Test your skills

[DAKA]

You have been cruising down river for 4 hours.,
You have made excellent time as the current has pushed you all the way so you have carried on to the next port which meant you didnt have the opportunity to buy a chart for this area but you know the channel is well marked....................

do you go left or right of this ?

 

[Whitelighter]

You could go either side, but to stay in the main channel you should keep the bouy to Starboard.

 

[Blackfeather]

You can go straight over it 'cos it's one of the Diddymen.

 

[nonitoo]

The question mentioned 'coming down river', surely the buoy would then be left to port to remain in the main channel and to starboard to use the minor channel.

Always assuming we are talking about IALA "A" buoyage of course.

Tom

 

[sarabande]

If entering a new port, leave it to stbd - isolated danger mark

(crosses fingers, as brain hurts on this)

 

[Andrew_Fanner]

Preferred channel marker which mostly applies to big ships so either side, but watch the depth gauge. Worth observing which way the local small boat traffic goes.

 

[Whitelighter]

You're right, I didn't read the question properly (just like being back at school....)

 

[itsonlymoney]

Well if it was on the Lake we would probably all raft up to it. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[DAKA]

Well done Tom and the others who went for 'right' /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

The clue was three fold

heading down river gives the direction of buoy-age

current with you means the tide has been going out for over 4 hours and as we are down river it will be low tide.

Made better time than expected indicates a spring tide

Many minor channels dry on low water springs.

Take the main channel and leave the buoy to your port.


24 out of 32 aground , following the boat in front might not actually be the best plan /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[Wiggo]

No, Jez, you mean the other starboard, surely?

 

[jfm]

That's just bollox DAKA. Assuming IALA A, and noting that you are travelling in a "leaving port" direction (coming downstream) it is entirely possible (in fact generally more common) for that buoy to signify a secondary channel which, if you turned into it, would be leading you upriver, with red buoys on your port side.

If that was so, and I repeat it is the more likely answer, you ALWAYS leave that buoy to your port side whether you want the main channel or the secondary channel. If you want main channel you leave it to port and carry on, if you want secondary channel you leave it to port and THEN turn your boat to port. You do not, as your answer says, leave it to port BECAUSE you want main channel and, by implication, leave it to starboard if you want the secondary channel

In the alternative, it is possible that if you turn into the secondary channel and follow it, you are still sailing downriver with reds on your port side and greens on your starboard side. In that, and only that, scenario, which is less likely, your answer would be broadly right (if we ignore your new information about springs and stuff, which you kinda shoved in after the fact...!)

Since we dont know from the question what direction (up or down river) the secondary channel runs, and assuming no other data available (the helsman would kinda need to be a bit blind...), the only answer that ensures safety is to leave that buoy to port when coming downriver, thus sticking in main channel. Not becuase we have sufficient depth in main channel and insufficient depth in secondary channel, rahter becuase unless we know the up/down river direction of the secondary channel as we turn into it we dont know if your buoy should be left to port or starboard when we are in the secondary channel. So you gave the right answer but for wholly the wrong reasons

Let me put it another way: suppose it was high tide springs and loads of water in the secondary channel, and your boat was shallow draft. You get to that buoy. You want to turn into the secondary channel. Do you leave it to port or starboard? Answer is, you dont know for sure becuase the question contains insufficient data. Likely you leave it to port then turn upriver into the secondary channel, but if secondary is still running down river you have to leave it to starboard. So you cannot answer it from your question. Only safe answer is to leave it to port thus ensuring you remain in main channel, but it's nowt to do with spring tide thing, it's becuase you dont know the buoyage direction of the secondary channel

All imho

 

[ebbtide]

Not enough info. What does "Carry on to the next port" mean?
Unlikely to be next port on THIS river as you would have a chart.
Which suggests you mean the next port ALONG THE COAST and you will be entering without a chart . This Preferred Channel marker indicates main route off to the left (docks?) and minor path off to the right (marina?).
You takes your pick - I doubt whether it matters which side you pass, it's what you do immediately afterwards.

 

[DAKA]

/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

well at least we agree to leave it on our port side !


As to the rest of it /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

I am not sure where you cruise but to date I have not found any estuaries with little channels that run back up hill , but now you mention it I will look out, just to be on the safe side /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

You can indeed pass the preferred channel mark on either side and at High water once passed it you would follow the buoys as normal heading out

green on left red on right.

It is possible if you miss the preferred channel marker to find yourself with red to left and greed to right and be heading up the sand bank that divides the two channels.

Direction of buoy age is always up river and I did say we were heading down river.

Spring tide, query, is it really relevant ?
It is clearly low water if we have been heading down river for 4 hours with the water running out.


It is maybe possible to head back up river but only if you are exiting the minor channel, which you shouldnt be in as it is low water !

 

[rickp]

One of the posts on the entrance to Newtown Creek is a preferred channel marker - indicating the channel splits to Clamerkin lake, or to shalfleet. See here - the post shown as a yellow post in the CMAP display (directly below the info box) is the one. You wouldn't want to go the wrong side of that one.....

Edit: Resized the image and highlighted the preferred channel marker that is described in the info box...

Rick

 

[jfm]

I have not found any estuaries with little channels that run back up hill
Sheesh! There are blimmin loads! Rickp's Newtown creek is an example (for international viewers who dont know Newt Creek, Rickp's image is north up, and you enter Newtown creek anchorage at the top left of the picture and sail in southwards, then come to the left-or-right T junction as shown)

You can indeed pass the preferred channel mark on either side
Aaargh! No you frigging can't! If GRG buoy in your original post is marking a turn into an upriver secondary channel (a fact which no-one knows from your question, but it is 100% feasible) then you MUST pass it to port coming downriver, whether you want to stay in the main or turn into seocndary channel. You are utterly wrong to say you may pass it either side!

Direction of buoy age is always up river and I did say we were heading down river.
Yes, I acknowledged that. My answer still stands, and your mistakes still exist

Heck, I'd better stop - apologies for the Gludy-esque format of this post

 

[DAKA]

What you are saying is theoretically possible but ONLY if we are already in a minor channel which we are not as it is low tide and we have always followed the main channel !


It is impossible for a main channel to head back up river !

Newton creek does not head back up hill, the river flows down and flows in but does not head uphill.



We appear to agree but say it in different ways ..............

 

[rickp]

[ QUOTE ]
What you are saying is theoretically possible but ONLY if we are already in a minor channel which we are not as it is low tide and we have always followed the main channel !

[/ QUOTE ]

So you appear to be saying that if (in my example) you come from Clamerkin lake at low water (which is perfectly possible), you could go either side of the highlighted preferred channel mark?

Rick

 

[DAKA]

It is not what I am trying to encourage.

jfm is making the point ( I think) that you could come from lamerkin at high water and use it as green, and head back up the other minor channel then using the minor channel buoy age, thus get lost up river instead of out to sea.

What I am saying is as you are already in the main channel as it is low water then the marker in your example will be 'preferred ' toward west.
which will keep us in deep water ready to follow the outward sea bound markers.

your marker is red green red and not green red green as in my example, so you keep it on the opposite side and steer to the left of it.

The system works well unless people are in a bad mood and feel like having another go at me /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[Hurricane]

Ahh yes - but at night and on New Years Eve there was probably a blue light nearby.

What does the panel think that could be?

 

[rickp]

Roger's Anchor lights?

Come in Houston.... /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Rick