Saturday 10 July
Sunday 11 July
Monday 12 July
Tuesday 13 July
Wednesday 14 July
Thursday 15 July
Friday 16 July
Southwold to Walton-on-the-Naze
Walton-on-the-Naze to Ipswich
Ipswich
Ipswich to Slaughden (near Aldeburgh)
Slaughden
Slaughden to Orford
Orford to Woodbridge
returns to top of this page
We spent the morning getting ready to leave. At 11.30 Lotje, the boat that was moored alongside us, departed; we bade our farewells. Then it was our turn and we were on our way by 11.45. By 12.00 we were out of Southwold harbour and heading South.
The sea state was indeed “slight” - to start with. But within the hour the swell had increased significantly and the waves were sending green water over the cabin, and spray over the windscreen up top. These conditions persisted for most of the trip with occasional periods of respite. The overfalls at Orfordness Light were rather violent, and at times we were nosing into troughs deep enough to scoop water directly out of the next wave as we came up again. Starry Night behaved very well in all this and the crew survived with smiles on heir faces. Stuff was thrown everywhere down below – the grill pan flew across the kitchen! The maximum time that anyone could tolerate being bounced around inside was just a couple of minutes.
Lunch was quite difficult because hand-food-mouth co-ordination was severely constrained by the random movement of the boat. Cutting the scotch eggs in half was a perilous process which involved holding the egg and the knife somewhere near each other and letting the boat do the rest.
And no sooner had we got the grub up on deck than a seagull appeared and took up station just behind us, eying up our lunch from about eight foot away. Must have smelt something! It trailed us for a good couple of hours pausing now and then to stop in the water for a rest. And it was quite partial to the odd bit of scotch egg, though failing to catch the morsels in flight but nevertheless happy to pick them up from the sea surface.
We arrived in the Walton backwaters after about five hours and finally the sea became more calm and the wind died down and it became comfortable – at last.
We nosed into our berth, gave the boat a wash to get rid of the salt and cracked open the wine to accompany an excellent dinner.
Our traveling companion
Its a serious business this cruising!
Luckily "George" is steering
Titchmarsh Marina (Walton)
The first two bottles of the evening
We left our berth at 11.00 and motored slowly out of the marina, down the Twizzle and into Walton Channel with the lovely smell of exposed east coast mud in the air. We had decided to make a small detour into the Walton Backwaters - up Hamford Water to where the Kirby and Landmere creeks join it. The idea was to do a spot of bird watching as the tide was well down. We were rewarded with plenty of interesting birds of the avian variety to see.
There were hoards of sailing boats enjoying the breezy conditions and, as a motorboat navigating through this lot, it was quite demanding on the poor old skipper trying to avoid them. This situation continued from the entrance to Harwich Harbour right up the Orwell to the Suffolk Yacht Club where it became less congested.
At one point we were forced to make a significant detour and speed reduction to avoid a large sailing boat from our starboard side that had just started a new tack. We were just congratulating ourselves on missing the chap (who did thank us for our trouble) when a catamaran appeared on our starboard side having just done the same thing. We had to stop dead in the water to avoid hitting him, passed behind his stern and then were amazed when he promptly swung around on a new tack and tried to cross in front of us again!
We passed Pin Mill – the definitive East Coast sailor's refuge - very picturesque. We may stop here on the way back. Finally we arrived at the Orwell Bridge and called Ipswich Harbour lock on the radio to announce our presence. We had been monitoring the VHF channel concerned and were amused a number of times by the conversations we heard between the lock control tower and the trip boat Orwell Lady – very informal with lots of jokes and banter – not what you are taught on your VHF course at all.
We moored up at the waiting pontoon by the lock, and after all the boats emerged, readied ourselves to enter in an orderly Thames like fashion where each boat takes its turn. There was, however, a general free for all with the yacht that had arrived last going in first. We noted the vessel name in our black book.
As we locked up, the chap in the lock control tower played over the PA excerpts from the pop song ….fools to the left of you, jokers to the right, stuck in the middle with you! Another East Coast first but what were we supposed to deduce?!
The harbour master ushered us into our berth K19 and we discovered the Dutch Aquastar from Southwold already ensconced in a nearby berth.
Janet and Graham were about to head back to Southwold to retrieve their car, and had ordered a Taxi for the journey. So we had a quick cuppa and some rather good choccy cake with cream and then said our farewells.
So we are back on our own again reading the Sunday paper with the not unpleasant smell of the nearby flour mill as an alternative to the mud of Walton.
Oh – and the wiper blade doesn’t fit on the wiper arm! back to Walton later for a refund?
Leaving the Twizzle and heading into Walton Channel
Port of Ipswich - timber cargo ship carrying pre-bent plywood panels for B&Q
Ipswich Marina
More cream, Graham?
Ipswich Haven Marina
This afternoon we had a wander round the floating harbour and then went into Ipswich town centre to do some shopping. The centre is well provided with shops in a very pleasant and mostly traffic-free environment with quaint old side streets and alleyways, a nice market square and town hall, and all the usual facilities. It's about a 15 minute walk from the marina.
