Harwich Harbour Authority’s NTM 07-09 (exclusion zone)

Amulet

Amulet

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http://www.hha.co.uk/proxy.php?proxy_url=library/files/E70F5189-9B43-4097-A622-2E254052FF21.PDF

The exclusion zone in Harwich Harbour seems pretty limiting. I hadn't done my homework last weekend and wandered across it twice. Noticed from my GPS track after the fact.

I had the impression that transgression was widespread.

I have now put an alarm into the computer to keep me out, but it's going to be a pain this season I think. Has there been a round of snivelling about this or am I the first?
 
It was raised on the ECF a while back. Not so bad really, reasonable well marked. There was a dredge working it last Friday and Saturday night when I went by. There's enough water to the west at most states for most vessel's.
 
plenty of debate on the East Coast Forum...

Consensus is that its only an issue at LW Springs, when the inside route is a tad shallow in places.... and that many, if not most will fail to even register than an NTM has been issued, and will still use the main channel.....
 
Tight it certainly is. I wrote to HHA and reprint their reply to my letter below. Hope this helps (a little!)

____________________________________
----- Message Forwarded on Thu, 30 Apr 2009 21:59:59 GMT -----
From: "Cliff Brand" <harbour.master@hha.co.uk>
To: <peterwgibbs@rya-online.net>
Cc: "Ian Mace" <dhm.conservancy@hha.co.uk>
Subject: FW: Harwich - new works - yacht passage
Date: Fri, 3 Apr 2009 16:41:58 +0100

Dear Peter,

Thanks for your e-mail.

In response to the points that you have made can I direct
you to the RYA website - (Eastern Region) www.ryaeast.org
which contains additional guidance and clarification in
relation to HHA's NTM 07-09.

Hopefully, this guidance will address your concerns.

Best regards

Captain C W Brand BSc (Hons)
Harbour Master / Marine Manager
Harwich Haven Authority
Angel Gate, Harwich, CO12 3EJ
Tel: 01255 243030
Fax: 01255 240933






-----Original Message-----
From: peterwgibbs@rya-online.net
[mailto:peterwgibbs@rya-online.net] Sent: 03 April 2009
10:51 To: HHA Reception
Subject: Fwd: Harwich - new works - yacht passage

Harbour Master,
Harwich.


-----
From: "peterwgibbs" <peterwgibbs@rya-online.net>
To: enquiry@hha.co.uk
Subject: Harwich - new works - yacht passage
Date: Mon, 23 Mar 2009 15:49:46 GMT

Sir,

You may have seen the large correspondence on the YBW site
ref the ports extension works and how we yachties should
avoid trouble.

We have seen your notice and ask for your advice: in the
past yachts have made off between the shipping channel and
the Harwich shelf and kept out of the way. Your new layout
and works instructions make this almost impossible at low
water and in heavy yacht traffic occasions.

It seems that with work going on on both sides of the
channel, and your stated requirement to keep 100m clear of
same, we will be forced at low water to use the shipping
channel itself - not that we wish to of course, but landing
on the Harwich shelf at LW is not an option!

We are also minded of how incoming strangers will handle the
situation safely at night/in bad visibility.

Could you let us into your thinking on how best to handle
these restricted / close quarters situations.

Whilst writing, it seems to us that the tighter conditions
for large vessels turning inwards towards Parkstone will
require extra tugging on the Shotley bend, or the removal of
part of the Shotley shelf. Could you comment?

With thanks,

Peter Gibbs
Member Cruising Association
 
I came into Harwich about 2030 two weeks ago - on a gloomy day just at dusk. None of buoys had lit up. You couldn't see the new small yellow buoys until you were very close - I had put them in my GPS so I could find them! Lots of boats are not going to know they are there. Having had an intimate encounter with Harwich Shelf I am going to be very careful. I thought (without looking it up) that the NM required the exclusion zone and following the new track "subject to safe navigation". If I think I'm running out of water they can holler on CH71 all they like.
 
Hmm. It is a man made obstruction, but if it was a natural feature would it stop people sailing, or make people complain?

It is an extra navigation challenge to be dealt with. Seize it as an opportunity to improve/refine sailing skills. I've been past it in both heavy fog and at night. The yellow are so small as to be nearly useless except in daylight, but tracking into Harwich Shelf Cardinal and then up the normal recommended channel doesn't pose too many problems. You just need to pass close to the cardinal, which was pretty much standard practice anyway.
 
Worse than the Deben, or the channel to the Backwaters, or Salcombe, Hamble, etc? I'd argue there were less constraints on the HHA than the others, as it realy only gets tight at MLWS, where as some of the others have tighter tidal windows.
 
agree, its still a lot easier than most of the other entrances.....

But the traffic volumes are also soemwhat different to those rivers too.... so I reserve judgment until a warm weekend coincides with a LWS at 15:00 on Sunday, and we see what happens...... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
Sympathise with your point Morgana, but a flaw has crept into your reasoning. Low Water Springs is never at 1500 in Harwich. More likely to be LW neaps if LW is at that time of day.
 
I was amused to see TS Offshore Scout or her sister ship run right through the buoyed area a couple of weeks ago. I've been through there three times this season and I don't see it as being too difficult. Sure, if there's a lot of traffic one might need to be a bit careful. If it's a case of going aground or penetrating the buoyed zone I'll err on the side of the buoys. If it's a case of going aground or hitting a dredger I'll take the ground. At LWS you won't be there for long!
 
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