Ray Sand depths

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tillergirl

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Haven't had a chance to reduce the soundings from today's messing around but we did two pairs of north-south, south-north passes before we got scared of the falling tide. Without reducing them to a datum it is quite clear that the best water was on a Longitude of 000.59.600 (that brings you out west of the Ray Sand buoy). Basically not worse than two hours after high water we had not less than 10ft of water - if you follow - on that Meridian. We did not have time to try a north-south pass further east but the three we did to the west showed less water and one on a Meridian of 000.59.000 had a horrid, horrid lump on the Swire Hole side of the sands where in less than half a minute at 3.6kts the water went from from 13'9" to 8ft. Have to try again on another day for something futher east.
 
Yes, it all looks flat to me. I don't think the Raysand channel exists as such anymore - but it is the narrowest point of the sands.

I draw just less than 1.5 and I am always too scared to go over it.
 
I would agree we were out there 3 times over last weekend one of the racing marks was just beyond the Ray Sand mark and looking across the sands there was no decernable channel to be seen. Also looked to be dry by about four feet. Like moondancer never been brave enough to go across (we draw 2 mtrs) much caution required by everyone.
 
I think its reasonable to say that you would be quite safe to follow that meridian described above an hour either side of high water certainly on springs.
 
That's helpful. As I say, I haven't reduced the soundings yet to a datum but on a rule of thumb, the lowest height of water we found was 8.15 ft on a height of tide of 15.39ft (that was that horrid lump) - which makes drying of 7.24ft! That's LAT of course so a very much worst case. Even so it seems a bit excessive so I intend to check the data carefully.
 
Very interesting.

I've just been checking my Stanfords Chart of the Essex Rivers and it shows a minimum depth of 1/2 a fathom in the Ray Sand Channel. Strangely I can't find a single Marina on the Chart. Oh! I've just noticed the chart date....1963! Time for a new one I suppose! /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

catseven
 
I draw 2m and I'd be happy to cross Ray Sand (can't be worse than coming through the spitway at lowish water). Problem is from Blackwater to Crouch (or reverse) being at Ray Sand at high water means plugging the tide into whichever river you're headed.

Is it worth the candle?
 
Just seen this from the RSA.

'CHA have laid a new safe water mark in the Rays'n, a little way north of the
Buxey Beacon. It is a small yellow pillar buoy with an X topmark.

This was our position as we passed close to it yesterday:

N 051deg 42.61

E 001deg 02.29'
 
Good point. We found it quite useful going north as it sits on the 'tip' of the Batchelor Spit. By running a transit from this pillar buoy to the western edge of Mersea, it took us up the edge of the swatchway between the Batchelor and the Knoll. As I recall we didn't have anything less than 12ft of water at half tide and probably if we had edged further NE there would have been even more water.

I didn't get a snap of this pillar buoy but Colin did and I'll post it when I get a copy off him. Unfortunately going south, you have to go a little way into the swatchway to be able to see the buoy. But then the swatchway isn't difficult to find.

For those who haven't seen the rather unexciting Ray Sand marker, here it is!

117-1755_IMG.jpg
 
Resurrecting this post as it proved useful today.

We came north over the Ray's this afternoon following Tillergirl's recommended track on the 000.59.600 Meridian.
We crossed between 17:10 & 17:20 and found a minimum depth of 2.5m over the whole track.
Belfield's tide plotter gives about 3.65m of tide at that time.

Hope this is useful to others.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Thats very useful.... Thanks Tillergirl

[/ QUOTE ]

Like you could get over it in your ship!

It's a special route for people less than 1,000 registered tonnes. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
Pardon my ignorance, but can someone kindly advise me how I can correlate the mean LWS depths (or drying heights to be more precise) on Tillergirls plots with the depths on my tide table given from LAT at Harwich?

Is it safe to assume that the range at Harwich is very similar to that at the Ray?

Mike
 
On 23rd July, I went through the Spitway just after low water and got 0.00 on the depthsounder for five minutes or more - but no bump. Baro was high and wind sou-westerly, which probably explains the lack of water. My draught is 1.00.
The following day, I came back through the Ray, north on 00.59.60, starting around high water, and got no less than 3.80.
I was somewhat disconcerted by another sailboat, 22 -24ft, which came out of the Crouch just after me and sailed all the way along the Dengie shore. He must have made two miles on me and was out of sight upriver after I got to the Blackwater.
Anyone care to do an inshore survey ?
 
nortonmotors said:
I was somewhat disconcerted by another sailboat, 22 -24ft, which came out of the Crouch just after me and sailed all the way along the Dengie shore. He must have made two miles on me and was out of sight upriver after I got to the Blackwater.
Click to expand...
A chap I know does this in his hunter lift keel boat. Don't think I would want to try it with my 4' 6".
 
It's OK MuD - I went across the weekend before last - about 1.5 hours before HW Springs - lowest water was 1.4m below my 1.7m fin keel. There were quite a few boats around - some on the old track and some of us enlightened by Tillergirl.
 
tillergirl said:
Haven't had a chance to reduce the soundings from today's messing around but we did two pairs of north-south, south-north passes before we got scared of the falling tide. Without reducing them to a datum it is quite clear that the best water was on a Longitude of 000.59.600 (that brings you out west of the Ray Sand buoy). Basically not worse than two hours after high water we had not less than 10ft of water - if you follow - on that Meridian. We did not have time to try a north-south pass further east but the three we did to the west showed less water and one on a Meridian of 000.59.000 had a horrid, horrid lump on the Swire Hole side of the sands where in less than half a minute at 3.6kts the water went from from 13'9" to 8ft. Have to try again on another day for something futher east.
Click to expand...

Hi Tillergirl just been looking at your track on my Mapsource Atlantic V9. Do you have the Lat?
 
nortonmotors said:
I was somewhat disconcerted by another sailboat, 22 -24ft, which came out of the Crouch just after me and sailed all the way along the Dengie shore. He must have made two miles on me and was out of sight upriver after I got to the Blackwater.
Anyone care to do an inshore survey ?
Click to expand...

We used to do this trip regularly, when going to & from Mersea - Burnham for the Crouch Spring & Autumn Series races, with a 6+ foot draft boat.

We timed to be at Ray buoy around HW, and sailed along the Dengie shore, but well outside the two wreck beacons. Always plenty of water.

The WMYC launchman told me there is a passage close inshore nicknamed The Highway by fisherman, but I never tried it.
 
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