Tomorrow we will be departing Ipswich for a run back up the coast to the River Ore and Orford. The entry to the Ore is very tricky because of the sand banks and strong currents. Entry has to be made around one to two hours after the flood starts, so this will govern our departure time tomorrow – sometime just after lunch. This evening we will work out the passage plan.
The Old Customs House
Ipswich floating harbour
We locked out of Ipswich floating harbour with a large Dutch sailing barge, which we followed to Pin Mill where it stopped. Heading on down the Orwell to Shotley Spit we then turned left up the Stour as there was a bit of time to spare. We got almost to Wrabness before it was time to turn round and head back towards Harwich and the open sea. On this stretch of river there are four redundant lightships moored up, and there are others at various locations on the East Coast. They are rather splendid, but looking slightly sad now. The weather was still sunny but the occasional cloud reminded you that the air temperature was unseasonably cool.
We followed the normal small vessel track out of Harwich harbour which is a pain if you are heading North as it forces you to do three sides of a very big square. Anyway, by 14.45 we were heading North East for the Ore. We counted three large container ships on their way into Harwich harbour bound for Felixstowe container terminal. They look like small cities when they are a long way off, and they move quite quickly too.
By 16.15 we were making our approach into the Ore which is a little tricky. We had the latest information on the position of the shingle/sand banks and the buoys that indicate the safe channel, as well as some specific instructions on course to steer etc. Nevertheless it was slightly nerve wracking on the first visit as no amount of reading up can replace actually seeing it first hand.
Once past the dangerous bit over the sand bar, and inside the river channel, calm and tranquility took over. The river is very pretty even though the surrounding area is mostly flat. There is a large and very long shingle spit that separates the Ore (which then changes its name to the Alde) from the sea - nearly ten miles from the river entrance up to Slaughden, where we are now. Slaughden is just south of Aldeburgh.
Our plan had been to take one of two visitors' moorings at Orford, but they were occupied. And the HM and Quay Wardens whom I had spoken to yesterday and who had pretty much said that there would be no problems? - they had gone for the day - it was 17:15!!
So we headed on up to the Alde and to Slaughden where we are tethered to a big red mooring buoy - "Visitors £5 per 24hrs". The views are wonderful, it is still sunny at 20:00. The curlews and oyster catchers are calling. Bliss.
Locking out at Ipswich - a docking ro-ro ferry in background
A redundant light ship on the Stour
Mind that sand bar!
View from Starry Night
The friendly shout of “moorings” accompanied by the revving of a boat engine outside our cabin window bought us from the land of nod into the commercial world of Aldeburgh.
A five pound note was quickly found and Mike staggered semi-comatose onto the deck and handed it over. We were told we could stay at the moorings as long as we liked and could use either the boatyard dock or the Aldeburgh Yacht Club pontoon to go ashore.
After breakfast and the 09:10 coastguard VHF weather report, we got the dinghy ready for the trip and donned waterproof everything as protection from splashing waves, as the river was quite choppy. It was only a short hop to the AYC pontoon and we were soon on dry land. The waterproofs came off and went into the rucksack and we were amazed at how calm it seemed on land compared to the howling wind we had experienced just on the river.
First we had a closer look at the Martello tower next to where we are moored. It is an odd one being at the end of the chain, and for some reason built as a trefoil. Turning back, we headed into Aldeburgh past a small plaque that explained how Slaughden, once a prosperous port, now just consisted of the yacht club and the tower. Everything else had been washed away by the sea, the last major inundation being not much more than 100 years ago. At one time it had been a centre for ship building, and had sent six ships to fight the Spanish Armada.
We then headed into Aldeburgh along the High Street and in and out of the galleries and shops. The old town hall was rather splendid and though it was once in the geographic centre of town is now more or less on the seafront. Aldeburgh too has been largely washed away – six streets used to separate the town hall from the sea.
It was here that we found the fishermen selling their catches from small shacks on the beach and managed to track down a lobster caught that morning. After a refelling stop for some Adnams “Broadside” followed by a shared cod and chips, sat on the seawall, we headed back to the AYC.
By this time the wind had whipped up the river and was blowing over the fast ebbing current. Waterproofs on, we set out and had a very bumpy ride and got quite wet. Maureen sat at the front facing backwards, and Mike ducked down behind her using her as a wind-break to peek over. Despite that Mike’s glasses got almost too wet to see through.
It was a bit of a struggle to get alongside the stern ladder of Starry Night because of the thrashing about of both vessels, the ebb of the river, and the wind. But eventually we got hooked on and were able to get back on board to dry out.
This afternoon has been spent reading, painting and eating a very nice cream tea made from some divine scones bought in Aldeburgh, Sara’s home made strawberry jam and some clotted cream we picked up. This evening it is lobster salad for tea. As I write this, we are being bounced around by the wind and the waves. The pictures are rocking back and forth; the oil lamp is swinging wildly; the GPS antenna is whistling to us; the waves are slapping against the side of the boat; the hull is echoing and groaning; the mooring line is creaking; and we are banging on the gravel/mud now and then (its low water). Otherwise everything is perfect! And the sun is shining too!
