Anchor hazard Top of Stangate creek

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Keith 66

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Sunday morning we were anchored at the top of Stangate creek round the corner before you turn up to Lower Halstow creek, slightly south of the middle of the creek. On trying to get our anchor up found it well & truly stuck.
Took two strong lads & me three quarters of an hour to get it up with a loop of heavy 10mm chain hooked over it. Released our own anchor & then up one end comes with a 33ld Bruce attached to it which we unshackled. The chain we could not recover so buoyed with an old white fender & released.
It was afloat at half ebb. Bear in mind it may be under at high tide.
Lower Halstow YC are aware & may try to recover it.
Broke my heart letting good galv chain go but at least we won an anchor!
 
Lots of junk on the bottom in Stangate
I once picked up enough lead piping on a coil to nearly sink my dinghy, another time a wire rope which nearly burnt out my windlass.
you never know what's below.
 
I have been sailing & anchoring there since the 70's & have only caught something three times. Once a baked bean tin went on the point of the cqr & we dragged, It must have been dropped shortly before as it still had some beans in it!
Second time was a 7ft roll of carpet tied up with cord on west side just off the old outfall about 1/4 mile south of sharfleet entrance, hell of a job getting that to the surface. Its still there. Often wondered if there was something nasty wrapped up inside it!
Then last weekend.
Lower Halstow YC told me there is a heavy chain at entrance to Funton that has caught a few people.
Entrance to Stangate on left one of our club members had an undercarriage leg from an aeroplane, thats still there as well!
 
Keith 66 said:
Sunday morning we were anchored at the top of Stangate creek round the corner before you turn up to Lower Halstow creek, slightly south of the middle of the creek. On trying to get our anchor up found it well & truly stuck.
Took two strong lads & me three quarters of an hour to get it up with a loop of heavy 10mm chain hooked over it. Released our own anchor & then up one end comes with a 33ld Bruce attached to it which we unshackled. The chain we could not recover so buoyed with an old white fender & released.
It was afloat at half ebb. Bear in mind it may be under at high tide.
Lower Halstow YC are aware & may try to recover it.
Broke my heart letting good galv chain go but at least we won an anchor!
Click to expand...

An update to this, I eventually got round to getting an accurate position yesterday. The fender is submerged at high water but visible at low water. One of our members did have a go at lifting the chain, but couldn't free it either. We (LHYC) don't have a suitable work boat to attempt to move it.
The position is (can't find a degree symbol on my iPad):
051 23.669 N

000 41.523 E
 
Last edited:
FulmarJeddo said:
An update to this, I eventually got round to getting an accurate position yesterday. The fender is submerged at high water but visible at low water. One of our members did have a go at lifting the chain, but couldn't free it either. We (LHYC) don't have a suitable work boat to attempt to move it.
The position is (can't find a degree symbol on my iPad):
051 23.67 N

000 44.52 E
Click to expand...

Is it me or are the coordinates wrong? It shows up on the W bank of the Swale for me, unless I’ve got it wrong (quite probable).
 
I saw it the other day and noted a rough position.
I'll settle for the northing but it must be 0 41 east rather than 0 44.
 
Keith 66 said:
Here you go, revised position put into Google maps, https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place...4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x0!8m2!3d51.3945!4d0.692?hl=en, Im wondering if whatever is on the bottom is part of the dolphin that used to be there back in the 70's that used to be at the outer end of the pipeline used to fill Barksore marshes? if so its probably got more than one anchor stuck on it!
Click to expand...

Mmmm, that still looks a bit far East. I have my plotter at home and will check the Waypoint I marked. I have an extra power lead but need to get a 12v battery out so will do it tomorrow. I definitely wrote 44 down, but a rather nasty squall hit just as I got back to the creek on Sunday afternoon.
 
Apologies, I did make an error with the Minutes East. I cant even blame a typo as I had hand written 44 on a paper notepad. Must be dyslexia or just carelessness. Correct position to 3 decimal places:
051 23.669 N
000 41.523 E

Keith 66, from memory I thought the old pipeline was a bit further East, nearer the entrance to the Shade and Funton Creek. I think there's still a pile of old pipes on the Sea Wall.
 
Just plotted that, and amazed that I've never hooked it! Just pot luck, I suppose. Going that way on Saturday, I shall tread carefully, thanks for posting it.
 
I seem to remember the dolphin & pipeline being somewhat further east as well.
Im surprised i havent hooked it before as well!
Keep us informed if someone gets the chain up, in the meantime i will pass the cordinates onto a workboat skipper i know, he wont be able to resist the lure of 90ft of good 10mm chain if he is passing that way.
 
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