TSS Confusion

[emnick]

Hi All, I am still trying to get a trip to ostend before I have to get back to work, Friday is starting to look acceptable.
I was wondering about the Sunk TSS, Is it necessary to comply with regs (crossing at right angles etc) only where there is purple shading with a sort of central reservation between sunk 1 & sunk 2 or does it affect the whole of the Sunk area that has purple shading. I guess I am asking if it acceptable to get to Long Sand NCB then perhaps steer towards S Galloper SCB, or would I head south from LSH NCB and then cross at RA.
Thanks for any help (PS starting from Walton or Harwich)

 

[Koeketiene]

You will note there's a 'Recommended ferry track' - I stick to that.

IMHO, the whole thing's much ado about nothing. Don't feel there's enough traffic to warrant creating a TSS.
Bet it kept a whole bunch of civil servants in meetings for months.

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

I agree with Will.....

I started by using the recommended Ferry track, and rapidly discovered that there wasn't a ship of any description in sight.....

Now I just cross it, making sure that I don't go the wrong side of the roundabout and hence against the flow should a ship appear.... its actually quite easy to just cross one of the 'legs' off the roundabout if that feels safer.

 

[Habebty]

Funny thing...ship traffic, did Eastbourne to Shotley last week on way back from the RTI race, shot past Dover hardly seeing a ferry then up past North Foreland and had to tack past 1/2 dozen large vessels, then as soon as I exited Foulgers Gat had to keep out of the way of at least 4 ships before I got to Sunk Head. Normally see bugger all crossing the estuary. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Are we still going to lose Foulgers Gat to windmills? /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

Not at present...

the company planning the farm has had one of its major investors back out, so the project is on hold...

 

[alldownwind]

Foulgers never was going to be lost to windmills. The developers agreed to arrange the towers so that the route is still usable.
Remains to be seen if the project ever happens, though.

 

[PetiteFleur]

Just come back from our cruise to the Netherlands and went across the top half on the way out and across the lower half on the way back. Only just clipped the beginning at each crossing, but did see LOADS of ships going in all directions!! Got worried on the way out as it was dark - but in daylight on the return. Didn't have any 'close encounters' but you don't have any idea where they are heading. In future I'll try and cross in daylight! I did try and cross at right angles but it wasn't easy.

 

[shmoo]

There are often loads of ships anchored just north of north foreland. The anchor balls are so small its easier to see the chains! I have to make a positive id on the anchor chain otherwise the admiral gets very nervous sailing under their bows!

 

[Habebty]

Know what you mean Schmoo...one of the ones anchored suddenly started moving (anchor still dangling) then dropped anchor again .... I'm sure we must have passed each other as I have been down on the South Coast for the last two weeks for the RTI and a bit of a cruise in the Portsmouth Southampton area - revisiting some of my old haunts in Gosport.

Was singlehanded so stopped in Dover and Brighton on the way down and Eastbourne on the way back. Down there I stayed at Haslar and Ocean Quay near Shamrock on the Itchen.