Anchoring in a navigable river/estuary

[dylanwinter]

I have just spent three days up the River Ouse

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/River_Ouse,_Yorkshire

in Yorkshire -

it is a continuation of the Humber and gets you all the way to York

Once I got above Goole I saw no other traffic

nothing.... zilch... zip....

the weather was great, the scenery was lovely and the birds plentiful

so I had a wonderful time drifting gently up and down with with neap tide using my new temporary Topper rig (the rig you can raise between bridges)

the first night I anchored just at the mouth of the River Ayre in about 4.5 m

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/River_Aire

but I could hear the M62

the second night I ran out of light and dropped the hook close to the bank much further up the Ouse in 6m of water

it was along the wind sheltered bank on a long straight with a fairly even depth all around it - on the basis that it would be easy for the giant barge to steer around me

obviously I deployed my anchor light

http://www.saltyjohn.co.uk/anchorlight.htm

but did not sleep well as visions of getting run down by a big barge travelling at night and drowning me in my head kept on coming into my head

or

a wind shift coming in and putting one keel onto the steep-to bank as the tide went down and me drowing in my bed

or..

even worse - being reported to the authorities for breaking the rules


Clearly in the past the old Humber barges used to drop anchor all over the place and wait for the next tide

I have looked on-line for rules

the pilot mentions going slowly past anchored boats so I assume it is legal

does anyone have a URL or some general guidance as I intend spending a lot of time on the Ouse and its tributaries this winter

Dylan

PS - it was a plough and held very well

 

[Seajet]

Dylan,

no matter what any rules say I'd make sure to have a brighter than average anchor light - keeping an eye on any background light clutter you might get lost in, if there is any - and a big radar reflector...

 

[savageseadog]

The very fact that there are very few other leisure craft around will mean the commercials might not expect you to be there. I was very aware of this when I made a dead of winter delivery round the South coast. I would go for a powerful deck light.

 

[VicS]

I have looked on-line for rules

the pilot mentions going slowly past anchored boats so I assume it is legal

does anyone have a URL or some general guidance as I intend spending a lot of time on the Ouse and its tributaries this winter

I found a small amount of info via the York Marina website,
http://www.yorkmarina.co.uk/images/documents/river-ouse-guidance-notes.pdf, but you have probably already seen that

 

[Salty John]

Dylan,

I can sympathise with your concerns about being run down by a commercial barge having spent two weeks travelling between Galveston and New Orleans on the Gulf ICW. The commercial traffic is huge and unrelenting, secure anchorages almost non-existent.

Anchoring alongside the bank was hazardous because a passing barge will suck your stern towards itself while at the same time it struggles with ‘bank effect’ which is trying to force his stern towards the bank – and you. I slept with one eye open for days!

 

[Seajet]

Salty Johns' mention of bank effect is very relevant.

When I went to work on a 38 metre barge on the Burgundy canals she had a large window near the stern smashed and covered in polythene; passing a moored boat it had been sucked towards her and a protruding spar had gone straight through - this was a toughened glass job !

In Dylans' proposed situation I might seriously think about lying to two good anchors fore & aft to keep in line with the bank; KatieL's being a double ender would be a big help.

 

[Zagato]

It's half way through October so it must be Christmas Time to get the lights out along the top sides and a big neon Santa up the mast

 

[dylanwinter]

well - what a surprise

I downloaded the pdf that seajet found

got a number for the harbour master for the Ouse


I phoned up and got a multiple choice phone thingy

then I pressed option two

got a lovely piece of music on a five second loop

then I spoke to a young woman

first of all she thought I was talking about the other Ouse

then she said hang on.... I need to get a map

she said that they are in control of the river between Goole and the first lock at Naburn

I could get a daily license via email costing £8.50 a day and they will email me an eight digit license number to put on the boat

or I can get a waterways river license costing £350

as per usual they run from january to january

so to cover me for the winter would be £700

unless I get a 30 day license for use any time

I did not ask what the fine would be for not having a license as that would be trouble

I will not be asking for any bridges to be opened for me

Dylan

PS - she told me that anchoring is no problem

 

[Seajet]

Dylan,

thanks but it was VicS who made the effort and found the pdf.

 

[Searush]

Did you ask what you would get (beside the pretty numbers sticker) for your £350? Funny how quick they are to ask for money & slow to explain the wonderful & useful(?) services they offer.

It does suggest that it probably pays to just keep your head down & say nowt. Pity it's a bit late for that now.

Do you have a dinghy? Might it be worth putting a canal boat style mud screw into the bank from your stern to keep you fore & aft? Does the flood exceed the river flow enough to cause a problem with a stern line?

I like the use of a Topper rig for backwater doodling, would you like to post a link to a short clip of it in use?

 

[prv]

Might it be worth putting a canal boat style mud screw into the bank from your stern to keep you fore & aft?

If there's an actual bank (don't want to watch the videos at work so not sure of the surroundings) why not just moor up to it? Katie must draw buggerall with the plate up, so should be able to get alongside. Couple of stakes (or dog-lead screws) into the bank and job done.

I assume there isn't a bank as such, or the ever-sensible land-hugging Dylan would already be doing this

Pete

 

[Searush]

If there's an actual bank (don't want to watch the videos at work so not sure of the surroundings) why not just moor up to it? Katie must draw buggerall with the plate up, so should be able to get alongside. Couple of stakes (or dog-lead screws) into the bank and job done.

