Going South When?

[senator]

Well there are now only 4 more sleeps to our 2 week adventure and already the weather looks like it is going to play a big part in proceedings.

The intentions are to make it down to The Deben, the Orewell and possibly the Walton Back Waters during the next 2 weeks but the windy conditions are making me a little nervy.

Saturday will see us in the marina, washing and polishing the boat for a bit of protection from the salt, filling up with yet more fuel, 100 litres should just about top off the tanks and then back to the garage again for a bit of spare to take with us.

Sunday is due to be a run down to Southwold to meet up with Jonathan and Tammy from Crackerjack who have spent this week down there. Even the short hop to Southwold now has three different plans of attack, we were originally intending to run down through Lake Loathing leaving on the 6pm lock at Mutford, 7pm Bridge at Lowestoft and arriving in to Southwold an hour before high tide at around 8pm.

Forecast is, am force 5 SSW pm force 6 S

Low tide Lowestoft is 13.52 High Tide 20.09 all times BST. Southwold is approximately 1 hour later

Southwold has 1.3m at chart datum. and runs at up to 6 knots on a spring ebb.

State of tide is dead neaps

The question is what time is the best to leave?

Clanny is a planing hulled flybridge boat of 34' with a beam of 10'6 and drawing 3'3", she cruises best at 23 knots but will cruise at up to 28 knots, the cost of fuel is a serious consideration.

The above intention does not take in weather but does take account of tide, Just wondered what the other forumites would do?

Ian

Edit to add further info

[Guest]

Hi Ian

I hope you have a smooth trip sounds realy good.

would this be a stupid question but what about re engine clanny with diesels at some point?

Jonny

[Antares_9]

What other forumites would do is a matter of total irrelevance to your trip Ian, you are the skipper and must decide. All I can say is here is one skipper who would not intentionally put his crew or ship through the sea that would inevitably result from the situations you describe. Beccles is lovely this time of year, see what develops, be flexible, it's not an endurance test.

[pks1702]

Ian,

With that forecast I would sit tight for a few days and wait for a weather window.

We had intentions of getting around to London but it just has not been settled enough to see a window to get down and back.

We had to wait until the Monday of our holiday to get a window (probably only 4 hours) to hop down to the Blackwater and even then The Wallet was pretty snotty in a southerly 4 gusting 5. Fortunatly on entering The Blackwater the land helped in flattening things out a bit. Since then we have had an odd calm day followed by a couple of wind which has meant we have largely pottered around the Blackwater.

Down to West Mersea tommorow and then have a window at present on Friday for a hop back up to the Deben or Orwell.

Many experienced Yotties down here are bemoaning just how changeable and unsettled the weather is aborting trips further afield. One Dutch crew set off for France and ended up in the Blackwater as it was the most comfortable wind direction

Friday would be OK from the looks of it if you could but personally (and it is always an individual decision) I would wait and find a window.

http://www.windfinder.com/forecast/orfo ... gle_street

No shame in fighting another day and with two weeks ahead of you why subject the crew to a kicking.

Best of luck keep us posted and if you make it to Shotley in the next couple of weeks give us a shout

[senator]

David and Perry,

The idea was to throw out the question not for others to make my decisions but more a point of interest to see what considerations others would make. Both of you are amongst the most experienced sea farer's on the forum so I would expect the answers I got from you but as a bit of fun lets say you had to go, what would you consider?

I have 3 plans well 3 and a half as one is the same just from a different departure point, one of these plans is to cruise the Southern Broads for a week and see what happens to the weather.

Monday does not look good either at the moment but in all honesty they don't know what the weather is doing tomorrow so a lot can change between now and then.

If the wind turns westerly then the land will take most of the brunt, I could run down against the tide on a Southerly so that the wind is knocking any waves down. there have been no easterly's for a bit so hopefully the swells should be nothing to speak of but as you so rightly say, although the crew of Clanny enjoy a bit of rough and tumble, how much of the enjoyment is ignorance is another thing. It is my responsibility to keep them safe and to that ends if I don't like the look of it we won't be going.

Would still like to see what others make of the question and it may or may not prove to be of interest to the majority of Broads Boaters that will probably never go to sea, realising all the factors that had to be taken into account, before just nipping out to sea, was one of the things that fascinated me the most when I started learning about putting a boat out on that big salty thing. And the more I learn the more I realise I don't know.

