Yarmouth moorings- grounding

[DoubleEnder]

We picked up a mooring outside Yarmouth for a few hours to rest and wait for tide. We arrived tired, midnight, and more by chance than anything else got one in the second trot of three. The inner trot was too shallow and I didn’t actually see the outer trot. I did my tidal calculations and decided we’d have 2.5 metres at low water, when we’d be getting up to set off again. So we stayed.
About 3/4 hour before low water there was a noticeable “clunk”, not horrible, I thought maybe we’d hit the buoy as the tide started to turn.
When we got up at low water the boat was aground, upright, and the sounder said 1.6m. I draw 1.75.
The keel hung rudder turned freely. And as we moved about the boat getting ready there was a slight lurch and a gurgling sound, we came afloat and the sounder said 2.5m. I have a wooden boat with full length keel and iron ballast keel, I haven’t noticed any signs of damage, or any new leaks. We left, and saw there was significantly more water under the outer trot, so there’s a lesson for me.
We were close to the western end of the trot but couldn’t tell you the specific buoy.

Was it the kraken? The remains of the last boat to use that mooring? Any one else had this?

 

[Giblets]

Was chatting to a friend of mine just last evening who had exactly that problem on that trot. He draws 1.8m. From the paperwork he read that, with the exception of the two westerly most buoys, the buoys are laid on the 3m contour line so was as surprised as you were being four buoys in from the eastern end.

 

[burgundyben]

Might be worth cutting and pasting the post into an email to the harbour office?

I'm a Yarmouth resident, but never use those trots, I'm not surprised though, generally not a lot of water in there.

 

[DoubleEnder]

Might be worth cutting and pasting the post into an email to the harbour office?

I'm a Yarmouth resident, but never use those trots, I'm not surprised though, generally not a lot of water in there.

Err, I was only there for about four hours , left before sunrise and didn’t have the chance to pay ....

 

[burgundyben]

Err, I was only there for about four hours , left before sunrise and didn’t have the chance to pay ....

I wasn't suggesting for a moment that you should have paid, indeed I think the harbour office wouldn't be bothered in the slightest, I meant to let them know about the lack of water.

(I regularly pick up a bouy in Keyhaven for a few hours and rarely pay, I've talked in through with the river warden who says pay if you see me or if I am in the office, but otherwise not to worry.)

 

[Lucky Duck]

Yarmouth harbour website shows the middle trot as suitable for boats between 9 and 13m LOA if there is something like 5 foot a LW on a tide not particularly near springs then they ought to be re-thinking that or warn people.

Having come through the Needles channel early Saturday evening I did think about picking up one of those moorings but as we draw 1.95m I am glad we pushed on to Beaulieu.

 

[sailor211]

We stopped there earlier in the year. I did a tidal calc, admittedly in my head, and expected to be within 400 mm at low water. A bit close possibly but it was calm so I was not overlly concerned. At low water got up from my snooze to find that the yacht behind us was well healed over with crew sitting on the sidedeck getting the sun. More of a problem was the yacht in front that was sitting upright but the waterline was well above the water, on enquiring found that they had draft of 1.96 compared to out 1.8. As expected when the tide turned as it does quickly we swung round. However the yacht in front did not so we fendered against their stern untill the tide rose 200 mm and off they went.

Next time I will use a paper and pencil and allow more depth at low. I probably should allow for a draft of 2.2m so the other yachts in the trot will swing.

I may be wrong, but I do not think the boat in front of us, had thought of or even knew how to calculate the depth at low water, assuming that if there was buoy there was enough depth.

We alos decided againts staying, as this was early evening a although a water taxi to the pub was apealing, we thought the chance that someone else would pick up either of the bouys ahead or astern, such as Little Grebe, looking for a nap after a long trip, and at the next low water in the early hours we would swing againts them again. So it was a night a Hurst point for us.