non flashing buoys in the Swale?

C

chrisbitz

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Bromley, Kent - Sail in Medway
www.freyacat.co.uk
Last Saturday, I sailed to the Isle of Sheppey, to have an adventure going round, and made my way in the dark to Harty Ferry.

I was surprised to find a number of Buoys that were marked on the maps as flashing, but weren't?

Why would this be?

in related matters, Sunday morning at almost high tide, it don't half get shallow if you stray 6ft to the side of some of those narrow channels! :-)
 
Try doing at almost low water (springs). Did it the last 2 years with the Westerly get together meeting. Made me a bit twitchy even though only drawing about 3 foot and it was like motoring between muddy canyon walls.

However it dont half generate faith in your chart plotter. Strangely though hardly saw anything of the countryside as eyes were fixed on depth and plotter screens!!!!:eek:
 
Several times I have sailed up to Maldon late at night. In the winter the lit buoys were not. I wonder if they have solar panels to charge batteries and in the winter they don't quite manage it.

Just a thought.
 
chrisbitz said:
Last Saturday, I sailed to the Isle of Sheppey, to have an adventure going round, and made my way in the dark to Harty Ferry.

I was surprised to find a number of Buoys that were marked on the maps as flashing, but weren't?

Why would this be?

in related matters, Sunday morning at almost high tide, it don't half get shallow if you stray 6ft to the side of some of those narrow channels! :-)
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I'm surprised too. All the buoys in the Swale are lit, and they flash.
Do you mean they were off, or solidly on? Did you note which ones and I will report them. They are all supplied by solar so if some were 'off' then perhaps the gloomy weather has indeed not provided enough rays.
 
chrisbitz said:
I'd guess all that should be flashing were not flashing (except for 1) from the eastern end of the Swale to the Harty Ferry moorings.
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All the Swale buoys should be flashing, there are no unlit ones.
I've passed the info on to the harbour authority that looks after the Ham Gat, Pollard Spit, Sand End and Receptive buoys, all of which you will have passed on the way in. Further out to the east, if you came that way, are the Whitstable Street, Columbine and Columbine Spit buoys, all of which are much larger and I think are Trinity House buoys. I presume these were lit OK.
 
chrisbitz said:
Looking at the map, Sand End was working, but the next one, Wk Fl. G10s was definitely not working, because that was quite a critical one, and we spotted its silhouette eventually!

thank god for Imray charts!
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And for the local chap who advises on this particular one, eh? :encouragement:
 
I think I saw you on the Sunday morning whilst out walking the dog, were you waiting for the bridge to lift early-ish on Sunday heading seaward?
 
I have the memory of a lettuce leaf unfortunately, but I definitely remember something was Red! you were circling, waiting for the bridge to lift? I was walking on the mainland side, on the sea wall above the boat club.
Beautiful, frosty morning for it, I remember feeling quite envious!
I'll give you a wave next time :)
 
Saturday was glorious, nice temperature, and lovely sky. Sunday morning was a little colder - we kept wanting to put sails up so we could exercise pulling ropes and stuff, but there just wasn't enough wind!

oh, and walking down the boat covered in thick iceyfrost to undo the mooring was erm, exciting!
 
I bet it was!!
I've had to don wellies or walking boots up there for the last couple of Months, the sea wall is just a mush. But, Sunday, I got away with trainers as the ground was frozen hard!
 
chrisbitz said:
Looking at the map, Sand End was working, but the next one, Wk Fl. G10s was definitely not working, because that was quite a critical one, and we spotted its silhouette eventually!
thank god for Imray charts!
Click to expand...
Just heard back from the HM - the Receptive buoy light was u/s, but is now working again. They said that none of the others of theirs appeared to have a problem.
 
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