Brightlingsea Creek

[Cobra]

Having lived in Brightlingsea all my life and having sailed from the town for 60 of my 68 years the Creek has always been navigable...even at dead low water.
What I have just seen today (anyone who is interested take a look at Brightlingsea Sailing Clubs Web Cam www.sailbrightlingsea.com about now 15.40 Thursday Afternoon) and you will see that you will not get in the river at dead low water anymore!
It is almost possible to walk from Brightlingsea to St Osyth!

 

[alandalus11]

Does that mean all the boats on the moorings further round are sitting in the mud or is there enough water there??

 

[MoodySabre]

I always regard it as half tide. The HM made some comment last time I was leaving a bit early about keeping away from the red can.

 

[Plum]

Having lived in Brightlingsea all my life and having sailed from the town for 60 of my 68 years the Creek has always been navigable...even at dead low water.
What I have just seen today (anyone who is interested take a look at Brightlingsea Sailing Clubs Web Cam www.sailbrightlingsea.com about now 15.40 Thursday Afternoon) and you will see that you will not get in the river at dead low water anymore!
It is almost possible to walk from Brightlingsea to St Osyth!

Wow, thanks, about time they did some dredging. The harbour website still says "The channel is dredged to a minimum of 1m below CD"

 

[tillergirl]

It was.

 

[MikeBz]

It is hard to believe that there were once moorings down the middle of the creek, including the OYC’s 72’ Master Builder!

But it hasn’t changed much in the last few years. Over the last 20-30 years quite a bit…. the shingle bank off Point Clear has grown a lot and become steeper and the oyster bank on the Brightlingsea side has flattened and spread. The view from the BSC webcam is a bit deceptive, it looks as though the shingle bank on one side almost meets the oyster bank on the other but in reality it doesn’t. It’s actually quite deep close to that steep shingle bank. Shallowest part is just inside the entrance to the creek, but I reckon it’s not far off 1m at CD.

 

[Plum]

It is hard to believe that there were once moorings down the middle of the creek, including the OYC’s 72’ Master Builder!

But it hasn’t changed much in the last few years. Over the last 20-30 years quite a bit…. the shingle bank off Point Clear has grown a lot and become steeper and the oyster bank on the Brightlingsea side has flattened and spread. The view from the BSC webcam is a bit deceptive, it looks as though the shingle bank on one side almost meets the oyster bank on the other but in reality it doesn’t. It’s actually quite deep close to that steep shingle bank. Shallowest part is just inside the entrance to the creek, but I reckon it’s not far off 1m at CD.

That is more like what I experienced in 2023 so a big difference to Cobra's assessment based on his/her observation, an hour and a quarter before LW, when the predicted height of tide was 0.7m above CD, plus 0.2m surge at that time.

 

[Cobra]

That is more like what I experienced in 2023 so a big difference to Cobra's assessment based on his/her observation, an hour and a quarter before LW, when the predicted height of tide was 0.7m above CD, plus 0.2m surge at that time.

I have to admit that as MikeBz says the BSC web cam is somewhat deceptive and in fairness, I was working from home and sitting on hold to an underwriter listening to some muzak and I was just looking at the river (as you do!).
I asked a local photographer if he could take a look and get some shots which he has done and whilst there is still a channel there, anything drawing more than a couple of feet would I guess have issues. It will be interesting to see what changes the winter brings. I have tried to upload the photo's but they are too large for the forum
Certainly going back up the South Channel behind Cindrey Island once you are past the main pontoons there is no real navigable channel for anything with a keel or keels at a Spring Low tide for a good hour either side of low, hence our move up to Wivenhoe...OK, it drys there and where we are now moored we are still restricted to about 2 hours either side of low water but it is much less crowded and a lovely stretch of the river!

 

[StUrrock]

If you look up the google map review of Brightlingsea Harbour, someone has posted some good low water photos!

 

[Egret]

Depths have definitely reduced over the last few years such that you can’t get in at any state of tide any more and the channel is much narrower, so more difficult to sail in. It isn’t much deeper in the middle any more at Creekmouth and the bed is hard sandy. I thought I had a fault on the echo sounder but no. There is a plan showing depths below LAT On the Brightlingsea Harbour website under - Visitors - Navigational advice. Realistically only about 0.3m at LAT as need width to get past other boats, so need a 2m+ tide level to get in now. Maybe the EA should dig out part of the sand spit with consents and put it back off Point Clear where it was deposited in about 1981 or sell it for local use. 6ft of mud now where there is a row of moorings on the South side that rarely dried. Annual harbour Stakeholder meeting is at CYC 19th Nov at 0630

 

[Cobra]

If you look up the google map review of Brightlingsea Harbour, someone has posted some good low water photos!

I had a quick look and those are almost certainly neap tide low water photo's. I am going to try and reduce the size of the piccies my photographer mate has taken down to an acceptable size for the forum...the difference is quite amazing!

