East Coast Diary

[pks1702]

Sunday dawned a beautifully Sunny hot day the wind though was SE rather than the SSW forecast and increased as the day went on. By 13.00hrs there was enough water over the sill and we were able to exit and head back down river, the wind was continuing to be a background 20 knots. As we came past Ramsholt and I again checked the wind direction I could see it was SE with a fair bit of East - oh dear.

The Deben is a beautiful river but with the exception of Tide Mill there really is not a lot of choice of location to leave your ship if the weather prevents you from exiting. I suppose a buoy at Ramsholt would be a last resort if you could get George the Harbour Master to run you ashore and get a taxi back to Shotley.

It was going to be an interesting exit and run back to Shotley but not dangerous. As we got to Felixstowe Ferry we could see the breakers on the bar I told Tina to close all windows and doors and hang on. It was indeed an interesting exit with the waves building as they neared shallow water, going out can best be described as a combination of the Big Dipper and Bucking Bronco it needed plenty of helm and throttle adjustments to keep being washed up the beach in front of Felixstowe Ferry Yacht club and then ride over the fairly heavy waves which extended out to Woodbridge Haven Buoy we turned to Quarter them and ran out into deeper water which was slightly better but we were really down to 9.5 -10 knots and headed on a quartering course past Wadgate Ledge and into the Shipping Lane (nothing around) to avoid the beam sea before turning to starboard for the run back into Shotley. The sea inshore at Languard Point was White as waves built up on this shallow area. With the wave action now a following sea it was the first time I have had Kiki surfing with an increase of 3-4 knots on the crest of the following sea, Out at Wadgate I had a constant reading of 21-24 knots with an odd higher gust. Once back around to Shotley things calmed considerably but it was a first hand lesson on how quickly seas can build in N to SE wind directions. Both crews partook of 'refreshment' once moored up I think we had earned it.

[pks1702]

Boring narration but captures the flavour of Woodbridge - all very Huckleberry Finn

[Antares_9]

Indeed a lovely weekend Perry, the ride back was as you say a bit interesting and did warrant quartering as I for one would not have wanted them on my beam them being so short as well as a bit big.

I say my beam, Rachel having skippered down the river decided to have a go despite seeing the rollers s we approached the bar and helmed all the way back to Shotley. Although currently doing her Yachtmaster theory, handling a boat for the first time in rough water is a daunting prospect and I was delighted and proud at how quickly she got the seat of the pants feel of rudder and throttle to counter the wave action. Once we had the short following sea Kingfisher’s bow was stuffed into the back of a couple of six footers but that aside one certainly would not have believed it was her first time (as Skipper) in those kind of seas.

[pks1702]

The best complement I can pay is that I assumed when we got into the lock that you had brought Kingfisher back around, as you say very well done Rachel.

Soon be able to sit back and put your feet up

[jimbo]

David, David David! When will you ever learn?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39qdhbkTko4&feature=related

[Antares_9]

I'm glad I didn't say that

[pks1702]

Known to our crews as "The Beach End Bubble"

Thanks Rod learn something every day.

Feline member of Kingfishers crew got wet due to an open window and was also unimpressed

[senator]

Sounds like you had some fun out there, I am still learning to read the waves but find the short chop that you seem to get in the shallower waters around our coast very confusing, swell I can deal with because at least you can see where it is and which way it is going.

Do your SD boats still hold a heading when it cuts up a bit? Clanny is a pig in those conditions, easy enough with a plotter to follow the line on but I would not like to depend on my accuracy if following a heading.

Did you eat at the Kings Head? food there we found great, the mouth destroyer was served at the Nelson in Ipswich.

Perry, you said you were running outside of the channel, how accurate do you find the charted depths for the area? I ran outside the channels a fair bit while I was down there, due to some pretty big tides giving plenty of water, and didn't see anything unexpected but was a little frightened by a story from a yachty. He was telling of a time he got stuck on the Deben bar, apparently by the time he had been there an hour there was 3' of shingle against one side of the boat and a huge hollow the other, he waded out to put a ketch out and said that he really struggled to get back to the boat due to the flow of shingle against his legs, his description was that the shingle seemed to flow nearly as fast as the water.

