morgandlm
Well-Known Member
Have just returned to Bradwell after a quick trip to Walton – quick because it's been rather windy! I flew up there on Tuesday – what a great sail! Hunkered down in Titchmarsh marina through the storm on Wednesday and then bounced back to Bradwell today (Thursday).
This post is simply to add further weight to the concern about fishermen's pots, lines and floats. I have sailed the Medusa Channel and Naze Ledge many times and always try to sail and not motor through there while staying very watchful for pot markers. Today, I was actively dodging what I assumed to be pot markers (doing over 6kts in 20+ knots of breeze) when I hooked on something, nearly came to a stop and then moved on again with a horrible thud to see a partly submerged horizontal line with occasional small white floats across the wake. Whether I had hooked the keels or the skeg, I don't know but I'm glad a prop was not spinning. The boat seemed OK afterwards but the raised heart rate and dry mouth persisted for a while. I'm all for the “live and let live” approach and have perhaps just been lucky before but I found the whole experience rather frightening and wonder whether I'll risk that route again.
On a positive note, I took the opportunity provided by the strong winds of Wednesday to walk to the Naze Tower and Essex Wildlife Centre. My previous experiences of Walton had been less than favourable having never gone further than the Tesco Express but the North side of the town is great – except that it looks out over the boat trap zone.
David Morgan
This post is simply to add further weight to the concern about fishermen's pots, lines and floats. I have sailed the Medusa Channel and Naze Ledge many times and always try to sail and not motor through there while staying very watchful for pot markers. Today, I was actively dodging what I assumed to be pot markers (doing over 6kts in 20+ knots of breeze) when I hooked on something, nearly came to a stop and then moved on again with a horrible thud to see a partly submerged horizontal line with occasional small white floats across the wake. Whether I had hooked the keels or the skeg, I don't know but I'm glad a prop was not spinning. The boat seemed OK afterwards but the raised heart rate and dry mouth persisted for a while. I'm all for the “live and let live” approach and have perhaps just been lucky before but I found the whole experience rather frightening and wonder whether I'll risk that route again.
On a positive note, I took the opportunity provided by the strong winds of Wednesday to walk to the Naze Tower and Essex Wildlife Centre. My previous experiences of Walton had been less than favourable having never gone further than the Tesco Express but the North side of the town is great – except that it looks out over the boat trap zone.
David Morgan
