Heading South to Lowestoft and the River Alde

We left Wells as early as possible on Sunday afternoon's tide, scraping the bottom a couple of times with the keel on the way out. Over the bar we met Pete and Sharon on Topaz 2 and John Calver on Mardi Gras, both coming in. Once outside we had plenty of tide taking us along the coast past Cromer towards Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft but not enough wind to achieve our minimum 5 knots over the ground so the engine worked for it's living again. We made good time until the tide turned when we were faced with a strong North going current in the channel inside the Scroby sands off Great Yarmouth. Our most optimistic passage time, arriving Lowestoft at 23.35, slipped away as it got dark and our pessimistic time, arriving 0125, looked more realistic. In the narrow channel we met a tug towing a large vessel, with another tug behind controlling any turns, all lit up with the regulation lights for restricted manoeuvrability. This was the moment our port hand red navigation light packed up so we're not sure what the tug crew thought they had coming towards them!

Leaving Wells, 1.9 on the echo sounder, we draw 1.8!

The tide did eventually ease off and we entered Lowestoft harbour, to be moored in the Hamilton Dock by 0155 when we fell into bed!
The next day, Monday, we got totally wrong. We planned to go to the River Ore, 30 miles South. The ideal time for entering the river was 2 hours before high water, 1900. The wind was forecast South, veering South West force 3 or 4, occasionally 5 at first. We set off at lunchtime to avoid the worst of the foul tide but when we were out the tide was still strongly against us and the wind stayed in the South at a solid force 5 with a lumpy sea. After 2 hours we had only made 4 miles and should have packed up then but we decided to motor sail which was very wet and uncomfortable. By the time we were off Southwold it was obvious that we could not make the entrance of the Ore so we turned around and headed back to Lowestoft, arriving back in the same berth at 18.35. At least we could get a good nights sleep! As a plus, because we had arrived after midnight the previous night the marina didn't charge us for another night.

Leaving Hamilton Dock, Lowestoft.

The forecast for the next day was much better, North West veering North East force 3 to 4. We still had our work cut out to get to the Ore. The tide was an hour later so we needed to be in at 2000 and couldn't afford to be any later as it would be getting dark and there were few lights in the river. All worked for us this time. We hoisted our cruising spinnaker soon after we left Lowestoft and, with a fair wind and tide were making 7 or 8 knots over the ground, totally different to the previous day. We got to the entrance of the Ore on schedule and motored up the river in the dusk, to anchor in the narrow Butley river in total peace, we were settled in with the covers on just before the rain started!

Cruising chute hurrying us on our way.

Passing Sizewell B nuclear power station, the last one built in Britain.

As the forecast for Thursday was for more strong winds we are staying on the Ore, which perversely changes it's name to the Alde further upstream, for a couple of days. This morning we motored the 6.5 miles up the river to Aldeburgh, passing Mirosa, our first Thames Barge of the trip, and anchored off Aldeburgh Yacht Club, separated from the sea by a narrow strip of shingle. We went ashore to the hospitable yacht club, left our life jackets etc. in the club and walked into Aldeburgh, a very pretty town, with a splendid parish church frequented by the composer, Benjamin Britten.

Thames Barge, Mirosa.

The shingle strip between the River Alde and the sea.

A visit to the local lifeboat station, where a Mersey class boat is carriage launched off the beach gave us food for thought. Photographs of the lifeboat launching into an Easterly gale made us realise how important it is to make sure of the conditions to expect before you set out.
We returned to the club for a drink then back on board for dinner and to watch the club racing. Anchored downwind of the start line gave us an excellent view and some heart in the mouth moments with boats manoeuvring close around us!

Aldeburgh Yacht Club from the anchorage.

Loch Long keelboats just after the start.

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