Havengore Bridge

[stu9000]

The Havengore bridge through to the Roach and Crouch has reopened. I have never used it but am planning to give it a go on Friday next week. I'll aim to arrive just before high tide. Wind south easterly but not too strong. I'm a sailing vessel with 1.5m draft. Is there anything I should be watching out for? Thanks

 

[Poey50]

The Havengore bridge through to the Roach and Crouch has reopened. I have never used it but am planning to give it a go on Friday next week. I'll aim to arrive just before high tide. Wind south easterly but not too strong. I'm a sailing vessel with 1.5m draft. Is there anything I should be watching out for? Thanks

My advice is to stay under motor to keep full control until you are well clear of the channel - don't try to sail it. About 15 years ago going dead downwind I sailed it. Unfortunately someone further down the ultra-narrow channel under engine alone came to a full stop for some reason. Before I could come to my senses I was upon them. I rejected all the sensible choices and tried to pass to avoid hitting them - unfortunately although I had raised the keel (this was a lift keel Etap 22i) I had forgotten to raise the rudder. It ripped the rudder off the transom and I can still hear the sound.

 

[Plum]

In case you have not found it, see here: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...FjAAegQIBBAB&usg=AOvVaw15jeME-vYzLz3veaq-g4pa

Also, a bit of local knowledge I acquired was *height of tide in metres at Southend gives the same height in feet over the shallowest part of the Havengore crossing between the bridge and the main Thames channel. Thus 4 meters of tide height at Southend gives 4 feet of tide height over the Havengore route. " . Please let me know if that is correct!

Www.solocoastalsailing.co.uk

 

[GHA]

Do you run opencpn on a laptop?
Sat images on there can be useful -

 

[Cantata]

The Havengore bridge through to the Roach and Crouch has reopened. I have never used it but am planning to give it a go on Friday next week. I'll aim to arrive just before high tide. Wind south easterly but not too strong. I'm a sailing vessel with 1.5m draft. Is there anything I should be watching out for? Thanks

Info in the current edition of Imray's East Coast Pilot.

 

[Lucky Duck]

Is 1.5m draft a practical proposition?

I remember doing this passage in the dim and distant past and while there was plenty of water near the bridge things got rather too shallow for my liking when crossing the Maplin(?) sands with just under 1m draft.

 

[essexsj]

Video
link above for video walk when I ran aground going out back in Aug 2018.
Bridge opened 20 mins after high tide so I missed the peak of a 5.1m(?) high tide at Southend pier by about 40mins all told.
I draw about 1.1m.
Following pic shows:
Havengore incoming
1 witches hat
2 uncovered wreck
3 last big post.
Aim straight for the ‘witches hat’ once past the last big post.
Watching the video you’ll see that the ‘deeper’ part of the area will be port (going towards Havengore - right in video frame going out) of the buoys going into the Havengore, I’d say at the witches hat line up with the round buoy, take a compass reading, hang an immediate port turn of about 60deg for approx 20-30ft, then turn starboard to the compass reading you took (monitor your depth as there is a taller curved outer bank to the channel.
Disclaimer: I ran aground, so am certainly no expert ?. A very long story about the bridge thereafter suffering technical fault, and forecast gale force winds requiring me to return to Wakering overnight the long way around.
If you run out of depth before the witches hat turn around 180 degrees immediately as it will only get shallower.

 

[stu9000]

I looked at this carefully on navionics. Shallow, yes, but showing 3m + at HT so should be OK... ... In theory. It seems shallowest just before the bridge. If I can't get through I can do a 180 and take the coast route to the crouch at 0500, via Whitaker. Or do that at 0500 the next morning.

 

[stu9000]

Video
link above for video walk when I ran aground going out back in Aug 2018.
Bridge opened 20 mins after high tide so I missed the peak of a 5.1m(?) high tide at Southend pier by about 40mins all told.
I draw about 1.1m.
Following pic shows:
Havengore incoming
1 witches hat
2 uncovered wreck
3 last big post.
Aim straight for the ‘witches hat’ once past the last big post.
Watching the video you’ll see that the ‘deeper’ part of the area will be port (going towards Havengore - right in video frame going out) of the buoys going into the Havengore, I’d say at the witches hat line up with the round buoy, take a compass reading, hang an immediate port turn of about 60deg for approx 20-30ft, then turn starboard to the compass reading you took (monitor your depth as there is a taller curved outer bank to the channel.
Disclaimer: I ran aground, so am certainly no expert ?. A very long story about the bridge thereafter suffering technical fault, and forecast gale force winds requiring me to return to Wakering overnight the long way around.
If you run out of depth before the witches hat turn around 180 degrees immediately as it will only get shallower.
View attachment 94803View attachment 94804

Lot of info here. Thanks. Not seen the vid yet but will look at it tomorrow. We're u coming from crouch into estuary. I can see how a late bridge would stuff u. Better heading north I think, although shallow after the island.

 

[essexsj]

Lot of info here. Thanks. Not seen the vid yet but will look at it tomorrow. We're u coming from crouch into estuary. I can see how a late bridge would stuff u. Better heading north I think, although shallow after the island.

Yes was coming out into Estuary from my berth at Wakering Boatyard. Was my first time with deeper draught and just didn't quite realise until too late how quick the time had passed. Plenty of lessons learned that weekend ??

The shallowest part is the approach to the last of the big posts before coming to the witches hat and the bank shown in the video and pic in middle of the mouth of the basin, better depth thereafter up to the bridge itself.

Beware of a choppy tide... the additional drop in the swells could prove troublesome also if marginal. The following high tide that night only lifted us 0.2m off the mud for about 10 mins and it was choppy so was bouncing around on the bottom... I thought it wise not to attempt a move, thankfully the next midday tide was calm and a tad higher... just realised I could probably write a good memoir/novel about that whole weekend’s incidents ?

