Visitor moorings at Stone Point

[Independence]

Does anyone know much about the visitor moorings at Stone Point?

We were thinking of trying one but as we like to go ashore I wanted to make sure I was picking up a visitor and not someone's private mooring

Are they clealry marked?
Do you know how many there are?
Is the ground tackle likely to be in good condition?

Thanks

 

[Cantata]

I am not aware of any visitor moorings at Stone Point, nor in the Walton Channel.

 

[Leighb]

There are sometimes vacant moorings in the Walton channel but they are all private. I would not have any problem with picking one up for a lunch stop and staying on board but it would be inconsiderate to go ashore as the owner might return. Overnight would be more awkward.

 

[nortada]

There are no moorings at Stone Point but there are numerous mooring buoys in the Walton Channel and at anytime I would have no compunction picking one up for an overnight stop. Like many others, I have done this regularly over the past 10 years and never had to move.

As to the quality of the ground tackle, not many boats appear to go walk about.

The only places you can go ashore are Stone Point, Titchmarsh Marina, or near high water, the Walton and Frinton Yacht Club.

If you wish it, it is feasible to anchor off Stone Point at the entrance of the Walton Channel. There is good holding in deep water close to but it runs hard at half tide so it is important to anchor out of the flow. One trick is to anchor off Stone Point during the day but pull back onto a buoy overnight. It is most unlikely that a ‘owner’ will return to their buoy over night.

Hope this all helps.

 

[Independence]

Thanks all

Good job I asked

 

[Champagne Murphy]

We did it overnight about 4 weeks ago. No problems at all

 

[AntarcticPilot]

Anchoring at Stone Point is very popular on warm days during the summer. I haven't done it, but have often passed quite large groups of yachts with lots of young people obviously having a great time both in and on the water, as well as picnicking on the beach.

There was a recent warning of an obstruction in the channel - don't know if that has been cleared? But it was south of Stone Point, near the next buoy down the channel.

 

[johnalison]

Thee should be plenty of water to anchor in but in some conditions boats will swing in odd directions and there can be a countercurrent close to the beach. It is an enjoyable place to stay though, and will be quiet when an easterly is blowing into Hamford Water. I did have a problem once, when we had spent the night off the beach and another boat anchored nearby and too close. I sent our daughter over in the dinghy to warn them but they rushed her off rudely. When I went over I pointed out the problem, at which point the bloke accused me if having too much chain down, and added 'we always anchor here on Sundays', which has now passed into family lore.

 

[Guise]

When picking up a mooring we normally reckoning if the strop is clean the owner may come back, if it's covered in weed then it's unlikely, and in most places now there are a lot of empty moorings, including Walton creek, just check the condition of the chain and shackles as they're not all well maintained.

 

[Marmalade]

Anchored off Stone Point yesterday for the night - sheltered / plenty of water - no worries.

 

[nortada]

Not just at Stone Point, there are good anchorages all over the Walton Backwaters.

 

[johnalison]

Not just at Stone Point, there are good anchorages all over the Walton Backwaters.

Hamford Water was packed on Saturday. There must have been at least five boats there. Only room for about another fifty. We had a trip up the creek in a friend's dinghy to see the seals, staying as far away as the width of the creek would allow. I counted up to about fifty.

 

[Kukri]

On August Bank Holiday, 1982, my father and I counted 105 boats at anchor at Stone Point and in Hamford Water.

The numbers seem to be dropping away steadily but the remaining boats are getting bigger!

 

[nortada]

To protect the seals, there is suggestion in the local newspaper that all propellor driven boats should be banned from the Walton Backwaters.

Apparently, over the past 19 years 3 seals have been hit by propellers - sad but hardly sufficient reason to ‘shut the Backwaters’!

 

[sailorman]

To protect the seals, there is suggestion in the local newspaper that all propellor driven boats should be banned from the Walton Backwaters.

Apparently, over the past 19 years 3 seals have been hit by propellers - sad but hardly sufficient reason to ‘shut the Backwaters’!

How many of those propellers were going to Gr Oakley Dock i wonder

 

[Champagne Murphy]

How many of those propellers were going to Gr Oakley Dock i wonder

At least none of them blew up!

 

[nortada]

At least none of them blew up!

Haven't seen any coaster going into Oakley over the last couple of years. Do they still do that run?

 

[ianc1200]

Two out of the three times I've been out in last six weeks a coaster was coming in.

 

[nortada]

Stone Point - Today

Boats at anchor at Stone Point today at half tide on the ebb.

Loads of folks on the beach. All looks very peaceful.

We are lunching on one of the mooring buoys.

 

[johnalison]

Re: Stone Point - Today

Boats at anchor at Stone Point today at half tide on the ebb.

Loads of folks on the beach. All looks very peaceful.

We are lunching on one of the mooring buoys.

View attachment 72325

That was our view at lunch today too. After a scrub at Bedwell yesterday we thought it would be nice and cool, which it mostly was.

Did you hear the goings-on with the seal-boat that had engine failure and ended up on the mud in Bramble creek? He gave his position by name as above and was asked for the lat&long. The CG, bless them, reckoned he must be about 8 miles east of Harwich and it took about a 1/4hr before they cottoned on. According to the skipper, his 20+ passengers were quite happy and eventually an assortment of ILBs, lifeboats and others got them off. I particularly liked the comment when one of the rescuers was asked if the 'casualties' had got muddy in the transfer. The LB (I think) replied that they only had a bit of mud around their feet, but anyway he was thinking of getting the fire-hose out to cool them off a bit.