Deben Entrance, buoys now re-positioned for 2022.

[Aquaboy]

Came out this morning at 08.30. (before the wind got up) Yes a shallow patch by the Martello Tower. I also moved over towards the granite boulders before the turn, I don't like then but it was getting shallow out in the middle. The whole inner end of the fisher mans gut or north entrance seemed less water this year. The previous evening I had scraped in that way against the last of the ebb but with a good beam wind it wasn't a problem. Centre plate singing on the stones. The main entrance seemed to line up nicely with the Manor.

 

[Aquaboy]

BTW... think this is off station!!

 

[LittleSister]

BTW... think this is off station!!

Yes, those towers do tend to drift about a bit.

 

[Oldgeezer]

Lived to tell the tale! In and out over the BH. There were bits that were shallower than expected but at HW never went less than 2m

 

[LittleSister]

Lived to tell the tale! In and out over the BH. There were bits that were shallower than expected but at HW never went less than 2m

2m?

I get giddy when it gets that deep on the East Coast!

 

[Fr J Hackett]

2m?

I get giddy when it gets that deep on the East Coast!

I used to get squeaky bum syndrome having moved from pure crystal deep waters of the south west. Never did get used to the idea of floating in half a meter.

 

[LittleSister]

pure crystal deep waters of the south west.

With all those scary hard, sharp bits in it.

 

[DanTribe]

I used to have some Jocks come and sail on my Stella for Burnham Week. They got very nervous when the depth went below 10 feet.

 

[PeterWright]

I used to have some Jocks come and sail on my Stella for Burnham Week. They got very nervous when the depth went below 10 feet.

For the upriver races, I suspect they didn't see much above 10 feet, particularly when you were against the tide.

Peter.

 

[tillergirl]

For the upriver races, I suspect they didn't see much above 10 feet, particularly when you were against the tide.

Peter.

I was about to say the same!

 

[Johnah]

I have just published my video of crossing the Deben Bar after launching at Larkmans on 17 May. They launched me early and it was a big tide. I was crossing the bar only one hour twenty minutes after HW on the bar so I was not anticipating any problems and expected to find the shallowest water between Knoll Spit and West Knoll in view of the Trinity House chartlet and what others have found.

However; to my surprise, I found the shallowest water in the stretch from the southern most Martello Tower to Mid Knoll where my echosounder recorded 2.4 metres for quite some distance as opposed to the 3.1 metres I found by West Knoll. Given that tidal predictions, my measurements at West Knoll and the Harwich Tidal gauge all indicated that the height of tide was around 3 metres, where I recorded 2.4 metres (perhaps 2.5 metres allowing for a slight under recording) there must have been a drying patch on my track.

I have no idea whether I was simply not in the deepest part of the channel or whether the entrance has silted up very recently but others are bound to find themselves in the same place. It was not a problem for me as the water was calm but half an hour later and I might well have grounded. If others with the same draft pass the same way later on the tide they will find themselves in trouble.

You will see where I was on the video. Has anyone else found the same shallow patch?

Regarding your recent depth observations at the Deben entrance Peter, this is the same passage on June 2nd.

The shallow patch by the Martello tower is there but I could not find a section shallower than the bar. I was roughly in mid channel between the Knolls and the shore.

John

Video - Leaving the Deben mid-tide - rising

 

[MikeBz]

Heard on the VHF this morning that a 43’ fin keeler was stuck aground 1 hr 30 mins after HW. It’s going to be a long uncomfortable day for them. Hope they get off OK tonight.

 

[LittleSister]

Hope they get off OK tonight.

Indeed. At least it'll be relatively light (short night and a big moon up).

 

[Johnah]

Happened to be at the Ferry this afternoon with the drone, flying for somebody else.

It's a timely reminder to avoid that knoll spit which is covered before and after HW, and keep closer to the sea wall.

Yes a SH buoy would be helpful there and I believe it has been requested, but maybe we just won't get one.

 

[Leighb]

Assuming it is the same yacht, AIS shows a stationary vessel in that position whose track shows it outbound just before HW Woodbridge Haven which is presumably roughly when it went aground. It appears to be a long way East of the best water, also assuming that it struck there and was not pulled further East by the ebb tide.

 

[MikeBz]

Assuming it is the same yacht, AIS shows a stationary vessel in that position whose track shows it outbound just before HW Woodbridge Haven which is presumably roughly when it went aground. It appears to be a long way East of the best water, also assuming that it struck there and was not pulled further East by the ebb tide.

Yes that’s the one. AIS track shows they went on at ~10:25 UTC which is 1 hour after HW Woodbridge Haven (10:32 BST). As you say they were a long way off track, presumably didn’t have the chartlet. At least the angle of heel doesn’t look terrible, and they can have a walk and stretch their legs!

 

[Cantata]

Hope they are ok, at least the weather is quietening down so I would think all will be well. Looks like a shoal fin too.
Can’t think that they had read any of the advice on offer if they went on at that spot, ?, unless perhaps they had a sudden problem like engine failure.

 

[Plum]

Assuming it is the same yacht, AIS shows a stationary vessel in that position whose track shows it outbound just before HW Woodbridge Haven which is presumably roughly when it went aground. It appears to be a long way East of the best water, also assuming that it struck there and was not pulled further East by the ebb tide.

Doesn't look as if it moved at all after coming to a halt. If you zoom in you can see the straight plough mark of the keel.

Www.solocoastalsailing.co.uk

 

[Greg2]

Blimey!
We came in about an hour before then and due to an outbound yacht I was further east at that point than I wanted to be and it shallowed up quite quickly. Fortunately I saw it and was able to move over sufficiently to get into deeper water.

We saw the yacht concerned on the Orwell yesterday and passed them again at Waldringfield on their way out. Hope they get off okay.

 

[Fr J Hackett]

It looks like if what I think is there track that they tried for the north channel and realised the error and tried to get back into the buoyed channel but started to go aground.