'Grounding South of the Margate Sand'

[Cantata]

ybw.com News item: http://www.ybw.com/auto/newsdesk/20090629130920ymnews.html
We posted about this on the ECP site News in early July, but as not everyone has obviously read that (including the delivery skipper concerned!), the story is that Trinity House have again moved the Hook Spit and East Last buoys, but are hinting that the swatchway may be closing up and that buoyage could be discontinued.
Locally we think that the route S of the East Last Sand, through the Copperas Channel, is a viable one but needs a bit of careful pilotage.

 

[Pye_End]

Dick -

I have never tried anything round there apart from between the buoys - from the (little) detail on my chart the alternative looks viable, and could be marked with a pair as the current channel is now.

Is there a new published chartlet of that area - ie does it look a better proposition (if marked) than the current channel?

With no marks at all my biggest concern would be clonking black rock, but it is a long way round if trying to avoind the area (and the 'through the middle of the sands' route is only for good weather).

 

[Cantata]

Jonathan, I have been using the UKHO folio 5606 which I think is 7th edition, and the equivalent from Imray. Both are a couple of years old - I just looked on the UKHO website but can't see any detail about current edition numbers, so I don't know if there is a newer version at present.
Black Rock is a good bit further inshore from the deeper part of the Copperas but obviously is a hazard. I do wonder why nobody has ever put a post on it.
Crossing the middle of the sands would be a lot trickier IMO and I wouldn't try it unless in a centre-boarder, I think!

 

[Malish]

It probably didn't help that he was going through on the bottom of a big spring tide with a nominal water depth of about datum

 

[Gin]

Jonathan, I have been using the UKHO folio 5606 which I think is 7th edition, QUOTE]

8th edition published 2008 and 9th edition due now BUT neither will include the repositioned buoys

 

[Mudhook]

Last week's extra-low springs seem to have caught out a lot of people. There were three boats aground in the Walton Backwaters on Saturday night and Sunday morning, two for most of a whole tide. ALL were in places that I would not have been having checked the tides for that day.I suspect that some folk navigate with gay abandon because you can "always get through here" and may not even know what LWS means.

Regards, Mudhook