Wivenhoe Sailing Club Pontoon depth

Captain Crisp

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Hi - hoping to pick up and drop off some friends here this Sunday either side of the 11am (Brightlingsea)HT. I draw 1.8m.
If the high tide is +4.6m at Brightlingsea, will that be the same at Wivenhoe 10 mins later or will there be less range up there?
I'm hoping to pick them up around 9.30 am and wondering how long I dare leave it before dropping them off and heading back down stream to deep water... is 1.00pm madness...?
Many thanks for any advice!
Crisp
 
I wish I knew, even though I live there. The tidal height is often higher at the top of rivers, as with the Blackwater, but I don’t think this is the case with a muddy creek like the Colne. 1.8m is perfectly practical here but I don’t know if 2hr after HW is going to be OK. My suspicion is that it is not. You might just be able to snatch a drink, but we are not yet back onto draught ale.
 
Failing that, could you pick up a mooring temporarily in deeper water and ferry them in the dinghy ? Much to my annoyance , after all the work we put into our boats , I find that most non boaty visitors enjoy the dinghy rides much more than the sailing.
 
Failing that, could you pick up a mooring temporarily in deeper water and ferry them in the dinghy ? Much to my annoyance , after all the work we put into our boats , I find that most non boaty visitors enjoy the dinghy rides much more than the sailing.
I am not aware of any moorings there in deeper water than the outer pntoon. Where are they?

Www.solocoastalsailing.co.uk
 
I am not aware of any moorings there in deeper water than the outer pntoon. Where are they?

Www.solocoastalsailing.co.uk
There are moorings downstream of the club but they are used mostly by quite small boats and I wouldn’t personally pick one up. In the past we have anchored at the bend in the Colne and gone ashore on the beach. It is a pleasant walk, or a moderate dinghy trip which may or may not appeal to guests.
 
Capt Crisp, also you should be aware of recent NtMs if you are going to risk the ebb down river. As far as I can see (using the Chart Viewers) neither Navionics or C-Map have bothered to update their databases. V. shallow twixt No 26 and 28.
 
Many thanks for the advice! I think I will get out by 12.30... there will still be +3.9m at Brightlingsea then, so I should be OK...

Also thinking that I will get up early on the flood and do a bit of a depth survey around the pontoon...

Unfortunately one of my guests has been poorly, so I'm trying to spare her the dinghy...
 
I’ve been trying to answer this question for a similar pick up for someone coming into the station tomorrow at HW+3.

We draw 1.1 (bilge) and after chatting through with a friend at the SC, his conclusion was “it’s probably possible, but stressful”.

Discussed option of doing a dingy run but couldn’t really find anywhere obvious to leave the boat, for reasons listed above. Plus the uncertainty of channel depth within a dingy-able distance.

Have concluded that we will save the stress and stay over in Brightlingsea, and they can get the bus or a taxi from Wivenhoe station to Brightlingsea…
 
I’ve been trying to answer this question for a similar pick up for someone coming into the station tomorrow at HW+3.

We draw 1.1 (bilge) and after chatting through with a friend at the SC, his conclusion was “it’s probably possible, but stressful”.

Discussed option of doing a dingy run but couldn’t really find anywhere obvious to leave the boat, for reasons listed above. Plus the uncertainty of channel depth within a dingy-able distance.

Have concluded that we will save the stress and stay over in Brightlingsea, and they can get the bus or a taxi from Wivenhoe station to Brightlingsea…

HT+3hrs is definitely getting scary...

However, I'm pretty sure I picked someone up last year off the pontoon with only 3m of tide which would equate to HT +2, but it was on the flood... so... a different ball game...

The outer pontoon seems to be positioned to access the deeper channel, but the WSC own depth chart suggests otherwise...

Hmmmmmmmmm
 
The fore and aft moorings prior (sorry) to the Barrier used to have more water but that was some time ago. Apologies if things have changed.

I went to "borrow" one of those downstream moorings last night pretty much on the top of a neap tide. 1.1m depth so I anchored in good holding to the west just out the fairway in 2.4m between no 22 and 19 buoys opposite Fingeringhoe Wick nature reserve.

Don't think the Prior coasters are running out of ballast quay anymore so that's potentially a good spot for an overnight.
 
I went to "borrow" one of those downstream moorings last night pretty much on the top of a neap tide. 1.1m depth so I anchored in good holding to the west just out the fairway in 2.4m between no 22 and 19 buoys opposite Fingeringhoe Wick nature reserve.

Don't think the Prior coasters are running out of ballast quay anymore so that's potentially a good spot for an overnight.
The Bert Prior coaster was on the move today.

Www.solocoastalsailing.co.uk
 
Bert Prior came down the river to Brightlingsea Hard earlier this week, and is currently getting a new lick of paint!
 
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