Why would you build a breakwater that floods on spring high tides?

[ditchcrawler]

I have often thought when sailing past that it could do with some beacons along it’s length. It is long and only has a Beacon at the end. I know that everyone should look their charts etc etc but it may help those who are not paying attention.
Personally I would also like Harwich Shelf buoy to be bigger. It is quite difficult to see when approaching in the yacht channel coming in, but easy to see going out.
I did I ask our representative on the HHA to raise it and the answer was that it is only a small boat mark which indeed it is.

 

[TamarMike]

I've never seen Plymouth breakwater underwater due to tide (I've seen waves breaking over it). It's not marked on the chart as drying and I'm sure it's above HAT.

Having said that I have seen it when it *looks* to be covered as you approach due to high tide and big seas breaking onto/over it. As an aside, I know the cage on the Eastern end is supposed to be for shipwrecked sailors, but if I'd run a boat into the breakwater in a gale I wouldn't fancy my chances making my way along the top in breaking waves to reach the ladder up to it...

At high tide in breaking seas the skippers of large vessels have in the past failed to see it. (I know of one seagoing tug that very nearly hit it in the 80s).

 

[johnalison]

It can be quite hard to pick out when approaching from the south, but it adds to the interest. I am more concerned about the pot-markers inside the harbour - not a very apt description.

 

[TSB240]

Isn't that what's called a training wall? A breakwater is wall with sea on one side and dry land on the other. There's one at Pwllheli. ANY SWELL is stopped without building the wall any higher at extra cost. The crest is slightly submerged at HW but the end has a marker. I've never seen any boats stuck on top.

Oh I have personally seen two whilst I was based there and there was another one quite recently. Clearly marked it's full length....

 

[LittleSister]

As I understand it a training wall is something different to a breakwater. It directs a riverine or tidal channel to stop it wandering about, maintain depth by preventing it for becoming too broad, and/or maintain a deeper channel through what would otherwise be a shallow bar (by maintain sufficient flow to eject sediment where it will be carried away by lateral flows along the coast). As such, a training wall will, broadly speaking, run parallel to the flow of the channel.

 

[Malish]

It can be quite hard to pick out when approaching from the south, but it adds to the interest. I am more concerned about the pot-markers inside the harbour - not a very apt description.

+1

 

[fredrussell]

Whilst I agree with the various comments along the lines of “if you’re using your chart correctly you won’t hit it”, by that rationale why have channel marker buoys? The channel is marked on the chart. If you’re using your chart correctly you won’t run aground. The fact is not everyone uses or even has a chart. Shouldn’t there at least be a cardinal marker or two near the breakwater? As suggested above, a line of lit posts would surely not be too expensive to add.