Woodbridge to Lowestoft

Orfordness pagodas in the rain

This was to be the first serious leg and by far my longest ever solo passage – 42 miles from Tidemill in Woodbridge to Lowestoft. Lots to think about and plan, but in the end it went OK with a few minor challenges.

Challenge 1 was getting the boat out of Tidemill, which has a sill that Kalessin's 1.68m draft (millimetres matter here) can only clear for a maximum of an hour around high water at springs. On some days she is neaped and can't get out at all. Also it's advised to leave the Deben on the flood and HW at the entrance is earlier than at Tidemill. So on balance it's always best to leave the marina, wait for almost a tide somewhere on the river and then leave the Deben. If I'd gone next week as planned, a combination of depth and darkness would mean waiting two tides on a mooring somewhere. So after epic consideration I squeezed the boat out of Tidemill on Wednesday's evening tide, just after 1800 (and about 20 minutes earlier than the website advises, because in my view the tide was already ebbing). It was a glorious evening as I chugged down the Deben - and for those who know it, no I didn't take Loder's Cut, because I don't know it.

Challenge 2 - picking up a buoy at Ramsholt. I have never done this solo before and it took three attempts before I got the right combination of power on/off to stem the tide. Fortunately I was slightly downriver from the pub, so hopefully the outside drinkers couldn't see the details of me messing about. I had a slight panic when I looked at the fuel gauge, which in its delightfully inaccurate way had dropped from a half to a third very rapidly. Thank god there was fuel in two of the cans, red diesel so hopefully not biodiesel which decays too fast for boats, and I filtered it in. Diesel is disgusting stuff, but necessary.

Challenge 3 - fog! (And rain!) The fog was due in the early morning, but actually came down in the evening, within minutes of my settling down on the mooring. I ate my lukewarm dinner and slept fitfully, with bizarre dreams, until 5am. The fog was still there as I slipped the mooring at 0530 with just enough visibility to see the banks of the Deben, probably only 250m away.  I was extremely glad to be able to follow my inward track on the chart plotter and leave the river just before HW. Around 0700 the visibility improved slightly and the fog turned seamlessly to rain, which continued for around seven hours, varying between heavy and extremely heavy. The small around of wind was from the N, almost on the nose, so there was plenty of wind chill too.

Challenge 4 - dodging the fishing boats. Kalessin has been broadcasting on AIS for a while, but for the first time two fishermen called me by boat name on VHF to ask me to avoid their nets. It was nice to talk to someone! (I could also hear members of the Haven Ports YC heading southwards on their summer cruise to the south coast, and it was lovely to hear from crews I know). In the wake of the second fishing boat I saw at least one dorsal fin, most likely a harbour porpoise, which was a thrill.

Challenge 5 - marinas. I emailed the Royal Norfolk & Suffolk before I left to advise of my earlier arrival date. They phoned me mid-morning to tell me they had no room because of a flotilla over the weekend. Aaargh!! Fortunately I was able to call the Beacon Marina (formerly Haven Marina), which is up the river and almost in the Broads, and talk to a nice young man called Zach who said they had plenty of space and gave me all the details, down to berth number. He also gave me info for getting under the bridges - there is a new bridge in Lowestoft, the Gull Wing, still not open to road traffic but opening for yachts. I phoned Port Control who told me cheerily that there would likely be an additional opening before the one scheduled at 1430, as dredgers were coming "in out, in out, shake it all about" - their words.

Challenge 5 - Lowestoft and mooring up solo multiple times. By the time I arrived at the entrance around noon, I was so wet my fingers were dented and I had been crouching under the sprayhood for so long I was aching all over. As I picked up the VHF handset (which incidentally proved absolutely brilliant when I was solo) Port Control called me to ask me to wait for a dredger which was coming out extremely slowly. Then I headed into the Trawl Dock. Last time we were there, it was the bottom of a spring tide and we went aground before getting near the waiting pontoon, but this had been a very modest LW and I had depth, phew.  I moored behind a workboat who kept his enormous outboards running and didn't help with my lines. Off again a few minutes later to follow another slow dredger under the first bridge. As I went, Port Control called the Gull Wing to negotiate an extra opening for me at 1315, then called me to tell me to wait on the pontoon on the N bank (it's actually on the S bank). I treated myself to a chocolate biscuit and coffee from the Thermos while I waited. Then under the bridge as promised. It was raining so hard I thought I'd wreck my phone if I pointed it up at the open bridge, but I did get a shot once I was past.

Lowestoft's Gull Wing Bridge, plus rain splodges

Challenge 6 - Beacon Marina and home. After mooring up I reported in and decided I might as well keep the boat there until Erika (next crew) and I leave, hopefully on Thursday 23rd. Extremely nice Zach asked if I could move to another berth, in that case, and helped with my lines, which was kind. Finally, it stopped raining! I felt very old and weary as I tidied up and sorted out everything and got the cockpit tent up. Finally I was ready to leave and worked out I could get the 1612 from Oulton Broad South station, about a mile away. My legs felt like lead but I got there in time and enjoyed the very pretty route through Suffolk countryside. As a bonus I got to Woodbridge station five minutes before Guy's train was due to go the other way so I got to say hello and give him a hug. Finally, back to the car to drive home, have a hot bath and very large glass of wine, and get to bed. And here we are.

42 miles run, all under engine.