I assume there isn't a bank as such, or the ever-sensible land-hugging Dylan would already be doing this

Pete

As he says, the river is still tidal & the banks are steep, there must be a risk (if only a perceived one) of grounding the outside keel if too close to the bank & rolling over with the masts stuck in the mud as the tide returns.

But he wouldn't drown in hs bunk, he'd fall out & wake up before drowning.

 

[dylanwinter]

there is a tidal fall

If there's an actual bank (don't want to watch the videos at work so not sure of the surroundings) why not just moor up to it? Katie must draw buggerall with the plate up, so should be able to get alongside. Couple of stakes (or dog-lead screws) into the bank and job done.

I assume there isn't a bank as such, or the ever-sensible land-hugging Dylan would already be doing this

Pete

the tidal fall is up to 4m

so bank mooring can be a bit dodgy

D

 

[onesea]

the tidal fall is up to 4m

so bank mooring can be a bit dodgy

D

Another idea is run your bow into the mud keep her at 90deg she is very unlikely to capsize longitudinaly

Always the danger of finding a side creek to roll into then you could just use that to dry out in...

I would treat each berthing with imagination, always the danger with drying out in unknown waters, there are unknown dangers.

One things I do not miss from bilge keels..

 

[Pleiades]

Anchor lite not recommended

Having heard two ships chatter ship to ship to each other about how poorly lit my own vessel was as they passed me I would not skimp on lights. If your anchor light is at the top of the mast it may well be lost to line of sight from the bridge of a small ship as the masthead light merges into shoreline lights. So I would have another light suspended just above your cabin top - even a low power hurricane lamp or oil anchor lamp will help because the reflection of the light on your white cabin top, window frames etc will magnify the apparent light output. It also helps someone looking through binos to guage your size and get the necessary perspective as to how you are lying in the stream. White over white may not be technically correct but being seen in good time is better than being squished.......

Robin
Pleiades of Birdham
MXWQ5

 

[dylanwinter]

salty John anchor light

Having heard two ships chatter ship to ship to each other about how poorly lit my own vessel was as they passed me I would not skimp on lights. If your anchor light is at the top of the mast it may well be lost to line of sight from the bridge of a small ship as the masthead light merges into shoreline lights. So I would have another light suspended just above your cabin top - even a low power hurricane lamp or oil anchor lamp will help because the reflection of the light on your white cabin top, window frames etc will magnify the apparent light output. It also helps someone looking through binos to guage your size and get the necessary perspective as to how you are lying in the stream. White over white may not be technically correct but being seen in good time is better than being squished.......

Robin
Pleiades of Birdham
MXWQ5

the anchor light from salty John

http://www.saltyjohn.co.uk/anchorlight.htm

(which I paid for myself although other suppliers are available)


is really powerful and it has a lens in the bottom so it also illuminated the cockpit/foredeck

it sips power - which is also great

I usually bungee it to the top of my echo-sounding pea stick and then prop it up in the cockpit

the other wonderful thing about it is that is amazingly weterpoof and great fun for shoving under water and confusing the fish/illuminating the bottom.

It is not quite on a par with mobo underwater light displays - but in its own way it gives me pleasure on the long nights I am starting to experience on the boat

I also use it as a reading light in the cabin - now that my eyes are getting dim then the extra light is most useful

of course... when anchored then I can't use it for reading

but I have a plan....

Dylan

 

[Blueboatman]

Here's an excuse to blag a cuppa when next you happen upon a moored up barge...ask the skipper if they use radar as a primary nav tool at night on the rivers?
If so you may be investing in some Norah Batty sized stout tights, stuffed with crinkly tin foil and hoisted up the flag hallyard?

Btw.delighted that KTL's slightly bigger vessel is letting you do so much more..

 

[dylanwinter]

size is unimportant

Here's an excuse to blag a cuppa when next you happen upon a moored up barge...ask the skipper if they use radar as a primary nav tool at night on the rivers?
If so you may be investing in some Norah Batty sized stout tights, stuffed with crinkly tin foil and hoisted up the flag hallyard?

Btw.delighted that KTL's slightly bigger vessel is letting you do so much more..

I am doing more sailing

less fixing and worrying

it was not the size of the slug that was the problem

it was the engine

D

 

[FWB]

Anchor Light

This is a great product..
http://www.bebi-electronics.com/owl.html
They are very nice people to deal with. I received my light in about 2 weeks.
The battery drain is minute, the light is unbelievably bright.

 

[prv]

This is a great product..
http://www.bebi-electronics.com/owl.html
They are very nice people to deal with.

Second that - especially the "nice people" part.

I did have a lamp lost in transit; I emailed just to query how long it normally took and they went to the airport that day specially to send out another (at their own expense).

I ordered some more lamps the following year, and remembering the delay last time they upgraded to Fedex express, again at no extra cost to me.

Emails are replied to within minutes, at least during UK evening time.

The goods turn up padded with sheets of Fijiian newspaper, which is quite entertaining to read. They pop in a local photo or postcard as well.

For my own project, I wanted to drill holes into a couple of lamps to take screws. I emailed to ask what the structure inside the resin looked like, ie how deep I could drill. As well as giving detailed information, Michael expressed regret that I hadn't told them when originally ordering, as they would have been happy to pre-drill the holes for me.

Very nice people, good products. I'm a happy customer.

Pete