Ray Sand --Easterly Wind

baldyash

baldyash

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Looking to go from Crouch to Blackwater Saturday & back Sunday in MoBo drawing 1m & the wind is in the east. Is this going to be a bit choppy ? & is 2 hrs b4 top a bit early. Will use TG chartlet on the 1 degree line hopefully
Comments appreciated.
Thanks
 
Funnily enough I was planning to re-survey tomorrow (Friday)(that doesn't imply I have concerns about the existing chart - just fancied doing it again) and thinking about whether it was worth it with the chop given that I need reasonably flat water if the readings are to be of any use. Gust speeds tomorrow are dropping slightly but I see on Saturday the Met Office is currently giving 19-20mph gusts with a NNW wind veering N. Come to think of it I have never been down there in a northerly so it is kind of difficult to predict.

Two hours before you would expect 3m height of tide at Walton and 3.5m at Burnham (I haven't got a closer predictor to hand) so probably at least 3.3m on the Ray Sand. Dries 1.3 on the line of the buoys + you draw 1m = 1m approx under you with a water column of 2m available to develop a chop. It's going to be a little choppy that's for such; will it be too much? tough call. You might need to have a look and access what you think on the day.
 
IIRC the 1.3 metre drying height is on the direct line of the buoys. On Roger's existing chartlet, at 001E there is only a very short bit that is 1.2 meters drying and to the west of that is a bit deeper water with the majority of the route being deeper than the line marked by the buoys.

We went through last week and had no problem. I think the buoys are laid across the shortest drying route not the potentially deepest.
 
Went there today and abandoned the data collection. Just too lumpy. But loads of boats using the crossing. I think the Crouch HM laid the buoys where they are because 1. as Bob says, it's the shortest drying route, 2. The Ray Sand buoy itself didn't have to be moved.

Will it be lumpy tomorrow? I guess so, wind was from the East and NE today 13 knots gusting to 20 and it was pretty rolly. But we and others were using full sail. Not sure baldyash what your craft is and what you would consider unacceptable.
 
Crossed today at about 30 min before high tide Walton. Shallowest I measured was 2.7 metre for a very brief period near ray's middle. Not sure how this equates to Chart Datum though.

Gitane
 
Well we made it across the Ray Sands on the 1 degree line.Flat calm & loads of water. Now Mr. Moody Sabre has a rather dirty MoBo moored next to him for a few weeks.Never seen so many Swallows & House martins before.They really liked resting on his boat! Bird poo central!
 
baldyash said:
Well we made it across the Ray Sands on the 1 degree line.Flat calm & loads of water. Now Mr. Moody Sabre has a rather dirty MoBo moored next to him for a few weeks.Never seen so many Swallows & House martins before.They really liked resting on his boat! Bird poo central!
Click to expand...

These are new visitors this year in such numbers. Bradwell has been bird poo free for years. Pressure washing due anyway later in the week. Blooming things.
 
We are just up on F25 and commented too on the amount of young Swallows around enjoying all sorts of games on yachts rigging. This evening the crane seemed to be the favourite roosting spot.
 
There were loads of swallows/martins at Shotley over the weekend, right old racket when I went to the toilet block yesterday morning, and three nests in the vestibule of said block as well.
 
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