Chichester

[lustyd]

Hi all, I thought I'd share a bit of experience from today in case it's helpful. Normally when leaving Chichester I turn at Bar Beacon rather than wait until West Pole as there is plenty of water for my boat. It's often a bit rough to the west of bar beacon closer in to the shore. Today, I passed at high water and there were breaking waves all the way out to West Pole, although the surrounding sea was relatively calm. Obviously I chose to wait until West Pole but it seemed fairly clear that the depth has changed and the bar extends significantly further out. Even turning at West Pole felt a little too soon, and the depth dropped to 6m at high water directly to the west of West Pole.

If you're heading this way then watch your depth gauge like a hawk!

 

[Seajet]

There always was a shallow bit there, but that and the breaking waves all the way out at HW does sound a bit iffy - no surprise at all if things have changed after recent events of course, but I don't recall any of the local NTM's mentioning anything - yet - ?

Good tip LustyD.

 

[lustyd]

There always was a shallow bit there, but that and the breaking waves all the way out at HW does sound a bit iffy - no surprise at all if things have changed after recent events of course, but I don't recall any of the local NTM's mentioning anything - yet - ?

Good tip LustyD.

I've certainly not seen anything official about it but the depth is definitely different to what it used to be. Today was a 5m tide so that would make it 1m to the west of West Pole and I'm confident yachts don't usually run aground to the west of it at low water. Hopefully someone will survey before the normal sailing season starts.

 

[gregcope]

I've seen variations between charted and actual depths in that area. However a dredger was there last year. Obviously recent weather might have moved stuff.

I have always cut between Wpole and Bar Beacon, which should be fine with my 1.68M, when loads of others go around West Pole.

I have done safety boat driving in the bay, cutting closer is not to be advised, unless you like it shallow, and when its it rough you can see the mud!

 

[lustyd]

I've seen variations between charted and actual depths in that area. However a dredger was there last year. Obviously recent weather might have moved stuff.

I have always cut between Wpole and Bar Beacon, which should be fine with my 1.68M, when loads of others go around West Pole.

I have done safety boat driving in the bay, cutting closer is not to be advised, unless you like it shallow, and when its it rough you can see the mud!

I'm pretty confident it won't be fine with your 1.68m at the moment. It may go back to normal later in the season but I definitely wouldn't try it for a while and I only draw 3'!

 

[colhel]

I heard a Mayday call about 10.30am yesterday, I could only hear the coast guards half of the conversation but I'm sure it was a grounding around Chichester.

 

[Giblets]

I heard a Mayday call about 10.30am yesterday, I could only hear the coast guards half of the conversation but I'm sure it was a grounding around Chichester.

Let's hope he got off OK. Not good to ground at half an hour before HW on a 5.0m tide!

Did see a yacht lying over with sails up in the north eastern end of Langstone Harbour at low water yesterday afternoon so could have been him.

 

[lustyd]

I heard a Mayday call about 10.30am yesterday, I could only hear the coast guards half of the conversation but I'm sure it was a grounding around Chichester.

If it was the one I heard it was Thorney channel and he floated off before the rescue got there. Not that he called it in, it was another boat that called to say he was free but I guess he could have been busy getting himself sorted. Anyone caught on Chi bar yesterday would almost certainly have rolled the boat onto the beach so hopefully there wasn't another one there that I didn't hear

 

[colhel]

I was by the Needles at the time so could only the CG side but from what I gather the rescue was called off.

 

[lustyd]

I was by the Needles at the time so could only the CG side but from what I gather the rescue was called off.

that'll be the one then. Must have been lovely by the Needles at 10:30 in the sunshine!

 

[colhel]

Oh yes!I was helping a guy from the Mobo forum bring his boat back from Brixham.

 

[Houleaux]

This is from the Notice to Mariners section of the harbour conservancy website:

"16/13 Reduced Depths Chichester Bar and Approach Channel

Mariners are advised that a bathymetric survey of Chichester Bar and Approach Channel undertaken 8 October 2013 shows a least depth of 0.7m below Chart Datum. The latest survey is available to view on the Conservancy's website."

The survey is available here: http://www.conservancy.co.uk/assets/assets/barsurvey_oct13.pdf

This was, of course, before all the recent storms.

 

[brianhumber]

Chi Bar and Erosion at Selsey

This is from the Notice to Mariners section of the harbour conservancy website:

"16/13 Reduced Depths Chichester Bar and Approach Channel

Mariners are advised that a bathymetric survey of Chichester Bar and Approach Channel undertaken 8 October 2013 shows a least depth of 0.7m below Chart Datum. The latest survey is available to view on the Conservancy's website."

