Notice to Mariners - new one affecting the Middle Deep next month

[Tiller Girl]

I don't normally post mid-week but this one has me doing an amendment for the second edition of the book so I thought I might as well add it now.

On or about 14th September, Trinity House will be moving the South Whitaker, West Hook and NE Maplin buoys quite a substantial distance to the 'other' side of the Middle Deep shoal. The buoys will also be re-named Maplin approach, East Maplin and Maplin Middle respectively. There is an image on my NtM pages at http://www.crossingthethamesestuary.com/page9.html for download courtesy of Imray.

Changes are said to be consequent upon a recent survey.

An Update for my book will be available by the morning.

 

[Leighb]

Thanks for that, it will make a significant difference to the route we take down to Chatham, we probably won't be going that way again until next year though. Presumably there has been some serious shoaling that has brought about the changes?

 

[MikeBz]

Crikey, that's a significant change. So they are washing their hands of the East Swin altogether and encouraging use of Middle Deep instead. I've never come close to seeing any depth issues using East Swin, so for now it won't change my routing.

 

[Cantata]

It's going to make a significant difference to a lot of people, the East Swin is the commonly-used route between us down south and the Crouch and beyond.
I have written to Trinity House to ask for the background to the changes. I have not noted any particular shoaling this year. I do wonder if it is to do with the firing ranges - the NE Maplin has for some time actually been within the exclusion zone.
Assuming the zone is not being extended, there is no reason why we shouldn't continue to use the East Swin, there just won't be any buoys to look at.
We're not going to be quite so quick off the mark with the ECP update - maybe next week. The changes are not until mid-September anyway. I want to wait and see if Trinity House will give me any more info.

 

[Malish]

Must admit I never saw the need for the NE Maplin for small boats, traveling along the estuary I've always ignored it and gone over the shallows to the east (mindful of the drying bit), aiming straight for the S Whitaker

 

[CalicoJack]

Sorry to be dense but looking at the map does W Hook Middle become East Maplin?

 

[Tiller Girl]

Blimey! Well spotted. I've lost its name somewhere! Sorting it now.

OK, its in the downloadable file now.

 

[Cantata]

Trinity House have confirmed to me that they decided to move the buoyage from the East Swin to the Middle Deep 'for navigational safety'. They also said that they do not know of any planned extension to the range boundary.
So that's it really. If you don't want to follow buoys slavishly then you can still use the East Swin, but it would probably be wise to stay outside the range boundary that is marked on charts.