Bradwell to The Crouch Via.............

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On the way down (and back of course) you have a choice whether to cut inside Batchelor Spit or take the Knoll Swatchway. I haven't managed to check out the inside route but conventional wisdom suggests that you stick in the Blackwater until you reach the 1E meridien and then strike due south. LAT depths of 0.5/0.6m are shown by Imray. On the Admiralty Chart there is a depth of 0.3m record just to the east of this meridien around 51.42.9N. While the natural tendency would be to edge east, in fact it is slightly better to the west at this point with the reverse being the case a little further south. When you come to the Rays'n itself, 000.59.600 was the meridien to follow in september 2008.

Timing. What do you draw? Bear in mind that you can listen to Lonon VTS at 15 minutes and 15 minutes after the hour and hear tide heights at Walton and three other locations broadcast. Bear in mind that the tide is a little later at the Rays'n but then a little greater in range. Saturday tides - sucks teeth. Not big tides. HW Burnham 2013 BST 3.8m (Range 2.8), Bradwell 2020 4.1m (Range 2.6), Walton 1931 3.3m (Range 2.0). Half tide at Burnham will only give you 2.4m of tide (2.3m at Walton). Repeats question - what do you draw? Suspect I would use the Knoll Swatchway and be in the last two hours of the tide at the Rays'n. But that suits my draught.
 
tillergirl said:
What do you draw? Saturday tides - sucks teeth. Not big tides. HW Burnham 2013 BST 3.8m (Range 2.8), Bradwell 2020 4.1m (Range 2.6), Walton 1931 3.3m (Range 2.0). Half tide at Burnham will only give you 2.4m of tide (2.3m at Walton). Repeats question - what do you draw? Suspect I would use the Knoll Swatchway and be in the last two hours of the tide at the Rays'n. But that suits my draught.
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Hi Roger, thanks for the detailed info. Tadpole has a lift keel and draws only 2' with it retracted. When I checked the tides for Southend-on-Sea the almanac listed a height of 5.6 which would get me over the Broomway. But its getting to Havingore bridge an hour before HW should I try and do this in one go! Hence why I'm looking at using the Ray sands and wether this is all do-able in one go.
 
Got to dash out with Grand Kids. Let me just reflect on distances to Havengore when I get back. I see I've just mistaken the date and that you are going on 5th September. Those tides above are for this Saturday. Sorry That's much better on 5th. I'm pretty sure that's feasible but let me reflect for a moment when SWMBO an GK's are sorted.
 
Returned home with the bad news that eldest grandchild now takes mansize shoes! What is it with kids today!

Some proper tides now.

Walton HW on 05.09.09 1309 BST 4.19m (Range 3.27m)
Burnham HW 1343 BST 5.0m (Range 4.5m)
Havengore HW about 1345 BST

Overall distance about 20nm from Bradwell Marina. Assuming average speed over the ground of 5kts, depart Bradwell Creek entrance at 0845 will give the following passage planning assumptions:

An hour to spare at destination (always handy)
Gets you to St Peter's Flats 51.44.53N 001.00.00E at 0945 (assuming average of 4.5kts over t'ground against flood).
0945 is approx +3 hrs on Walton giving an assumption of 6/12ths rise of tide or 1.64m on top of the LW height of 0.82 - 2.46m (ample) Choose to drop down the 1degree meridien (shallow but looks v possible) or via the Knoll Swatchway (oodles of water), turning round the edge of Batchelor Spit.
5.21nm from above waypoint to Crouch via Rays'n, assume one hour (helping tide), therefore in Crouch by 1045. Tide will rise by 0.8m during this hour giving nigh on 3.5m (ie 2m or so over the sand) by the time you arrive at the Rays'n.
Another 10nm from 'entry' into the Crouch to Havengore Bridge. Tide will be helping, 5 kts over the ground gets there for 1245.

All looks a bit of a cake walk to me. Oh by the way, if it goes wrong, I shall be abroad!

Seriously though, looks very possible and the reality is that once over St Peters Flats you will have a helpful tide getting you there even earlier. You could dawdle over a fine coffee before you set off.
 
Thanks for the detailed passage plan Roger, its pretty much as I thought. cutting across the ray sands knocks off about 6.8 nm :) and will give me about an extra hour in bed!
Having said that I did plan to avoid St peters flats until clear of the spit, onto the 01 meridien then straight down and altering course mid channel near the Buxey No2.
 
I admit to not having tried the 1degree meridien in TG, simply because of lack of time and the right weather/tide combination to ensure I can get off again if it were to go wrong. When Colin Jarman and I did the Rays'n 'survey' we went through the Knoll Swatch and round the tip of Batchelor Spit. Loadsawater as I said but a little longer of course. There was a curious almost inland lake quality about the Swire Hole even though all the banks were covered.

However we could see someone doing the 1degree line through binoculars both ways. We didn't come back that way as the tide was dropping quite fast.

Good luck - £40 for children's shoes! And not even a fashion statement!
 
TS/Dave

If the weather is good, crew now lined up & we're coming with you, plan is to leave Bradwell Friday 4th, through Raysand channel & anchor in Yokesfleet Creek, out Sept 5th through Havengore at HW-ish.

IanC
 
T_S said:
The Ray sands! Could someone advise me the best route to take and of course tide window please? Plan to make the trip Saturday 5th September.
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I've not sailed anywhere with so much yellow on the chart before and it's taken me 5 years to get the nerve to do the Ray Sand Channel. I did it for the first time on Friday just gone and it was fine. It was on a small neap tide. I left Tollesbury at about 0515 ,HW-1, (I got up late!) then went across St Peters Sands at about the 'S' of 'Peters', steered 140 for about 15 min then 180. Sorry I can't be more accurate, I don't have a plotter. I'm told the 'Wreck awash at LW' near the first inshore beacon is in fact high and dry at LW, so gave it a wide berth. I just kept clear of both beacons and tried not to watch the echo sounder to much so I wouldn't get scared. The least water I saw was 2.3m. The only drama was running out of fuel halfway when I had to hurry for the tide gate because of the late start. Luckily there was a very good breeze. I don't think I'd try it on a falling tide next time.

If you do loose your nerve you can always turn NE and run for it up Swire Hole and go the long way round.

And if you're anchoring up Yokesfleet, try to get as close to the first righthand bend as you can. That's where the seals like it at the moment.
 
Just a quick note that Dave, along with my friend Neil (of the TNC website) and myself did it on Saturday in Tadpole, and Dave is going to do a full report, but a great trip in much better conditions than expected, got through the bridge 30 mins after HW. Great hopitality by the Island Yacht Club on Canvey when we got back yesterday, thoroughly recommend a visit there.

IanC
 
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