Middle Sunk Swatchway

[Toutvabien]

Twice in recent weeks, when crossing the estuary from S to N, we have crossed the Sunk by Middle Sunk, passing just to the West of what is marked on my chartplotter as Sunk Tower. At about 2hrs before LW Neaps on both occassions we have not had less than 3.5 metres of water, crossing through Fishermans Gat then heading about 355 across the sand, on both occassions it gave us a much better slant across to the Spitway into the Colne, or Blackwater, than going across by Black Deep no.2.

I have not used this crossing before, used to use SW Sunk before the tower collapsed years ago, does anybody else use it or have I missed something crucial??

 

[tillergirl]

does anybody else use it or have I missed something crucial??

Used to be my favourite crossing point for the reason you say but once the beacon fell and left a stump and the NE finger of the Middle Sunk started extending, I reverted to the SW Sunk Swatch.

I have not had a chance to survey it this year having focused on the SW Sunk and the Barrow No 2 (the Little Sunk) (see the new chart on the web site). I am not sure if I will get a chance to have a go at surveying it this year but will think about it.

Does your post imply that the NE finger of the Middle Sunk was no longer noticeable? About 3 or was it 4 years ago when the beacon was still standing it was quite shallow, north, on a line of due west of the beacon. Shallow but passable.

 

[Toutvabien]

The NE finger was indeed still noticable on the echo sounder, but the depth reading for that NE Finger part of the passage over the sand, on both crossings, was about 0.2m shallower than the main sand crossing point 3.5m as opposed to 3.7 on the main sand.

I was tempted to head slightly further east to see where the finger ended, but as we had enough water we continued on with our passage.

It was certainly useable in a SW 5 yesterday, not sure what it would be like in a NE wind??