Charted drying height of Sully Island causeway

I've been through a few times, normally about an hour before HW on big springs. Before I went the first time I had a look at low water to see where the lowest part of the causeway is located. I have been told that occasionally large rocks can get caught on the causeway, reducing the depth.
Was that your boat in the Graving docks today?
Allan
 
I was in Graving docks all day Saturday. Blue hull, stackpack and cockpit canopy.

Today I sailed down to Aberthaw and back on the tide. Not much wind today. The causeway looked pretty high on the way back at hw-5.
 
I might go down there shoreside. I reckon if i time when the causeway is just covered and work out the height of tide at that time i can calculate when it is safe to cross.
 
CaptainKingo said:
It's really not somewhere you want to be, especially when things go wrong. Please don't take the risk.
Click to expand...
I think you can say that, to one degree or another, about any bit of water. I certainly wouldn't recommend going there, or anywhere else, without making the sort of efforts that the OP is doing to minimizing the risks.
I find that, in the right circumstances, using the Penarth back eddy, going inside Sully, around Sully bay and across the entrance to Barry harbour allows you to sail west from Cardiff a couple of hours before HW. With reasonable winds, that enables you to get most of the way out of the channel on one tide.
Allan
 
I assume that's taken from the east, ie the island is on the left? Covering at half tide would corelate with the 5ish metres I normally get when I cross an hour or so before a decent tide. I've found staying a bit south of half way gives the best depths. Heading towards the north after crossing the causeway takes you out of the tide. I've read somewhere that the tide across Barry harbour entrance is west going 95% of the time. That works for me, good to see others working it out for themselves.
Allan
 
I have passed inside twice on tides above 11m, around 1 hours before HW, the min depth I saw was 3.8m. But I agree there is a risk that there could be small obstacles rising above this. Whilst the theory told me it would be fine and doing it is a test on your confidence with your tide calcs. It did not stop me from being quite stressed during both transits. On sail boat but did use engine. There is no margin for error if you have an issue with propulsion, I am not likely to rely on sails only so with a fair wind I would sail around despite tide against when aiming to get as far west as possible on a tide
 
I often sail through but only well within +/- an hour of HW. As said you don't know what has moved or been washed up.There was a massive log about 15 years ago. I went on the Balmoral through there, full pelt in the dark which i wasn't comfortable with!!!
It saves a bit of time on a passage due to the added current.
 
I used to shore fish on the island and you can walk across 3 hours after high water and 4 hours b4 high water coming back so it's all down to the draft of ur boat,
From the west side it's flat with some rocks then drops off a 3ft ledge coming from the east you got a gully then it steps up 3ft seen a few boat on there sides where they left it to late no room to turn,
There are better places to be laughed at it's just not worth the risk unless it's top water over 11m
 
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