Slaughden from our mooring
Starry Night looking lonely
Aldeburgh old town hall
Dinner came from here
This morning we made sure we were up and about in time to greet the man who collects the mooring fee, fully attired. He was not impressed!
A leisurely start to the day, and then we set off for Orford. But first I checked with the Orford quay marshal (as distinct from the harbour master) exactly where the visitor moorings were located. The chap I spoke to was the same fellow as two days ago, and he remembered me – oh, didn’t you find the moorings, they were vacant, they still are, I can see them from here!! It transpired that we had been looking in entirely the wrong place.
I had interpreted “North of the quay” to mean ‘just North of the quay’, and not ‘as far North of the quay as you can get and still be in my jurisdiction’! There were three mooring buoys allocated to large heavy vessels like ours (not my description) which were laid with extra heavy attachments to the river bed – I liked that bit. We would find a white buoy, then a yellow one, then another white and these would be the first ones we came to on the seaward side entering Orford from Aldeburgh. Good – we seemed to have nailed the location down exactly.
We set off and headed a short way up towards Snape Maltings first, just to take a look at a bit more of the river. We got a nice view of the country side of Aldeburgh. We then punched the tide all the way to Orford. Were the white, yellow and then white visitors’ buoys as described? Sorry to disappoint you but yes! Hooray!
Maureen expertly lassoed the yellow buoy and we were tied up in no time. After lunch we set off for Orford in the dinghy. We moored up to the side of the quay allowing plenty of slack in the line for the falling tide. No-one was in the quay office so we couldn’t pay for our main mooring. We wandered into the village, which was quite pretty – some amazingly tall hollyhocks in one front garden. Then had a look at the castle, purchased the obligatory ice-cream and headed back to the quay. The Office was still empty.
Someone had “thoughtfully” taken out all the slack in our dinghy mooring lines and the front was now well lifted out of the water. We managed to get ourselves back on board using the very slippery steps at the side of the quay, and set of for the mother ship.
By now the tide had turned and the river was a good example of what you get with wind over tide – lots of steep waves at short intervals. The dinghy gave us a nice bottom massage as we wobbled our way back!
We regained Starry Night, hoiked up the dinghy and have spent a pleasant evening watching the bird life on the mud bank next to us. The tide is right down, and the bank shelves steeply so as we swing around on our mooring at times we are no more than about 40feet from the mud and with 6ft of water under the boat. Starry Night is like a bird hide, and we have seen curlews, avocets, red-shanks, and oyster catchers up close. We have also seen a number of birds that haven’t read the RSPB bird spotter’s book and aren’t wearing the correct combination of plumage, bill and legs to be positively identified – probably adolescent rebels!
And we got a visitation from the mooring maester who collected the £5 before heading off to check his lobster pots. Up at 05.00 tomorrow for an 06.00 departure – time and tide and all that!
Orford Quay from our river mooring
Orford Village
Orford Castle
We busied ourselves with getting ready and managed to force down some breakfast. By 06:00 we were on our way. We were aiming to be crossing over the sand bar at the entrance to the Ore at about 07:00. It was very picturesque and peaceful as we gently made our way down stream. The only other person we saw was a lone angler on the quay at Orford.
Just before we got to the entrance it started to drizzle. We decided to do the tricky exit from the Ore from up on top and then migrate inside if it was still raining. Judging the point at which to turn from parallel and close inshore, to heading out to sea between the two marker buoys is a bit hair raising. Too soon and you will run aground on a sandbank: too late and ditto.
Maureen gave a running commentary on the depth sounder reading to one decimal point while Mike tried to keep a straight track between “the cottage” and a point just East of the red port hand buoy. The depth relentlessly but gradually counted down to less than 3ft under the keel and then abruptly shot up to 11 feet – we were over the bar.
The rain got heavier and we decamped to the cabin for the one hour run to the Deben entrance on autopilot, where we repeated the process in reverse – aiming for the defined track into the entrance and watching the depths like two hawk(ridge)s!
Finally we were in calm waters and once we were past the Horse shoal at Felixstowe Ferry we could relax a little. The navigable channel follows a tortuous path well marked by navigation buoys so you still have to pay a lot of attention to the detail – particularly near low water. We did the whole trip up the river looking through the windscreen wipers – a bit of a shame as this is a lovely stretch of water and in the early morning it is perfect.
Anyway, we dawdled up to Woodbridge and arrived at about 10:00 – any earlier and we would not have been enough water in the upper reaches, where it dries out completely at low water. We hooked onto a waiting buoy outside the Tidemill Harbour entrance, and made a cuppa. It would be an hour or more before the 1.4m we wanted over the marina sill would appear on the tide gauge by the entrance.
While we waited we watched the birds on the mud banks and spotted a green shanks which was an exact match to the picture in the RSPB book – about time too!
By this afternoon the sun was out, it was hot and humid and we sat outside and had our second installment of scones, cream and Sara’s strawberry jam.
05:30 Orford - red sky in the morning.....
06:00 passing Orford Quay
08:45 - its been raining for ages
10:30 - waiting for 1.4m over the sill
17:00 - hot and humid!!
Copyright © 2004-2009 Mike Hawkridge