Wash area: Novice wants info on wisbech to wells

[matnoo]

Intend to go from wisbech to wells and back again this weekend. I have been out from wisbech loads, (so i am familliar with that part of the journey) but as I am a reasonably novice skipper I would like any tips, warnings or local info about coming out of the wash, sailing along the north coast of east anglia or coming into/out of wells.

Can it be done in a 6 hours with tide assistance?

Cheers.

Mat

 

[CPD]

Just typed you some comments and lost the lot so here goes again ...............

According to my kit, HW saturday in the wash is approx 11 (3.4m). Once you are into the wash, then you are looking at the thick end of 30nm to wells, but with the full ebb, you should be able to make it. LW Wells is -0.3m at 1920 which is a good time of day, but this is where the problems may begin due to lack of water. The first thing I would do is give the harbourmaster at wells a call (Bob I think it is - very helpful chap) and ask his advice :

Tel (01328) 711646
VHF Ch.12 "Wells Harbour"
E-Mail Send us a message now
Harbour Master: Robert Smith
Mob. 07775 507284

Winds Saturday look like SSW 10-12kts (www.xcweather.co.uk) which should give you a good sail, and keep the waters at Wells entrance relatively calm, although Sunday it looks set to back SSE up to 16kts which may or may not put you off but thew tides HW 12 noon are in your favour time wise. The entrance to Wells is easy in calm weather, but to be avoided in lumpy stuff (I speak with bitter experience /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif). So, speak to Bob and if he is confident you can get in then go for it. If you cant then you can always anchor off the entrance for a while, which I have done before, until there is enough water. Another thing to think of is that you dont have much in the way of bolt holes on your way which again, may or may not be of concern. Wells is a great harbour and Bob is a very helpful chap. Good luck !

 

[Sea_Lark]

I did Wisbech to Wells once several years back and have done Fosdyke to Wells many times since. You don't mention the draft and size, hence cruising speed of your yacht, but.....

Fosdyke to Wells is about 45 miles, I think Wisbech to Wells was a little further. So, a 6 hour trip would mean averaging about 8 knots over the ground and say 6-7 knots through the water. Once out of the Wash you will get precious little help from the tide even on a 6 hour trip, because it turns sooner along the Norfolk coast.

Anyway, there is little point in trying to do it in 6 hours because you can't get into Wells at low water. I have tried it in a shoal draft boat at half water and got over the bar and through the outer channel as far as the lifeboat house, before grounding and having to wait for more water. My current boat is 1m draft and the outer entrance I would only attempt at HW+-2 and cannot get up to the quay with any peace of mind except at HW+-1. The outer channel is well-buoyed and straight forward. Beyond the lifeboat house, the channel wanders all over the place but is well marked, although at one point it splits and can catch out the unwary. Don't attempt it first time in the dark!

As for getting there, you will need to go out to the Woolpack on leaving the Wash before turning towards Wells. There are shallow patches on the direct line route Woolpack to Wells but unless it is strong wind against tide and you have a deep draft yacht, these might cause momentary anxiety but will not be a real problem. Find the Wells safe water buoy before heading in. Beware, it and the bar are a long way offshore.

Anyway, Wells is a lovely place to visit and worthy of the effort. So is Brancaster, by the way. Shorter trip and overall a simpler entrance, in that there are fewer twists and can be done with ease at HW+-2 given 1m draft.

 

[ggt9]

Agree that this is all good advice.

This is almost certainly a two tide job without the use of a fast motor boat; out on the ebb then wait at anchor on Wells Fairway or, if that's uncomfortable, a bit to the West in Holkham Bay for the next flood to get into Wells.

Normal route would be via the Woolpack and then Bridgirdle but you can in theory, if you fancy some detailed navigation, sneak through The Bays north of Sunk Sand if you've not too much draft.

However, there's no need to take the short cut because you'll have to wait to get into Wells anyway. This is usually quoted as HW plus or minus 2 for up to 1.5m draft but you get more time on Springs and local boats push it up to 3 hours.

A good guide to the earliest you can get in is returning local commercial fishing boats which will often take the first of the flood and then feel their way up to the quay, stopping in several places for sufficient water in order to reduce the time to get to sufficient well-earned beer /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

It's probably easier not to follow them in so early so that you get a straight run through. The bar can look (and be) much worse early on the flood and often settles down at HW. As all the guidebooks say, any reasonable N in the wind will make for a potentially difficult entrance and the bar and entrance can be exciting in any wind (or no wind at all) if it's been blowing in past few days.

The old red and white fairway buoy is now a red 'leading buoy' and the normal route in is now from close to this directly to no. 1 before turning between 1 and 2. Don't stray too far S of the line towards no 1 (flipping shallow - but you'll usually see it) and watch for unexpectedly large waves coming over the bar on your port side.

The harbour launch will often come out and guide you in if you ask but the famous wandering channel is well marked and not that hard. The split and really twisty bit referred to above is not marked or in use this year. Ask if you'd like detailed notes by pm or on here but the chartlet on the harbour website is not that far off.

You should be fine for daylight at the moment but a good spotlight is more or less essential if it gets dark. The other obvious point is that if you're coming in at high water springs, the marshes to the East will be covered or partly covered so really look out for red marks, particularly as you head E from the beach bank back to the marsh about half a mile off the quay, and withies after you pass the last green on approach to the quay; the marsh edge is crumbled mud here and you head across to the pontoons not straight up to the quay.

Oh, and don't necessarily follow local small boats; they take shortcuts /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[wingdiver]

Try this too

web page

 

[Zippysigma]

Wells is popular! I am aiming for there in a couple of weeks from Ipswich - trying out the lift keel / ground taking capabilities of my new "potting shed" and Wells looks ideal.

Does anyone have recommendations for where in the harbour to take the ground safely?

By the way, we are choosing the best way to visit, my brother reported 8 miles of cars queued to get to Wells this morning!