Ray Sand Channel

stevebrassett

stevebrassett

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Did the Ray Sand Channel for the first time at the weekend. Made it through, but it was a bit nerve racking when the depth dropped to 1.6 metres. This was two hours after high tide. Maybe it wasn't the most sensible thing to do it on a falling tide, but there isn't a lot of choice going from Burnham back to the Blackwater, unless you go out to the Swin.
 
I suspect from recent experience that the survey may be a bit dated now. Last year I was finding plenty of water well to the West of the buoys, but not this year
 
Erbas said:
I suspect from recent experience that the survey may be a bit dated now. Last year I was finding plenty of water well to the West of the buoys, but not this year
Click to expand...

It is a while I confess. I had hoped to have got down there before now but refurbishing my water pump put paid to that. I shall try and do it on return from my holiday. In fairness, two hours after high water is going to see the kind of depths that were seen. There isn't really a 'channel' as such anymore is there. More a bit of 'less high' land! ;)
 
tillergirl said:
It is a while I confess..... There isn't really a 'channel' as such anymore is there. More a bit of 'less high' land! ;)
Click to expand...

Most definitely no criticism implied or intended vis the first part

Vis the second, ain't that the truth!

What I did notice, on admittedly the only crossing I've made this year, was rather less water about a couple of cables to half a mile West of the buoys than last year. My days of cutting the corner may be over! Or maybe not :)
 
Erbas said:
Most definitely no criticism implied or intended vis the first part :)
Click to expand...

No I understood that. I fear that eventually it will not be there at all; if we regard it as being there. Cantata and I were musing that back in Roman times the entrance to the Crouch was through there making the fort at Athona (where St Peter's Church now is), very well sited to protect both the Blackwater and Crouch.

By the way, I believe the suggestion as on UKHO charts that the Middle buoy is set to the west of the 000.59.500 meridien to be faulty. Cantata was down that way today and whilst he did not go up close and personal, his view was that the North and Middle buoys were in line as per the original charting back when they first appeared. As I said once we get back from this summer cruise (finally ready today after some hasty caulking of a leaky seam!) I'll give that a go.
 
I'm pretty sure the Raysand, Middle and North buoys are all in line but as I have been in the habit of paying them scant attention :D I can't be sure!

It's fascinating to observe the change year on year and as you say it may be that there is no longer a discernible channel at all. One of these days, on a calm day, I fancy bimbling down there with the RIB in tow and having a good look at low water.

We're off to seek the fleshpots of Queenborough and London any minute so it's, for the very first time, turn hard right at the Whitaker for us tomorrow morning!
 
Interesting. There is a gap in the sands directly abeam Outer Crouch No.3 and a hint of clear water beyond. Could the "channel" have moved inshore?
 
And the buoyed "channel" appears, albeit from a distance, to be dry all the way across although there seems to be a wide-ish area which is lower than the sands either side
 
Went though southbound from the Colne on a rising tide a fortnight ago leaving the first 2 buoys to starboard and then cutting the corner into the Crouch. Mistral draws 1m with the dropkeel raised so I wasn't too concerned about the depth as I went through but I didn't notice any particularly shallow areas.

However I was fascinated to see a similar sized yacht heading north well inshore. Obviously a boat with local knowlegdge.
 
We always cross some way inshore of the 'safe water' marks. ISTR that they are east of the best depths shown on Tillergirl's survey.
 
We came across the Ray Sand today, from The Crouch towards Brightlingsea, at about 25 mins before HW Holiwell Point, following the 1 degree East meridian, all as expected until coming towards the N end of the sand the depth shoaled up so that we only had 0.4 beneath our 1.7 draft which is slightly less than I was expecting on a 4.7 HW.

Is the 1 degree East route still the way across? I noticed several other yachts crossing the sand further inshore.
 
I've been theorising for a couple of years or more that there's deeper water further inshore, maybe much further inshore, beyond the scope of Roger's survey

In the vicinity of Crouch No.3 at well below half tide there appears to be a channel heading roughly North North East or, to put it another way, roughly in the direction of the Raysand North buoy

I don't know how far it extends or how deep it is (or even whether it's still there this year!) but I have cut straight across from the Raysand North to the Crouch No.3 in Erbas a year or two back at around high water and got the impression I was either crossing a flat sandbank or following a channel

I've seen other local boats on roughly that line too but to be fair I've seen them well inshore of it as well! Braver souls than I

I've been wondering whether the old Raysand channel is starting to open up again and one of these days I'll bet the time and the weather to tow the RIB downriver, drop the hook (when we've got a hook worth dropping!) and investigate just what is going on further inshore of the known drying route across
 
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