Ooer low tide friday!

zefender

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Had a great day out on Friday (sadly other plans put paid to a longer stay). On the way back to Port Solent though, I noticed just how low the tide was. About a mile out from the lock I saw a sailboat on its side in the midlle of the (dredged) channel some 200 yeards ahead. Reckoning that it was about as low as it would get, I dropped the hook with about one foot beneath the keel and poured a glass of wine for a short wait. Even came over all traditional and put an anchor ball up as some kind of warning for the stream of other boats coming in behind. Some stopped , albeit a bit quicker than they expected! Radio started echoing to various marinas making "never known anything like it" type comments. Then, a 38' or so moteryboaty came past all the boats in the channel, both aground and (just) floating, doing about 8 knots. A low freeboard wooden boat at anchor got some nasty wash and we avoided slamming down on our keel only because we were by then almost aground. I'm sure the boat ahead on its side got a very unwelcome drenching. What a pillock! I'm not at all anti-stinkie but it was such a stupid thing to do.

How about a new Forum - 'Rogues Gallery' where idiocy can be aired - with the boat name published.Then a plea for the defence/clemency could be written by the subject of the allegation and a jury of forum 'wise people' set up to reach guilty/not guilty verdict and a ceromonial public (or virtual) burning of the burgee (or boat for the most serious offences, natch) . I'm not talking here about everyday (for me) 'embarassing mistakes' - just ignorant behaviour.

Of course, the party responsible for numbskull actions is unlikely to be a visitor to these flora but the fun would be that all of us would know and they may begin to get a bit of a complex when, everytime they go out on the water, lots of people start pointing and jeering at them!
 

andrewhopkins

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Lowest of the year ?

I thought it would be, the almanac had LW as -0.1 for Southampton which ive never seen before.

I have a 24 hour berth at Shamrock but I too grounded on my way in up the itchen in the middle of the channel. I just floored the engine and pushed through the mud.

Can't complain at once a year though.

I bet quite a few people got caught out
 

davel

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In was sailing into Lymington on Friday following a 40ish foot Moody in the channel when he suddenly shot about 2 ft in the air and came to an abrupt halt. I managed to stop in time and checked he was OK. He'd managed to push through it and was back floating.

Two minutes later the Yarmouth ferry passed us and immediately got stuck fast. He had to wait about an hour and a half for the tide to complete it's ebb and come back in again!

Dave L.
Location: 50 51.0 N 1 18.6 W
 

andrewhopkins

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Highest ever ?

Someone I know told me that they had a high water so high that it floated the pontoons off the piles in Shamrock Quay once! If he told me this yesterday (april 1st) i'd have laughed but he was quite serious.
 

DoctorD

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I was out on Friday and I was wondering how you Port Solenties were managing. The channel up to Port Solent can get shallow in parts during normal Springs let alone last Friday. We saw loads of boats aground in the Hamble (my home patch). I remember looking up the tides and being surprised by how low the curve went. btw the Almanac and a program I use ("Navtides") were more accurate in terms of water depth than the Hydrographic Office Website.
 

Miker

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Re: Even the Knott End ferry ran aground.

For those of you who do not know, the newly reopened ferry service connects Knott End to Fleetwood across the mouth of the Wyre and saves a bus journey of over six miles. A few years ago a lovesick young man stole the old one and attempted to sail it to France. I think that he just got a little south of Blackpool.
 

JamesS

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It was indeed low over the weekend. For the first time we just touched bottom on the Hamble just off Mercury 1 hr before LW.

Cheers
 

robp

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Apparently there was just 1.2 metres over the ferry's chain,
E to W Cowes on Friday evening.
 

ChrisP

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Wonderfull Idea. We were working our way into Bembridge for the first time on Friday, sticking to the channel only to find a pillock in a sailing dingy running up the wrong side swearing at all the people that dared to use the ocean while he was playing the prat. Luckily the well placed cloud of diesel fumes which he tried to consume in one breath, rendered a reply to his rantings unnecessary.

Moral of the story. If your stupid enough to force other boats into evasive manouvers in a restricted channel, dont breath in.
 
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