Anchoring in Kirby Creek

[AntarcticPilot]

How could a sewer pipe discharge into Kirby Creek? Where would it discharge from?
I don't buy that.

I very much doubt that the farm on Horsey Island has a sewage treatment plant. And the farmers around Hamford Water may well use sewage sludge on their fields. There's plenty of places E. Coli could come from; it's an extremely common bug that lives in everyone's guts. Mostly it's well behaved!

 

[ex-Gladys]

Ok, I meant UNTREATED sewage... When I was a kid in Cornwall, the untreated stuff came out from the other side of the harbour wall below the sailing club balcony! Yes, I used to swim in it too!

 

[PeterWright]

I think there's a world of difference between discharging the treated water from a sewage works and discharging untreated sewage.

 

[Slowboat35]

I'd have thought the farm would be more likely to have a septic tank, it isn't very near the water and a pipe would be a long and costly installation.
But even so, the small amount of sewage produced by the farm would surely be heavily ouhtweighed by numbers of visiting boats pumping out?

 

[oilybilge]

The general impression I get from this thread is:

1) There are no oyster beds in Kirby Creek
2) The 'no anchoring' message is coming from people who have moorings there.

If this is indeed the case (and I'll wait and see what the ECP say) then it's completely unacceptable. We have the right to anchor anywhere, except in certain well-defined circumstances which don't seem to apply here. My feeling is we should actively assert that right, like ramblers do with rights of way, and tell the shouty people in dinghies where they get off.

 

[Dan Tribe]

The general impression I get from this thread is:

1) There are no oyster beds in Kirby Creek
2) The 'no anchoring' message is coming from people who have moorings there.

If this is indeed the case (and I'll wait and see what the ECP say) then it's completely unacceptable. We have the right to anchor anywhere, except in certain well-defined circumstances which don't seem to apply here. My feeling is we should actively assert that right, like ramblers do with rights of way, and tell the shouty people in dinghies where they get off.

That was also my suspicion. Not so much about protecting oyster beds but more about keeping foreigners away.
"We don't want your sort here".
It's seems to becoming an increasing attitude.

 

[Poecheng]

When we were spoken to (13 July) we were only just inside the sign, which we hadn't noticed. As I have mentioned before , we noticed it had gone previously and didn't check whether it was back up again, nor really see the need to.
He didn't seem to want to discuss it - I wasn't expecting it, was called up into the cockpit and was trying to understand what he was getting at and to understand where the layings where - and he drove off rather than explain anything.
However, he was ok about being the other side of the sign - so a move towards Hamford Water of about 20m - as we stayed there one or two nights after and he went past without issue after we were the other side of the sign.
So if it is a territory thing, it is closely defined at the Hamford Water end but entirely undefined in the creek (the withys are old and very few) and at the other end of the 'territory' where the end of the alleged layings are not marked.
It may be from those who have moorings at the very end of the creek by the landing point past Honey Island but there are no moorings in the location of the 'oyster beds'

 

[ianc1200]

I am still trying to speak to Owen Bloom of Naze Oysters, who last worked the beds, to ask him 1. If he has passed the the licence on, and 2. is he aware of anybody trying to restart laying the beds. I've been told he is at the marina most days, but no success so far.

 

[Aquaboy]

There are oysters and mussels on Collimer point opposite SYH. I usually have the mussels a couple of times in the Autumn. Soak them 24 hours in fresh water and they're fine

 

[ianc1200]

Unfortunately seems there are attempts to relay the oyster beds - unfortunate for those wishing to anchor that is. The security chap at Titchmarsh tells me he is Owen Blooms second cousin, and Naze Oysters and another firm (forgotten name) jointly own the licence, and are relaying oysters. This doesn't explain who the people are who are telling boaters not to anchor, or why they are getting involved in stopping people anchoring, or why the beds are not marked.

 

[LittleSister]

Ok, I meant UNTREATED sewage... When I was a kid in Cornwall, the untreated stuff came out from the other side of the harbour wall below the sailing club balcony! Yes, I used to swim in it too!

FURTHER FRED DRIFT ALERT!

Some years ago I was tasked with identifying where, in a scenic coastal part of South-West Ireland, some new development should go. My research into the available infrastructure revealed that most of the towns/villages discharged their untreated, or only partially-treated, sewage into the harbour when the tide was ebbing. All but one of the rest did it regardless of what the tide was doing! The only town which had proper treatment and an extended sewage outfall did not have a reliable water supply. (That was a different problem to the tourist season water shortages that most of the area suffered). It turned out that the powers that be did not consider that such trifling details should stand in the way of the progress/money-making opportunities that development offered.

 

[LittleSister]

But even so, the small amount of sewage produced by the farm would surely be heavily ouhtweighed by numbers of visiting boats pumping out?

The small amount of sewage visiting boats pump out will in turn be heavily outweighed by the seals, fishes and birds, er, pumping out.

 

[Gargleblaster]

My son lived in Northern California for a few years and most of the quieter beaches we tried to take my grandaughter too were marked as polluted. Being the sort who reads the fine print on warning signs I found that the pollution was caused my marine mammals, birdlife and fish defecating in the ocean.

 

[ex-Gladys]

My son lived in Northern California for a few years and most of the quieter beaches we tried to take my grandaughter too were marked as polluted. Being the sort who reads the fine print on warning signs I found that the pollution was caused my marine mammals, birdlife and fish defacating in the ocean.

Which is why I don't like fish... they swim in their own poo all the time....

 

[Lucky Duck]

I'd keep away from drinking water - fish have sex in it!

 

[MikeBz]

My son lived in Northern California for a few years and most of the quieter beaches we tried to take my grandaughter too were marked as polluted. Being the sort who reads the fine print on warning signs I found that the pollution was caused my marine mammals, birdlife and fish defecating in the ocean.

Sadly that level of dimwittedness has spread to this side of the pond. This summer some bright spark at Tendring District Council printed off a few sheets of A4 with "Caution: Jellyfish" in big letters, sealed them in plastic bags and cable-tied them to the railings around prom near the paddling pool in Brightlingsea. Really? There are jellyfish in the sea???? Shock horror. Needless to say in last night's wind they have detached themselves (the notices, not the jellyfish) and are now littering the countryside with more plastic. I expect the cable ties will hold out for a few years before they UV degrade sufficiently to drop into the sea. Well done TDC.

 

[Tippex]

How can you tell if there really is an oysterbed somewhere?

 

[Binnacle]

Presumably an "Anchoring Prohibited" box formed by Ts, with an anchor crossed out, and the standard seabed descriptor "oys".

 

[Slowboat35]

How can you tell if there really is an oysterbed somewhere?

Either there are signs posted, up to date info in your pilotage guide/chart or you'll see oyster shells in/on the mud at low tide and feel your oars knock on them if you're rowing in shallow enough water to dip oars into the mud. Or irate people shouting at you because they haven't troubled to see about establishing any of the aforementioned. You can't be just expected to 'guess' where they are if the aren't flagged up in a fairly obvious manner, can you?

 

[Kukri]

What a fun thread. I have:

(a) anchored in Kirby Creek after 1963 but before the layings started
(b) lived in Hong Kong, eaten chicken’s feet and belonged to the RHKYC (which doesn’t serve them) and
(c) bought a couple of dozen natives from Owen Bloom, who was very agreeable and said that he sold his catch to Belgium but could and would sell them to anyone who walked up and asked as long as there was an R in the month.

so I ought to have an opinion, but I haven’t!

However I would like some support for my long running campaign to get the RHYC to serve Gunners when there isn’t an R in the month and Hoi Loongs when there is.