Crossing the Sunk above the Long Sand Inner, any traps?

[Bob Stay]

Hello if anyone here has time, I would just like a quicky query please:
I'm going from Ramsgate to Harwich tomorrow, Friday 6th July. I have a new chart but neither EC Pilot or CTTE on board, the chandler here doesn't have them in stock (he used to keep them).
My question is, are there any reasons not to cross the Sunk Sand, heading north out of Fishermans Gat, it would cut of a mile or two and give more fairer tide.
Then I could have nearly a straight run over the top of the Gunfleet up to the Medusa.
I know I will be punching tide comi g in to Harwich.
Not far off HW so, *according to the soundings on the chart* it looks fine.
I was thinking of crossing due North of Long Sand Inner PHM, about 01 degrees 24 minutes decimal 5 East
There is an obstruction marked 1.7m another 2.3m which I can avoid, although I would probly get over in theory, and I have 1.8m draught.
Unless anyoneknows different? Many thanks Bob Stay

 

[Cantata]

Have a look at this, from tillergirl's website.
http://www.crossingthethamesestuary.com/Barrow No 2 2015.jpg

 

[Bob Stay]

Thank you verymuch Cantata!

 

[tillergirl]

Well of course you can.

1. There are three crossing points of the Sunk Sand (a) the SW Sunk swatchway, (b) the Middle Sunk and (c) the Little Sunk. The start of the SW Sunk swatch is north of Fisherman's Gat but the swatch runs east towards the west so will add distance for Harwich. But it can work. Having left the swatch turn starboard into the Barrow Deep. I would not recommend running over the top of the Gunfleet. To the best of my knowledge there have been no recent surveys of the Gunfleet. There are alternatives to minimise distance.

(b) the Middle Sunk. I would NOT recommend that crossing. I have the latest 2015 data but the swatch is dog legged, has to avoid the unmarked wreckage of the Sunk Beacon and avoid the shallow finger of sand that runs ahead of the swatch along the edge of the Barrow Deep. It's possible but frankly it needs local knowledge (in my view).

The Little Sunk - easy, relaxed crossing of a mile and a half between the marked wrecks to the west side and the wreckage of the old Little Sunk beacon (all unmarked). There is the Barrow No 2 ahead of the crossing as a visible mark. You can either go through Fisherman's Gat, turn to starboard at the 'junction' with the Black Deep and run down with the ebb until you reach a waypoint to cross the Little Sunk. Once then over the Sunk Sand, diagonally over the Swin and round the top of the Gunfleet. There is absolutely no need to 'round' the NE Gunfleet, so leave the No 2 Wallet off to port (clearing the Gunfleet Sands) and head for the Medusa. Keeping clear of the South Cork is a good idea in a spring ebb tide - it is also a lousy place for poor marked lobster pots.

But you can trim off some miles by using Foulger's Gat - follow the three safe water marks and then over the Black Deep to the crossing point over the Little Sunk. You can also run down the Black Deep turing inside the Sunk Head Tower approx opposite the Black Deep No 2 to clear the top of the Sunk Sand. Then from there head in towards the Medusa. If there is a strong Westerly wind and the spring ebb, probably good not to go round the top of the Sunk Sand as keeping tide and up-wind of the South Cork can be a little exciting.

Or there is always the outside route Ramsgit - going one side of the other of the Thanet Wind Farm (personally I leave it to starboard but I'm not sure it matters), outisde the Kentish Knock, leaving Long Sand Head to starboard but not heading close to the top of the actual Long Sand Head (it is the most changeable area in the Estuary), cross the Sunk Precautionary area (the Black Deep is getting busier), head for the Roughs, Cork Sand Beacon and alongside the shipping channel.

Distances:

via Foulger's Gat and the Black Deep 39.73nm
via Foulger's Gat and the Little Sunk 39.07nm
via Fisherman's and Black Deep 41.19nm
via Fisherman's and the Little Sunk 39.90nm
Outside 46.16nm
via Fisherman's and the SW Sunk - haven't calc'ed but I'm estimating its 1.8nm longer than using the Little Sunk. It wasn't further than I though.

 

[cueball]

+1 for Foulgers Gat then little sunk, I have used this route 4 times in the last year, I draw slightly less than 2m and had no problems. use Fisherman's if concerned about draft.

 

[Bob Stay]

Thanks very much Cueball, and tillergirl for the very full and experienced answer!

 

[Bob Stay]

Now tied up on buoy in Harwich, exited Rambo 1330, tied up Harwich 2045 so not a bad run via Fishermans Gat, crossing ove the Little Sunk, and sounding the tightest way round into the end of the Wallet.
Only had adverse tide heading back up the end of the Wallet to the Medusa/Stone area, it certainly felt like there was an eddy, or at least an early bit of slack water, behind Harwich ledge on the way in, I was expecting a longer fight with the ebb comong out of the rivers.

Thanks again for the advice Bob