Yachting

MAY 2016 http://www.yachtingmonthly.com 61

The sea route to Snape

Creek crawling and pub meals:
Phil Wallace recalls an ideal
shallow-draught weekend

To reach Snape in Suffolk by
boat was a challenge that was
hard to resist. I had bought
Chiara, a lift-keel Parker 235,
earlier in the year and was keen
to explore the muddy waters of
Suffolk and Essex.
With heavy September
showers forecast, my crew Dave
and I set off from Suffolk Yacht
Harbour at 0900. Huge thundery
clouds gathered inland and out
to sea but the coastal fringe
stayed dry and a pleasant SW
breeze took us towards Orford
Haven. At 1400 we ventured over
the bar with the shoal at Oxley
buoy having moved northwards,
then headed in to the famous
oyster beds at Butley Creek
and on up to Orford, where the
harbourmaster helpfully found
us moorings.

We spent the

evening ashore

planning the next day’s

trip over an excellent

meal in the Jolly Sailor

pub. In the morning,

we collected our

friends Sue and Colin

from their boat, which

was too big to tackle

the trip up to Snape,

and we tacked up the

Alde with the fi rst of

the fl ood tide against a

light northerly breeze.

We stopped for

coffee in Aldeburgh, then

continued on under engine,

with Dave on the helm, Colin

navigating, Sue as lookout and

photographer, and me looking

worried. It got narrower and

narrower, mud either side of us.

Withies appeared, some with

twiggy tops, others bare; some

with a can or coloured mark and

others without.

We ran aground, the prop hit

a submerged, broken withy and

the outboard engine stopped.

Seeing no damage to the engine,

I pulled on the starter cord,

but it had overheated and was

reluctant to start. Thankfully,

after a few stern words and time

to cool off, it restarted.

We met kayakers and plenty

of bird life, especially white

egrets, as well as

our own local grey

herons. At last, Snape

quayside hove into

view and we came

alongside the day-

tripper boat to get

ashore for a welcome

cup of tea.

It felt like quite an

achievement but we

had to be off before

the tide turned. On the

way back we made

good time and arrived

in Orford at 1800 to

meet other sailing friends. We all

headed for the King’s Head for a

welcome beer and grub.

Sunday again heralded a bright

and cheerful morning with the

breeze back to SW. The lifting

keel enabled Chiara to take the

last of the ebb down to the river

entrance, cross the bar and head

out to sea just an hour after low

water, sailing all the way back.

Phil Wallace

Skipper Phil (left) with crew Sue, Colin and Dave at Snape

Soil scientist Phil, 60, enjoys

being out on the water. He

is a Yachtmaster Instructor

with the East Anglian Sailing

School, based at Suffolk Yacht

Harbour where his lift-keel

Parker 235, Chiara, is also

currently berthed.

ALL PHOTOS: PHIL WALLACE

Chiara rounds

the fi nal bend

approaching

Snape Maltings

The 12th Century keep of Orford Castle seen from the river

Chiara with

Orford church in

the background