Anchoring off Osea Island

davidej said:
Haven't done it for years until last night.

PWCs buzzing around for hours until dusk and then dance music starts from the glampers on the island.

What a beautiful evening spoiled. It will be Pyefleet next time!
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And then the geese will keep you awake! ?
 
Osea used to be lovely but no more. There used to be a bit of noise from water-skiers but they mostly kept to the eastern end of the island. Saturday evening was always just a collection of sailing boats and occasionally a bit of mayhem when we had club barbecues there, and Friday was idyllic. PWCs have ruined large parts of the coast, and are one reason why we left the Blackwater after thirty years.
 
I was going to suggest Lawling Creek. There was one moonlit night with still airs and a baby seal played 'like a dolphin' backwards and forwards past TG. Magical. Nice little hole to drop anchor midway twixt Nos 2 and 4. I always rather disliked overnighting off Osea. Dragged a bit one night and always the noise of the chain dragging over the shingle at the turn of the tide always woke me up even when not dragging. Now, off Southey Creek is quite pleasant in 100% mud.... and a nice mussel bed at LW springs on the bank.... not that you have a licence.
 
davidej said:
How far up Lawling Creek do you recommend? My charts don't show much water there. Boat only draws 1.55m.
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We used to have a swinging mooring in Maylandsea creek. With a 5ft keel we would sit in a few inches of mud at LW springs, though a friend with a 6ft keel had a little more water nearer the yard. I'm not entirely sure about the usual anchorage area but I think it is about the same. OK for most boats and the mud is soft anyway.
 
See the chartlet on Downloads It is the 10th chartlet down. It is a little while since the survey but I did a quick look over two years ago and it still looked fine. My favourite spot was between Nos 2 and 4 but there was a nice spot well inside by No 4.
 
tillergirl said:
See the chartlet on Downloads It is the 10th chartlet down. It is a little while since the survey but I did a quick look over two years ago and it still looked fine. My favourite spot was between Nos 2 and 4 but there was a nice spot well inside by No 4.
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That looks as if it has changed since we were last there 20 years ago. Our mooring was just above No 4 but my friend was above No 6, now marked at 1m. Most people anchored in the pool south of Mundon Point, which still looks to be the place.
 
Hmmm... Define 'behind' Northey Island?

Looking at the chart there doesn't appear to be much water, unless I am looking in the wrong place. I'm guessing you don't mean Southey Creek?

I often anchor in Lawling in the pond between No 2 & No 4, where I frequently touch the bottom at LW, and I only draw 'about' 3', even though the chart seems to show quite a bit more. So nervous about anchoring in what is shown as drying conditions!
 
I wrote about this last season and I wasn't alone then - Osea now a pwc playground unfortunately. It was noisy and intrusive - and went on, with music on the anchored, rafted boats late into the evening. Certainly no longer an idyllic anchorage. :-(
 
I have my grandfathers log book of 1917 when he sailed on the Blackwater in his shared cutter Sunrise.
Attached are some scans, showing a painting of Osea Island taken while at anchor and part of the relevant log pages where he remarks,,,,, I ought to give you an impression of Osea Island,... I think it one of the most beautiful places I have ever been in...Osea is just like a dainty little fairy island set in a silver sea.
Later, after all the work on the boat...I thought of all the most beautiful things in life and forgot for the time that there was an awful war going on...
My grand father and family worked at the ball bearing factory, Hoffman’s in Chelmsford during the war4B16F6A1-1E82-4A1F-8420-DC385CD11C55.jpegBDD8C220-3D8D-4372-A88C-B838E5BAD388.jpegView attachment 95078BDD8C220-3D8D-4372-A88C-B838E5BAD388.jpegView attachment 950784B16F6A1-1E82-4A1F-8420-DC385CD11C55.jpegBDD8C220-3D8D-4372-A88C-B838E5BAD388.jpegView attachment 95078BDD8C220-3D8D-4372-A88C-B838E5BAD388.jpeg
 
Still Grinning said:
Hmmm... Define 'behind' Northey Island?

Looking at the chart there doesn't appear to be much water, unless I am looking in the wrong place. I'm guessing you don't mean Southey Creek?

I often anchor in Lawling in the pond between No 2 & No 4, where I frequently touch the bottom at LW, and I only draw 'about' 3', even though the chart seems to show quite a bit more. So nervous about anchoring in what is shown as drying conditions!
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Yup, right down the bottom of Southey Creek where there's a hole.

? Apologies for initial misinformation .
 
double_ender said:
I have my grandfathers log book of 1917 when he sailed on the Blackwater in his shared cutter Sunrise.
Attached are some scans, showing a painting of Osea Island taken while at anchor and part of the relevant log pages where he remarks,,,,, I ought to give you an impression of Osea Island,... I think it one of the most beautiful places I have ever been in...Osea is just like a dainty little fairy island set in a silver sea.
Later, after all the work on the boat...I thought of all the most beautiful things in life and forgot for the time that there was an awful war going on...
My grand father and family worked at the ball bearing factory, Hoffman’s in Chelmsford during the warView attachment 95076View attachment 95077View attachment 95078View attachment 95077View attachment 95078View attachment 95076View attachment 95077View attachment 95078View attachment 95077
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Lovely stuff. Thanks for that.
 
If I remember my John Leather well enough, I think the post on the foreshore was called the Barnacle, and was installed for scrubbing Bentall's legendary Jullanar. She had a draft of over 13', so must have taken the ground soon after HW springs.
 
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