Saturday 29 July 2017

Pursuit Race Cancelled

Due to a Gale Warning in force for Sunday 30th July it has been decided to cancel the Pursuit Race. We will attempt to reorganise it for a later date.

Wednesday 26 July 2017

New Storage Container in position


Today, John Knight, Mike Griffin, Steve Simmons and myself have got the new container in position on the concrete blocks. We borrowed some techniques from the ancient Egyptians and slid it in position on rollers using ratchet straps and finally the tractor to pull and push it in to its final position. The tractor came into its own working on the slope of the sea wall.











Notices to Mariners Week 31 - Notices to Mariners for the Southern East Coast of the UK and across to France, Belgium and part of Holland

Permanent 4 this week:

1. ENGLAND - East Coast - Southwold SE - Wrecks. - three revised swept depths off Southwold/Dunwich Bank. Very small changes and all in deep stuff;
2. BELGIUM - Zeebrugge - Pontoon. - a new pontoon in the Albert II dock which I presume is still part of the commercial harbour;
3. FRANCE - North Coast - Rade d.Ambleteuse - Restricted areas. - the smallest move of the restricted area for the explosives dumping ground - see the image to spot it - http://www.crossingthethamesestuary.com/page9.html
4. ENGLAND - East Coast - Greater Gabbard Wind Farm - Works. Maritime limit. Buoyage. - A revised P notice regarding the Galloper Wind Farm - it repeats the buoyage which you will all recall was notified in Week 20 last year but it adds that the cable works from Sizewell to the Wind Farm is about to start - new image of the route and some schedule info added from the local web site. It is slightly behind schedule.

Temporary

1. LIMEHOUSE REACH - CONVOYS WHARF - SUNKEN PONTOON - on the 20th July 2017, a PLA Driftwood vessel will position an East Cardinal Mark off the sunken pontoon at Convoys Wharf. The East Cardinal Mark will display a white light with characteristics VQk Fl(3) every 5 seconds;
2. Queenborough Creek Barrier Refurbishment - from the Peel Ports NtM showing a letter from the Environment Agency about the extensive refurb - worth reading - usual page but in the Temporary list. There is a drop in "The drop-in event will take place on Thursday 27 July 2017, between 16:00 and 20:00 at Castle Connections, Railway Terrace, Well Road, Queenborough. Please join us at any point during this session to find out more about the project, particularly as your residency or business falls within the affected area.";
3. East Coast of England - The Wash - Approaches to all Wash ports - Roaring Middle Light Float substituted by Safe watermark can lightbuoy - Reduced intensity light.
4. Port of Wells - dredging;
5. Unlit Beacon – Margate Harbour - the unlit beacon, to the North of the Stone Pier at Margate Harbour on charted position 51˚23.5N 001˚22.77E, has been replaced;
6. MARGATE HARBOUR - a temporary sculpture will be erected on the area known as Fulsam Rock, approximately 80m north from the sea wall adjacent to the Turner Contemporary and Rendezvous. Works are scheduled to take place between the 17th & 28th July.

Read more at http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?483258-Notice-to-Mariners-Week-31#jMvoulq11R8TIwqz.99

Local NtMs compiled by and reproduced by kind permission of Roger Gaspar, author of Crossing the Thames Estuary


Tuesday 18 July 2017

Notices to Mariners Week 28,29,30 - Notices to Mariners for the Southern East Coast of the UK and across to France, Belgium and part of Holland

Catching up after extended holiday

Week 28

Permanent

1. New editions of Charts 1606 - England - East Coast, Thames Estuary, Fisherman’s Gat to Princes Channel and 1609 - England - East Coast, Thames Estuary, Knock John Channel to Sea Reach on 27th July.
2. ENGLAND - East Coast - Orford Haven and Woodbridge Haven - NM Blocks for Charts 2693 and 2695 - the UKHO only show the positions of the Safe water buoys - refer to East Coast Pilot (http://www.eastcoastpilot.com/downloads.html ) for the downloads which show the full detail.

