Water at Ray Sands on the Crouch please ??

[squidge]

Hi. "I have a cunning plan!"
But need to know when i can cross ray sands around HW Burnham, The chart shows that it dries to around 2.5 m (on the safe side)and i would like 1.7m of water min under me as draft is 1.2 .So i need a 4.2m tide over the sand. Is this possible?Is so when?

Thanks for looking

regards
Squidge

 

[AliM]

I wondered that too. The East Coast rivers book says a yellow buoy is put out every year marking the channel, but I couldn't see it last time we passed (I think - the book's on the boat, so can't check). Spring tides (say this Saturday 0930-1130 UTC) should give you the water you need. (don't trust me! - I used the tidal curve on the BBC website for Burnham). Let me know how you get on!

Ali

 

[LeonF]

to answer precisely we would need to know what day you are considering......easily workable with a tidal graph....Leon

 

[squidge]

Thanks , I didn't know the beeb had tidal graphs, my pilots at home.I was looking at this Sat .
Thanks again.

 

[LeonF]

Well no I didn't know either.. perhaps AliM could enlighten us as to where they are??

 

[squidge]

Just had a look at the Beebs graph and it looks a bit tight.
HW Burnham just before 1140hr Sat 4.6m so i would have to be crossing the Ray as close to HW Burnham as i can. As Burnham is a few miles up river can i expect a little slack water on the Ray, it might give me the time i need to cross?
Thanks

 

[squidge]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/coast/tides/east.shtml

here you go .

 

[ditchcrawler]

I have not known the drying ht over the Raysan to be the figure you have quoted.I usually allow 2.0m.The yellow buoy is usually there but I have not been down there this year yet.High water Burnham on Sat is circa 11.25 4.5m(according to Belfield) so between 10.00 & 12.45 you will have 3.8m of water.If you get to the Raysan about about 1000hrs you will have plenty of time if you touch to float off.
I use a course of about 210C to the yellow buoy which lines up with the towers on Foulness Pt.Coote recommends a course of 235C from the Wallet past Knoll then when Buxey bears 180C change course to 215C to pass it about half a mile away leaving it to Port.When the Pylons on Foulness bear 210C change on to this course across the shallows until deeper water.This is the route I have taken with no problems although the last time was 2 years ago.

 

[danera]

You actually want the prediction for Holliwell Point, which for some reason the BBC files under London! The tide here is 12 minutes earlier on Saturday morning. I find the UKHO Easytide website better http://easytide.ukho.gov.uk/EasyTide/EasyTide/SelectPort.aspx.

Bear in mind you are going to have F5 on the nose, fetching across Maplin Sands - not a good situation to be in if you do touch, but then again I kept my last boat in Burnham for 3 years & never had the courage to cross Ray.

 

[LeonF]

Thanks...Very useful...

 

[LeonF]

Interesting thread as I may be heading to Burnham over the Bank Holiday from the Swale. Squidge hasn't actually told us his destination has he? Just that he wants to cross the Raysands..where does the Maplin sands come into this ??

 

[LeonF]

without a chart at home... but presume you are assuming he is heading for the Crouch ??

 

[ditchcrawler]

Danera makes an excellent point.I go the long way round if the wind is forecast anything more than a F3.The Raysan is very choppy due of course to the shallows & the wind against tide.With the wind direction forecast you will probably be motoring more than sailing to get to Burnham from the North.Have a good trip.

 

[danera]

I did assume that Squidge was heading into the Crouch from the way he worded it, maybe my mistake. My point about the Maplin sands it that at HW with the current forecast the sea would be fetching across it, so you would have quite a sea running if you did run aground.

Funnily enough, I was also thinking of heading for the Roach this bank holiday...

 

[squidge]

Sorry , i should have explained, i an comming out of the Blackwater (bradwell) and heading down the Crouch.As i didn't want to have to punch the tide up the Crouch i was hoping to save time by crossing the Ray.It looks tight and Danrea is right with a SW5 on the nose i would be safer but slower to go around.
Although i do take less water when heeling/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Gunfleet]

If he's not going to the Crouch he won't get over Foulness with a 1.2 metre draft after waiting for the tide to go over the Rays'n. Timed right the crossing of the Ray is possible but better info on actual depths will come from Crouch fishermen, who nip over there and fish for their small eyed ray in the Swire Hole. I've often wondered if the channel is named after the skate the fishermen find there!

 

[DanTribe]

Hi
I do this trip fairly regularly although haven't done so this year yet.
With 1.8m draught I reckon to get through not much more than 1 hr either side of HW. It's easier on the nerves to do it on the flood.
Assuming that you are coming from Blackwater to Crouch, the round yellow Rays'n bouy is very hard to spot, much easier to head for Outer Crouch. Don't get it confused with Sunken Buxey bouy like I once did. The Rays'n isn't really a channel, more a sort of shallow depression in the sand so the position of the marker is a bit arbitrary.
In recent years there has been a shallow area in the Crouch north west of Outer Crouch, so don't cut the corner too tight once you are in the Crouch.
This all makes it sound much more complicated than it really is. Good luck & take a cockle rake in case you get stuck.
Dan

 

[morgandlm]

I used the Ray Sand channel on April 19 when moving my boat from The Crouch to Bradwell. I calculated that there was enough water for 2 hours after High Water (neaps)although crossed about 1 hour after HW. I used a GPS location to mark the start of the channel and then steered 10 degrees M. I did find a worrying shallow bit but crossed without a problem. My boat draws 1 m so I calculated on 1.5 m. I did not see the yellow buoy in April. I would have preferred to cross on a rising tide but my plan could not accommodate this!

You need to do your tidal sums carefully and be very sure where your boat is.

Morgan

 

[squidge]

F6 with F8 38kn gusts, i didnt try it /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif