Notices to Mariners Weeks 36 to 38 inc!

[tillergirl]

Umm catching up took a bit of time!

Permanent

1. New Charts coming out in October for the area from Dunkerque up to the Westershelde. 4 in all.
2. Change of light in Lowestoft harbour
3. Removal of a buoy at the Oosthinder
4. Re-designation of names of a buoy at the Westhinder and another on the Goote Bank.
5. Change of a buoy to a post at the entrance to the Slijkgat on the way to Stellendam
6. Restricted Areas to the east of Dunkerque redrawn
7. Gas Well on the Leman Field (off Smith's Knoll - up the Wash way) notified. In 30m of water so no problem
8. Oil Cargo Transhipment Point off Southwold marked
9. Small depth reductions just south of the Oaze Bank buoy - talking 6.1m so not much of a problem!
10. Collapse of the Town Qay at Lowestoft leaving obstruction there.
11. UKHO chart block for Stone Point published. Obviously this has been covered by local forumites.

Temporary

1. Notice from the Crouch Harbour Master that the Wallesea Pontoon has become operational.
2. Works on Pier 9 of the Orwell Bridge - didn't think it had that many piers!
3. Notice of removal of abandoned vessels in the Medway - check the pdf download to make sure your pride and joy has not disappeared!
4. Publication of the rules in the Medway for the LPG terminals.
5. Thames Barrier closure dates through to next spring.
6. Some temporary moves of the Knock John buoyage to facilitate dredging - the London Gateway gets closer!
7. And as yet, nothing this week for the London Array. Cable 4 laying is starting up though.

That's it. I will update the London Array as soon as possible. And as the weather turns away from us, here is an image of my breakfast view in the last two weeks. May be a short delay in the service next Monday as I am supposed to be in Egypt but it will only be a couple of days.

 

[tillergirl]

London Array details now added. The last Foundation goes in this week although of course there are quite a few turbines still to be erected and cables laid. Main cable laying ship is still in the East Swale (just). Nothing near Foulger's Gat it seems this week although there is diving work 'in-field' so the usual requirement to call the May Ann 1 applies.

 

[FulmarJeddo]

Umm catching up took a bit of time!

7. And as yet, nothing this week for the London Array. Cable 4 laying is starting up though.

That's it. I will update the London Array as soon as possible. And as the weather turns away from us, here is an image of my breakfast view in the last two weeks. May be a short delay in the service next Monday as I am supposed to be in Egypt but it will only be a couple of days.

I have been told that, yesterday Ham Gat and Pollard Spit buoys were removed from the Swale again. I guess the two Columbine buoys and Whitstable Street have also gone. Looking at AIS the Cable Ship is currently off Shellness. So caution will be required entering or leaving the East Swale. No doubt the Guard vessel Sorrento is around to advise.

Sorry, was typing this as Tillergirl added the last update.

 

[Cantata]

I'm told that the cable ship may be delayed in the Swale for a few extra days, is likely to still be in there until the start of next week.

 

[tillergirl]

Yes, the Sorrento is supposed and no doubt will be there. No notification of the moving of the buoys on this occasion yet. Back in June Trinity House carried a NtM that was self cancelling after 14 days.

On a different subject, there is this on the TH site:

WRECK “CREBE”

Latitude 51º 45'.876N., Longitude 000º 54'.855E. (By the Nass Beacon at West Mersea)

Notice is hereby given to all concerned in the ship and cargo that the Corporation of Trinity House has taken possession of the wreck "Crebe”, under sections 252 and 253 of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1995, and that nothing may be taken therefrom without permission.

Mariners are warned to give the wreck and buoy by which it is marked a wide berth particularly as removal operations may be conducted at any time without further notice

 

[Cantata]

Yes, the Sorrento is supposed and no doubt will be there. No notification of the moving of the buoys on this occasion yet. Back in June Trinity House carried a NtM that was self cancelling after 14 days...............

'Sorrento' is indeed out there, she's sitting out near the rock berms between Whitstable and Herne Bay, glinting in the autumn sunshine.
Odd really, as she's such a battered old rust bucket....

 

[tillergirl]

Quite destroyed my mental image of her!

 

[FulmarJeddo]

'Sorrento' is indeed out there, she's sitting out near the rock berms between Whitstable and Herne Bay, glinting in the autumn sunshine.
Odd really, as she's such a battered old rust bucket....

She seems to have been sitting out there almost continuously since the last cable was laid guarding the exposed cable. What a boring job. I wonder if this cable is going to be laid close to the last thus reducing the size of the extended berm. When I went past at the beginning of August, the area already buoyed seemed huge, I couldn't work out if the exposed cable went through the buoyed area or if Sorrento was guarding as it was outside the buoyed area. Surely they can't make the shallow berm area any bigger, can they? I also wonder what the long term affect this will have on silting.

 

[Cantata]

................ When I went past at the beginning of August, the area already buoyed seemed huge, I couldn't work out if the exposed cable went through the buoyed area or if Sorrento was guarding as it was outside the buoyed area. Surely they can't make the shallow berm area any bigger, can they? ..............

I've not heard anything about new berms outside the existing buoyed area. I thought I'd seen rock-dumping going on after the 3rd cable went in so I'm puzzled that they keep a guard boat out there.
I wouldn't put anything past this lot, frankly, they will do their best to get away with anything.
Next challenge will be the Kentish Flats extension, which will require one or more new export cables running S to Herne Bay. And guess what? They will have to cross the L.A. export cables...
RYA SE are aware but like everyone else, they came to it late in the day after L.A. were less than explicit about their intentions.