Heybridge Basin, Essex.. Tide question

[gyoungs]

We are planning to take up a mooring on the Blackwater at Heybridge Basin just next to the lock (to the south of it). I am trying to work out when we will be able to get on and off the mooring. Our draught is 1 metre. The mooring is in an area that dries to 1 metre according to the chart.

I have looked up the tidal corrections to apply to the standard port - Walton on the Naze. I have then looked for the nearest secondary ports. According to the almanac, high water at Osea Island is about +1 metre and Maldon is about -1 metre give or take. Does anybody know what the correction is in practice for the Blackwater next to Heybridge Basin?

The low water height and time corrections for Maldon are marked as 'no data'.. not sure why that is.

Trying to turn theory into practice here.. it is not quite as clean cut as the examples during my day skipper classes ;-)

Cheers G

 

[peterb]

You're right, it isn't quite as easy as the Day Skipper class.

The reason for the "No data" at low water is that Maldon is effectively dry before it gets to LW. That means that you only get the top part of the tidal curve; the bottom is truncated.

 

[TigaWave]

Personally I would look at tides for Osea Island 06.30 -0.1m 12.45 5.8m
divide the range by 12 = roughly 0.5 you need 2m to float...
1 hour = 0.5
2 hours = 1.5
3 hours = 3.00m and your off somewhere around 2.5 hours after low.
looks very muddy up there.
That woken my brain up ....now back to work.

 

[Vascojc]

From local knowledge it really depends which bit of mud you are moored to!

A basic rule of thumb at 1 metre draft will be 2-3hrs before HW and 2 hrs after - obviously depending on springs/neaps. You will be very lucky to have a mooring which gives you more than 3hrs before HW.

 

[Andrew_Fanner]

Ask the harbourmaster/Chelmer and Blackwater navigation company. They are bound to know!

 

[Mirelle]

A few practical points

You should be able to get off the mooring soon after half flood; it would be wise to be back rather earlier than half ebb, as grounding on an ebb tide within a few yards of your mooring can be very irritating, espescially on Sunday evenings. (Don't ask me how I know that!)

Take the dinghy with you, rather than leave it on the mooring, even for day sails until you are confident in the area; if you go aground you will need it. (Again, don't ask me how I know that!)

There is "no data" in the tide tables for Low Water at Maldon because there is no tide to be measured - Maldon dries!

One thing you need to master is getting from your mooring down to at least the anchorage just above Osea in the dark - otherwise your sailing on Neap tides at either end of the season will be unduly restricted. Once you can do this you can sail from Friday night to Sunday night.

Good luck.

 

[Cobra]

Re: A few practical points

[ QUOTE ]
You should be able to get off the mooring soon after half flood; it would be wise to be back rather earlier than half ebb, as grounding on an ebb tide within a few yards of your mooring can be very irritating, espescially on Sunday evenings. (Don't ask me how I know that!)

Take the dinghy with you, rather than leave it on the mooring, even for day sails until you are confident in the area; if you go aground you will need it. (Again, don't ask me how I know that!)



[/ QUOTE ]

How do you know that Andrew??? Do Tell!! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[tillergirl]

The issue isn't so much when you can get on and off your mooring, its when you can get from shore to boat since the foreshore is soft mud and for the most part needs chest waders until the tide reaches the seawall. There is a patch of hard ground south of the lock and both boatyards (about 200 yds from the lock) to get a dinghy to the incoming tide with wellies rather than waders, alternatively if you've got your mooring from Clint Swann I think he will help with dinghy access. As to water for your boat, a lot depends where exactly your mooring is. Obviously the further out you are the more water you get. My mooring for 20 years was half way between shore and outside moorings and I used to reckon on two hours either side of HW to get on and off the mooring. Do you need soft mud to sit in - there are one or two hard patches on the outside moorings.

As to the tide, by some curious circumstance, HW Heybridge Basin is exactly the same as HW Southend on Sea. Either Swanns or Stebbens will sell you a tide table.

 

[gyoungs]

Thanks all, great advice! I will watch out for the Sunday night factor ) good excuse for a late arrival at work on Monday though.