Lake we can take a power boat

[CSLmarson]

Hi there
Me and my friend are just getting to the end of fixing up a 18ft power boat with a 115hp mercury on the back and we are looking for somewhere to take it for a power test as we have adjusted the engine running height.
Ideally on a lake and not the sea just in case we have any issues.
Can anyone suggest any good areas to go to?
We are based in Harlow Essex so about an hour and a half tops.
Cheers
Jon

[grumpy52]

Look for a local water ski center, they are among the few inland waterways without restricted speed limits . Most public waters are restricted .

[dhutch]

Certain area of some rivers?

Else at sea, in the right weather, with another boat in support?

Daniel

[dmsims]

Woodham Ferres ?

[Jaguar steve]

Essex rivers are all subject to 4kn or 8kn speed limits and heavily policed.

There's a stretch of the river Crouch east of Fambridge marina to Bridgemarsh marina that's unrestricted and available for anybody to use. The unrestricted stretch to the west of Fambridge is restricted to SWF club members and there's another unrestricted area in the river Blackwater east of Osea island out to sea providing you remain at least 200m clear of the low water mark.

You need to find somewhere to launch remembering that just a couple of hours will change the depth of water available to recover considerably and I'd suggest you check the tide times and always start off into the direction of the tidal flow. If your engine dies its much easier to paddle or tow back with the tide than it is against it.

Wind strength and tidal ebb and flood makes a dramatic difference to the sea state in the rivers so if the tide changes but the wind stays constant particularly when from either the east or west whilst you're out it'll turn a calm river into a rough one or the other way round very quickly.

ETA: I forgot -there's another de restricted stretch in the river Colne between the two anchored floating platforms north of Brightlingsea harbour.

Edited by Jaguar steve on Thursday 31st January 17:00

[Labradorofperception]

There are various ski lakes around Chertsey and that bit of the M25.

i think you should be ok there.

[CSLmarson]

Many thanks for all the advice,
I think brightling sea might be an option and head up the river

[Jaguar steve]

CSLmarson said:

Many thanks for all the advice,
I think brightling sea might be an option and head up the river

If you're not familiar with the area have a look at a chart before you launch. Unless you're out around high water Brightlingsea harbour and approach needs care and although the river Colne is wide a lot of it is very shallow out of the marked channel at almost any state of the tide.

[DrDeAtH]

Coniston water?

[Equus]

DrDeAtH said:

Coniston water

...has a 10mph speed limit and is a 5 1/2 hour drive from the OP, when he specified an hour and a half maximum.

Other that that, it's perfect.

[dmsims]

Outer Thames estuary

I know they have ramps on Canvey - PH content:

[anonymous-user]

Jaguar steve said:

CSLmarson said:

Many thanks for all the advice,
I think brightling sea might be an option and head up the river

If you're not familiar with the area have a look at a chart before you launch. Unless you're out around high water Brightlingsea harbour and approach needs care and although the river Colne is wide a lot of it is very shallow out of the marked channel at almost any state of the tide.

+1. The mud up Brightlingsea creek is nasty and doesn't take much tide to mask pretty nasty mudbanks. Tide is fairly swift there too, so don't be too loose with the tide times. I've had to drag my kayak up the mud there on more than one occasion and it sucks. Both literally and in the American sense.

Canvey can get very choppy, and lots of VERY large stuff about that you may not want to get in the way of, if you're on a test/shakedown. Nice and close though, M11/M25/A13 will see you there in 40 mins, if towing.

Mersea may be worth looking at. I think you can still launch at the Strood (the causeway between Mersea Island and the mainland) if tides are right, otherwise there are slipways on the island you can use. Parking is a premium though, especially for something with a trailer. Please don't be "that" guy that buzzes the beach/fishermen, it is tiresome

Otherwise a little further up the coast, the Orwell between Shotley and the Orwell Bridge (A14) is a nice run, not sure on speed limits but the stretch is good. Ditto the Alde, put in at Slaughden or Aldeburgh, and head upriver, some lovely open stretches there, very calm if you end up with issues and really nice scenery too. It is quite a bit further though.

