The mud boat

[DavidofMersea]

When they were dredging Harwich harbour about 15 - 20 years ago, they put the mud in a large ship and pumped water into the mud and then sprayed the watery mud from a water cannon on the bows. That ship is now coming up the Blackwater again - So where is the mud going?

 

[sailorman]

When they were dredging Harwich harbour about 15 - 20 years ago, they put the mud in a large ship and pumped water into the mud and then sprayed the watery mud from a water cannon on the bows. That ship is now coming up the Blackwater again - So where is the mud going?

No doubt up the bank / saltings

 

[AliM]

In the spring, we were sailing our dinghy off the prom in Maldon, and saw a dredger discharging mud, as you describe, on the saltings which are only flooded at high tide, between Maldon prom and Heybridge. Is it here again? I will go down to the Hythe later and see if it is doing the same.

 

[DavidofMersea]

In the spring, we were sailing our dinghy off the prom in Maldon, and saw a dredger discharging mud, as you describe, on the saltings which are only flooded at high tide, between Maldon prom and Heybridge. Is it here again? I will go down to the Hythe later and see if it is doing the same.

It seems to be anchored off the Bradwell chapel. It is well down in the water, so it is full, and obviously going to discharge somewhere in the Blackwater

 

[sailorman]

I think that the worm huggers demand that happens

 

[tillergirl]

That might well be for Cobmarsh Island

http://savemerseaharbour.wordpress.com/

 

[DavidofMersea]

That might well be for Cobmarsh Island

http://savemerseaharbour.wordpress.com/

I think you are right - I had not heard about this

 

[Corribee Boy]

Perhaps they should also return some of the material to the higher reaches of the Stour, where it presumably came from in the first place. Wrabness beach has dropped by almost 9 inches at the mid-tide level outside our hut within recent years, and it's a reasonable though unproven guess that it's falling down to the harbour.

I'm not sure what the overall impact will be, but I suspect that faster currents and more erosion won't really enhance the river.

 

[ex-Gladys]

On the way to Shotley weekend before last we passed Holland where they are doing the seawall works, and there was a vessel then spraying "stuff" on the sea wall... I did take pics and will try to post them when I get home

EDIT: Sorry guys quality is too poor to be useful...

 

[UncleAlbert]

If they want some mud we can sell 'em some from Millbeach area. To do so might give us an extra 30 minutes of sailing on each tide.

What am I offered?

 

[toyboy]

Perhaps they should also return some of the material to the higher reaches of the Stour, where it presumably came from in the first place. Wrabness beach has dropped by almost 9 inches at the mid-tide level outside our hut within recent years, and it's a reasonable though unproven guess that it's falling down to the harbour.

I'm not sure what the overall impact will be, but I suspect that faster currents and more erosion won't really enhance the river.

This is a very difficult problem. Obviously silt comes down the river but imagine the expense of taking it back upriver. Pumping it onto the bank or onto mudflats just make the problem worse as the river cannot spread so easily during a surge and the water over the mud banks becomes shallower which is exactly what has happened on the Orwell but what is the answer?

 

[paul-essex]

I just looked at the photo of Mersea and can see someone is on my mooring

 

[sailorman]

This is a very difficult problem. Obviously silt comes down the river but imagine the expense of taking it back upriver. Pumping it onto the bank or onto mudflats just make the problem worse as the river cannot spread so easily during a surge and the water over the mud banks becomes shallower which is exactly what has happened on the Orwell but what is the answer?

take it out to sea

 

[toyboy]

take it out to sea

As always happened in the past but the silt must be topsoil and very good on the land. I would prefer a method that would put the silt back on the land but dumping it back into the river must be the worst of all options.

 

[Leighb]

As always happened in the past but the silt must be topsoil and very good on the land. I would prefer a method that would put the silt back on the land but dumping it back into the river must be the worst of all options.

Not for the dredging companies!

 

[DavidofMersea]

I would prefer a method that would put the silt back on the land but dumping it back into the river must be the worst of all options.

I don't think they intend to dump it in the river, looking at Tiller girls post it seems they are going to dump it on Cobmarsh Island.

BTW The mud boat is still moored, two days, later in the middle of the Blackwater of Bradwell Chapel

 

[tillergirl]

Bumped into one of the 'Save the Harbour' committee yesterday and I don't think they have all the necessary permissions yet for dumping on Cobmarsh. Still going through.