In addition to the Summer Cruise, this years August Cruise is to the Blackwater. Departing Friday/Saturday 9th of August and returning Saturday 16th of August. This trip has a relaxed pace and we will visit Heybridge Basin that we missed last year. There is a contingency day if weather proves to be an issue and also the potential for yachts to join the cruise late and/or depart early if you have other commitments. The intention is to arrange the itinerary to be as flexible as possible so the maximum number of members can take part. (Image above; Club Cruise Heybridge Basin, July 2019).
Outline Itinerary
Friday 8 August – Depart URYC 15.20 stay overnight at Burnham (buoy or marina)
Saturday 9 August – Depart Burnham 11.00 – 12.00, to Brightlingsea arrive by 16.00
Sunday 10 August – Tollesbury arriving 13.45 – 14.15
Monday 11 August – Day in Tollesbury
Tuesday 12 August – Depart Tollesbury destination Osea Island (or Marconi Sailing Club moorings)
Wednesday 13 August – Depart Osea/Marconi by 14.00 arrive Heybridge 15.30
Thursday 14 August – Heybridge Basin
Friday 15 August – Depart Heybridge circa by 17.30, arrive Bradwell before 20.00
Saturday 16 August – Depart Bradwell 08.00 – 09.00 (via Spitway) arriving 19.00 – 18.20 or depart 13.00 – 14.00 (via Raysand) destination URYC arriving 18.20 – 19.20
Sunday 17 August – Destination URYC (contingency day)
Cruising Notes
A PDF of the information on this page plus useful appendices can be downloaded here
Friday 8 August – Spring tides this week. HW Hullbridge 13.19, Burnham HW 12.54, LW 19.18
Depart URYC 15.20 and take the ebb tide to Burnham – stay overnight (buoy or marina)
Saturday 9 August – LW Burnham 07.30, HW URYC 14.00, HW Brightlingsea 13.20
Depart Burnham by 11.00, (or 10.00 if the wind is from an Easterly quarter). Destination Brightlingsea. Maintain a minimum 3 knots over the ground, stay close to the North shore of the Crouch to minimise the adverse tide. The Raysand Channel is 8.5 miles from Burnham Marina. Time your arrival at Holliwell Point between 1 and 2 hours before HW (circa 13.30). Alternatively, leave from URYC as soon as your boat floats and motor sail directly to Holliwell point.
For bilge keel yachts, arriving Holliwell Point between 1 and 1.5 hours before HW, this will enable you to ‘cut the corner’ (saves 2 miles), simply sail in 2.5 – 3 metres depth of water, all the way to the Bench Head Buoy (Blackwater Estuary). Head North and leave the Bench Head Buoy to port and the Colne Bar Buoy to Starboard and head directly to the Inner Bench Head Buoy. (10 miles from Holliwell point). Follow the buoyed channel 2.4 miles to Brightlingsea, arrive 15.00 – 16.00.
Sunday 10 August – HW Bradwell 14.17, HW Tollesbury 14.07
Depart Brightlingsea depending upon the wind direction 10.00 -11.00 sail to Tollesbury (9 miles), smaller boats should depart earliest as timing your arrival is important. After the Nass Beacon, follow the well buoyed channels, be particularly careful in Woodrolfe Creek. Plan to arrive at Tollesbury Marina 13.00 -14.00.
Note it is important to stagger your arrival at Tollesbury, as, due to shallow water, there is not much room to hang about outside the marina waiting to go in. It is strongly recommended to arrive with 100m-200m between boats so you can go straight in.
TIP: please familiarise yourself with the layout of the marina before you arrive, as at high water the large boats on the hammerhead of each row of pontoons float so high you often cannot see the pontoon identifying letters! A plan of the marina is available to down load as an appendix to the full Itinerary and cruising notes for the August Blackwater Cruise here.
Monday 11 August
Day at Tollesbury. In addition to the marina facilities, you can take a short walk into Tollesbury village – pub, shop, tearoom. If you want to be more adventurous consider taking a15 minute taxi ride to Wilkin’s Jam tearoom, museum and jam shop. 6.2 miles.
Tuesday 12 August, HW Tollesbury 15.30, HW Osea 15.45
Depart 14.15 from Tollesbury destination Osea Island (or Marconi Sailing Club moorings). At Tollesbury it’s not the depth over the sill that restricts departure times, it is far more likely to you will run aground in Woodrolfe Creek unless you leave nearer 1 hour before high water (HW 15.30 spring tide).
Osea overnight – if weather fine BBQ on the beach. If weather poor or wind strong from a South to South-westerly quarter, we can make alternative arrangements to pick up a Marconi Yacht Club mooring buoys for the night. The foreshore beach at Marconi is suitable for landing tenders at all states of the tide. 1.2 miles walk along the seawall to the Stone Inn, St Lawrence Bay.
Wednesday 13 August – HW Heybridge circa 16.30
Depart Osea 14.00 (earlier if wind is from a westerly quarter), time your arrival at Heybridge (3.3 miles) no earlier than 14.30. (This link takes you to the lock entry info).
