Notice to Mariners Week 16

[tillergirl]

Quite a lot this week:

Permanent - five UKHO and one Trinity House:

1. ENGLAND - East Coast - Walton Backwaters - NM Block. Depths. - Revised depths at Island Point and Stone Point on the Walton Backwaters. The UKHO has issued a block for the Admiralty Chart which is downloadable on http://www.crossingthethamesestuary.com/page9.html: The block is UKHO copyright;
2. ENGLAND - Thames Estuary - Mouse Channel SE - Buoyage. Changes of yellow special marks to the south-east of the No 14 Barrow Deep port hand buoy and closer to the Alice danger buoy. See image usual page;
3. ENGLAND - East Coast - River Thames - Halfway Reach - Depths. reduced depth off Dagenham Ford works. Un likely to hinder leisure craft;
4. ENGLAND - East Coast - Lower Road (approaches to Boston) - Drying heights on the south/eastern edge of the Lower Road channel;
5. ENGLAND - East Coast - Whitstable Bay - Marine farm. Legends. - large area twix thre Swale and Whitstable Harbour designated as a marine farm (for Oysters - numerous obstructions!);
6. The Trinity House NtM issued tonight - re-position of the Oxley and Weir buoys at the entrance to the Ore - image on the same page above.

Temporary

1. River Thames - Erith Reach - the Casueway is now open for use;
2. Harwich - Ha'penny Pier - details of this year's usage and a useful download of the leisure uses of the Stour and Orwell. On the Temporary list in the usual web page;
3. Harwich - Dredging from 20th April for about 6 days - Work between the Port of Ipswich and the River Orwell, debris to be 'dumped in the Long Reach;
4. Lowestoft - Lake Lothing - the Compass Buoy has been permanently removed;
5. Lowestoft - Dredging most of April and early May - three vessels to be used but area not specified;
6. Port of Wells - dredging;
7. Port of Rasmgate - Temporary race marks reinstated.

That's it.

 

[Pye_End]

5. ENGLAND - East Coast - Whitstable Bay - Marine farm. Legends. - large area twix thre Swale and Whistable Harbour designated as a marine farm (for Oysters - numerous obstructions!);

That's a big area. Do you know if these obstructions are marked, or has this become a 'no go' area?

 

[Cantata]

It's actually all in front of Whitstable, SW of the harbour, and is currently buoyed with yellow 'special mark' buoys, of which I have all the positions. Obstructions within are pretty lethal to boats and people alike. The whole thing has caused enormous upset locally and is being looked at by the MMO - the owners may or may not be told to remove it.

 

[MikeBz]

http://www.kentonline.co.uk/whitstable/news/oyster-racks-ordered-to-be-122208/

 

[Pye_End]

I was aware of the argy-bargy on the foreshore, but this is a much bigger area.

How do these notices to mariners come about? Since it is a permanent notice presumably agreement of some sort has been made? Are we now stuck with it, or may it yet be overturned? Has there/will there be any consultation? Etc. etc.

 

[tillergirl]

I doubt the UKHO has any authority about what the Whitstable Oyster Company can do but I would be surprised if they have not expected some sort of confirmation. The notice says the source of the information is the Whitstable Oyster Fishery Company Limited and it seems pretty important for the UKHO to notify us and others of its danger. It might be a moot point whether it should have been a temporary notice rather than a 'permanent' notice. I doubt the UKHO would have been known about local feelings. But of course if it removed, the UKHO will amend the chart. It is only 'permanent' while it is there (if you follow me).

 

[Cantata]

Here's the area of concern. I don't know what WOFC told the UKHO, but this diagram shows the buoy positions.



As I said, the whole thing is under consideration by the MMO, which might tell WOFC to clear the area of all the obstructions, which are trestles made of steel reinforcing-type wire with particularly nasty spikes sticking upwards. There are a heck of a lot of these trestles, mainly in the NE half of the buoyed area.
Other obstructions between Whitstable and the Swale remain unchanged so far as I know. I imagine WOFC have notified UKHO now because of all the publicity and the MMO action.

 

[tillergirl]

Well presumably the UKHO were told that the 'defined' area is much, much larger! I was a bit surprised by your comment. As I said earlier, the defined area is twix the Swale and Whitstable - right across Whitstable harbour in fact. One wonders if the WOFC have made it common knowledge that the marine farm is much larger?

 

[Cantata]

Any other parts of that wide area are already charted, Roger. Only this buoyed area is new. It's been growing for a few years but was very poorly marked until recently.

 

[tillergirl]

Sorry. I just don't understand you! It's probably me. All I was doing was reporting a UKHO NtM which is now defining another marine farm which is much larger than the buoyed area you are talking about - which was once some of the area designated (vaguely) as Shellfish Beds. I ought to have add the comment 'numerous obstructions' listed by the UKHO rather than just that general comment. I will correct the image now.

 

[Cantata]

Roger I will call you to explain.