Portsmouth Small Boat Channel Update - Drying Area?

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I can just imagine the headlines now...

"Hundreds of boats forced aground in Small Boat Channel Disaster"
"Barges standing by to remove the pile of yachts accumulating near the harbour entrance"
Jeremy Corbyn says "We now face the task of creating a New Boat Channel from the fourth industrial revolution"

Okay, maybe not :)

But whilst I fully accept that the chart posted on the QHM website does say "not for navigation", the purpose is to illustrate graphically where the updated small boat channel should go.

Look carefully, and it all goes horribly wrong for Southbound traffic towards the Northern end past Fort Blockhouse. That black blob right in the middle of the red lane is actually a thumping great metal pole that I've never seen anyone go West of. And if you do go West of it, you'll be crossing a drying area! (low tide crunch). Northbound traffic will be able to play the new sport of being able to force the Southbound traffic into the pole or onto the rocks.

I can hardly wait... :nonchalance:

LNTM NO 24/17

http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/qhm/por...7/1724---portsmouth-small-boat-channel-update

F8tUwM.png
 
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Not the best diagram is it.

I think they need to dredge more of Hamilton bank, I had a 2m shallow water alarm and it was far from low tide.
 
Anders_P42 said:
Not the best diagram is it.

I think they need to dredge more of Hamilton bank, I had a 2m shallow water alarm and it was far from low tide.
Click to expand...

That inner swashway channel is getting very dodgy now anywhere near low tide. The chart is coloured blue, but the depths are "0.1" "0.3" which would be four new propellors for me.
 
To be fair you would never use the inner swashway at low tide.

What I hadn't realised is that northbound traffic is suppose to pass to the East of 4 Bar. Every day is a school day. I've always kept to its West thus avoiding the main channel by a couple more boat widths.

Henry :)
 
I wouldn't use the swashway anywhere near low tide, but coming out leaving 4 bar to port now throws you very close to the edge of Hamilton bank.
 
henryf said:
To be fair you would never use the inner swashway at low tide.

What I hadn't realised is that northbound traffic is suppose to pass to the East of 4 Bar. Every day is a school day. I've always kept to its West thus avoiding the main channel by a couple more boat widths.

Henry :)
Click to expand...

You've been doing it correctly up until now: it's only recently changed.
Don't forget to tap the post on the way South past Fort Blockhouse :p
 
Anders_P42 said:
I wouldn't use the swashway anywhere near low tide, but coming out leaving 4 bar to port now throws you very close to the edge of Hamilton bank.
Click to expand...

I think what we are saying is that there will be at least five categories of vessels that could potentially come to grief:

- Those that didn't realise that anything had changed and collide head-on with the oncoming traffic
- Those that are forced into the main channel by those that hadn't realised that anything had changed, and are mown down by an Elizabeth class aircraft carrier
- Those that are going out, hit the pole outside Fort Blockhouse, and are bisected
- Those that manage to avoid the pole outside Fort Blockhouse, but go West of it and hit the rocks, following the above diagram
- Those going out that manage to avoid the pole, the rocks, the inner swashway and the Elizabeth class carrier, but follow the Western edge at No 4, and run around on Hamilton Bank

Anything I have missed? :cool:

.
 
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I thought 4 Bar had moved. just put it down to my advancing years :)

I wonder if your chart might be a bit out re: depths. There is a huge amount of dredging going on at the moment, both inside the harbour and in the general area we are discussing. When it's all done we will have superb depth readings for the harbour and I suspect good depth in all the areas we need to use. QHM won't see us wrong ;)

Henry :)
 
henryf said:
I thought 4 Bar had moved. just put it down to my advancing years :)

I wonder if your chart might be a bit out re: depths. There is a huge amount of dredging going on at the moment, both inside the harbour and in the general area we are discussing. When it's all done we will have superb depth readings for the harbour and I suspect good depth in all the areas we need to use. QHM won't see us wrong ;)

Henry :)
Click to expand...

Just make sure you have enough canapes onboard to keep you going until rescue arrives :)
 
henryf said:
To be fair you would never use the inner swashway at low tide.

What I hadn't realised is that northbound traffic is suppose to pass to the East of 4 Bar. Every day is a school day. I've always kept to its West thus avoiding the main channel by a couple more boat widths.

Henry :)
Click to expand...

We did Wednesday evening , the man driving the boat was an ex commander of HMS illustrious, he was happy with it.
 
Well we need to keep No4 buoy close to port just like we are supposed to do with Ballast pile [unless cutting into Haslar], No worries about the QE Aircraft Carriers we will all be banded from any movement within the harbour and it approaches well before it appears on the horizon.
 
CharlieAlpha said:
Well we need to keep No4 buoy close to port just like we are supposed to do with Ballast pile [unless cutting into Haslar], No worries about the QE Aircraft Carriers we will all be banded from any movement within the harbour and it approaches well before it appears on the horizon.
Click to expand...
Can't see that being too regular an occasion - the MOD will only be able to buy sufficient fuel for an annual jamboree around the Island I reckon !
 
The follow up to this, is that I wrote an email to QHM pointing this out. I probably shouldn't have been quite so surprised, but they responded very promptly and politely to say that they have updated the diagram in the LNTM, as well as forwarding the update to the Hydrographic Office to be included in the next chart amendment! (gulp!)

http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/qhm/por...7/1724---portsmouth-small-boat-channel-update

Before:
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After:
4eV88N.png
 
From what I remember of Portsmouth small boat channel half the problem was many users not appearing to know Port from Starboard ... also those going South no wanting to go within 100 yards of the shore!
 
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