Crossing the Thames

Harwich and Felixstowe – the Estuary of Wind

June 5, 2012

Finally, the wind gods smiled on us, and off we went up the coast.  We tried to time the departure to coincide with a north-going current, and were slightly successful.  The sun was out, off-and-on, as we passed Ramsgate and headed across the Thames estuary.  This body of water has a number of sand banks that spread out in the form of a palm, with the banks as fingers reaching out into the Channel.  There are shortcuts across the banks in some places, and you can use these to avoid long detours.  Some are marked for use by large ships, some are marked and used by anybody, and some are not marked at all, or the markers have disappeared, over the years. 

There are a few “standard” paths that are described in all the guidebooks, and the one we wanted to use is well known.  Unfortunately, they have decided to turn the Thames into the “Estuary of Wind”, by building many large windfarms on the banks.  The most recent to be constructed is right at the edge of the swatchway we wanted to use to cross the banks, and as we approached the guard boat called us on the radio and informed us that we could not use it, because it was filled with construction boats for the windfarm.  So, we had to take a different pathway, normally used by big ships, but the VTS controller did not complain, so the only consequence was a longer trip, with less favorable wind, and a later arrival into Felixstowe/Harwich

If you don’t know, Felixstowe was the first, and is now one of the largest container ports in the UK.  Harwich, across the river, is also a major port for RO-RO traffic, ferries, and cruise ships.  We entered this busy port late in the evening, with a serious-looking rainstorm forming, and found that there was no place to tie up.  The Ha-penny pier in Harwich, which is the place where pleasure boats are supposed to be able to tie up, was filled with two sailboats, two govt boats, and two commercial boats.

So, we headed across the channel and anchored (for the first time this trip!) just off the channel.  It was a wild and crazy night as the rain fell and the enormous ships came and went right down the channel in front of us.  Luckily, the wind did not abate and we stayed out of the channel, but one of us did not get much sleep.

Next day, it looked like we would have more good weather, so off we went.