 

[Cobra]

Depths have definitely reduced over the last few years such that you can’t get in at any state of tide any more and the channel is much narrower, so more difficult to sail in. It isn’t much deeper in the middle any more at Creekmouth and the bed is hard sandy. I thought I had a fault on the echo sounder but no. There is a plan showing depths below LAT On the Brightlingsea Harbour website under - Visitors - Navigational advice. Realistically only about 0.3m at LAT as need width to get past other boats, so need a 2m+ tide level to get in now. Maybe the EA should dig out part of the sand spit with consents and put it back off Point Clear where it was deposited in about 1981 or sell it for local use. 6ft of mud now where there is a row of moorings on the South side that rarely dried. Annual harbour Stakeholder meeting is at CYC 19th Nov at 0630

Precisely the reason why we moved up to Wivenhoe!
We were on the Whites Pontoons and had been there for several years...in fact going back to IIRC 1998. Then we could get on and off the pontoon at ALL states of tide Springs or Neaps.
Last season we couldn't get on or off for about an hour either side of low and the channel up to the pontoon...well, it was more by luck than good judgement once you are passed the main pontoons if you avoided the putty. No benefits to the berth holders except an increase in fees.
I think back to the time (late 1960's early 1970's) when Bill and Harold Day were Hard Master and Harbour Master. The port had regular commercial traffic in the shape of gravel barges going to and from the sand workings. The South channel was full of swinging moorings with clear space between all boats, there were moorings going out virtually to Creekmouth (as MikeBz mentions even the OYC's Master Builder had a fore and aft at the entrance to the creek!). All of this was managed by Bill and Harold with the assistance of a couple of the local fishermen for a pint or two. The patrol boat...an 18' clinker built ex Oyster skiff with a Seagull Silver Century on the back end.
Still, why worry about dredging the channel? This is 'progress'! The Harbour Master has a nice shiny new patrol boat...which most seem to think panders more towards an ego than practicality for the creek!
Unfortunately I will not be able to attend the Stakeholder meeting (I am sure that you meant 18.30 not 06.30!!!) as I am currently suffering the ravages of Covid!

 

[Egret]

Any pictures by chance of when the JanMay Prunella and Irene J, all 35-50 ft laid afloat on swinging moorings above the posts where the Community Club Sonatas now take the ground at low water - or when there were several big motor yachts in the creek off prom on swinging moorings.

 

[Cobra]

Pretty sure that I have some piccies of when JanMay, Prunella and Irene J were all moored in the river along with the OYC's Theodora, Duet and Master Builder...don't think I have many (or any for that matter!) of the South Channel beyond the main pontoons heading down towards Whites. I will have to brave the loft as I am afraid none are digitised as yet.

 

[Egret]

No worry to look in the loft but useful to recall the boats that laid there once - and Hainault 60ft.

 

[dansaskip]

I have tried to upload the photo's but they are too large for the forum

It really is quite easy to reduce the size of of the photos as long as you have a computer - there is usually some bit of software already on them to do that for you. I generally shrink them to about 800 x 500 or so px find that works well.

 

[MikeBz]

Slight thread drift, but for those of you who remember Prunella being moored in the creek (just downstream of the Sailing Club start line): Prunella Classic Motor Yacht and Prunella | Oostende voor anker.

 

[Cobra]

Slight thread drift, but for those of you who remember Prunella being moored in the creek (just downstream of the Sailing Club start line): Prunella Classic Motor Yacht and Prunella | Oostende voor anker.

Thanks for that Mike! Lovely to see Prunella back in all her glory! Arthur Death who was skipper for one of the previous owners (between about 1960/80 'ish) would be pleased to see her looking as she was when he was looking after her. When the owner Arthur worked for sold her, she was bought by a Professional Wrestler who was seen on board her a few times but as the years passed she was moved out of the mooring in the River up to a swinging mooring just beyond the pontoons. Last I saw of her she was looking very dilapidated so it is great to see her back in her former glory.
On the subject of Arthur, I recall once watching a quite comedic situation unravel.
One of the power boat clowns was charging about in the creek trying to impress his mates on the St Osyth shore. He overcooked a turn while standing up, the boat rode up over its own wash and he fell out. The engine was hard over and the boat circling on about half throttle and being brought nearer to Prunella on the incoming tide. Arthur gets into his dinghy, rows across so he will be roughly in the middle of the power boats circle, waits for it to come past and lassoo's the engine cover, pulls the two boats together, calmly steps into the power boat, turns the engine off, makes the power boat fast to his dinghy and rows it back to the hard. Makes the power boat fast on the Jetty and rows back to get on with his days work on Prunella. The power boat driver? He swam ashore and had to get one of the old ferrymen to take him across to the hard...by all accounts the comment from Bob Howe the ferryman, between guffaws of laughter was "Bor you look loike a bloody drowned Rat you do!"

 

[Egret]

To be fair, the ex-professional wrestler did have a number of wooden boats in the creek since the 1960's, spent a lot of time on them and always looked after them well, until he reached the stage in life that a wooden boat of that size is just too much, not helped by the 3 yards on the river that could handle a boat of that size closing. Always very helpful. In the days of Arthur Death, the skippers and paid hands often had a 1930's type yachtsmans uniform - jacket guernsey and cap. Some of the 'old boys' that run the hand rowed ferry to Point Clear had guernseys with the names of the big sailing yachts they raced on in the 1930's. I can remember helping with polishing of brass in the week so a boat was immaculate for the owner at the weekend - look for the 'Jumbo 37ft' which has been restored and looks just as it was or better in the 1960's.

 

[Egret]

Context is that these boats used to lay afloat at all states of tide in the creek on swinging moorings where there is now mud, but silting like this seems to be a problem everywhere.