East Cowes Small Craft Channel silted up?

[CAPTAIN FANTASTIC]

Last night we entered Cowes via the small craft channel, I was a bit surprised to see that the channel was not deep at all and for a minutes I thought we were going to touch bottom; the sea was calm so we carried on until we reached the main channel. However, in future, I will only use the small craft channel at high water. Perhaps the new breakwater structure has affected the channel.

 

[Lucky Duck]

Is this the one that runs East of the new breakwater?

We used this last Sunday with about two hours left of the ebb to run and found a patch with little more than 2.5m of water.

 

[Dockhead]

I pass through here often. The depths correspond to what is shown on my up to date Admiralty chart.

It's too shallow to use at low tide. It's not really a channel; more like a pass.

 

[PhillM]

Isn't there a tide gauge at the eastern end that shows the current depth?

As per Dockhead, I've only ever used it at high tide.

 

[l'escargot]

It has never been usable at all states of the tide. The main part follows the chart datum contour and there is often less than 2 metres.

 

[Dab]

I don' remember exactly where I read it but I thought that there was a plan to dredge the small boat channel to a certain depth at some stage in the future. The times I have used it it's depth was as shown on the chart, which certainly made it unusable for 1.5m draft at low or lowish water. I remember thinking at the time that it was a bit rich calling it a small boat channel when it was tide dependent and I also don't remember that being well explained on either the chart or the almanac.

 

[l'escargot]

I don' remember exactly where I read it but I thought that there was a plan to dredge the small boat channel to a certain depth at some stage in the future. The times I have used it it's depth was as shown on the chart, which certainly made it unusable for 1.5m draft at low or lowish water. I remember thinking at the time that it was a bit rich calling it a small boat channel when it was tide dependent and I also don't remember that being well explained on either the chart or the almanac.

The LNTM explains it quite clearly: http://www.cowesharbourcommission.co.uk/Library/LNTM/02_of_2015_Small_Craft_Channel.pdf

 

[CAPTAIN FANTASTIC]

Perhaps I am wrong, but three hours after low water last night, I was expecting minimum 2 m of water, instead we had 1.2 m depth; my boat is a shallow draft bilge keel and with the tide coming in with calm seas, it was less of an issue. I will check the calibration of my depth meter to make sure, but I was wondering whether the new breakwater has affected the channel.

 

[Boat441]

Interestingly enough, looking at the modelling that was done in support of the project, it was done based on the completed project, Ie new breakwater, old breakwater being extended and the new marina built. So no modelling of the transition state that we currently have. Also there does not appear to be any specific modelling of the small craft channel.

Interesting read, one the cowes harbour website.

 

[doug748]

The Navionics thingy shows it quite well:

http://webapp.navionics.com/?lang=en#@13&key=a`ztH|}{F

 

[Twister_Ken]

Given that the channel runs over the Shrape mud, it would be surprising if the depths didn't shift a bit.

 

[Sailfree]

Fred drift but now based in Poole how is the proposed new East cowes marina progressing?

 

[Boo2]

From the .pdf linked in post #7 :

The minimum depth in the SCC is 0.2 metres below chart datum; therefore the minimum depth of water in the channel is equal to the height of tide shown on the tide gauge + 0.2 metres.

Surprised me that the channel is only .2m deeper than CD too, had plenty of tide on my way into Cowes so used it but was a bit nervous on exit so went round the buoys...

Boo2