Please note it’s essential to get there at least one hour before HW. Radio the lock keeper when you arrive. Enter the lock when called forward (probably about 16.00 depends upon the number of boats exiting the lock). If it’s very busy visitors can be kept waiting for up to an hour before being given permission to enter. However, as it is spring tides, the lock may open earlier.
If you arrive early, you may find it easier to pick up a vacant buoy and await the lock keepers’ instructions, rather than motor in circles.
If weather fine, BBQ in the evening.
Thursday 14 August
Heybridge basin, visit Maldon by bus or (a long) walk. Check nearby pub/restaurant opening hours for a meal ashore in the evening.
Friday 15 August – HW Heybridge 17.40, LW Bradwell 23.59
Depart Heybridge by 16.30 – 17.30, arrive Bradwell Marina (8 miles) by 20.00 at the very latest. Meal in clubhouse.
Saturday 16 August – LW Bradwell 12.10, HW Burnham 18.18, HW Hullbridge 18.20
Two potential routes:
- Depart Bradwell 08.00 – 09.00 via the Swin Spitway. Time your arrival at the Spitway at LW (circa 11.50). Anticipate arriving at URYC 16.00 – 18.20 depending upon wind direction.
- Alternatively depart Bradwell 13.00 – 14.00 sailing via the Raysand Channel. Time your arrival at the most southerly/shallowest part of the Raysand Channel (10 miles) for 15.40 (2.5 hours before HW). If conditions are calm, in a bilge keel yacht, it is possible to cross a little earlier sticking to the deepest water. Assume arriving at URYC 18.20 – 19.20.
Virtually all moorings at URYC will still be accessible until 20.00 offering ample time to return via either route even with an adverse wind direction
Sunday 17 August – (contingency day)
A PDF of the Itinerary, Cruising notes and useful appendices can be downloaded here
URYC yachts rally at Heybridge Basin 2017
Burnham Tide times – issued by CHA
Date Day |
Burnham High Tides |
Burnham Low Tides |
|||||||
| AM | Metres | PM | Metres | AM | Metres | PM | Metres | ||
| 8 | Fri | 00:38 | 4.60 | 12:54 | 4.73 | 06:46 | 0.59 | 19:18 | 0.26 |
| 9 | Sat | 01:24 | 4.89 | 13:37 | 4.93 | 07:33 | 0.43 | 20:03 | 0.02 |
| 10 | Sun | 02:06 | 5.11 | 14:17 | 5.05 | 08:14 | 0.32 | 20:44 | -0.11 |
| 11 | Mon | 02:46 | 5.24 | 14:54 | 5.12 | 08:52 | 0.28 | 21:24 | -0.15 |
| 12 | Tue | 03:25 | 5.28 | 15:30 | 5.15 | 09:30 | 0.29 | 22:02 | -0.09 |
| 13 | Wed | 04:04 | 5.24 | 16:08 | 5.13 | 10:06 | 0.34 | 22:39 | 0.05 |
| 14 | Thu | 04:45 | 5.11 | 16:47 | 5.05 | 10:44 | 0.43 | 23:18 | 0.25 |
| 15 | Fri | 05:27 | 4.91 | 17:30 | 4.89 | 11:24 | 0.55 | 23:59 | 0.49 |
| 16 | Sat | 06:12 | 4.63 | 18:18 | 4.64 | 12:09 | 0.72 | ||
Times are adjusted for BST
Datum of Predictions: Chart Datum=2.35m below Ordnance Datum Newlyn.
Highest Astronomical Tide (HAT)=5.76m
Lowest Astronomical Tide (LAT)=-0.71m
Mean HW Springs (MHWS)=4.90m
Mean HW Neaps (MHWN)=3.85m
Mean LW Springs (MLWS)=0.10m
Mean LW Neaps (MLWN)=1.15m
Average Flood Time 6hrs 9m
Average Ebb Time 6hrs 16m
TIDE times Bradwell
Tidal Differences
To estimate the time of tides of the destinations on this cruise (plus or minus 10 minutes) use the Burnham Tide Times below. Then apply the differences listed below.
Note however these differences apply to average height tides: The greatest variations occur at the top of spring tides and at low water neaps. There are spring tides during the August Cruise.
To illustrate the AVERAGE tidal differences you might need to factor in, please compare the above high and low tide times at West Mersea with Burnham Tide Times in Appendix one.
Technically they should be less than 5 mins difference between both locations. In reality, you can see it how the difference varies during this week.
- Whitaker Beacon/Swin Spitway minus 20 minutes
- West Mersea and Bradwell are the same as Burnham
- Heybridge Basin add 20 minutes
- Hullbridge add 16 minutes
Heybridge Basin tide times = Maldon minus 5 minutes
HIGH tide times MALDON
Date Time Level (m)
13/08/2025 04:08 2.96
13/08/2025 16:24 3.01
Want to download or print a PDF of the August Cruise 2025, please click this link