Temporary

1. Kingsnorth Power Station - Demolition of Remaining Boiler Structures - planned demolition event on 27th July 2017 at 15:00hrs. At that time the two remaining boiler structures at Kingsnorth Power Station will be demolished by use of a controlled explosion. (Intriguing to consider the difference twix a 'demolition event' and a 'controlled explosion'!)
2. KING'S LYNN CONSERVANCY BOARD - The Wash - Approaches to King's Lynn - Additional Navigation Aid - a new red can called..... 'R'. There is a link to download the chartlet on my usual page (Temporary List) - http://www.crossingthethamesestuary.com/page9.html
3. Port of Wells - dredging;
4. Port of Ramsgate - Filming event - tonight between 2200 and 1am involving a local fishing boat, a safety boat and a controlled special effect fire on the fishing vessel.
5. River Crouch - Inner Whitaker South Cardinal - has lost its top mark - now was it yellow/black/yellow, black/yellow/black or what -I confess I would check..

Read more at http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?481893-Notice-to-Mariners-Week-28#7KcmCw1wIvC1gKBh.99

Week 29

Permanent

1. NETHERLANDS - Slijkgat - NM Block. Buoyage. - a useful UKHO chart block of the Slijgat channel (on the route to Stellendam);
2. ENGLAND - East Coast - Stanford Channel - Legend. - There was several reductions of depths on the Holm Sand, east of the Stanford Channel (off Lowestoft). This notice now adds 'Less Water (2016)';
3. ENGLAND - East Coast - River Crouch - Burnham-on-Crouch - Buoyage. - This is the UKHO notification of the previous local Crouch NtM about the 'No Wash Zone'. Image at the usual page: http://www.crossingthethamesestuary.com/page9.html
4. BELGIUM - Wielingen S - Buoy. - A new yellow special buoy east of the Zeebrugge Harbour;

Temporary

1. Trinity House notification of a new dangerous wreck - the decommissioned tug lost on a tow, now lying in 5.1 est. water CD. Four wreck buoys around it. Offshore Lowestoft - see the image in the same page but in the Temporary List;
2. River Thames - GRAVESEND REACH, JETTY AND PONTOON MAINTENANCE, DENTON WHARF - now in works;
3. Port of Wells dredging;
4. Approaches to King’s Lynn – Hunstanton and North Beach Heacham. British Water Ski Championship on Saturday 15th & Sunday 16th July 2017.

Read more at http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?482373-Notice-to-Mariners-Week-29#mtk8RuuWvchAIAJM.99

Week 30

No UKHO or other permanent NTM this week for the monitored area (Wash to Dover, Boulogne to Hook of Holland and in bet Lowestoft to H of H)

Temporary

1. River Thames - DARTFORD CREEK BARRIER MAINTENANCE - removal and replacement of chains - works will take place until mid September. Normally open for navigation apart from 26th July and 8th August (subject to the schedule sticking); Attention requested;
2. RIVER MEDWAY – GARRISON POINT - Sheerness Number 10 Berth, River Works and Lifting Operations - Heavy lifting until the 19th July;
3. RIVER MEDWAY – GARRISON POINT - Garrison Point – Defective Fog Horn - at No 10 berth.
4. Port of Wells - dredging of course;
5. Havengore Bridge is defective, engineers have been called to 'reinstate functionality': They should say when it is going again;

Read more at http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?482807-Notice-to-Mariners-Week-30#8VLjp6SWwvf2bBg5.99

Local NtMs compiled by and reproduced by kind permission of Roger Gaspar, author of Crossing the Thames Estuary


East Farleigh Lock set to reopen on 21 July



East Farleigh lock nearly ready

East Farleigh Lock set to reopen on 21 July

The Environment Agency, which manages the non-tidal Medway, is reported to be confident that East Farleigh Lock will reopen on the afternoon of Friday 21 July. There may be a scramble as boats which have waiting all season to move up or down the river will take the opportunity to move.

Read more.



The Voice of Boating on the tidal Medway and Swale - visit www.msba.org.uk