The survey is available here: http://www.conservancy.co.uk/assets/assets/barsurvey_oct13.pdf

This was, of course, before all the recent storms.

Went out for a days jolly in the Solent a couple of Saturdays ago about 2 hours before LW midway between Neaps and Springs, and found on the bar about 0.5m below CD on two distinct humps and one hump a bit deeper. As others have said we found breaking white water right out to the Dolphin to the West but there was a swell and it was ebbing 2 hours before LW.

These heights were confirmed on way back in later.

The low cliffs 9 (about 6 foot of soil on top of gravel) between the Coastguard Tower at Selsey and Bunns complex have been erroded back about 10m this winter, the top footpath has gone as have the last sewer and water meter chambers from the long gone bungalows that used to be here. The field fence will come down in the next storm. A local was telling me the Bunns sand beach has meant the current runs in a circle now between the end of the groynes and the new Bunn rocks taking the cliff with it at high tide. The sand looks to be disappearing from the home made beach shore side of the rocks as well.

Brian

 

[Seajet]

Brian,

bilmey that's much, much shallower than before !

By ' on the bar ' you do mean in the entrance, ie where one should be ?

 

[brianhumber]

Brian,

bilmey that's much, much shallower than before !

By ' on the bar ' you do mean in the entrance, ie where one should be ?

Yes I meant the entrance, It was a F3 so I was being careful to keep to the recommended track just to see exactly what depths I could sound. And as it was only F3 I was surprised to see as many breaking swells as we did I sail every month throughout the winter and it has got shallower since the official survey was done.
There is a scour which is deeper but you are lucky to find this and it seems to wind about a lot as scours do. Am sailing again in couple of weekends and will plan my exit/entrance times on a cautious 0m CD depth.

Having been berthed in Chichester with Ronhilda since 97 the harbour has changed a lot around the Winner between East Head and Hayling which may be affecting the entrance and its ability to cut through any gravel filling it up.
Looks to me as if mother nature wants to form a channel over the sand and gravel on the East side of the Winner between East Head and Hayling Island rather than sweep around towards HISC and the South Cardinal. The gap between North Winner SHM and the Fisher Cardinal is getting narrower each year as the gravel bank migrates north so the water flow must find it restrictive as well. This means the tide from Thorney, Bosham and Chichester channels is encouraged flow out in a straight line between East Head and the Winner gravel as its less resistant. Seems to be a lot more flowing over that route than years past.

Brian

 

[Seajet]

Brian,

thanks very much for that; this is a big change for the worse and I think we are going to see people in trouble even if this is widely publicised, lots of them if it isn't !

I'll ask the Harbour office now if they know of anything.

 

[Twister_Ken]

How well has the 'hinge' south and slightly west of East Head survived. Seem to remember it was pretty parlous a couple of years back, with talk of a possible break-through.

 

[Seajet]

I just spoke with Richard the Harbourmaster, he was out with a depthsounder on a patrol boat last Saturday and has the impression depths are actually better than before.

I have a little trouble understanding that after the recent storms and the reports from LustyD and Brian, but Richard must know...

Apparently a proper survey will be carried out in March.

I suppose all one can do in the meantime is ' proceed with caution '.

 

[Petertheking1982]

I sailed from langstone to chicester a couple of weeks ago and there was big swells breaking quite far out on both west winner and west pole. From a surfers perspective they where good conditions for it, good size ground swell from the right direction. But from my limited experience it was breaking further out than i had seen before, so even accounting for a big ground swell, the sand banks could have changed.

 

[lustyd]

I just spoke with Richard the Harbourmaster, he was out with a depthsounder on a patrol boat last Saturday and has the impression depths are actually better than before.

I have a little trouble understanding that after the recent storms and the reports from LustyD and Brian, but Richard must know...

Apparently a proper survey will be carried out in March.

I suppose all one can do in the meantime is ' proceed with caution '.

That would depend where he was doing the soundings. The actual channel seemed fine and I have no doubt that it may be deeper. My warning was specifically about the well used shortcut inside of west pole but after bar beacon which I'm certain is now very shallow. It may be helpful if a local could take a picture at low water which would easily show any high spots if they are there. Unfortunately I'm never there at low water and even more rarely now I'm out of the harbour