Iken Sailing

Based on the edge of the beautiful tidal estuary, sailing here when the tide is up is fantastic for beginners due to its shallow sheltered bay, it is also a great base for more experienced sailors to head off to explore further afield so if you sail why not bring your boat!

Not just sailing, Barge Sailing!

AN UNFORGETABLE SAILING EXPERIANCE EXPLORING THE LOCAL ESTUARYS
With Richard Johnson

You can’t help but notice Dinah our Thames sailing Barge which was originally built by Gill in Rochester, one of the best barge makers at this time. She was built in 1889 and delivered hay to London for horses and would have brought manure back to fertilize the land. Dina was later used as a personal yacht for The Hon Reginald Brougham, who invented metal golf drivers. She is one of only three in the world of her size and built exactly like the full size sailing barge, with a flat bottom and slightly flared sides. In 1979 Dinah had fallen derelict and was transported to Ipswich to be restored.
In 2003 Richard brought her as a wreck and totally restored her in Southwold by a traditional boat builder. It took a total of three years and she was lucky enough to have the skilled handy work of three generations working on her restoration – Grandfather 84, son 50 and his grandson 20 years old.
Dinah is now a barge yacht in so much her cargo is people in relative luxury, flush loos, wet room, fully equipped Galley (Kitchen), Dining for 8 and sleeping for 6. She is a solid boat weighing in excess of 30 tonnes with powerful engines as well as the traditional sail rigging known as the ‘sprit rig’.
She is totally flat bottomed which enables her to float in 1 metre of water and travel very smoothly.
Our trip can start at Iken in the bay which contains the famous landmark Iken Church which is around 1000 years old. The River Alde is beautiful and unspoilt with so much history, at low tide meanders down to Aldeburgh, it is totally non-commercial and feeds many species of waders and wildlife, seals, otters and an abundance of fish.
Our trips will enable you to see the wildlife. We disembark to walk the spit, the longest shingle island in Europe. Here you may capture a glimpse of foxes and hares , herring Gulls nesting and listen to the sky larks singing as they rest in fauna which is beautiful and fragrant.
Our trips can take between 5 and 9 hours depending on destinations and time spent off the boat visiting. We take a maximum of 6 persons.

This really is an adventure you will never forget.

Butley Tour – only the sound of nature breaks the silence
Dinah can take you up the Alde Estuary to Butley where can drop anchor and disembark to enable you to visit burrows hill where there is still evidence of a saxon village commanding a high position where you can see for miles around.

Deben Explorer – A lovely trip with the bonus of a great feed
With this trip Dinah will take you out to the North Sea and then back inland via the River Deben, we can stop for a feast at the famous ‘Ramsholt Inn’ pub on the river and visit the unique Ramsholt Church.

Please Note :

All trips are weather dependant to ensure you have the best experience on Dinah
Life jackets can be provided on board
We are covered by Public Liability insurance up to 5million