Caution on the approaches to the East Swale

[FulmarJeddo]

There is a crane barge operating in the approaches to the East Swale. I assume it to be cable laying for the wind farm extension. There is a long row of buoys extending out both ends possibly a mile or more long. I have only seen it from onshore and would guess it's between the rock Berm and the Wind farm. It's definitely seaward of Whitstable Street. It was difficult to judge distance this evening. I could barely see the London Array turbines through the haze where they are often quite easily seen, but I could see the Knock John Tower that I can't recall ever seeing before from on shore.
From the Sheppey coast the barge is lit up like a Christmas tree, but the buoys don't look particularly well lit. I can see a few white flashing lights that are not normally there.

 

[Cantata]

Not exactly in the Swale approaches, but further east. It's all taking place on a line N-S (just about 001° 5' E) off Herne Bay (which I inhabit), where the cables come ashore. Exclusion zone around the work but not huge, and the work area steadily moves inshore.
I remember a few years back when they laid the first set of cables they proposed closing off the entire 5-mile gap for a couple of weeks. That didn't go down too well and they soon changed their minds...

 

[FulmarJeddo]

The light was doing strange things last night and made it look a lot closer. As I said I could see the Knock John Tower that I can't recall ever seeing before from on shore. I realised after I posted it that I had said it looked in line between the wind farm and the berm which is isn't really a "through route". It was the long line of buoys that looked alarming.

I'm planning to use the Copperas channel in 2 weeks time. Hopefully it will be clear of that by then.

 

[Cantata]

I seem to recall the cables are scheduled to come ashore in the next few days so it should all be long gone by the time you come through.