Notices to Mariners Week 42 - I was going to crack a joke but perhaps not

[tillergirl]

UKHO Permanent/Temporary/Preliminary Notices

1. ENGLAND - East Coast - Restricted area. - A new limit prohibiting fishing in the River Medway. The Limit extends west from Elphinstone Point to the starboard hand buoy off Stoke Creek to Oakham Ness Jetty to Oakham Ness to the RoRo at Kingsnorth Jetty to No 23 Darnet SHB to the North Cardinal Beacon at Folly Point to a point midway south of Hoo Island to No 29 SHB to No 31 PHB to land west of Port Werburgh. There is, of course a chartlet illustrating the limit: See Notices to Mariners
2. ENGLAND - East Coast - Beacon. Obstruction. - The Yantlet Beacon which used to mark the entrance of the Yantlet Creek at Allhallows Marsh on the north side of the Isle of Grain has gone leaving an obstruction.
3. ENGLAND - Thames Estuary - Depth. - One reduction of depth right in the middle of the Princes Channel north of the Princes Mid yellow special lit buoy. Not where you need to be and unlikely to hinder leisure craft.

Local

1. One for Shanemax here!
Reduced Depth – River Stour – Update 1 - Mariners are advised that a further survey now indicates the minimum depth is 0.0m (at Chart Datum) across the channel in the vicinity of No. 15 buoy in the River Stour. See chart extracts
below for details. Maintenance dredging works are currently underway (see notice 57-2023 and 59- 2023) to restore the channel depth and a further notice will be issued once this work has been completed. This notice replaces 58-2023 Reduced Depth in River Stour which is now withdrawn. There are two chartlets which you can find on the Local List on the above quoted webpage. NB. All values on the second chartlet shown are at or below chart datum. Red numbers are positive depths less than 0.7m below chart datum, black numbers are positive depths 0.7m or more below chart datum.
2. Another one for Shanemax here!
Dredging Operations - Maverick - Mariners are advised that from or around 09 October 2023 until 04 November 2023 the Maverick will be carrying out water injection dredging operations in the areas listed below.
• Ha’penny Pier
• Harbour Master’s Pier
• Fishermen’s moorings
• Harwich and Dovercourt Yacht Club Entrance
• River Stour
Image on the Local List - Maverick - 12.8m LOA. Detailed dredger movements can be obtained from Harwich VTS on VHF Channel 71.
3. Three from the Crouch Harbour Authority: Swallowtail Channel - NAVIGATION - Following refurbishment of Swallowtail lighted buoys No 2 & 3 they have inadvertently been replaced in their pre 2021 (CHA NtM No 28 of 2021) positions.

"NtM No 28 of 2021: Swallowtail Channel:
Swallowtail No 1 LT Buoy has been moved to a new position of: 51° 41.400N, 001° 07.500E: Colour, top mark and light characteristic Fl. Y. 5s remain unchanged.
Swallowtail No 2 LT Buoy has been permanently withdrawn from 51°41.184N, 001°06.296E
Swallowtail No 3 LT Buoy in position: 51°40.843N, 001°04.391E has been renamed Swallowtail No 2: New light characteristic is Fl. Y. 10s. Colour, shape and top mark remain unchanged.
Swallowtail No 4 LT Buoy in position: 51°40.519N, 001°03.487E has been renamed. Swallowtail No 3: Light characteristic unchanged Fl. (2) Y. 10s. Colour, shape and top mark remain unchanged."
The error will be corrected, and the buoys re-positioned to their current charted positions this week on Thursday 12th October 2023. It should be noted that whilst the buoys are not as charted they do mark the Northern Edge of the Swallowtail Bank.

Burnham fairway No.5 Buoy Reinstatement - NAVIGATION - the damaged No 5 Burnham Fairway buoy in approximate position 51° 37.187N, 000° 49.667E has been replaced with a refurbished green lateral conical light buoy (Q) with top mark. NOTICE TO MARINERS NO. 41 & 42 OF 2023 ARE HEREBY CANCELLED

Raysand – Buoyage and crossing for small leisurecraft - Important Information: It has been reported to the CHA that some electronic charts have not been updated or corrected to reflect the recent changes to buoyage in the area of the Raysand Channel. Vessels navigating in this area should therefore refer to CHA Notice to Mariners No.38 of 2023 (Sorry apologies. I past on the theme of the recent thread about the Navionics issue [it is still wrong] to the CHA hence the local NtM. Can I suggest you download the CTTE chartlet on Downloads (scroll down).

4. Another one for Shanemax - this one that is obligatory!
Leisure Users Advice- Safety of Navigation on the River Orwell - All mariners and leisure users are to familiarise themselves with the below document [I have added a link on the above quoted webpage in the local list] and the contents contained within. This document can be found in full on the Ipswich Beacon Marina website at the top of the Notice to Mariners page as well as on the regular ABP Ipswich website under Notice to Mariners. This will also be printed and available from the Ipswich Beacon Marina Office. Notice to Mariners
Associated British Ports | Ipswich

The notices says:

"Please read the following relating to an incident reported by a Harwich Haven Authority Pilot within the River Orwell. The pilot was met with over 5 leisure users causing a close quarters situation. Such incidents are becoming more frequent and highlight safety concerns of leisure users in the river. All leisure users should familiarise themselves with the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, also known as COLREGS. There are free copies which can be found online, or a small handbooks available for purchase. We would like to address the misconception of “POWER GIVES WAY TO SAIL”. Due to the Nature of the river it is deemed a Narrow Channel, meaning Rule 18- Responsibilities between vessels is no longer applicable and Rule 9- Narrow Channels applies."