Ian

[Guest]

Well I am certainly following this thread with interest Ian. We have made the decision we are never likely to be passage making types but that we will still stick with a design capable of going out for short periods should we wish to do so. Even so, I am keen to build up my knowledge base in this area and, as you say, the more you learn the more you realise you do not know.

I cannot offer anything of value in the way of advice on your situations, though my first reaction was that the ETA in Southwold was somewhat later in the day than I would want it to be purely because of fading light should you encountered any problems and be delayed. The wind speeds also looked a little high for me but then everyone is different. For what it's worth, Steve (who we both know) was just passing my office when I had just read your message and I had a chat to him about it. His advice was to stick to the rivers just now. He also said there have been very few windows of opportunity of late. As far as I know Aquaflyte and Henley did not put to sea at all during the long weekend of the airshow and Breezer only went out for a short while on the Saturday to watch the power boats, taking with her the crews of some other boats. She's rather bigger than Clanny and nearly as big as Crackerjack so probably better able to take a bit of weather. I realise that the crews of HJII, Friday Girl, Crackerjack and Jupiter's Mist were all down there too and they may have differing opinions but from what I am hearing I wouldn't hold your breath.

I'll certainly be interesting in hearing what you decide though Ian.

[Jupes]

I can say that both John and Col said boats went out on Thursday to watch the show but soon returned to RNSYC. On Friday, we only saw one motorboat out and it was frightening to watch, the waves going right over the hull.

[senator]

Hi Ian

I hope you have a smooth trip sounds realy good.

would this be a stupid question but what about re engine clanny with diesels at some point?

Jonny

Hi Jonny,

It would not be worth changing the engines in Clanny, far cheaper to sell her and buy a diesel version.

In all honesty though I am not that worried about the petrol engines, makes the boat lighter, quieter and less smokey, with diesel getting to not far off the price that I pay for petrol the difference is not that much in ecconomy, it's not like the old days when red was 25% of the price.

Clanny gives between 1 and 1 1/2 mpg if she can settle down on a cruise at 23 knots and a diesel is not going to be that much better, the big difference is availability, the only place I can find to get it shore side on the trip is suffolk Yacht Harber in the Orwell.

Means I will be tanked up with 650 litres to start plus I will be carrying another 80 litres in jerry cans.

Ian

[senator]

my first reaction was that the ETA in Southwold was somewhat later in the day than I would want it to be purely because of fading light should you encountered any problems and be delayed. The wind speeds also looked a little high for me but then everyone is different.

I'll certainly be interesting in hearing what you decide though Ian.

Simon, The time was to allow for the correct approch and berthing conditions at Southwold, plus it would save fuel by running with the tide. If it was to get a little dark I would not be to worried, it is a trip I have done a few times before with no major issues as far as things to look out for along the way and as it would be almost full tide then the transit within southwold Harbour becomes a lot less important if you are a few feet out. the trip is short and even on one engine it would only take just over an hour.

As to the wind speeds, they can produce vastly different conditions dependent on Direction of wind and tide, we did the last return trip in a force 5 easterly at 8 knots, not one to go out in more a sea to come back in to avoid leaving the boat in Southwold.

previously we have been down in a force 4-5 gusting 6 with wind against tide and although a bit bumpy it was a fun ride at 18 knots, we have gone out in virtualy calm conditions and wizzed down at 23 knots which was great and certainly the sea of choice and I have it on good authority that the sea off Yarmouth pier heads today in a 5 southerly at a time that would put it over tide was flat.

Will keep all informed of what happens on the day.

Ian

[Guest]

hi ian my advice don't forget to close your windows. Sunday and wednesday are looking ok but also good for getting back for me. Took the rib, ringo and 5 kids up the ski zone yesterday and had wind against. great fun. jonathan on acuweather they had a wind sock as the weather symbol one day not a good omen

[pks1702]

Poked our noses out the end of the Blackwater early this morning before the next low hits,very unpleasant residual 1.5 metre confused chop 2 second interval will let it push through and I look again Friday.

[Pete]

This might link might be of interest to you http://magicseaweed.com/Lowestoft-Surf-Report/19/

It's primarily designed for surf predictions, but it may be of use to boaters who venture further from shore.

The canoe club I'm in uses it quite a lot to decide when the best surf is about to go kayak surfing. From experience, it tends to slightly over estimate the size of the surf, but this may be down to the shape of the beach.

[senator]

looks like things might be improving towards the back end of next week, there is hope yet

[pks1702]

Our wait for the Friday 'window' paid off and we had a super run back up to Ipswich.

Saturday was good also as was today so hope you made it Ian.