Barrow Deep and south side of the Gunfleet

benw

benw

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Considering options for the weekend and wondered what restrictions are in Barrow Deep. Thinking about possibly Burnham from the Orwell. Have crossed from the Wallet and spit way but wondered if passage down the deeps now the wind farm is installed is more palatable to the guard ships.
Also what depths on the wallet spit way are to be found this year?
And finally any local info re marinas on the crouch as we have not visited before. Will have children and a dog to exercise.
Thanks in advance.
Ben
 
Barrow Deep is unaffected by the London Array or the Gunfleet Wind Farm - occasional larger vessel might be encountered of course. Haven't heard anything bad about the Spitway and there hasn't been much sign of change in the last couple of years so I would expect it to be pretty unchanged. That's an expectation not knowledge though. You can expect to find the Whitaker Channel to have commercial stuff now bringing spoil from the Crossrail to Wallesea Island. Worth brushing up on the way that works.
 
Burnham Yacht Harbour is your best bet.... its just a few minutes walk into town, and the marina itself is next to a huge field that the kids and dog can run around on to let off some steam.... I think there are even a few swings there from memory.
 
That's great thanks folks. Feeling a little nervous with the spit way and a 2 m keel so timing will be as ever important. Last time we went over we had more room to lay with below the keel.
Initial thinking will be to time crossing HW-2 allowing enough time to make way up to Burnham YC before the ebb.
So leaving our mooring at Pin Mill on the last of the ebb should see us off the spit way or down Barrow deep in good time.
 
Had an explore through the spitway yesterday about 1.5 hrs before LW, and had lowest depth of 3.0m. My plotter reckoned a tidal height of 1.86m so my fag packet calcs at home last night reckoned about 0.3 under my keel at LW springs
 
Just as a after thought and in case you're not aware there is bit of a shallow patch as you enter the crouch on the starboard side of the river around the inner crouch (I think) , you should be fine at that time of tide but I was cutting corners at the lower end of tide and although I only draw just over the meter had to take action when the old alarm started to chirp ...
 
If you havnt visited Burnham before .... The Cross rail shipping is not a problem, providing you are sensible and remember its easier for you to to avoid them than it is for them to avoid you. To keep the family happy Burnham has a cinema with all the latest films, (The Rio). Tickets are just £3.00 well worth a visit . The large childrens play area plus a skate board park is 5 minutes walk along the sea wall, and for younger children there is a childrens indoor soft play centre (wam bam boomerang) , and of course many pubs & resteraunts to satisfy most tastes.
 
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I was in Byh last w/e with my son (13) and we went to the cinema for the first time at Burnham , £8 for the pair of us to see Fast 6 and then across the road to the star pub for a night cap before retiring , chances are the pair of us will be in there again this Sunday/Monday so might see you if the weather doesn't put every one off .
 
benw said:
Feeling a little nervous with the spit way and a 2 m keel so timing will be as ever important.
Click to expand...

Hi Benw,
We're in BYH right now
We've crossed the Swin spitway a few times this year with a 2.0 keel but don't always log the min depth.

This visit we found a min of 3.3m water 2.5 hrs after low water Walton (a LW of 0.9m)
With 2.0m keel half tide is fine so long as the swell is OK.
We normally cross at an angle to minimise the 'dog leg'.

Last time we saw a min of 4.3m - that was 4 hours after a low water Walton of 0.9m

You'll find shallower patches near Stone Banks because you'll be there near LW

Colin
 
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