Walton Draft question

[Simonpk]

I am thinking of replacing my Pageant with a GK24, one thing that I have doubts about is the GK draws 5ft and compared to 3ft for the Pageant. I would like to ask whether anyone based around here finds 5ft a draw back as, I can get in & out of Titchmarsh at pretty much all-states of tide at the mo & it can get pretty shallow by the No2 buoy & Pye End etc.

Many thanks
Simon

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

5ft isn't that big a draft.... we visit the Backwaters on a very regular basis, and draw 6'7" The only time I avoid the channel into the Backwaters is an hour either side of LW springs...

I'd imagine that you'd lose a couple of hours either side of LW springs for the marina entrance, but is that such a big deal?

 

[eastcoastwoodworm]

shouldn't be a problem, we draw 5'6 and have no problems.

good luck

 

[johnalison]

I have about 1.5-1.6m and have no particular problems at Titchmarsh where I keep the boat. I reckon on 0.9m at datum around Pye End and base my timing on that as the bottom is hard sand. The rest of the creek is mud and not dangerous and you will be doing us a service if you help to dredge the entrance to the marina.

The water turning south from No2 buoy is about 1/2m less than going via Pye End and I only go the long way near low water.

 

[MrCramp]

My mate had a Westerly Konsort 5ft4inch draft at Titchmarsh , no worries.

 

[Lucky Duck]

As other posters have mentioned 5 foot is not an extreme draft even by East Coast standards. You will probably loose some flexibility by not being able to navigate the marina cill and/or the Pye Sands at low water but it shouldn't be too much of a handicap. Its just a bit of a shame that a tidally optimal passage from the Wallet would put you at Pye End at low water!

 

[johnalison]

. Its just a bit of a shame that a tidally optimal passage from the Wallet would put you at Pye End at low water!

This is true, and I have two plans to deal with it. According to the times of the tides, and in order to avoid getting up at 5 a.m. just to catch a tide, I either leave (say) Brightlingsea before HW and aim to be at Pye End about half-tide with enough water to take me up to Titchmarsh, or leave Brightlingsea after HW to be between the piers at LW, arriving at Pye End an hour or so after LW and carrying the flood up to the marina.

 

[AliM]

It's OK from Brightlingsea, because it doesn't take a full tide. But when coming from the Crouch, you need to leave at HW, and depending on your speed and the strength of tide, and whether you give up and motor some of it, you often end up at Pye End at LW. Then you can carry the tide in. Your strategy of doing the last bit past the Naze on a foul tide is OK on a fine summers day, but it turns into a long slog if the weather's less good.

Back to the OP - it should be OK except at LW springs - you should only have to make minor compromises. You can always anchor for a cuppa to allow the tide to rise enough to get in. The sands are pretty flat and the sea is usually OK except in strong easterlies - then it's worth waiting for a bit more water.

 

[swatchways]

If you're not going in and out at dead low then it probably wouldn't bother you but just for info just recently there seems a very shallow patch just after the corner where the twizzle becomes walton channel again. Swatchways (2'6" draft) was aground at LWS on her mooring, and quite a few had difficulty getting in and out...

 

[Simonpk]

Thanks everyone, that's the easy bit done, I can now cross that off my list. Now I have to sell the Pageant.

Regards

Simon

 

[Gargleblaster]

It's OK from Brightlingsea, because it doesn't take a full tide. But when coming from the Crouch, you need to leave at HW, and depending on your speed and the strength of tide, and whether you give up and motor some of it, you often end up at Pye End at LW. Then you can carry the tide in. Your strategy of doing the last bit past the Naze on a foul tide is OK on a fine summers day, but it turns into a long slog if the weather's less good.

I went up to Titchmarsh from the Crouch for the Laying Down Supper. Leaving Paglesham at high water and arriving at Pye End about an hour before low water. Snuck through all the buoys to the Stone arriving just about at Dead Low [closer to springs than neaps]. Never had anything less than 1.8 metres, or about 1 foot under the keel. Little bit of chop but not enough to ground me.

And I cut the corner rather than go the Pye End buoy itself, intending to veer off to the buoy if I ran out of water completely which I didn't.