Walton to Maldon

[James W]

Evening all,

Having put the new (to me) boat in the water this afternoon, i'm looking to leave first thing on Wednesday from Titchmarsh and making my way down to the Blackwater and then Maldon.

Trouble is, the wind isn't exactly favourable and i'll be close reaching in F3-4 at best, motoring at worst. I'll have the tide with me at least, but there might be more than a little wind over tide.....and i'll be singlehanded.

Not used to venturing out of the river much, is there anything much I should be aware of, any obvious pitfalls I haven't seen on the charts?

Thanks for all your help,

James

 

[LittleSister]

i'm looking to leave first thing on Wednesday from Titchmarsh and making my way down to the Blackwater and then Maldon.

Trouble is, the wind isn't exactly favourable and i'll be close reaching in F3-4 at best, motoring at worst. I'll have the tide with me at least, but there might be more than a little wind over tide.....and i'll be singlehanded.

Not used to venturing out of the river much, is there anything much I should be aware of, any obvious pitfalls I haven't seen on the charts?

The pitfalls aren't (all) on the charts. Having a fixed schedule is one pitfall! (How do i know that?) Do you have to go then, or can you wait for more suitable weather? Could you have a sail in the Titchmarsh area, and then come back and move the boat later?

 

[James W]

The pitfalls aren't (all) on the charts. Having a fixed schedule is one pitfall! (How do i know that?) Do you have to go then, or can you wait for more suitable weather? Could you have a sail in the Titchmarsh area, and then come back and move the boat later?

I know, and I won't push it if the forecast gets worse. It's just that Wednesday is probably the most favourable day for a while http://www.windguru.cz/int/index.php?sc=5200&sty=m_spot and i'm on a visitors pontoon and could do with getting the boat home.

Is 10 - 14 knots WSW really going to be that rotten in the Wallet?

 

[MoodySabre]

That will be ok. Not ideal but be prepared to motor sail most of it. Make up a flask and something to eat. Keep close in and watch for pots. If it is calm and half tide then just go straight over the Colne Bar (I do drawing 1.7m).

Good luck.

 

[James W]

That will be ok. Not ideal but be prepared to motor sail most of it. Make up a flask and something to eat. Keep close in and watch for pots. If it is calm and half tide then just go straight over the Colne Bar (I do drawing 1.7m).

Good luck.

Thanks for that. Saturday looks by far the better day really but, between now and then, the favourable winds could move to Sunday and i'd be stuffed.

Oh well, if it was easy then everyone would be doing it!

 

[Tam Lin]

As you have probably worked out, arrival time at Maldon is crucial. Better to leave a bit earlier and punch the tide for a bit than be late, especially if you are on a tight schedule. If you are too early you can anchor and wait for the tide, if you are too late then it is Plan B!

 

[James W]

As you have probably worked out, arrival time at Maldon is crucial. Better to leave a bit earlier and punch the tide for a bit than be late, especially if you are on a tight schedule. If you are too early you can anchor and wait for the tide, if you are too late then it is Plan B!

Absolutely. The plan was to leave Walton channel at 07.00, catching the ebb out of the Backwaters and aiming to be at Walton pier for slack water (10.00) to catch the flood up the Blackwater to Maldon (HT 17.28). Does this sound realistic?

 

[MoodySabre]

That sounds a bit tight if you are into the wind. If you can keep up 5 knots then it should work but wind over tide creates some chop that can slow you down. You don't say what boat you have but get up an hour earlier and push it.

 

[James W]

Thanks for that Sabre. Up an hour earlier would be no problem. It's a fin keeled Hurley 24/70.

 

[Tam Lin]

Thanks for that Sabre. Up an hour earlier would be no problem. It's a fin keeled Hurley 24/70.

If you find that the tide is running out and you are not going to make it you can pick up a buoy at Marconi Sailing Club. The first three rows are deep water and we don't charge visitors. Of course you must be prepared to move if the owner comes back! Actually A1 is a visitors buoy. This might be your best option with a fin keel. Good Luck!

 

[James W]

Just an update, I was perhaps a bit more cautious this morning than I might have been had I not been in a new boat in a river i'd never sailed in.

After having had very little sleep with the boat dried up against a wall, I woke at 3am and surveyed the river. It all looked benign enough but it was dark enough to make me think twice about negotiating my way out into the Walton Channel for the first time on my own and once there, finding a buoy to moor up to for an hour or so. I went back to the bunk and have since been kicking myself as the wind looks fair and there are many people sailing but better safe than sorry. Friday is looking like a better bet as HT is at first light and the wind direction and speed is more favourable......although it could all change in 48 hours.

I'll get there eventually!

 

[Tomahawk]

Round these parts the tide fallls to the North and risies to the South. To take the tide you want to leave at LW... and arrive at HW in Maldon... ( Mudtown)

 

[James W]

Round these parts the tide fallls to the North and risies to the South. To take the tide you want to leave at LW... and arrive at HW in Maldon... ( Mudtown)

The problem is i'm currently in a part of the Backwaters that dries, so I need HT just to get into the main channel. Then I plan to grab a buoy for a while before catching the last of the ebb out. Fingers crossed Friday will work out.