Family outings...

[Rich L]

Hi all. New to the forum.

Want to get my young family out on the water this year. Thinking short cruises, barbeques, picnics, quay side tea shops, bit of water sports, that sort of thing, all year round. So looking for bays, nice harbours etc. Anybody got any good suggestions bearing in mind i'm based on the North side of London so west coast, south west is a little inaccessible?

I guess the Thames is one good option. Advice on launching sites?

Cheers

Rich L

[Ian]

Rich, there are a few lads in Essex and Kent on this forum who get out and about. These areas may be easier for you to get to than the south. Take a look through the cruising and gallery threads and you'll find them there.

[Alan]

Thames, leastways the central london tidal bit is very interesting but also very limited on facilities. Also given the strength of the tide, the amount of traffic etc its no place to be unless you know what you are about. (IMHO).

So head North-East up the A12 to the Essex and Suffolk coast. Launch from Bradwell (bit of a drag to get there but a good slip and facilities when you do) and you have the Blackwater estuary & Colne in easy reach. Nice sheltered area for watersports and family cruises upto Maldon (at HW+- 2hrs), across to West Mersea & Tollesbury, Picnic on Osea Island etc. Then you can pop across to the Colne & Brightlingsea and Wivenhoe/Rowhedge. (More alongside the pub at Rowhedge at HW +- 1 hr).

Bit futher north by road but about the same time to get to from London you have the Orwell & Stour. Launch from Suffolk Yacht Harbour nr Felixstowe and the worlds your Oyster! Upto Ipswich, lock into the docks and a pie and a pint at the Nelson, Round to Harwich Halfpenny pier for fish and chips at the Pier Hotel or up the Stour to Mistley Quay and walk to the pubs in Mannigtree. Out of the Orwell its a gentle run across to the Walton Backwaters - beach at Stone point and play sandcastles with the kids or go upto Titchmarsh marina for lunch. If you go North then 5 miles or so brings you to the Deben - tricky entrance but get the latest chart (from SYH chandelry) and pick you conditions & no probs. Pick up a buoy at Felixstowe Ferry and get the ferry to bring you ashore to the Victoria Arms. Head up to Ramsholt and lie alongside the quay at the Ramsholt arms HW +-1. Good food! Or all the way up to Woodbridge on the tide.

Other cruises when you have a bit more confidence are Orford and Aldeburgh on the Ore. Another tricky entrance but rewarding once youve done it or head north 30m to Southwold for Adnams and Fish and Chips at the Harbour Inn.

Hope this gives you some thoughts. There are plenty of Ribsters in Essex / Suffolk, some who post here. Other thing worth doing is joining BIBOA. They organise an annual East Coast Rivers cruise. (I say they, its usually me, but someone else can have a go in 2004!)

[Hightower]

Rich,

being a Southerner I can't help by pointing you in the right direction for Quay side facilitys/places of intrest on the East Coast.

What I can do is give you a very useful link to Launch sites across the UK (just in case you want to visit the Solent).

Enjoy and happy new year,

Andy G

http://www.boatlaunch.co.uk/

[Rich L]

Thanks to all - great information thanks!

Any other contributions welcome.

Cheers

Rich L

[Richard B]

...or alternatively get yourself down to the South Coast. BTW how does a Londener end up with an Olmec RIB? I thought they were an esoteric South-Western bit of kit!?! (No offence to RibRaff and the guys down in Dartmouth!)

[Rich L]

Yeh, Tornado would have been easier as I'm less than a mile from the dealers...

In fact, just bought it from a guy in the south west! Fell in love with it, great looking sports RIB, built as a special. Handles well too!

Intend to get out often this year with the family, just need to get to the coast... not exactly convenient from here.

Cheers

Rich

[Vince Kearney]

Hi, come to N. Ireland. We operate out of Ardglass and cover the following, IOM, Irish Coast south to Dublin and North to Portrush, all the Scottish Western Islands and generally The West coast of Scotland. It must be the ultimate RIB cruising area in Europe. More info available if required?
Best of luck,
Vince Kearney,
Irish Sea Cruises.

[Cookee]

Rich L Didn't buy it off a bloke called Derek from Salcombe did you?

[Rich L]

Sounds ominous....

No. A guy called Graham near Southampton.

Is Graham really Derek? Is Derek involved in international smuggling activities - with my boat...?? Is Salcome the drug trading capital of the world...??? Help me, my mind is boggling....

Rich