the wash - questions

[dylanwinter]

currently on the pontoons at sutton bridge


I have just spent the past two days exploring the Wash at low tide


fascinating geography

a few questions for the locals tbhough

What is the doughnut

whne was it built

does anyone know anything aout the wreck near RAF no4

am I alloed to sail into the target area where the flourescent wrecks are

 

[PaulGooch]

What is the doughnut

whne was it built

http://www.bbc.co.uk/lincolnshire/content/articles/2008/10/08/abandoned_wash_feature.shtml

does anyone know anything aout the wreck near RAF no4

Ii'm told it was a cargo ship that ran aground and broke up. I'm also told it's been sold for scrap and changed hands 2 or 3 times. Obviously no-one has succeeded in shifting it and the story is that every one who has tried has lost a lot of money and failed. All heresy, so no guarantee as to the accuracy.

am I alloed to sail into the target area where the flourescent wrecks are

Double check with Clinton to be sure, don't want to read of the slug getting shot full of bullet holes. But, i'm pretty sure the deal is, they only use the range at LW and there are no restrictions on it's use for sailing.

 

[Tommyrot]

The charts are on the boat, so this is from memory.

The ranges are run on an "Open range policy" or "Clear range policy" which means that they are only used when there is nothing in there which might object to being blown up....

I've heard that they might try to get you to move out if they want to play, but have never had trouble myself.

 

[macnorton]

What is the doughnut?
It was built in the 1970's and is made of different types of concrete to see which is the best to use for the wash barrier (idea abandoned)

Does anyone know anything aout the wreck near RAF no4?
Acording to one of the local fishermen it was split in two by a german sub (WW2) then bombed by the RAF to stop it drifting inland and blocking the channel.How true this is I don't know!

Am I allowed to sail into the target area where the flourescent wrecks are?
The range is live during weekdays and red flags/lights are displayed during RAF/USAF use on the sothern shore.
There is little water around the targets so I don't think it would be much fun?
The range is also used by the bomb squad, I once saw a 1000kg German bomb "made safe" BIG bang and mushroom cloud?

 

[ProDave]

Here's a Wash question myself:

I'm gradualy researching a retirement project of buying a narrowboat and exploring the whole UK inland waterway network.

To try and push that to the limit, I've read of people taking narrowboats out from Boston, across the wash and into the River Welland.

Do you see that often?

Have you heard of narrowboats being even more adventerous and trying to make the crossing to the River Nene or even the Great Ouse?

 

[PaulGooch]

Here's a Wash question myself:

I'm gradualy researching a retirement project of buying a narrowboat and exploring the whole UK inland waterway network.

To try and push that to the limit, I've read of people taking narrowboats out from Boston, across the wash and into the River Welland.

Do you see that often?

Have you heard of narrowboats being even more adventerous and trying to make the crossing to the River Nene or even the Great Ouse?

Yes to all of that.

Seen them going from the Nene to Boston and from the Ouse to Wisbech.

Either trip is only a few miles. Get the tides and weather right and it's should be a doddle.

 

[dylanwinter]

the wash

I am planning to take a friend out for a low tide - picking him up at sutton bridge

I know I can't get from the pontoon to the shore - but lots of the bank looks fine for him to jump aboard

- where is the best place and where can he leave his car?

as for canal boats

check out these guys

they take canal boats to all sorts of crazy places

http://www.tuesdaynightclub.co.uk/

Dylan

 

[PaulGooch]

I am planning to take a friend out for a low tide - picking him up at sutton bridge

I know I can't get from the pontoon to the shore - but lots of the bank looks fine for him to jump aboard

- where is the best place and where can he leave his car?

as for canal boats

check out these guys

they take canal boats to all sorts of crazy places

http://www.tuesdaynightclub.co.uk/

Dylan

Not sure if you can use it, but there is a jetty just outside of Sutton Bridge, port side, near the lighthouse/RNLI place. Often guys fishing off of it with their cars parked there.

 

[ProDave]

Yes to all of that.

Seen them going from the Nene to Boston and from the Ouse to Wisbech.

Either trip is only a few miles. Get the tides and weather right and it's should be a doddle.

Thanks. See you there in about 10 years or so

as for canal boats

check out these guys

they take canal boats to all sorts of crazy places

http://www.tuesdaynightclub.co.uk/

Dylan

Yes seen that one. I've also heard of narrowboaters going up the severn estuary to link the Avon to the river severn. A few even take them across the channel.

There was one, built specifically as a sea worthy boat, came all the way up and through the Caledonian canal.

 

[JKay]

10 years this will be a reallity (rollingonthefloorlaughingicon) although they have built the lock in Boston visited by about 100 boats since at a cost of £8 million

http://www.fenswaterways.com/BostonLink/tabid/63/Default.aspx

 

[ProDave]

10 years this will be a reallity (rollingonthefloorlaughingicon) although they have built the lock in Boston visited by about 100 boats since at a cost of £8 million

http://www.fenswaterways.com/BostonLink/tabid/63/Default.aspx

Yes I noticed that.

