Depth in Swin Spitway

[AndrewB]

We got up at an ungodly hour in the morning, weekend before last, in order to get across the Swin/Wallet Spitway before the tide fell. If you remember, that was the weekend of huge tides.

My chart shows 0.2m in the Spitway. The Brightlingsea harbour master advised that it can only be crossed at half-tide. But when we got there my echo sounder recorded far more water ... equivalent of 2.1m LAT, enough to get through at low tide.

Can any locals confirm, is it deeper than formerly, or do I need to check my depth sounder and/or secondary port calculations? It's such a convenient shortcut between Crouch and Blackwater.

 

[Guest]

I use the spitway about 15 times in a year in all seasons. I draw 1.2m and have neverdropped below 0.6m under the keel at low water. I like to keep a record of what is happening because it is so convienient as you say. The only time I do not go through at low water is if there is significant wave action as that does make a difference, particularly if you're of course slightly.

A year ago I blindly followed my GPS route, of many times, across the Barrow and was somewhat startled to find the depth, which should have been 6m, dissappear to nothing. Thinking I was off course or something I attemted to locate the gutway and ended up taking a route which should have taken me over the top of a drying bank of some 2m a mile and a halfaway. Totally confused, I carried on cautiously, to Ramsgate. True enough the next edition of the chart showed a completely different representation of the Barrow than my previous one, even with the updates. Them sands do change quick sometimes!

Following one or two interesting skirmishes with the Thames Estuary, I am always careful when the weather is a bit grumpy, exploring little used gutways at low water is rather nice but only in perfect conditions.

Long live the East Coast

Bill, Tollesbury.

P.S. Check echo sounder anyway for your peace of mind, easy to do with a bit of string at a nice anchorage using empty alchohol bottle as weight.

 

[dickh]

We went over the spitway several times last year , once at low water springs at night, we never had less than 2 metres of water. I draw 1.4 metres and it was fairly calm, F3 or so. I have always found more water than the chart suggests. We on the East Coast are always dodging the sand banks, they always change.

 

[DanTribe]

Perhaps the Brightlingsea HM was thinking about the Rays'n channel which fits the description better, and cuts a few miles of the trip,
If F25 reads this, could you post the position of your route across the Barrow? The last time I tried it I couldn't find enough water anywhere and did a bit of ploughing as a result.
Happy brown water cruising
Dan

 

[Guest]

Barrow swatchway or lack of!

On the boat today and will sort positions for you. Post it early next week hopefully. It does rather seem to infer the Rays'n, slip of the tongue on a busy weekend maybe.

 

[Plum]

I have never touched bottom through the spitway at low water (draft 1.4m) although I have at times had 0.5m below the keel. However, I can't recall doing the trip on a really big spring like the end of March