Notices to Mariners - Week 01 of 2026(!)

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tillergirl

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UKHO and Trinity House Permanent/Preliminary and Temporary Notices:

1. ENGLAND - East Coast - Lights. - Tidying some AToN along the River Thames: 3 lights replaced with unlit Dolphins and 12 other lights deleted.
One light deleted and replaced by dolphin at Barking False Point
Three other lights deleted at Barking False Point
One light deleted off Belvedere
Three lights deleted off Gravesend
Two lights deleted and replaced by dolphin off the London Gateway
Two other lights deleted at the London Gateway
Two lights deleted off Holehaven
2. EAST COAST OF ENGLAND - NORTH FORELAND LIGHTHOUSE - On or around the 9th March 2026, for a period of approximately 4 days, the light will be operating at a reduced range of 10nm due to engineering works taking place. On completion of the works, the range of the main white light will be permanently reduced to 18nm, and the range of the red sector will be permanently reduced to 14nm. The red sector will become a single arc from 150˚-200˚. Further notice will be given on completion of the works.

Local

1. River Thames - Sea Reach - London Gateway Berths 1 - 3: Dredging Operations - from approximately 23rd December 2025 to 7th January 2026, water injection dredging operations will be carried out at London Gateway. The area to be dredged comprises the berth boxes off Berths 1, 2 and 3. The chart extract below indicates the general dredging area, bounded by the red markings. This dredging will be carried out during ebb tides only by water injection dredger COSETTE (IMO 9969261 LOA 27.5m);; COSETTE is expected to maintain a listening watch on VHF channel 68 and to coordinate her works with London Gateway Port. Mariners are advised to exercise caution and remain vigilant while navigating in the vicinity of London Gateway during these operations. Requirements to proceed with caution or at slow speed will be made in accordance with the procedures set out in the Port of London Authority’s Port Information Guide, under ‘London VTS’, ‘Section 4’ with the International Code Flags ‘Romeo Yankee’,
2. River Medway - Chatham Docks – North Lock Closure - Diving Operations – Desilting. - diving operations are due to take place at Chatham Dock North Lock, diving is due to commence on or around 12th January 2026 with completion expected by Friday 23rd January 2026. Diving will be focussed within the north lock, namely the inner caisson. It is not envisaged that diving will affect navigational safety, however, it is still advisable that all vessels passing Chatham lock approaches navigate with caution, reducing speed and wash accordingly. Further information may be obtained from Medway VTS on VHF Channel 74, call sign “Medway VTS” or telephone 0151 949 6148 or 0151 949 6650 (Recorded Lines).
3. River Orwell - Suffolk Yacht Harbour Dredging - Dredging in the entrance to the Suffolk Yacht Harbour will take place between: -
Saturday 20th December 2025 and Tuesday 31st March 2026
This work is maintenance dredging to the entrance channel and within the marina. This work is being undertaken by a cutting suction dredger MuddyBoots2 and Plough Tug Little Mo The vessels will maintain a listening watch on VHF CH68.
4. River Crouch - Dredging Operations at Essex Marina - please be advised that Essex Marina will be undertaking Maintenance Dredging Operations in the approach to and within Essex Marina, Wallasea Island, Essex, starting w/c 5th January 2026. Dredging Operations will be carried out by Tug PUNISHER who will maintain a listening watch on VHF Channels 16 and 11. Caution should be taken when entering and leaving the Marina whilst Dredging Operations are in progress. For additional information please contact: Essex Marina, Tel 01702 258531
5. River Nene - TEMPORARY MARKER BUOYS – RIVER NENE APPROACHES - 11 temporary unlit marker buoys which are being laid commencing on the 12th December 2025 in a Northerly direction from between the No 9 buoy (Starboard Hand Mark) and No7 Buoy (Starboard Hand Mark). The buoys are being laid to assist in surveying the area and their positions may vary during the survey work. Full details of the unlit red and green buoys (i.e. lat/Long, can be seen in the Local List at: Notices to Mariners
These temporary buoys should NOT be used for navigation, unless otherwise instructed by the Harbour Master. Mariners are advised to continue using the original navigation channel for their approaches / departures to or from the River Nene, unless otherwise instructed by the Harbour Master.

That's it. Merry Christmas to all and a Happy New Year!
 
Many thanks for the work you do to keep us up to date.

I have an Admiralty chart from 1982 of the Colne and Blackwater which shows that the Blackwater above Thirslet creek was based on a survey from 1918, and the Colne above Alresford from 1848 - maybe that's why most of the boats had centreplates then.
 