I expect the chance of us using that will be about as great as the chance of us cruising the Thames & Severn canal, or the Wilts & Berks canal

 

[CX54WEK]

Yes I noticed that.

I expect the chance of us using that will be about as great as the chance of us cruising the Thames & Severn canal, or the Wilts & Berks canal

They keep making all the right noises about the progress they are making and it would be great to see the link in place, but I cant personally see it being any time soon.

 

[ProDave]

They keep making all the right noises about the progress they are making and it would be great to see the link in place, but I cant personally see it being any time soon.

Lets hope so.

It's another 10 years at least before we retire, buy a narrowboat and live aboard for a couple of years exploring the entire inland waterways network, so here's hoping I don't have to take the narrowboat across the Wash.

In the mean time we have a sailyboat to play with but just for day sailing and hopefully short holidays.

 

[Fenlander]

The wreck at the end of the Nene was an old ship that was being towed to Holbeach range as a target when it broke free and ended up where it is now. The RAF pay for the wreck marker bouy to be maintained.

 

[dylanwinter]

blimey

The wreck at the end of the Nene was an old ship that was being towed to Holbeach range as a target when it broke free and ended up where it is now. The RAF pay for the wreck marker bouy to be maintained.

thanks for that - very good to know

I spent thursday night on one of the moorings out there

pretty lumpy until the tide went down

helicopter practicing machine gunning the ground that evening - tracers coming up towards the copter and shooting downwards towards the land and some of the other targets

looking forward to a weekend spring tide to go and have a good poke around

I must say that the Wash is probably one of the great unsung cruising grounds

I went into the gat at low tide - wonderful place

Dylan



Dylan

 

[Tommyrot]

thanks for that - very good to know

I spent thursday night on one of the moorings out there

pretty lumpy until the tide went down

helicopter practicing machine gunning the ground that evening - tracers coming up towards the copter and shooting downwards towards the land and some of the other targets

looking forward to a weekend spring tide to go and have a good poke around

I must say that the Wash is probably one of the great unsung cruising grounds

I went into the gat at low tide - wonderful place

Dylan



Dylan

Really chuffed that it's giving you so much enjoyment, I thought it was just me!

Last time I waited out low tide in the Gat I was surrounded by seals.

Even the night bombing gives entertainment.

 

[dylanwinter]

More Questions

The Nene - many of the bouys have pretty down to earth names - such as Dale, Bill and Tom - anyone any idea who they were - I assume they were locals - but when did the bouys get their names

I also noticed that the construction of the Nene channel banks seems to vary immensely - lots of rocks of course - gave one a pretty good clunk on Thursday as attempting to film the suttob Bridge docks at low tide - but in other places there are lots of brushwood and sticks put down in layers between mud and now exposed to the current. Anyone out there know about dyke construction and how often they have to dredge the channels

The factory towers at Sutton Bridge were emmitting a fine amount of bright yellow smoke on Thursday.... what do they do there?

Also.... Wisbech - yet to see any ships in there at all its a port that seems about to die as a port - hence the marina I guess.

Dylan

 

[PaulGooch]

The factory towers at Sutton Bridge were emmitting a fine amount of bright yellow smoke on Thursday.... what do they do there?

Coming back in, just past Sutton Bridge, port side ?

That's a gas powered power station.

Also.... Wisbech - yet to see any ships in there at all its a port that seems about to die as a port - hence the marina I guess.

Dylan

The port was pretty much dead a few years back. It got a minor revival with Shire Gardens growing pretty big and importing their own timber and Glazewing exporting scrap. 2008 they were shipping two boat loads of scrap out and one load of wood in per month, 2009 the scrap seemed to stop.

During the same time period, they commissioned a new pilot boat. Circa £300k and fitted with £20k of navigation electronics. Two pilots go out in it and meet the ships at Wisbech number one, one pilot boards the ship and they follow the pilot boat back in. IMO, spectacular waste of money. The ports of Sutton Bridge and Wisbech, both run by Fenland District Council, have two pilot boats (only four pilots, never more than two on duty, two needed to run a boat), a tug and a survey boat. All for one boat a blue moon into Wisbech and a handful a month at Sutton Bridge.

 

[macnorton]

To try and push that to the limit, I've read of people taking narrowboats out from Boston, across the wash and into the River Welland.

Do you see that often?

Have you heard of narrowboats being even more adventerous and trying to make the crossing to the River Nene or even the Great Ouse?

There are 6 NB's booked to cross Nene-Boston on 12 June this year (weather permitting)??

 

[ProDave]

There are 6 NB's booked to cross Nene-Boston on 12 June this year (weather permitting)??

Who do they "book" this through?

Is this with the services of a pilot, and travelling together? and is there any other vessels accompanying them?

I'm just trying to build up a picture of how this works.

thanks.