Off to digest your videos now, well you have to have something to do at work

Ian

[Antares_9]

Do your SD boats still hold a heading when it cuts up a bit? Clanny is a pig in those conditions, easy enough with a plotter to follow the line on but I would not like to depend on my accuracy if following a heading. Ian

In a word Ian, no, in the rough stuff constant rudder and throttle adjustments are still needed to maintain a heading except in a direct head sea and at least the props are (almost) always still deep. The torque of a big diesel does at least allow a certain consistency in a following sea and against a head sea. Kingfisher tends to slide down a wave sideways a bit less than Kiki due to her keel but you still have to work at it quite hard, Oh for a stiffening sail and a deep keel. (I can't believe I just wrote that)

[pks1702]

Oh for a stiffening sail and a deep keel.

It certainly gave more confidence in our boat Ian but knowing we only had an hour or so from the Deben entrance back to the marina was another reason for 'going' and putting up with the conditions. As David has outlined although SD Kiki does not have a keel unlike Kingfisher, which has Keel and Skeg (invaluable IMHO around the East Coast where there is never a great amount of water) she does not have the directional stability of Kingfisher particularly at low speeds and with huge prop walk astern. What she does have going for her apart from her SD hull is fairly significant weight for her size around 7.5 tonnes fully loaded and is pretty beamy at 3.42 metres. She is no Ocean Greyhound with a single 240hp but the weight tells when things cut up as she tends not to get kicked about as other boats in the same class but lighter. I even tried the autopilot for a bit on the way back and it coped pretty well with the conditions, with the sensitivity turned up it would have been even better. It is the chop typically found along the East Coast and Thames which is as much of an issue as the wave heights. Sites such as Windfinder and Magic Seaweed (for Lowestoft) give wind speed, wave height, direction and interval; all very useful for passage planning.

The channel I was referring to Ian was the Shipping Channel which with its deeper water was slightly less bumpy than the shallower water each side. Would normally run just outside the channel but with no shipping and the conditions opted to do so on the way back in. It really does depend on the state of the tide as to what you can 'get away with'. Many of the local boats take short cuts which as yet I do not have the background knowledge of the area to take and prefer the 'safe' option, although they reckon you are not a proper East Coast boater unless you have been aground

I certainly would not have wanted to be aground on the bar on Sunday and we were a bit spooked by a call to Thames Coastguard as we were coming up to Felixstowe Ferry saying there was a yacht in distress on the Bar Fortunately he obviously managed to extricate himself. It does flow in and out of the Deben at a fair rate and rises and falls quite quickly but given the length of river it needs to fill I suppose it is not surprising.

The video's were a bit of a test Ian lots of camera errors and too long so the next ones will be edited 'highlights'

[pks1702]

Thanks Rod,

That clears that mystery then

As David said earlier time is money to you guys and the meter is always ticking I guess so I have never had an issue with the speed, if a bit of wash bothered us we ought not to be out there. Besides a pilot boat running at displacement speed just does not look right they are always impressive under way.

[pks1702]

This weekend saw us making a trip around the Walton Backwaters to Walton & Frinton Yacht Club in the company of our Yacht Club Shotley point. It looked to be touch and go on Wednesday and Thursday with the gales and Felixstowe Port being shut too. By Saturday the wind had eased back to F4 gusting 5 but being SW it was largely off the land although as it was blowing down the Stour this and the Walton channel was pretty sloppy.

W&FYC is accessed by a gate in the sea wall which opens an hour each side of high tide and although around 16-18 ft through the entrance it has two concrete buttresses which reduce the width to 12ft fine at HW but in our ship a bit bottom clenching as you go over it. The entrance was made a little more tricky by a cross wind and yotties up to their usual close quarter manoeuvring faffing in the entrance after the lock master had called us in I had to back out of our approach pronto to avoid being blown onto the gate....

Had a pleasant wander into Walton in the afternoon followed by 'Drinks & Nibbles scheduled for 18.30 but which was brought forward to 17.30 ...... pretty typical of Shotley Point and booze By the time the call for dinner was made one or two participants had already reached a 'full tank' but did not let that stop them

I very cordial dinner with the usual banter but a few thick heads the next morning. I kid you not that the bar staff took 12 cases of empty Wine bottles to the recycling point and remember that was AFTER all the booze that had been sunk with nibbles. I am afraid in comparison to these legendary types I am a mere light weight

A few photo's - as ever Point & Squirt advisory in force

Classic Seaside Scene

Entrance to Walton & Frinton Yacht Club

'Mind the Gap'

Kingfisher & Kiki in Huckleberry Finn Land

Interesting Mooring Style W&FYC have - Lazy Lines al la Med style

[pks1702]

Yacht Club

Low Water Scene Outside the Club

The Pilotage was very 'interesting' Tom Cunliffe would have been proud of us View across the Backwaters with Felixstowe in the distance

Low water outside the entrance gate

Again from inside the Yacht Club

Lazy Lines in Action

[pks1702]

Filling up

Some odd boat names

Someone we know?

