SW Sunk Crossing

[Sheff]

Hi All,

Hopefully will be using the swatchway on Saturday on the way to the Calais Rally.

Has anyone been through in the last few weeks can update on depths found?

Thanks in advance,
Paul.

 

[dennyjc]

Hi All,

Hopefully will be using the swatchway on Saturday on the way to the Calais Rally.

Has anyone been through in the last few weeks can update on depths found?

Thanks in advance,
Paul.

Please post your findings
as I'll be doing same on Monday
(using Roger's waypoints from June 2014)

 

[tillergirl]

I haven't been though it yet this year on the basis that the PLA survey was in February this year and found no significant difference to my survey in 2014. I did though tweak one of the waypoints a small amount based on the PLA data. The downlaod is updated. That said, I still have confidence in the 2014 waypoints.

Good sailing on your trips.

 

[Bru]

We may well be doing it to on Monday or Tuesday. Could be busy out there!

 

[tillergirl]

I forgot to add that it has already been used several times this year but not (as far as I know) in Sheff's "last few weeks".

If anyone experiences any qualms on using it I can get down and re-survey it but I am not expecting that anyone will have a problem. I was planning to give the Spitway a determined check shortly. At the moment that is the shallowest part of Blackwater - North Foreland route.

 

[Bru]

Spitway and Ray'sn both seemed shallower than last year on the way to and from the fitting up supper

Not that a single crossing reach way is definitive but I followed my usual track, roughly, and found at least half a metre less water than I was expecting

 

[tillergirl]

Spitway and Ray'sn both seemed shallower than last year on the way to and from the fitting up supper

Not that a single crossing reach way is definitive but I followed my usual track, roughly, and found at least half a metre less water than I was expecting

I sort of sensed it in regard to the Spitway last year. Of course 100 years ago the Spitway wasn't there at all; it was in the middle of the wind farm. I tried to do the Ray'sn last year and found it too bumpy and gave up. I'll give that a go when the tides and weather are right as well.

 

[dennyjc]

I haven't been though it yet this year on the basis that the PLA survey was in February this year and found no significant difference to my survey in 2014. I did though tweak one of the waypoints a small amount based on the PLA data. The downlaod is updated. That said, I still have confidence in the 2014 waypoints.

Good sailing on your trips.

Thanks Roger.
We ended up sailing through this morning.

We did frighten ourselves a little as it went shallower than we expected.
We saw 4.1m for 20m or so at 51° 37'.888 001° 17'.142 which is pretty much on the right line.
With my rough reductions this equates to a chart depth of 1.6m EEK!

 

[tillergirl]

Thanks Roger.
We ended up sailing through this morning.

We did frighten ourselves a little as it went shallower than we expected.
We saw 4.1m for 20m or so at 51° 37'.888 001° 17'.142 which is pretty much on the right line.
With my rough reductions this equates to a chart depth of 1.6m EEK!

Indeed 'eek' a little. I would have expected more than that although 1.6m at CD is ok for most of us . I have just been plotting your position on the pla data and it doesn't really correlate - not suggesting your lat/long is incorrect or your reduction (but hoping so if you will forgive me) - but it suggests I ought to get down there and re-survey. Presumably after that 20m or so it went deeper again? Any idea of the time when you took this?

 

[dennyjc]

Indeed 'eek' a little. I would have expected more than that although 1.6m at CD is ok for most of us . I have just been plotting your position on the pla data and it doesn't really correlate - not suggesting your lat/long is incorrect or your reduction (but hoping so if you will forgive me) - but it suggests I ought to get down there and re-survey. Presumably after that 20m or so it went deeper again? Any idea of the time when you took this?

Ah, I should have said
time was 0843

Colin

 

[ex-Gladys]

I went through Sat on rising tide at 1300-1310 (charging through at 7kts plus, fortunately saw 2.5 (+1.5 keel clearance) minimum. Return trip today got to the Swin Spitway at 1200 and saw minimum 1.2+1.5... LW Whitaker today was 1130, although the flood seemed to be running well before that

 

[tillergirl]

Denny - agree with your 1.6 reduction using an approximation based on expected tides at Margate; Larry - on quick mental arithmetic, you found the same - ish. Pretty crude mental arithmetic. So it looks like it's worth an investigation, although 1.6m at chart datum would have given around 2.4m at LW today. I'll see when I can get down there. Thanks for the data chaps.

 

[ex-Gladys]

I was pretty much on the line of the buoys, and it seemed pretty similar in profile to last year, quick rise from the south to the shallowest, then deepening slowly , no long flat bit as there was until a couple of years ago

 

[tillergirl]

I was pretty much on the line of the buoys, and it seemed pretty similar in profile to last year, quick rise from the south to the shallowest, then deepening slowly , no long flat bit as there was until a couple of years ago

Larry, is this a new version of Fred Drift - we are talking about the SW Sunk, not the Spitway (I acknowledge we all need to know about the Spitway)?

 

[ex-Gladys]

Larry, is this a new version of Fred Drift - we are talking about the SW Sunk, not the Spitway (I acknowledge we all need to know about the Spitway)?

Sorry Roger, old timer's disease... Note to self PAY MORE ATTENTION.... I'll get me coat....

 

[tillergirl]

No problem. I was planning to do the Spitway this year and hoping to avoid the need for the SW Sunk but it looks like I might need to check it out.

 

[Bru]

Crossed on the recommended track at 11:50BST this morning and never saw less than 4.2m

 

[tillergirl]

On a quick bit of reduction, that gives a minimum at CD of 2.8m, thanks.

 

[Sheff]

Crossed the SW Sunk at 07:00 BST on Saturday 23rd May when Tideplotter shows 2.73m above CD at Whitaker Beacon.

Remained on the rumb line between the waypoints and saw a least actual depth of 6.77m, therefore 4.04m above CD so as near as makes no difference to the 3.9m shown on the chartlet. However, depth dropped just beyond the Eastern waypoint to 6.46m (3.73m above CD) so it appears the shallows have extended a little to the east but still a very viable channel.

Paul.

 

[tillergirl]

Very helpful. The PLA data didn't cover that part unfortunately. If there is settled weather around 10th/11th June I'll get down there and poke around the Black Deep side. The tides would be right today/tomorrow for an out and back from Mersea but the forecast winds would make it too lumpy for accurate readings at the moment.