[anonymous-user]

Or if you have a few quid and are pretty serious, there is always Gosfield, for private hire. Not the biggest but if you're alone you can really open the taps.

https://www.gosfieldlake.co.uk/lakehire.php

[AlexiusG55]

A bit far (2 hrs) but Breydon Water near Great Yarmouth has no speed limits.

There are other bits of the Broads, perhaps easier to get to where you can get an exemption from the speed limit for speed trials after repair if you have a boatyard employee on board and in charge of the vessel. Might be worth contacting some yards...

Edited by AlexiusG55 on Monday 4th February 18:00

[megaphone]

Many lakes won't allow petrol engines, all have to be LPG, due to pollution issues.

[Jaguar steve]

OpulentBob said:

Jaguar steve said:

CSLmarson said:

Many thanks for all the advice,
I think brightling sea might be an option and head up the river

If you're not familiar with the area have a look at a chart before you launch. Unless you're out around high water Brightlingsea harbour and approach needs care and although the river Colne is wide a lot of it is very shallow out of the marked channel at almost any state of the tide.

+1. The mud up Brightlingsea creek is nasty and doesn't take much tide to mask pretty nasty mudbanks. Tide is fairly swift there too, so don't be too loose with the tide times. I've had to drag my kayak up the mud there on more than one occasion and it sucks. Both literally and in the American sense.

Canvey can get very choppy, and lots of VERY large stuff about that you may not want to get in the way of, if you're on a test/shakedown. Nice and close though, M11/M25/A13 will see you there in 40 mins, if towing.

Mersea may be worth looking at. I think you can still launch at the Strood (the causeway between Mersea Island and the mainland) if tides are right, otherwise there are slipways on the island you can use. Parking is a premium though, especially for something with a trailer. Please don't be "that" guy that buzzes the beach/fishermen, it is tiresome

Otherwise a little further up the coast, the Orwell between Shotley and the Orwell Bridge (A14) is a nice run, not sure on speed limits but the stretch is good. Ditto the Alde, put in at Slaughden or Aldeburgh, and head upriver, some lovely open stretches there, very calm if you end up with issues and really nice scenery too. It is quite a bit further though.

Strood needs high water with a short window either side. West Mersea is restricted to 4kN until you're 200m offshore and into the Blackwater. Mersea Flats are 8kn until you're 200m offshore and East Mersea in the Colne is 8kN except for a derestricted section between two floating platforms.

River Orwell is 6kN everywhere except for a unrestricted PWC area off Collimer point.

River Alde is 8kN everywhere until you're south of Aldebrough and join the Ore. There's a mile or so unrestricted stretch on the Ore between there and Orford and another stretch of a mile or so once past the South Cardinal buoy on Havergate island towards the entrance at Shingle Street.

River Deben has a mile or so unrestricted stretch just north of the moorings at Felixtowe Ferry. Above that it's 8kN to Woodbridge and below it's 10kN through the moorings and out to sea.

Evil current on both ebb and flood at Deben and Ore entrances.

[anonymous-user]

Yep. I've been caught there a few times on the Kayak. Sweating like buggery just to see yourself going backwards.

[Jaguar steve]

OpulentBob said:

Yep. I've been caught there a few times on the Kayak. Sweating like buggery just to see yourself going backwards.

It's not the most fun you'll ever have afloat on a yacht fighting a stormy night and ebb tide into the Deben with a 5HP outboard either...

[ColinM50]

Used to live in Enfield and we took our ski boat, every Sunday for twenty months without missing a beat, to Pentney lakes between Swaffham and Kings Lynn in Norfolk and for a few years was secretary of the ski club that we set up there. To be fair this was a few years ago, but we visited there last year for old times sake and the ski club is still there.

Googled and this came up. https://www.bwsw.org.uk/clubs/premier-water-ski-sc...

Just found this too. They've got a mile and a half stretch of "river to play about on. http://www.fenlandwaterskiclub.co.uk/

Edited by ColinM50 on Wednesday 6th February 22:24