What's the entrance like to Walton Backwaters?

[Colvic Watson]

We're planning a trip to Stone Point but wondered if you can get in at or near to low water, last time we visited it was dicey.

 

[14K478]

It always has been. Half tide should be Ok

 

[MK101]

Crept in at low water springs recently. With a lifting keel half up. Having checked the live tidal data at Harwich. The numbers on the chart/navionics were pretty accurate ie we saw depths we expected. But I wouldn’t have done it if it hadn’t been very calm!

 

[shanemax]

It all depends what you draw and what the conditions are. If you watch" Keep Turning Left" on You Tube one of his films shows three boats aground and laying on their side. The channel there can change over night if there is a storm on spring tides. I think they move the buoys as required . One year you had to use a lot of rudder to stay with the tight turns.

 

[RivalRedwing]

We draw 1.5m and come and pretty much come and go as we please other that at spring low water. The chartlet on the East Coast Pilot site https://www.eastcoastpilot.com/media/other/1889/StonePoint2021Sketch1.pdf is still valid and illustrates the buoyage.

 

[shanemax]

After 30 years of sailing my one piece of advice is don't take risks on a falling tide. Subject to weather you can more or less do what you want on a rising tide as you will soon be out of trouble and free again. Two years ago I ran aground in calm weather on Buxey sand, no big deal as I was afloat again within 15 minutes ,I then anchored off and waited an hour for enough water

 

[johnalison]

I don’t think it has changed much this year but the shallowest bit is between 12 &14, as the chartlet shows. I avoid there at LW with 1.5m keel.

 

[shanemax]

No problem

 

[RivalRedwing]

Moving off the thread topic, but Raysand Middle no longer exists:


see also the relevant charlet here:
Downloads

Suspect Roger Gaspar will be along shortly

 

[shanemax]

Cheers, very interesting. I knew I was taking a risk at the time so I was sticking to 1 knot to cross the sand on route frm Brightlingsea to Burnham then on to Southend, the other track is Crouch to Harwich. Leaving the crouch you can see
Walton tower. A lovely sail on a calm day.

 

[shanemax]

Moving off the thread topic, but Raysand Middle no longer exists:
View attachment 161915

see also the relevant charlet here:
Downloads

Suspect Roger Gaspar will be along shortly

Thanks for your reply. To this day I never under stood why they put a Safe Water Mark in the middle of a drying sand bank. Perhaps you have an explanation ?

 

[snowbird30ds]

Thanks for your reply. To this day I never under stood why they put a Safe Water Mark in the middle of a drying sand bank. Perhaps you have an explanation ?

It's the east coast, anything low enough to not have a permanent snowline is considered deep water.

 

[ex-Gladys]

As TG's survey cox'n, weather issues this year have prevented us getting to the Rays'n this year... Not sure what our next plan is...

 

[shanemax]

There has never been a problem taking the short cut to Burnham on Crouch from Brightlingsea as long as the weather is ok and the tide is well in. By the time I crossed the sands three other boats had anchored up to wait. They obviously had local knowledge., Being an Orwell boy I was chancing my luck . It is good RivalRedwing has pointed out the confusing buoys have gone.

 

[Plum]

We're planning a trip to Stone Point but wondered if you can get in at or near to low water, last time we visited it was dicey.

Went in and out last week. Just follow the buoys. Lowest depth measured was 0.7m below CD. Stay close to the No.9 buoy.

www.solocoastalsailing.co.uk

 

[tillergirl]

Thanks for your reply. To this day I never under stood why they put a Safe Water Mark in the middle of a drying sand bank. Perhaps you have an explanation ?

It's a better explanation than the positions of the two Spitway buoys. Or it was. By the way, the electronic chart ... hilarious.

 

[Hadenough]

Back to the OP. Why on earth would you want to go into the Walton Channel on anything but a rising tide?

 

[Plum]

Back to the OP. Why on earth would you want to go into the Walton Channel on anything but a rising tide?

Why not? If you have enough depth it's ok.

www.solocoastalsailing.co.uk

 

[johnalison]

Back to the OP. Why on earth would you want to go into the Walton Channel on anything but a rising tide?

If I were leaving Ipswich, making use of the free-flow in the lock and the ebb down the Orwell, I might well be arriving at Stone Point at half ebb or later if I’ve stopped for a drink at Halfpenny Pier.

 

[Daydream believer]

Back to the OP. Why on earth would you want to go into the Walton Channel on anything but a rising tide?

Surely the question might be -why would one want to go up there anyway