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It hasn't had been a lot of work since then, Egret. Modern surveys cost a fortune and so there has to be an economic point. Today's UKHO SNC shows above Thirstlet is 2012-13 data, off Dengie dates back to 1967-1985. I am surprised that off Bradwell/Mersea dates back to 67-85 despite a lot of survey work done for research for the planned new power station. Presumably the data didn't get to the UKHO. They use our data for Bradwell, Mersea Quarters, Tollesbury and Lawling Creek. Larry (aka Gladys) and I did Lawling Creek over 3 days which alternated between interesting and eek. Earlier I did Collier's Reach up to the Full Bridge at Maldon but I wasn't entirely confident with the data in those early days. We are certainly going to do Bradwell Creek this year - a quick check survey earlier this year suggested updating this year could be worthwhile. The plan for this year is SW Sunk swatch, Spitway, Little Sunk, Ray Sand and the 1 degree route for starters. To do round the Colne Bar, Inner Bench Head and Bench Head does need some updating. And we will go back to the Knoll. Going back to data there I reckon there is an 'outcrop of rock' with only 0.3m CD. Dropping Gladys over the side at LWS to have a 'poking around' could be interesting.
 
So are the Garmin/Navionics and the like based on the same UKHO charts which are oldish in parts or do they use other data sources as well?

(Saw a Harwich Harbour little survey boat a few weeks ago surveying the whole width of the Stour off Manningtree as far as the Cattawade bridge so will be interesting if they add this area to their published soundings plots for the main harbour)
 
Simple question - long answers. By and large Navionics and C-Map are based on UKHO charts but the little booklet that comes with a Navionics tells us that they also collect data from local authorities e.g. Crouch Harbour Authority, PLA, Harwich Haven, Trinity House etc. I could list more. The updating record is quite complex: e.g. when Trinity House reported a move of two buoys by their own notices, Navionics followed before the Admiralty issued the update. But elsewhere, in March this year the Admiralty issued a new edition of a primary Standard National chart and that it shew that one particularly place had significant less depth in the Estuary. But as of today, Navionics has not updated the significant change whilst C-Map has. Certainly, as of today Navionics and C-Map have not adopted some of the HHA survey data, for example, around the Halfpenny. I have been monitoring updating in certain places since November 2024 and it isn't impressive, particularly Navionics.

No leisure echart as far as I know provide information about the age upon which the data is used as UKHO SNCs do. Larry (Gladys) and I had an interesting day whilst 'doing' the Knoll where we found the drying area had completely moved (and increased). Doing the Knoll area which is fully 'buoyed' might be a odd choice but Larry and I went there as a convenient location when we were trying to establish more precisely when sea conditions were such that any data with my kit would be untrustworthy. We went out on a bouncy day and hoovered up the data and we concluded that the conditons on that day were such that the data was inaccurate. But it was obvious that there was a significant new shallow area. I exchanged emails with the UKHO who told me that the then current charts in that location dated back to 1986. The UKHO issued a 'Less Water Reported' and there was a nice inviation for us to pop back and do it. We did. On that second day t'was a perfect day; no wind, as calm as possible. We trundled over the area for about 3 hours and during that time 2 separate power boats ignored the NW Knoll PHB and went straight over the shallow area at 20kts or so. Of course there was enough height of tide but we did wonder if they had thought about that. Unless they had paper charts they would not have known how old the data is.
 
Thank you - very helpful - So with the shifting sands is allowing a metre to spare enough or should we be allowing more?
 
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Difficult question. Ignoring the Deben and Ore - which has its own rules(!) - 'dramatic' changes have seem to have been found after many years of no attention. For example the Knoll change from 1986 to 2024 or at the SW Sunk, way back where a sensible couple crossing based on the 'latest' chart which had 3 metres but found 0.8m drying - the latest survey was about 4 years old. Annual changes? Assume each north-east tail of the Gunfleet, Sunk Sand and Long Sand will creep each year. The SW Sunk swatchway equally moved to the NE each year and we can expect (based on history) that one year it will be closed. Avoid the Middle Sunk, the NE finger advances each year, has some debris (the old Sunk beacon) and with some wind, the tide there does whip it up. Expect little change on the Little Sunk, Foulger's and Fisherman's Gat. With a deep keel - say 2m, wait for some height of tide at the Spitway and keep about 0.4nm east of a line between the two safe water buoys.
 
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