Weather hates me, tide hates me, I give up...!

[Elemental]

Right, so I've a weekend planned with friends on the boat. They've not sailed before. Only chance we'll get for ages. Off to Walton Backwaters for a BBQ.

Weather: Gales, Heavy rain showers.

Oh well, we'll stay in the river (based at Shotley). So pondering where to stay overnight - I don't really want to stay in a marina as we prefer to anchor (or find a buoy). Wind forecast from W so Erewarton / Stour will be a bit lively overnight. Also, if the weather's a bit **** it'll be nice to go ashore for a while and there's nowhere to easily get off the boat / go to pub. So I thought we'd try Pin Mill. Given that you need around 1m water to access the hard that means we have to be ashore by 1830 and stay till at least 2200. Now, I like a chance to be in the pub like the rest, but it'd be nice to be able to pop ashore for a couple of hours...

Anyone got any better ideas? - maybe we're better off in a marina after all

Sometimes I wonder why I love sailing

 

[Charlotte Anne]

Stop off at RHYC Marina for dinner in the yacht club, and if you do not fancy it for the night leave before dark and drop off to a mooring between Woolverstone and Pin Mill somewhere?

There is a dinghy regatta at the club this weekend, but I assume that the catering will cope and it will not impact on space to visit on the marina.

 

[Sniper]

I know its springs, but I would expect you would be able to get ashore and afloat again at Pin Mill an hour or so either side of low water. There is a new ramp thingy at the bottom of the hard which, although it doesn't extend the access, at least makes it a bit easier to haul your dinghy ashore when you get there at low water.

Alternatively, there is a steep-to sandy beach (second sands) just below Pin Mill. OK, it will be muddy at low water, but it might be worth considering especially as you can anchor right opposite it and it is only a 10 minute walk to the Butt from there.

 

[Lodesman77]

Seconded; the area was dredged when the new ramp went in so can now reach the ramp more easily too. Tide at 0.5m is now doable...

 

[Elemental]

Hmmm OK - maybe the tide doesn't hate me, just wants to give me a hard time

Does anyone know the likely availability of a visitor mooring on Sat night? (Indeed, are there any dedicated to visitors)?

 

[Lucky Duck]

Does anyone know the likely availability of a visitor mooring on Sat night? (Indeed, are there any dedicated to visitors)?

I don't recall seeing any dedicated visitors buoys this year but haven't had any difficulty finding a free mooring when I have stopped the night at Pin Mill. Plus if the weather is going to be as bad as forecast then I don't suppose there will be much competition for the vacant ones!

 

[Sniper]

Give Gus a ring at Kings. He'll be able to tell you which would be most suitable. Some of the moorings close to the hard (especially on the inner trots) don't have much water around them, especially at springs. There is a very good deep anchorage just inside the morrings near the Butt buoy.

 

[Marmalade]

How about Titchmarsh?

 

[eastcoastbernie]

When sailing with 'friends who haven't been sailing before' I find it best not to immerse them too deeply in the sailing experience right off. Combine it with some more 'normal' activities to ease them in gently.

I think you mentioned to me that children were involved? Given that at present Saturday looks total pants but Sunday not all that bad, I'd try to find as much relief as possible from the gales and rain on Saturday. Maybe get an hour by hour forecast and do a quick run up to Ipswich on Sunday in the better bit of the day (if there is one), then once in Ipswich more 'normal' landlubber activities (plus dry and comfort) can be found.

Then on Sunday, trip back out of Orwell to watch the pretty boats competing in the Classic Regatta out of Suffolk Yacht Harbour. As an alternative to Ipswich, you could overnight at SYH, on a swinging mooring if you want peace and quiet as it is likely to be lively in SYH (live music and partying for the Classics crews.

Depends on how old the kids are, but when my kids were young, the maxim was 'if the kids are happy, everybody's happy'. A boatful of unhappy, unwilling, wet and cold young sailors would not be my idea of fun.