Notices to Mariners Week 8 to 10 plus some info on the SW Sunk

tillergirl

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Apologies for my absence for the last two weeks. Back to reality after two super weeks of doing nothing - well except for eating lobster pretty often and drinking sundowners....

Here are weeks 8 to 10 (actually 10 to 8 working backwards).

Permanent

1. River Thames, Fiddler's Reach, three reductions in depth but not really likely to hinder leisure craft;
2. Belgium - Oostdyck Anchorage, removal of the Foul that was at a depth where it was unlikely to trouble leisure craft;
3. New Admiralty charts to be published on 26th February: 1892 Dover Strait, Western Part and SC5605, the UKHO Leisure Folio for Chichester to Ramsgate and Calais to Oostende, 12th Edition;
4. Approaches to Harwich - six reduced depths running along just outside the south side of the deep water channel. Nothing below 5.4m so will not hinder us;
5. Approaches to Calais - they have moved the North Cardinals RCW and RCA a small amount;
6. New Admiralty charts published on 19th February: Chart 2052 - International Chart Series, England - East Coast, Orford Ness to The Naze and Chart 2692 England - East Coast, Sunk Inner Precautionary Area;
7. Greater Gabbard Wind Farm - removal of the fog signal and light on the Mast (85) on the Inner Gabbard bank. This is within the wind farm so presumably not consider a hazard! Beware if trundling through.
8. Belgium - the Stroombank to the west of Ostende, a new yellow special mark (lit) in place;
9. River Thames - Northfleet Hope, one reduction of depth to 8m so will not hinder leisure craft;
10. Netherlands - Walcheren to Domburg - new north cardinal marking an underwater pipeline.

Temporary

1. Some routine dredging in Felixstowe berths and approaches for this week;
2. Anchor lost in the Bawdsey anchorage;
3. Longish update notices from the Crouch Harbour Master on the Wallesea Jetty;
4. Notices of the planned Woolwich Barrier closures for May to October;
5. Passive acoustic survey throughout the Port of London until 13th March. Comprises of the RV Song of the Whale and a 100m hydrophone array in tow.

That's it for the notices.

SW Sunk: I need to be discreet but some data has been shared with me that indicates that the SW Sunk swatchway is still there. I am wrestling a bit with datums but it is possible that the waypoints might need to be adjusted slightly, a little south-west but I will advise more as soon as I can. But the good news is that there is certainly a route across the sand with at least 4m LAT and up to 8m on the Barrow Deep side. Sorry not to be more specific at the moment. Obviously I will get down there in early May, fitting out permitting but I am expecting the UKHO to reissue chart 1975 - Thames Estuary Northern Part (I think the plan was during March) and that should include the recent official survey. That should remove the green bits that worried some people last year!

And finally, Imray have just issued their 2015 versions of their leisure folios 2000 and 2100 - That's the Kent and Sussex Coast (Solent to Thames Estuary) and the Essex and Suffolk Coast (Lowestoft to River Crouch).
 
Sounds like good news on the SW Sunk! I shall provisionally revise my plans accordingly!

Thanks due as always for the excellent service :encouragement:
 
No problem.

Having been sent the data with a clearer (to me) datum, it looks as though the waypoints for the SW Sunk from last year (51.38.025N 001.16.200E to 51.37.700N 001.18.800E) are fine but 51.38.00N 001.16.00E to 51 37.80N, 01 19.00E would be even better. That is really an unnecessary bit of fine tuning but it might as well be ..... fine tuned.

By the way, I think it would be useful given the way that Trinity House responded to our comments about the lighting of Foulger's Gat (Peter's comments really), I think it would be nice to give TH some feedback if anyone is going that way at night - it would be nice to able to be positive but perhaps just as important to tell them if it hasn't improved. The London Array, by the way are still asking for all vessels to try to contact their craft on scene before entry to the Wind Farm. The Mary Ann has gone of course so I suppose one just calls 'London Array vessels' and see who answers.
 
Waypoints dialled in to my passage planning s/ware, passage plan amended!

I do love planning a cruise on a cold, wet, wintery day

I ought to be getting on with some work really but hey ho!
 
Very sensible. I am avoiding a tedious paper which I must finish yesterday!

When are you giving it a go? Was it early May?

Sat May 23rd weather permitting, plan is to drop downriver Friday afternoon and anchor in the Brankfleet and then make an early start 'cos we'd like to pass Ramsgate and go directly to Dover (a> 'cos I prefer it, perverse though some might think that, b> 'cos it's TransEurope and therefore cheap!, and c> 'cos I've got a spot of biz to do in Dover that weekend!)

Knocking a good hour off the passage time is definitely a bonus so knowing the SW Sunk swatchway has survived the winter is extremely useful ta!
 
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