Crossing the Thames Estuary

[Vamoose]

Has anyone crossed Sunk Sands recently, South West of Middle /SW Sunk Sands. (Between Black Deep 7 & Barrow No 6). And if so what were the depths like ? If the depths are OK it would save a few miles on passages from North Foreland – Crouch/Blackwater/Colne

I last crossed there in the 60’s with my Father who often used that route as did I think his Father before him.

I have always crossed via SW Sunk, but with the pile of ironmongery on the sea bed, of SW Sunk and now (I think) Sunk Beacon, have started to use alternative routes, such as Foulgers, or the Swin / Princes Channel as I don’t fancy getting skewered .

Being 100% certain of your position made some routes such as the one I mentioned a bit dodgy in years gone by, but Chart Plotters make it a lot easier.

 

[tillergirl]

If you go to my website - see below, you will see a chartlet of the Barrow No 6 to Black Deep No 7. Short answer is that you cannot go direct between the two - well at least you could not last summer, as the Sw Sunk was in the way. However, there was a passable route as you will see from the chartlet. Unfortuantely I didn't expand the survey as much as I wanted to to go down further towards the wreckage that was the SW Sunk - which is not visible of course. I have a plan to check on this passage in May this year.

The Sunk Beacon was unfortunately in the middle of the passage over the sands so knowing your position there is very important as that has now gone as well. I am going to test (in May as well) how close one can get to the Middle Sunk but there is an issue with a finger extending NE across the top of what use to be the Sunk Beacon passage. In the last couple of years, this finger was getting rather shallow.

The third passage over the Sunk is in the vicinity of the Barrow No 2 directly between between two obstns on the Sand - there is plenty of room but I cannot give you the waypoint since all my charting stuff is at home and I am at 20 degrees South at the moment. But this is the deepest passage over the Sunk and marries up quite well with Foulger's Gat. Note there is London Array construction starting this year and restrictions from time to time when using Foulger's. Guidance from RYA East is visible on the website as well.

So I hope more definitive information in late Spring

 

[Vamoose]

If you go to my website - see below, you will see a chartlet of the Barrow No 6 to Black Deep No 7. Short answer is that you cannot go direct between the two - well at least you could not last summer, as the Sw Sunk was in the way. However, there was a passable route as you will see from the chartlet. Unfortuantely I didn't expand the survey as much as I wanted to to go down further towards the wreckage that was the SW Sunk - which is not visible of course. I have a plan to check on this passage in May this year.

Thanks for that link Roger, its very useful .. Apologies for not being clearer as it was "The Passable Route" to which I was referring, and not a direct line between Barrow 6 & Black Deep 7. However, looking at your chartlet it seems that it is passable for me to get comfortably across (albeit with care) +/- high water, so that answers my question, Thank You.

I am familiar with both the SW Sunk & Foulgers routes, but look forward with interest to seeing the results of your surveys later in 2011.

 

[jerrytug]

Hi folks,I`m planning to use that route,between the two obstructions,next week,then Foulger`s.(Burnham to N.Foreland). I thought you might be interested,I yesterday phoned London Array 07920 854358,who said,"we are not starting work until the end of the month and Foulger`s Gat is open".
On Sunday I phoned London VTS (VHF69 man) 01754560311 and he said,"There`s no work at the moment and Foulger`s is open to traffic".

I`ve posted this because the RYA suggests otherwise,I`m glad I made those calls,otherwise would have been going Fisherman`s Gat,cheers Jerry

 

[Cantata]

We aren't aware of any likelihood that Foulger's Gat might be closed for any long period. So far as we understand, there might be exclusion zones around work going on at the edge of the Gat from time to time, and the construction schematic seems to show cables crossing it, so I can imagine that it might be closed to a few hours in those circumstances.
Anyway, you've reminded me that I have a long-standing invitation to go and visit the London Array offices at Ramsgate, so I shall take them up on it soon and bring up the issue, and will report back.

 

[Athene V30]

We aren't aware of any likelihood that Foulger's Gat might be closed for any long period. So far as we understand, there might be exclusion zones around work going on at the edge of the Gat from time to time, and the construction schematic seems to show cables crossing it, so I can imagine that it might be closed to a few hours in those circumstances.
Anyway, you've reminded me that I have a long-standing invitation to go and visit the London Array offices at Ramsgate, so I shall take them up on it soon and bring up the issue, and will report back.

Dick

If you do speak with them can you ask if there is a preferred VHF channel to call on to find out if Foulger's is open. Not planning to be going that way until end of May.

Thanks

 

[smartcom]

Hi,
Why don't you and other E coast sailors look at TeamSurv (www.teamsurv.eu).
We're looking for people to log GPS and depth data from their instruments, which you upload to our server and we then make tide corrections using both tidal predictions and tide gauges, and then process to produce charts.