Shifting Sands in Chi Harbour

[brianhumber]

Taking Ronhilda to Sparkes Marina for a lift out this week we got to Sparkes entrance well after flood half tide. Keeping about half way between the small green marina channel post which is south of the big East Cardinal Tidal Gauge post and HISC pontoon we ran crisply onto the sand/mud. The 30kt head wind and full astern saw us off without bother and a quick check with the marina saw us safely enter by keeping well over next to the HISC pontoon lining up on the transit of the port piles further in. Bearing in mind I had the keel up and was drawing only 1.2m guess there will be lots of others kissing the sand here over the summer. Marina said the spit had extended well to the south of the green post. Harbour master had shown no interest in rebuoying this area and lots of visitors tried to keep to the East of the East cardinal post and then keeping it to port try to enter the Marina north of the post, not unsurprisingly they all go aground even at high water.


Also noted the Winner bank seemed to have got a lot higher since Xmas so how long before the hinge is breached on East Head. I am in two minds about trying to control nature, my heart wants to see this area protected, my head says you cannot beat nature without spending money on the Dutch scale.

ps the skill of the staff in swinging Ronhilda over new Baverias in 30kts of wind and dropping her into a slot not much wider than her beam using the windage was one of the most impressive lifting jobs i have ever witnessed. Crane driver said it was not only in the water you had to use windage to good effect but in the air as well - wow

 

[StephenSails]

The hinge at East head has been breached for some time, see my photos on a nice calm day here East Head

 

[graham]

No good fighting it Im afraid that if the sea wants it it will get it eventually despite our futile efforts.

 

[[2068]]

At the end of last season, if it was anything other than 2 hours either side of high tide, the most water was found about 12 feet off the HISC pontoon, and nowhere near that pesky green marker that lures the non-local onto the sands of doom (or at least embarassment)...

dv.

 

[oldharry]

More important to harbour users is the fact that a bank is building east of the main bar beacon. I noticed it was shoaling coming in near Lw last autumn, and apparently there is now a drying bank there. Approaching from the east this is a major hazard, as you can no longer 'cut the corner' safely, and MUST keep going until you have a clear run in up the main channel.

And it is not marked, so that if you are carried too far east coming in, you will be in bad trouble.

see chart at www.conservancy.co.uk/water/chart.htm and www.conservancy.co.uk/water/navigation.htm
for pilotage directions.