On our way out of the Twizzle we spotted the oldest working Motorised Lifeboat launched by Griff Rhys Jones, I say saw it Kingfisher could hardly miss it as it cut across the channel in front of her

Details Here: http://www.eadt.co.uk/content/eadt/news ... 3A10%3A193

[pks1702]

Forgot to add I saw Dylan Winter at Walton on Saturday, he of 'Keep Turning Left' fame.

viewtopic.php?f=58&t=2240&hilit=dylan+winter

[Guest]

Great stuff as always Perry. I live in hope that one day we will venture down that way but all these funny channels and bits that dry out (how dare they) are a concept my tame broads boating mind can't quite handle just yet.

[pks1702]

Thanks Simon,

The images are just snaps to illustrate the story not quality stuff as posted on the Photography area.

Pilotage and tides generally needs some planning it is not 'turn up and go' boating but it makes the Grey matter work.

Once you get used to watching your 'bottom' you will be fine

I have found the most invaluable piece of kit is the sounder but although a reasonable make it does fluctuate no cruising up a channel. With 2 meters or so beneath us I have found it fluctuating between that and a foot so does give the odd 'moment'. The key reason why a winter job will be to replace the current sounder with a Raymarine Tri Data Transducer that I can link to my plotter.

[Guest]

Hi Perry

good to read as always you know something you & David should write a book with photo's of places where you visit the best way to go about it all by sea.

Jonny

[Guest]

I have found the most invaluable piece of kit is the sounder but although a reasonable make it does fluctuate no cruising up a channel. With 2 meters or so beneath us I have found it fluctuating between that and a foot so does give the odd 'moment'. The key reason why a winter job will be to replace the current sounder with a Raymarine Tri Data Transducer that I can link to my plotter.

I had a Raymarine BiData on Silver Dream (well it was called Autohelm back then but it's the same thing). I can't say for certain how accurate it was but it certainly knew its mind - none of the fluctuations you mention. It worked via a thru-hull transducer.

Sadly Grenick has some dubious looking whirling light thing thing (Nasa?) and the transducer cable, which formally ran down the transom was found wrapped around the prop when she was lifted out for the survey! Oops. Fitting a new sounder is on the list of jobs for the winter (and frankly I feel "naked" without one, even on the rivers). I was eyeing up a fishfinder unit instead (something like this http://www.marine-super-store.com/posit ... o=99125233 ) because it provides a nice profiling graphic which is vital for safe cruising (at least that's what I am telling Susan).

I'm not sure how accurate those Garmin jobs are but I've generally found Garmin to be decent equipment, plus there's an NMEA out connection so I should be able to get it to send the information to our chart plotter as well - also vital for getting from Brundall to Oulton Broad safely.

[Antares_9]

We have the bronze airmar “traiducer†(speed, depth & temerature) linked to the Raymarine fishfinder and via seatalk to the C120 plotter and I really can say they are accurate when calibrated. Trouble is the “triducer†alone costs as much as many fishfinders complete, but cheaper than a lift out and prop repair, or worse.

[pks1702]

good to read as always you know something you & David should write a book with photo's of places where you visit the best way to go about it all by sea.

Thanks Jonny, nice idea but it has been done many times by those far more talented at it than I. This thread was started just to give anyone who is interested a taste of our boating now having moved off the Broads.

Trouble is the “triducer†alone costs as much as many fishfinders complete, but cheaper than a lift out and prop repair, or worse.

Quite so David

[pks1702]

I made reference last year in this thread to Tina's impending battle with the 'Big C' so it is probably right to update this here too.

After a year of Chemotherapy, Radiotherapy four operations and dozens and dozens of hospital visits her Oncologist announced tonight that he did not want to see her for six months

Throughout it all she has just got on with things and taken it as it comes with a determination which at times was sometimes to strong for her own good. We have both been tremendously helped by friendship and camaraderie of close friends and well wishes from this site.

While we can't say the war is over the first battle seems to have been won, as in all these things time will tell.

Our thanks to you all.

Rachel & Tina

[Antares_9]

Great news indeed Perry

[Guest]

After a year of Chemotherapy, Radiotherapy four operations and dozens and dozens of hospital visits her Oncologist announced tonight that he did not want to see her for six months

Fantastic news mate see boating is far better R&R than sitting about in the house

Jonny

[jimbo]

What fantastic news Perry! I am so happy for the pair of you