Crouch entrance channels

[Grandpa]

Dear ECF

I'd welcome any views on using the swallotail channel to get to/from the spitway . We draw 2m.

Thanks in advance

 

[ex-Gladys]

Not been down there this year, but absolutely no problem in previous years, do stay closeish to the yellow buoys particularly at the western end of the Swallowtail near the Sunken Buxey

 

[nigelm]

Swallowtail not a problem , the spitway has less water .

 

[Grandpa]

Thank you. We will give it a go on tuesday on route back to shotley.

 

[tillergirl]

Beware of the warning of the unmarked wreck on the edge of the Buxey near the westerly end of the Swallowtail. It is marked on charts as an Obstn drying 2m but is a wreck about 70ft long. The wreck is a little bit further out into the channel but plenty of room. See http://www.crossingthethamesestuary.com/page9.html , select the Temporary list and scroll down to week 13.



This is looking from the Buxey towards the Swallowtail.



This might sense of the size of the vessel; this was their windlass.

 

[Grandpa]

Beware of the warning of the unmarked wreck on the edge of the Buxey near the westerly end of the Swallowtail. It is marked on charts as an Obstn drying 2m but is a wreck about 70ft long. The wreck is a little bit further out into the channel but plenty of room. See http://www.crossingthethamesestuary.com/page9.html , select the Temporary list and scroll down to week 13.



This is looking from the Buxey towards the Swallowtail.



This might sense of the size of the vessel; this was their windlass.

Many thanks tillergirl (et al)

This is one of the many reasons why ECF is a must for local knowledge and help.

 

[tillergirl]

I should have added that it was found by a local Mersea yachtsman and Oysterman. He would not like me to name him but he put quite a lot of effort to track down what he suspected it was.

 

[Marmalade]

Welcome to the forum Grandpa!

 

[DanTribe]

Beware of the warning of the unmarked wreck on the edge of the Buxey near the westerly end of the Swallowtail. It is marked on charts as an Obstn drying 2m but is a wreck about 70ft long. The wreck is a little bit further out into the channel but plenty of room. See http://www.crossingthethamesestuary.com/page9.html , select the Temporary list and scroll down to week 13.



This is looking from the Buxey towards the Swallowtail.



This might sense of the size of the vessel; this was their windlass.

This wreck now appears to be well marked with several buoys which look like fishing pot markers, at least one with a radar reflector.
Well done whoever put those down.

 

[DanTribe]

Dear ECF

I'd welcome any views on using the swallotail channel to get to/from the spitway . We draw 2m.

Thanks in advance

Plenty of water through the Swallowtail channel for us with 2m, but don't cut the South West corner of the Spitway too tight.
That is the South East of the Buxey seems to be shallower and have some shoal patches. The Gunfleet side to the East is less of a problem.

 

[ZoeImogen]

This wreck now appears to be well marked with several buoys which look like fishing pot markers, at least one with a radar reflector.
Well done whoever put those down.

If they're the ones I've seen, then the bouys marking fishing pots are exactly that - see https://crouchharbour.uk/notices/ NtM 21. Now appear to have been moved out of the main Swallowtail channel at least.

 

[MountainGoat]

If they're the ones I've seen, then the bouys marking fishing pots are exactly that - see https://crouchharbour.uk/notices/ NtM 21. Now appear to have been moved out of the main Swallowtail channel at least.

Agreed. They're not marking the wreck. I sailed the Swallowtail at the start of May. These buoys covered most of the distance from Swallowtail WC to Swin Spitway SWM. Many of them presented a hazard to navigation, being right in the middle of the channel.

The ones towards the SWM have been removed and the ones remaining have been moved north, away from the main channel. Whoever put them there in the first place presumably got a suitable bollocking.

 

[DanTribe]

Agreed. They're not marking the wreck. I sailed the Swallowtail at the start of May. These buoys covered most of the distance from Swallowtail WC to Swin Spitway SWM. Many of them presented a hazard to navigation, being right in the middle of the channel.

The ones towards the SWM have been removed and the ones remaining have been moved north, away from the main channel. Whoever put them there in the first place presumably got a suitable bollocking.

Ooops, sorry, I obviously jumped to the wrong conclusion. A case of believing something is where you want it to be.
Anyway, at least these pot markers seem to be out of the normal navigation channel.