning left at the T junction and first right. It is then just 3 or 5 doors up on the left.
 
Following all this discussion of crossing the Wade, here's an idea....

Does anyone with kids on board (or adults as well!) fancy meeting up one weekend this summer, and planning a crossing of the Wade by Tender, and round the island and back following in the footsteps of AR's intrepid explorers?

Thought that if we blew the dust off 'Secret Water', got the kids to re-read it, or read it to the younger ones, and then met up in the Twizzle, and make the trip round in Tenders followed by a BBQ on the beach at Stone Point.... and got the kids to theme themselves as Titty, Roger, Susan, Nancy and Peggy.... fly plenty of Jolly Rogers and let them drink lots of 'pirate grog' (aka lemonade) it could be a really nice weekend!

I don't have an almanac at home, so can't at this stage suggest a weekend where HW Springs is at an appropriate time.....
 
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