Brightlingsea Creek

To summarise how it is now - Indicative depths below LAT are shown on a ‘map’ on the Brightlingsea Harbour website under - ‘Visitors - Navigational advice’ - and tide tables with depths are in the booklet. There is also a good video on the route in - with a link on the home page, albeit 3 years ago when there would have still been 1m+ depth . From the ‘map’, realistically now need to allow for perhaps only about 0.3m depth at LAT in width of channel to allow width to pass other boats. Slightly deeper channel to 0.8m but narrow and slightly on point clear side of leading line, (see on the ‘map’). Would be difficult to guess where the deepest part is when out there and probably moves. Watch echo sounder and allow for plenty of depth for spare. I hadn't realised that it wasn't possible to get back in at any state of tide now with 1m keels. As a visual guide, oyster beds dry at about 1.8m above LAT. Red buoy dries at low tide as it is for ships at high tide. Video suggests keeping 50m south of it, clos-ish to the sand spit, which now makes the creek 150m narrower than when we could hit centreboards on the powerboat ramp (which still exists) at point clear on a direct line from the sailing club line to No 10 buoy. Actual low tide level varies quite a bit but usually goes low enough for the reduced depth to be restrictive. Harwich Harbour website gives useful live information on tide surges up and down, which can be significant and may be bigger at Brightlingsea. Harbour Commissioners will presumably continue water-jet dredging but there are restrictions with what they are allowed to do, and how far out they can go, the sandy build up at the entrance may be hard, and cost will be an issue. As always just an indication, Not to be used for Navigation, May change rapidly.
 
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Latest Garmin appears to confirm 0.3m depth just inside the 'gate' between creek mouth buoy and the post on the point clear side - and shows drying ground on the point clear side extending out beyond the 'gate' line and almost to No 13 buoy where it shows only 0.4m depth nearby at LAT (Used to be quite deep there). Useful to know the Garmin appears to be reasonably up to date as worry is that printed charts are often not very up to date and a chart I used to use was 'based on a Hydrographic Survey of 1888'. Thinking of getting a sounding pole - Just an indication, Not to be used for Navigation, May change rapidly.
 
Egret said:
Latest Garmin appears to confirm 0.3m depth just inside the 'gate' between creek mouth buoy and the post on the point clear side - and shows drying ground on the point clear side extending out beyond the 'gate' line and almost to No 13 buoy where it shows only 0.4m depth nearby at LAT (Used to be quite deep there). Useful to know the Garmin appears to be reasonably up to date as worry is that printed charts are often not very up to date and a chart I used to use was 'based on a Hydrographic Survey of 1888'. Thinking of getting a sounding pole - Just an indication, Not to be used for Navigation, May change rapidly.
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Recent harbour survey (Nov 2024) shows 0.6m below cd for a short distance near creek mouth. Hopefully dredging over winter will get it back to the 1m below cd target. Navionics and Garmin data will be based on older info from UKHO. Most of the entrance channel is 1m or more below cd.
Deepest water is about 10m east of the leading lines. Best to head straight to the green starboard hand mark once you pass the two creek entry buoys.
 
That will be good. Hopefully updated indicated depths will be put on the website once the dredging has been done. With metre deep keels, and average low-low tide at +0.5m, there is a big difference to worrying about whether will be able to get back in, if depth of water is 1m below LAT (OK) rather than 0.3 or 0.6m. Needs to be reasonably full width, not just a narrow gut, Compliments to the Harbour Commissioners if they are able to achieve this.
 
Thank you Creek - and Tillergirl - much appreciated everything you are doing with respect to water depths, Notices for Mariners and the Black Deep.

This 2024 depths plan is more recent than the 2023 one published on the Brightingsea Harbour website but confirms 0.4m within 30m of the leading line and a channel about 75m wide. Need width on the Brightlingsea side going out to pass port to port someone coming in following the leading line.

Also have to negotiate wind farm boats, other yachts, sailing dinghies, wingfoilers and most worryingly wild swimmers now, so realistically can’t always do the best straight line out or in - and water is always lumpy there.

Very useful though to have this latest depths plan with the best line now and hopefully it will be updated and put on the website after winter dredging. There seems to have been a lot of build up of sand generally in the Colne over the last 10-20 years as well as mud in the creek. Thanks also to Cobra for raising the issue. Don't want to see so many visitors stuck waiting for tide next year
 
Not too worried about absolute depths although 1m again below LAT for the full 100-150m channel width would be nice but it might be difficult - ideally just to have best available information, that we have now - and have access to updated information as it changes so published on website, which will be more up to date than a published chart - Navigating by eye and keeping a watch out. Thanks to everyone
 
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Post 1 confirmed. You can't get in at LAT any more with a metre deep keel (or at typical low spring+0.7m depth with a 1.5m keel) and you could probably now walk across at LAT (with paddleboard) although wouldn't recommend it, Debate is just whether you could walk across in wellies or if you would need chest high waders. Quite a surprise though.
 
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The fact the Wharf is importing over 2000 tonnes of cement a week and exporting half that by way of scrap must be having an effect. Seems to me teh Oyster bank is growing. I was keeping an eye on when it came out the water against the harbour tide gauge on the website. But the gauge broke and wasn't repaired.
 
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