Sailing yacht disaster off North Kent coast

This highlights a potential problem in the 'overland' passage into the Thames along the north kent coast.

Even if you stay between the buoys (East Last/ Hook Spit) at low water there in only about 1.4 meters.

On many occasions I have transitted there at low water en route to St. Kats and have had to crawl across that bit with only 0.5 showing on the depth sounder (I draw 1.0 mtrs).

There is less water there than charted. As it is so little used commercially I suspect there is little incentive to survey the area. Thirty years ago I used to take 5000 tonners through that route at high water drawing 5.0 mtrs but not any more.

As a matter of interest the direct route from the Hook Spit to the Spile is also shoaling from the south and my advice would be to dog-leg via the Spaniard.

My apologies if this is of little interest to those outside the south east.

Tom
 
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