Blackwater - Driftnet fishing?

[rgarside]

Going up and down the Blackwater these last two days I found two or three fishing boats using drift net type gear. This was a net hanging from the surface, with a [not especially visible] buoy at either end, the nets seemed to extend about 500m and the fishing boat may separate from them between streaming and recovering the nets. The two locations I found them were just upriver from Bradwell [set across the channel], and out between Cocum Hills and Bench Head.

Is this something normally seen on the Blackwater? I haven't come across it before, but maybe it is just at this time of year. I'd be interested to know if they are normally around on the Blackwater, or something new.

If you are in the area keep a look out for them - there isn't much between the two end buoys to indicate there is anything in the water until you're very close, and there is nothing special about the end-buoys to indicate they are associated with having nets between them.

 

[MoodySabre]

They have caught me out a couple of times with some quick tacking required to avoid. Once about half a mile east of the baffle and the other time to the west of it. Just noticed a row of small buoys in time. I emailed the river bailiff to ask if they were permitted to lay nets across the channel. His answer was one word. Yes.

Not on in my view. Lorry drivers of the sea - sod the rest of you I'm earning a living.

 

[Otter]

How far under the surface are the nets?

 

[MoodySabre]

All I saw was a row of small buoys. The nets can't be deep enough to sail over.

 

[xyachtdave]

All I saw was a row of small buoys. The nets can't be deep enough to sail over.

When we picked up the below, a rib 'Hot Stuff' flew across our bow near Bradwell in the buoyed channel. My wife thought it was a safety boat for the Saturday racers.....turned out to be warning people away from his poorly marked gear.

Driver of rib said he thought it would sink out of the way in time.........he was wrong!

Never seen fishing like it before??

 

[Lucky Duck]

Today I observed a couple of fishing boats laying drift nets between Clacton Pier and the Wallet Spitway buoy. At first they look like an isolated lobster pot then at the last moment the small buoys 'marking' the net become visible. Last month, during some foul weather, I inadvertently motored across one of these without any obvious problem but it is not something I would want to repeat!

Apparently they are also been layed in the 'North Swallowtail' channel into the Crouch but I have not yet seen this.

 

[rgarside]

Am I correct in thinking that all of these observations are during this season? Anyone seen them before this year?

The ones I saw had small floats on the headrope as in xyachtdave's photo. These were floating at the surface and are not visible more than a few metres away. Are the nets intended to sink below the surface? They didn't look like they would to me.

One of the nets I saw out near Bench Head had headrope floats that were vertical, so they stuck up a few cms above the water and were easier to see.

The end buoys on the one near Bradwell were particularly insignificant.

 

[MoodySabre]

I saw them two years ago but not since.

 

[Firefly]

We get something similar in the Thames, but marked at the ends with good big orange flags (poss the influence of PLA). No idea if we can sail over the middle cos I've never tried (for obvious reasons). Usually but not always a fishing boat in attendance.

 

[iainbluk]

I inadvertently sailed over a net out in the Wallet about a month ago, large flags each end, and red floats inbetween. They seem to be up to 3-500m long but the net hangs some distance below the floats (I am 1.7m draft). I saw one end of the net about 500m away and assumed it was a pot. It wasnt till I got really close that the small red floats became visible, by which time it was too late to avoid it. However as I didnt snag it all ended well.

 

[davidej]

I saw one end of the pesky thing -well marked with a flag - but could i see the other end - no - no flag

Fishing boat came racing up waving arms and i did a quick jibe

BTW saw Moodysabre - no sails up ? = used to have Moody 31 myself

 

[MoodySabre]

BTW saw Moodysabre - no sails up ? = used to have Moody 31 myself

I was out expressly to give the engine a good run - honest. I did sail back as the breeze was too nice to miss

 

[Malish]

We encountered unattended and poorly marked drift nets in the Wallet in summer2011. We saw them just in time, just little yellow floats on the surface

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

seen them in the Wallet several times in the last 5 or 6 years

 

[apward]

seen them in the Wallet several times in the last 5 or 6 years

Last Saturday on Passage from Bradwell to Woolverstone right in the Wallet Channel we had to take avoiding action to miss 3 x lines of nets set across the tide. They were about 1 to 2 miles apart.

Each one had easily visible floats at the end of the nets and small, easily missable floats at 10m intervals along the surface. No way were they deep enough to sail over. At the most NE net a fishing boat was patrolling and alerting yachts on 16 to keep clear of his net. Whilst we passed no one acknowledge his call from any of the other boats so he headed them off to make sure they sailed around.

I've never seen them here before but I'll be keeping a good lookout this weekend.

 

[dennyjc]

All I saw was a row of small buoys. The nets can't be deep enough to sail over.

On 1st May we saw one such string of floats. between Clacton and the Gunfleet wind farm
I say we saw them - we sailed right upon them then did an emergency 180 degree course change.
I had seen the fishing boat from way off but could not see what he was doing. I saw a row of floats only at the last minute.
After my course change and sailing the other side of the fisherman I called him up on the radio just to find out what would have happened if I'd carried on.
He (fishing boat HH62) said that the nets were well below the surface and that the floats were joined only by weak string which would have broken if I'd sailed on. He said the nets were deep enough to sail over.

It sounds like HH62 runs a good system but that doesn't mean everyone does.

So I now look out for fishing boats, get out the binoculars and see what they're doing although I'm not at all confident about seeing what they're doing in less than perfect weather.

On 16th May I saw two boats in the same area. One had laid a single net and appeared to be hauling in. The other had laid two runs of net and was motoring around but some way off the end markers (these were larger round floats).

I'm not going to knowingly sail over these. I draw 2.0m and have seen xyachtdave's photo.

They're the nautical equivalent of the police's 'stinger'

Colin

 

[oldgit]

Also saw this on our run from Medway to Crouch just off Maplin.