The notice continues to point out the River Orwell is a narrow channel and explains Rule 9 and Rule 5 asking for listening on Channels 68 and 71. It also explains the issue of 'blind spots' under the bows of large ships.

There we are.

 

[tillergirl]

No sooner said and another NtM is issued:

RIVER THAMES - GRAVESEND REACH - DREDGING OPERATIONS - On or around 11th October 2023 the vessel MERSEY will commence dredging operations at Tilbury 2 CMAT, Gravesend Reach. Dredging will take place on the ebb tide only, with expected completion around 12th October 2023. The vessel is required to display lights and signals as per the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea and maintain a listening watch on VHF Channel 68. Further details will be broadcast by London VTS on VHF Channel 68.

 

[tillergirl]

And another one!

London Array Wind Farm - Jack Up Operations (Ziton Wind Server) - the Jack-up Vessel “Wind Server” provided by Ziton, will be on site approximately from 14/10/2023 to carry main component exchanges at I08, F11, I13, J15, C18, H11 and J18. For up to 4-5 weeks (weather dependant). Jack-up Vessel: Ziton Wind Server. Jack-Up Vessel Wind Server has a length of 79.6m and breadth of 32.3m with a draft of 4.5m - see the above quoted web page (Local List) for an image and details of all turbines affected. Equipment will be periodically deployed and suspended from the vessel crane during jack up operations.

Note that only turbine affected is C18 and that is set back from Foulgers Gat and the restricted array shouldn't affect the Gat. But of course when the Wind Server is getting into position it probably would occupy the Gat. The Wind Farm request that any yacht about to enters the WF area calls up any work vessel. I have attached in the Local List a drawing of the Wind Farm. Turbine C17 is marked and the location of the affected turbine, C18 willbe obvious.

And now another two this evening. Will it end?

Harwich Haven - Survey Operations – Christine H - the survey vessel Christine H, (callsign MDMI7, MMSI 232016819) will be conducting a current flow survey in the Harwich Haven on 10 October 2023. Operations will take place between the hours of 07:00hrs and 19:00hrs (local time) approximately. A total of 6 transect lines are to be surveyed at approx. 1-hour intervals throughout an area extending northward from Landguard North Cardinal buoy and through the Harwich Haven to the River Orwell entrance, around the Fagbury navigation buoy (see diagram in the above quoted web page 'Local List'). The survey vessel will exhibit restricted in ability to manoeuvre signals during active operations and mariners are requested to pass at a safe distance and with minimal wash. Additionally, from 11 - 12 October 2023 the Christine H will be carrying out survey operations in the vicinity (within 500m) of Barney during their dredging operations (see Notice No. 57-2023 last week.

Reduced Depth – River Stour – Update 2 - a further survey now indicates the minimum depth is 0.3m (below Chart Datum) in the vicinity of No. 15 buoy in the River Stour. See chart extracts below for details.
Maintenance dredging works are currently underway (see notice 57-2023 and 59-2023) to restore the channel depth and a further notice will be issued once this work has been completed. This notice replaces 60-2023 Reduced Depth in River Stour – Update 1 which is now withdrawn .

That's it........ again

 

[Tomahawk]

Would I get into trouble if I pointed out to the HHA that the rive Orwell is not .... how do we say it... sea?

 

[tillergirl]

I did think about that issue while adding the Notice but Rule 1 - "These Rules shall apply to all vessels upon the high seas and in all waters connected therewith navigable by seagoing vessels": plus Note "Harbour and similar authorities may make special rules for ther own waters but they should conform as closely as possible to these Rules". The Harwich Byelaws have some relevant provisions anyway.

The bit I liked was the bit about 'are to': Leisure users are to familiarise themselves with the below document'.

But the serious point is we ought to keep a look out - early.

 

[shanemax]

Thanks for that Tillergirl. I came through Harwich harbour yesterday afternoon 30 mins after low water and Barney was running up and down the outside of the moored container ships at Fagbury end. Its quite a big bit of kit when you see the crew walking about on it but tiny along side a container ship.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

I did think about that issue while adding the Notice but Rule 1 - "These Rules shall apply to all vessels upon the high seas and in all waters connected therewith navigable by seagoing vessels": plus Note "Harbour and similar authorities may make special rules for ther own waters but they should conform as closely as possible to these Rules". The Harwich Byelaws have some relevant provisions anyway.

The bit I liked was the bit about 'are to': Leisure users are to familiarise themselves with the below document'.

But the serious point is we ought to keep a look out - early.

I'm probably getting boring on this one, but the East Coast rivers are definitely "Internal Waters" and therefore subject to UK law - NOT the International Law of the Sea. As no doubt someone will point out, the UK generally applies the rules of the LoS to internal waters, but also note the point that @tillergirl makes that harbours may be subject to bye-laws, and note also that the difference in conditionals matters here - it's "should" not "shall"! So it is within the power of HHA to demand that we all wear pink polka-dotted sails; fortunately, they're not that crazy (but don't give them the idea....)! It is also possible for the provisions of the LoS to be overridden to cover specific local conditions; I imagine that there are local rules covering the winding of a container vessel, which takes up all of the channel next to the container docks (I have just kept well out of the way in water too shallow for the big boys!)