Rochester to Richmond, a Thames Estuary Sailors view

Nick Ardley, well known Maritime Author and Sailor will be on board Edith May on Saturday November 11th from 10.30am till 4.00pm signing copies of his latest book Rochester to Richmond, a Thames Estuary Sailors view.
A unique Christmas present for any sailing enthusiast!

The Tearoom will be OPEN serving Homemade soup and cakes for this event!

Tickets for the Christmas Carols can be booked now or at the book signing. These evenings are extremely popular and sell out quickly!!

Vessels obstruct Faversham Creek

Peel Ports have advised that the exceptional high tides have caused some vessels in Faversham Creek to float into the wrong places, in some cases out of the creek altogether. The infamous “pirate ship” Revenge, which has featured on this website several times before, is obstructing the channel having tipped onto its side towards the middle of the creek. Photo from Peel Ports Notice to Mariners No 31 of 2017.

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

Blue Yacht seized by Peel Ports

The nameless blue yacht was evicted from Sun Pier and then moored unsuccessfully on the Historic Dockyard slipway, as shown in this photo taken on Sunday.  The vessel, which has been the subject of more than one RNLI call out, has now been towed away to Sheerness. Medway VTS informed us that the boat will be held until the owner comes forward with proof that he has a legitimate mooring for it. Well done Peel Ports!

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

Notices to Mariners Week 42 - Notices to Mariners for the Southern East Coast of the UK and across to France, Belgium and part of Holland

Permanent

1. ENGLAND - South East Coast - Gull Stream - Depths. Wrecks. Drying height. - 8 reductions of depth in and around the Gull Stream. It is worth noting the drying height on the western side of the Goodwins, is pretty close to a lateral line from the West Goodwin SHB to the NW Goodwin cardinal buoy. Favouring the eastern side of the Gull Stream seems an obvious precaution in a SW wind!
2. ENGLAND - East Coast - Thames Estuary - Pan Sand, Middle Sand, Margate Hook, East Barrow and Foulness Sand E - Beacons. - This is a sad time when five useful marks are unmaintained and now declining. Topmarks of each of the five beacons listed have now apparently fallen. Unfortunately as the Middle Sand is a red and white beacon, this cannot now be regarded as a safe area once the stump has fallen below the HW.

Temporary

1. ST CLEMENTS REACH - GRAYS TERMINAL - JETTY WORKS & DREDGING OPERATIONS - revised notice, works from the September to end of November;
2. RIVER MEDWAY–UPNOR REACH TO OAKHAMNESS - Exercise Fuels Endeavour 17 - Royal Engineer’s Barge Towing Exercise - between 4th and 8th Nov 2017, No.516 Specialist Team, Royal Engineers (Bulk Petroleum) will be conducting towage exercises involving towing vessels and flexible barges for the transport of liquid fuels. See the usual page on the Temporary List for images of the exercise and route: http://www.crossingthethamesestuary.com/page9.html
3. FAVERSHAM CREEK - Vessels Aground - due to the exceptional high tides, three vessels have grounded in the upper reaches of Faversham Creek. See the same page for images of location and vessels;
4. Grog Buoy River Orwell - now back in position and fully operational;
5. River Orwell - New Cut Construction Works - Dredging - southern side of the Ipswich Tidal Flood Barrier;
6. East Coast of England - The Wash - Approaches to King’s Lynn - UKD “Cherry Sand” - from the pm tide 15th October 2017 through until the pm tide 25th October 2017, will be carrying out maintenance dredging for the safety of shipping within the enclosed Docks King’s Lynn;
7. East Coast of England - The Wash - Approaches to King’s Lynn - Daseley’s Sled Approach - in the approach channel on or about 9th October 2017, No.19 lightbuoy to be moved 345°T x 150 metres. and No.16 lightbuoy to be moved 355°T x 70 metres.

Link to details - http://www.crossingthethamesestuary.com/page9.html

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

 

 

Notices to Mariners Week 41 - Notices to Mariners for the Southern East Coast of the UK and across to France, Belgium and part of Holland

Permanent

1 and 2. ENGLAND - East Coast - Felixstowe S - Depths. Drying height. - two reduction, one reduced depth, one new drying height - on the Platters and Andrews Spit off Landguard. Then with a separate Preliminary Notice there are four other reduced depths and four new drying heights in the same area - save one reduced depth off the Cliff Rocks (at 1.3m). Very worthwhile I would suggest. Two images on: http://www.crossingthethamesestuary.com/page9.html;
3. ENGLAND - East Coast - River Thames - Bugsby’s Reach - Depths. - one reduced of depth (to 2.6m) on the edge of the main channel of the Thames off Blackwall Point;
4. BELGIUM - Zeebrugge and Blankenberge - Buoy. Fog signal. - deletion of a Yellow Special buoy off Blankenberge and deletion of the Fog Signal on the Port Control tower in Zeebrugge harbour;
5. ENGLAND - South Coast - Port of Dover - North Pier - Light-beacon. Light. - Two lights deleted from the North Pier - that's the eastern mole entering to the Marina;
6. BELGIUM - TSS Off North Hinder - Virtual aids to navigation. - Deep Sigh. This is a change of two topmarks on each of two virtual AIS buoy of the west of the Belwind Wind Farm off Belgium - hells bells and buckets of blood! Wot! Even the cat after sitting situated on the relevant part of the chart, got bored and went away!;

Temporary

1. GRAVESEND ANNUAL FIREWORK DISPLAY - Friday 3rd November 2017 at 20:00 a fireworks display will take place over the River Thames on the south side of Gravesend Reach. Safety Zone to be in place.
2. The Broads - Restriction on River Chet - Monday 13 November 2017 until Friday 23 March 2018 - dredging and maintenance operations on the River Chet may restrict passage during weekdays, piling and dredging work will be in operation between 08:00 and 16:00 daily, excluding weekends.
3. The Broads - Closure of Limekiln Dyke - closed to navigation on weekdays due to maintenance dredging work: Monday 13 November until Friday 22 December 2017; Monday 8 January until Friday 2 February 2018 Each week during this period the closure will be in effect from 08:00 Monday to 16:00 Friday., and
4. Port of Wells - dredging.
Read more at http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?487913-Notice-to-Mariners-Week-41#I46cldOIoVkZB6h8.99

 

Link to details - http://www.crossingthethamesestuary.com/page9.html

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