Long-term moorings in Ipswich

Moorings in Ipswich are at the head of the River Orwell in Suffolk. Berths are either in the wet dock, which is reached through a lock, or on the tidal water of Ostrich Creek and New Cut just outside it. The rest of the estuary, down to Harwich, is covered on the Stour and Orwell page.

Moorings in Ipswich

• Ipswich Beacon Marina: in the wet dock, run by Associated British Ports (ABP) and formerly called Ipswich Haven Marina. It has more than 300 berths, for boats up to 40 metres long.
• Fox's Marina and Boatyard: 100 pontoon berths in Ostrich Creek with access at all states of the tide, and storage ashore for over 200 boats. Morgan Marine of Brightlingsea bought it, as reported in January 2026.
• Orwell Yacht Club: a members' club that shares Ostrich Creek with Fox's. It has over 150 moorings, from deep water swinging moorings to tidal pontoon and pile moorings in its basin.
• Debbage Yachting: a family-run yard with moorings on New Cut West, a short walk from the town centre.

On the water

• Harbour authority: ABP runs the Port of Ipswich. Its Orwell Navigation Service works 24 hours a day on VHF channel 68, and leisure boats are asked to keep a listening watch on it.
• The lock: ABP says the lock into the wet dock works 24 hours a day, every day of the year, with at least one lock in or out each hour. The marina office answers on VHF channel 80.
• Ships: ABP treats the Orwell as a narrow channel. Boats under 20 metres and sailing boats must not impede ships, and should pass astern of them when crossing.
• Speed: yellow buoys mark a 6 knot speed limit on the river towards Ipswich.
• Tides: outside the lock the water is tidal. Mean high water springs at Ipswich is about 4.2m and mean low water springs about 0.3m.
• Orwell Bridge: every boat bound for Ipswich passes under it. A harbour directory gives its clearance as 38 metres.