Mark-1
Well-Known Member
On most charts I've seen Plymouth Breakwater is not shown as covering, but it blatently does cover.
So what gives?
So what gives?
Plymouth Breakwater
- Thread starter Mark-1
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photodog
Lord High Commander of Upper Broughton and Gunthor
lenseman
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No idea of what you are trying to say? The only thing that "covers" are Tribute Bands.
If you want a spare Breakwater, there are two on Google Earth and one of them must be a spare.
Fr J Hackett
Well-Known Member
Seem to remeber a Belgian or Dutchman delivering a Trimaran or was it Catamaran for an Ostar or some other race not to long back thinking along the same lines he was somewhat dissapointed.
Mark-1
Well-Known Member
It's marked as 'always dry' on almost every chart I've seen, but I've seen it covered recently.
So unless there have been tides over highest astronomic tide recently I reckon it should be coloured as drying sea bed.
So unless there have been tides over highest astronomic tide recently I reckon it should be coloured as drying sea bed.
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lw395
Well-Known Member
Would it cover in flat water or is it just waves washing over it?
I know it 'disappears' but I would expect the navy to know how high their breakwater is!
Or maybe the tidal range at the breakwater is more than at QHM Plymouth's tidegauge?
Or perhaps depressions are common in Plymouth?
I know it 'disappears' but I would expect the navy to know how high their breakwater is!
Or maybe the tidal range at the breakwater is more than at QHM Plymouth's tidegauge?
Or perhaps depressions are common in Plymouth?
SimbaDog
Well-Known Member
Well, I've never seen it covered, can certainly have waves breaking over it at HW springs if it's rough though.
Mark-1
Well-Known Member
This was Monday afternoon & I'm certain it was covered although there was a swell which was exposing it at times so hard to be certain.
It was nearing springs, nearish to high tide with lowish pressure and an onshore wind but there was nothing exceptional about it weatherwise.
I'd have thought that a flat day at LAT would give a higher tide, maybe not.
Leaving the purely Astronomical aside, based on what I saw I'd imagine a decent spring coinciding with low pressure and a Sly gale would leave it well under water.
Anyway, now I've attracted a few locals, what was the underwater explosion on Tuesday all about?
activesail
Well-Known Member
I wouldn't recommend sailing over it, even on a high Spring..
Boreades
Well-Known Member
An incoming spring tide + onshore winds do pile up water against the Sound to a significant height, so much so it appears to be awash by quite small waves. But it hasn't sunk (yet). No doubt Plymouth HM or a historical authority could tell us how much the structure has settled into the seabed since work started in August 12th 1812.
Mostly with fair-weather sailors waiting for a gap in the rain & wind prevailing from the SW.
Kurrawong_Kid
Well-Known Member
I seem to remember reading about 40 years ago that a German(?) yacht sailed straight over it in a southerly gale with a spring tide. Was a somewhat lucky chap methinks! Does anyone else remember the incident?
clyst
Well-Known Member
sarabande
Well-Known Member
the breakwater does NOT cover and is officially UKHO dry land.
Swells and low pressure and wind and all the rest is irrelevant. It is above the equivalent to HAT.
Swells and low pressure and wind and all the rest is irrelevant. It is above the equivalent to HAT.
Mark-1
Well-Known Member
chart5011
Well-Known Member
Fully agree with Sarabande.
Incidently the Breakwater is a brilliantly engineered structure with the covering slabs (mostly granite) dovetailed to each other. The beacon on the Eastern End has an open iron cage on top and I have sat in there with 6 others, I was told it was for stranded mariners to escape the waves that break over the breakwater. There are also several other shelters along the length of the breakwater.
Mark-1
Well-Known Member
Cornishman
Well-Known Member
In the days before the lock into Sutton Harbour I once saw man paddle a canoe into the public bar of the Three Crowns, buy a pint, down it and paddle out again at the top of a big Spring tide, but I don't recall ever seeing the bar being coloured as a drying sea bed on any Admiralty chart.
AntarcticPilot
Well-Known Member
Perhaps I am teaching Granny to suck eggs, but the height of tides is affected by atmospheric pressure, and by storm surges. HAT is the highest the tide can get under purely astronomical effects. Pressure and/or surges can add metres on top of that, and has caused major flooding in East Anglia. SO, Plymouth Breakwater (which I don't know at all) may well be above HAT and STILL be covered by tides whose height has been increased by low pressure or by strong on-shore winds.
chart5011
Well-Known Member
In that???!!!
Yes, that's it.
doug748
Well-Known Member
Yes, there was always a glum faced landlord on the cover of the Evening Herald:
"...it will take years to clean up, thousands of pounds of soft furnishings ruined"
Yet the following week, the same carpet, which had been there before Noah's flood.
Guess they cleaned up on the insurance though.