Anchoring Issues Off Hillhead (Solent aka The Ditch)

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Channel Sailor

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Yesterday I tried to anchor in the slightly deeper water (2.5 metres cd) off Hillhead harbour. But was promptly moved on by a Patrol vessel (Watchful). They advised the reason is 8 undersea cables have recently been laid on the sea bed in that location but have not yet been buried properly. The cables are planned to be buried some time in the next 6 weeks. The Patrol vessel stayed around long enough to make sure I had not snagged a cable (with my rather sharp edged Fortress). Maybe there is a local notice to Mariners published that I have missed. I was advised the cables run parallel to the shore from Lee On The Solent to somewhere maybe near the Hamble entrance.
 
Channel Sailor said:
Yesterday I tried to anchor in the slightly deeper water (2.5 metres cd) off Hillhead harbour. But was promptly moved on by a Patrol vessel (Watchful). They advised the reason is 8 undersea cables have recently been laid on the sea bed in that location but have not yet been buried properly. The cables are planned to be buried some time in the next 6 weeks. The Patrol vessel stayed around long enough to make sure I had not snagged a cable (with my rather sharp edged Fortress). Maybe there is a local notice to Mariners published that I have missed. I was advised the cables run parallel to the shore from Lee On The Solent to somewhere maybe near the Hamble entrance.
Click to expand...

You've missed a whole raft of them over the last year or so. I think that this is the latest:

http://www.southamptonvts.co.uk/adm... of Southampton - IFA2 Cable Burial Works.pdf
 
They've been broadcasting regular warnings on VHF too. Plus some of the vessels and plant used to install it all have been extremely large and noticeable (large tugs, jack-up barges, etc) through the many months the works have been going on - though I don't know what's there right now as they head towards completion.

Pete
 
The big cable-laying barge with its anchors and anchor-handling tugs has gone now. The burying operation uses a robot on the seabed and a modest barge with a dynamic positioning system on the surface.
I'm surprised that the guard vessel missed the OP; they have generally been very vigilant. The cables themselves are huge - about 300mm in diameter - and there are six of them. I don't know how much damage you could do to them with a yacht anchor.
 
So did the RNLI sell her? She was originally the Sussex Sea Fisheries protection vessel out of Newhaven, maybe back in the late 80's. The RNLI had her as a training vessel when SSFC got the new Watchful.

W.
 
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