Ray Sand depths

[davidfox]

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

Feet and inches, metres now fathoms. - my head hurts!

 

[Kilter]

The more I look at the data the more it seems that some of it must dry as much as 5ft now! Has anybody been adjacent in the Crouch at LW springs?

A few years ago we got it a bit wrong and had to pretend to be bottom cleaning for several hours round there!

 

[Athene V30]

A few years ago we got it a bit wrong and had to pretend to be bottom cleaning for several hours round there!

You won't be the last!

 

[nortonmotors]

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.

When I said earlier "along the Dengie shore", he did just that ! Turned left at Holliwell and eventually went inside the inner wreck beacons.
Charmed life or local knowledge ? I don't think my nerves would stand doing that even if I knew without a shadow of doubt that there's enough water.

 

[davidportwain]

Crouch

So if I don't have the confidence to go over the Ray sand, whats the alternative way into the Crouch these days ? Does the swallowtail route still exist? Where is it now? My (old) chart shows a dredged channel is that still there?

 

[MikeBz]

Well if anyone feel dubious about crossing the Ray Sand, don't! Armed with Tillergirl's info we tackled it for the first time last Thursday (6th Aug). The tide table has Harwich LW 0.87m @ 6:24 (BST), HW 3.77m @ 13:06 (BST), we crossed on 000.59.600 E at 11:30 and never saw less than 2.7m. That gave us enough flood to get up to Yolkesfleet (aka Seal City) before HW (considerably helped by HW being quite a bit later than forecast, as it seemed to be all weekend around the Crouch and its friends).

Came back yesterday (Sun) - left the Roach at 7:00 to take the last couple of hours of ebb out, anchored at approx 51.39.300 N / 000.59.600 E for an hour and a half (bacon & egg sarnies), up anchor at 12:00 and sailed back up 000.59.600 E seeing a minimum of 1.9m. Data for Harwich that day: LW 0.79m @ 08:04 (BST), HW 3.73m @ 14:35 (BST).

So on smooth day I reckon we'd be OK to cross at half tide Harwich. Even coming back 2.5 hours before HW there were quite a few boats crossing way inshore of us.

Interesting to arrive at the Ray Sand buoy not long after LW - there is no visible track, it just appears that the further East you go the deeper it is.

Thanks to Tillergirl for empowering us!

Mike