Lowestoft is blessed with access to both a large system of fresh water and the sea. Entering the outer harbour from the sea, vessels up to 22 m (72') beam can pass through the harbour bridge into Lake Lothing, which is a 3 km (2 mile) stretch of quayed waterway under the management of Associated British Ports now only sparsely used by commercial traffic. Mutford Lock at the western end of Lake Lothing provides access into Oulton Broad and thence to the full extent of the 'Norfolk' Broads (regulated by The Broads Authority).

If you wish only to explore the Broads then you are well served by a free council slip into Oulton Broad adjacent to Nicholas Everitt park with plentiful pay and display parking on hand. The Broads Authority requires that you buy a licence for £9.90 for a week for sailing dinghies up to 6m (19' 9"), £11.80 if you have a motor. Oulton Broad is connected to the River Waveney and thence to Breydon Water, the rivers Yare and Bure and to the Norfolk Broads proper. You can transfer from Lake Lothing to the Broads by using Mutford Lock at Oulton Broad. This has to be pre-arranged by phone - 01502 531778 or 574946 or VHF Channels 73, 9 and 14 between 0800 and 1800 from April to October, and costs £7 per transit or for a day return.

Lake Lothing Facilities

Lake Lothing has 11 slips, none of which are public, nor indeed can any be used on a whim as one needs to make prior arrangements for access. I am assured by Paul Moss, the Project manager of the Waveney Sunrise Scheme, that he personally will attempt to include a public one in future regeneration projects. Associated British Ports' local manager, Nick Ridehalgh, sees no reason to include one and is likely to oppose such a move! They have recently built the 140 berth Lowestoft Haven Marina in Lake Lothing and Hamilton Dock for boats between 7 to 20 m (23 to 66'). The main part is at the western end near Oulton Broad on the south shore with road access from Victoria Road (A146). This hasn't got a slip! A 70 tonne capacity travel hoist is available however and costs £9 per metre to launch and is capable of launching 4 or 5m (12' to 16') dinghies! I don't think that many DCA members will be using it somehow, even for the restaurant and bar. Visitors' moorings at this Marina cost £1.70 per metre per day. ABP do not officially allow anchoring or sailing in Lake Lothing but turn a blind eye to the latter.

Oulton Broad is home to the Excelsior Trust and the beautifully restored fishing smack Excelsior can sometimes be seen at their interesting boat restoration yard in Harbour Road. Oulton Broad also has its own very fine brewery on the small industrial estate (opposite the new Marina) in Harbour Road. Oulton Ales are renowned locally and their on-site pub 'The Brewery Tap' is well worth a visit if you like real ale and rock music.

Slips and Launching

The most readily available slip is at The Royal Norfolk & Suffolk Yacht Club located just south of the Harbour Bridge. This needs pre-arranging by phoning 01502 566726. The slip charges are £15 for a launch and haul out, or £7.50 for a one-way trip. Plentiful parking exists on the adjacent Council pay & display parks though these are very busy in summer and at weekends. It is possible to hand-launch an empty and very light dinghy from the beach close to the Yacht Club and also at Claremont Pier to the south. The beach is not steep but is relatively firm sand. We locals do manage to launch for free in Lake Lothing through personal contacts. You may be able to make your own arrangements with the boatyards in Harbour Road.

Harbour Control and Navigation

Lowestoft Harbour Control, Associated British Ports, Lowestoft provide an information sheet for small craft and yachts using the harbour. Those requiring to pass out to sea or to pass under or through the harbour bridge which divides Lake Lothing from the outer harbour are required to contact Harbour Control on VHF Channel 14, by phone on 01502 572286 or in person by climbing up to the bridge control tower (on the north side of the channel just seawards of the bridge). There is plenty of depth clearance at MHWS of 2.2m (7') in the centre but only 0.5m (1'7") at the side. Air draft with the bridge down is never enough for a masted boat but a small boat without a mast can always get underneath with plenty of water below the keel. Lowering the mast allows a dinghy to exit Lake Lothing and enter the sea at a time of its own choosing. Otherwise the bridge will lift specifically for masted small boats, following 20 min prior notice to Harbour Control, only at 0700, 0945, 1115, 1430, 1600, 1800 (not Sat/Sun or Bank Holidays), 1900 and 2100.

Movement through the harbour entrance is controlled from the tower by 3 lights in a vertical line situated on the pier on the south side of the entrance. Three reds means don't pass, 3 greens means all clear to enter or leave. The more usual signal of green, white, green requires you to contact the tower before using the entrance, if possible. Harbour control has a clear view of the outer harbour, and also of Lake Lothing, so they will definitely see you if you haven't been able to contact them. However they will be uncertain as to your intentions unless you are able to speak to them. Buildings will obscure small vessels at sea trying to enter from the north, and it would be wise for them to manoeuvre to the south of the entrance where the tower has a clear view before attempting to enter. In our experience they will eventually acknowledge a dinghy wishing to enter if they circle around in view, by changing to green lights. In an emergency, a small boat, without means of contacting harbour Control, could risk entering against the lights but it would be extremely dangerous due to large vessels leaving. The entrance has little flow through it so wind against tide caused by the entrance is not often a problem. However, the tide across the entrance can be daunting especially on the ebb and requires an engine to overcome it quickly enough to be certain of not colliding with the north pier. It is certainly possible for a small boat to come in under sail at slack water and at other times (the racing dinghies do it every weekend) but we have never tried it in our 4.2 m (14') dinghy Marian.

Nearby Destinations

Adjacent ports are Great Yarmouth to the north and Southwold to the south. Yarmouth has direct access to the Broads - to Breydon Water or the River Bure. Sea journeys from Lowestoft can be dull for some tastes with long stretches of low-lying country and the occasional settlement all along the Norfolk and Suffolk coasts. However, we find the 16 km (10 nautical mile journey) to Southwold rewarding and one can safely negotiate this entrance if you take a little local advice. Thereafter there are the pleasures of Southwold's Blackshore, the Harbour Inn, the town itself and the handsome Blyth Estuary to explore if you can lower the mast. Further south one has an exposed 30 km (19 nm) leg to the more difficult Ore & Alde entrance and a further 6.5 km (4 nm) to the equally difficult Deben. Sailing north past Yarmouth (a busy port not to be entered lightly) could soon become more interesting since a wind farm (which starts operating in August this year) is being built on Scroby Sands, the main drying bank amongst the string of banks which stretch along the coast from Benacre to Hemsby, up to 5 km (3 nm) offshore. These shift around and one would be wise (as always) to use an up-to-date chart if one wishes to navigate through them. Scroby has populations of seals and is always worth a visit. Beyond Yarmouth lies the challenging 67 km (42 nm) to Blakeney along the harbourless east Norfolk coast. Dinghy cruising from Lowestoft often starts by towing a trailer on the A12 or A146 to less challenging or more scenic parts.

Thanks to Tim Delaney for information and suggestions. Further information from Associated British Ports leaflet and website, Lowestoft Harbour Control, the RNSYC website and receptionist and The Broads Authority website.