johnalison
Well-Known Member
I had had you marked down as someone with at least the capacity for being civilised, but now my illusion is shattered and I will have to look elsewhere for signs of rationality.
What's the entrance like to Walton Backwaters?
- Thread starter Otter
- Start date
AntarcticPilot
Well-Known Member
Provided you take care, the channel at Stone Point has enough water for my draft (1.7m) except around low water springs. I generally give it an hour either side of low water, but I'm fairly risk averse! Look at the chartlet on the East Coast Pilot website to make sure you have the buoys well in mind. DON'T try and cut corners, and give buoys 12 and 14 a boat length clearance; it shallows very quickly north of them.
The tide runs quite quickly at Stone Point; enough that it's worth being on a rising tide. But if your timing doesn't work out, it's not too bad to go against it.
Some people sail through there, but I haven't attempted it, and given the sharp bends in the channel I'd only try it with an experienced crew and a favourable wind.
Snowgoose-1
Well-Known Member
I like Titchmarsh. Well run marina with friendly staff . Like many uk seaside towns Walton struggled. Has definitely started to turn things round. Pier nice for children with the. Backwaters to explore .
Like nearly all marinas , restaurants are hard to keep momentum going.
14K478
Well-Known Member
Excellent question! No reason to come here at all. It’s congested, muddy and boring. Go somewhere else!
Leave it to those of us who like it!
(W&FYC member)
Yorkshire Exile
Well-Known Member
Lots of useful comments about the the twisty bit from Island point up the Walton / Titchmarash Channel but no mention of the initial entry from Pye End. This can be quite challenging / uncomfortable (choose your own adjective) especially in a strongish NE wind. Yesterday I left Hampton Water in what was 'only' a F5 under engine and against the tide and the steep short waves made for a very slow roller coaster ride. It would of been quicker if I had waited for the ebb tide but the waves could have been worse and I had to get home by a certain time. I think ECP warns against entry in Northerly/ Easterly winds and they may be right!
AntarcticPilot
Well-Known Member
I've certainly seen it in conditions where I did a hasty 180 degree turn at Island Point! Fine all the way up the Walton Channel, but I could see the water breaking over the shoals north and west of Stone Point, and when I got to Island Point, it was like being in a washing machine!
johnalison
Well-Known Member
It can be challenging for small craft. My 34 with 27hp can manage in any conditions I would want to be out in, which is up to about F6 in these waters. I strongly suspect that someone has concreted over the bottom around Pye End, judging from the few occasions I have touched around there, though only in very quiet conditions when creeping in a little early.
shanemax
N/A
I have come across there with a beam, on to land, sea. I could scrape the salt off the boat and sell it. Mine is a dry boat but not when the wind is on land, with a chop travelling Walton to Harwich
shanemax
N/A
Seal meat.... Club one to death and have a BBQ. (for sensitive people that's a bad joke.)
Otter
Well-Known Member
Thank you everyone. Planning a trip from Orford to Tollesbury next week and the forecast is good. Stone Point with its amazing sandy beach was always a hit with the children when they were little and they want to revisit.
Walton on the naze is a lovely town.
Walton on the naze is a lovely town.
14K478
Well-Known Member
Malish
Well-Known Member
forgive me what is the relevance of the image? the text at the bottom does not help (Historic England I believe it says), + any chance of a link to a larger version too - it looks lovely
14K478
Well-Known Member
It’s the site of the Walton and Frinton YC, probably around 1900.
A recent view here:
The post mill foundations are under the square building, which is itself a “repurposed” WW1 lookout building. The rest of the clubhouse has just been rebuilt and is very up to date.
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ianc1200
Well-Known Member
Last two days (Sat & Sun) of W&FYC dinghy week so be careful, particularly around the spit buoy, at HW, about 50 dinghies taking part, including 7 or 8 International Canoes which are very fast and we've seen several IC capsizes this week.
nortada
Well-Known Member
Just to add a little; the racing usually starts around the Spit Cardinal Mark at about 1.5 hours before high water and finishes just after high water so major congestion as about 2 hours before high water.