Sure you’ll be fine ??

 

[stu9000]

Yes was coming out into Estuary from my berth at Wakering Boatyard. Was my first time with deeper draught and just didn't quite realise until too late how quick the time had passed. Plenty of lessons learned that weekend ??

The shallowest part is the approach to the last of the big posts before coming to the witches hat and the bank shown in the video and pic in middle of the mouth of the basin, better depth thereafter up to the bridge itself.

Beware of a choppy tide... the additional drop in the swells could prove troublesome also if marginal. The following high tide that night only lifted us 0.2m off the mud for about 10 mins and it was choppy so was bouncing around on the bottom... I thought it wise not to attempt a move, thankfully the next midday tide was calm and a tad higher... just realised I could probably write a good memoir/novel about that whole weekend’s incidents ?

Sure you’ll be fine ??

OK so seen the video. Thanks for posting. That ground looks Hard. Also Channel looks close to or even between two 1m+ high ridges. Hmmmm

 

[stu9000]

Tide at sounthend on Fri 24 is 6m.
1stscreenshot show depth an hour before HT.



Is the route in correct? Navionics say the posts have no navigation significance. Shallowest just before the bridge. I don't really want to get stuck as next tides are lower.

2nd screenshot is showing depth at HT.
How much shallower than the charted 2.6m will it get at the bridge?

 

[tillergirl]

Personally I would be utter astonished if Navionics is up to date in relation to that area. When was the last survey? Even if there has been a recent survey I would be extremely suspicious of Navionics. My experience of Navionics in the area of the Ray Sand was very disappointing. There were three buoyage inaccuracies (all now corrected) but they were not recent moves so they could not claim that was the cause of the errors. As to soundings in the area of the Ray Sand, Navionics have not bothered to act on the UKHO Notices to Mariners last year so they are grossly inaccurate at the moment. So make your judgement as regards the Havengore. I would follow Essexsj and Cantata's ECP.

 

[GHA]

Sasplanet is a great resource to flip between navionics, cmap and various satellite sources, can be very useful to check between charts/sat data.
Download the zip from here -
Index of /Downloads
Doesn't install on your machine but runs standalone, just unzip & double click on sasplanet.exe.
With the keyboard shortcuts set up you can flick between the different sources to see how they match up.

 

[Cantata]

There were two Safe Water buoys marking the best water when heading towards the bridge from the Broomway last year. I was present when they were laid! Are they not still there?

 

[stu9000]

Personally I would be utter astonished if Navionics is up to date in relation to that area. When was the last survey? Even if there has been a recent survey I would be extremely suspicious of Navionics. My experience of Navionics in the area of the Ray Sand was very disappointing. There were three buoyage inaccuracies (all now corrected) but they were not recent moves so they could not claim that was the cause of the errors. As to soundings in the area of the Ray Sand, Navionics have not bothered to act on the UKHO Notices to Mariners last year so they are grossly inaccurate at the moment. So make your judgement as regards the Havengore. I would follow Essexsj and Cantata's ECP.

Hmm. OK. I have found Navionics to be very accurate with depth but I don't have your wide experience.

 

[tillergirl]

I am sure in a 'standard' channel it will be fine. It is in less frequented places that I doubt it. I doubt there has been a professional survey across the Broomway for years.

 

[stu9000]

Info in the current edition of Imray's East Coast Pilot.

My copy of ECP is on board (it always seems to be in the wrong place. Looking at my 2005 copy of East Coast Rivers it cites 1.5m and spring tides.
It also references tides can be affected by wind direction (lower if southerly) and of course barometric pressure.

Im on the fence at the moment.
Maybe Ill ring the bridge on Monday

S

 

[stu9000]

Sasplanet is a great resource to flip between navionics, cmap and various satellite sources, can be very useful to check between charts/sat data.
Download the zip from here -
Index of /Downloads
Doesn't install on your machine but runs standalone, just unzip & double click on sasplanet.exe.
With the keyboard shortcuts set up you can flick between the different sources to see how they match up.

Thanks. I have not b been using OpenCPN but will have a look a these

 

[essexsj]

Tide at sounthend on Fri 24 is 6m.
1stscreenshot show depth an hour before HT.

View attachment 94852

Is the route in correct? Navionics say the posts have no navigation significance. Shallowest just before the bridge. I don't really want to get stuck as next tides are lower.

2nd screenshot is showing depth at HT.
How much shallower than the charted 2.6m will it get at the bridge?

View attachment 94854

Shallowest is around the witches hat Part of the entrance to mouth of channel. Plenty of depth once you’re in the main channel approaching the bridge, keep slightly starboard of centre of channel. It does dry out exactly like the OpenCPN image top of this chain so be prepared in case of contingency should the bridge fail on you... I know as I spent an entire tide in there due to an instance of bridge failure day after running aground. Not sure what type of keel you have, would recommend anchoring further away from bridge worst comes to worst to avoid pilings of old bridge and electric cable supplying Foulness. I have twin keel and was fortunate to have anchored well and remained upright. Think of the entire sands as a gradual incline approaching the coast. Went through last Saturday on brother-in-law’s fast fisher and depth sounder showed 3ft6in (+6-9in tolerance for mounting of transducer at transom) at shallowest point by witches hat half hour after HW of 5.2m. Posts bear only a reference for ease of navigation as the coastline is pretty innocuous, but generally approach starboard of the posts leaving them to port which will bring you to the witches hat quite nicely. Port of the posts apparently is rougher ground and broken old posts/unmarked obstructions.