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© East Coast Sailing:
Colin Jarman, Garth Cooper, Dick Holness,
Roger Gaspar. All Rights Reserved
The causeway between Osea Island on the River Blackwater and the mainland, which has been obstructed for so long by ‘dumped’ rubble, has now officially been reopened for navigation.
The Blackwater River Bailiff has issued a Notice to Mariners cancelling the warning first issued on 28th February last year and saying that “following the removal of the navigation hazard” the yellow special mark buoys will also be removed shortly. The NtM goes on to warn that the Stumble area must still be navigated “with caution”.
QUEENBOROUGH OFFERS FREE TROT BOAT
Queenborough Harbour Trust is to run a free trot boat service this season.
The announcement was made with the appointment of Phil Shaw, who will run the launch for Queenborough Harbour from Friday to Monday between 0800 and 1000, then from 1600 to 2200.
Phil, who has been in both the Merchant and Royal Navies, including a spell on the Royal Yacht Britannia, can be contacted on VHF Ch 08, call sign Sheppey One. If he’s not afloat, Phil will be based in the Harbour lookout on Crundel’s Wharf.
‘OFFICIAL’ DEBEN AND ORE ENTRANCE CHARTS PUBLISHED
Drawn by Imray for East Coast Pilot, using the official Trinity House survey data, current chartlets showing the entrances to both the Rivers Deben and Ore/Alde are now available for free download.
Harbourmaster and Honorary Port Pilot for East Coast Pilot, John White, is happy to help anyone planning to enter (or depart from) these rivers and he can be contacted either by phoning 07803 476621 or calling Odd Times on Ch 08.
To download the chartlets (courtesty of ECP), click here and select the one you want.
The first East Coast New Boat Weekend will be held at Shotley Marina from 27th-
Boatbuilders planning to exhibit at the show include Feeling, Dufour, Princess, Beneteau, Fairline, Jeanneau, Bayliner and Gunfleet, plus the East Anglian Sea School, One Sails, Dolphin Sails and the RNLI.
Many of the boats will be afloat in the marina and trial sails can be pre-
Brightlingsea Harbour Commissioners have issued a Notice to Mariners warning of survey operations in and around the Gunfleet Sands wind farm sites.
The work is to be carried out by the Port of London Authority’s survey vessel Yantlet and is planned to commence on 24th April, lasting four days. However, the work is weather and tide dependant, so exact dates are uncertain.
No equipment will be towed by Yantlet and she should not be restricted in her ability to manoeuvre. A listening watch will be kept on Ch 16 during operations.
For fuller details click here and for a chart showing the operating areas, click here.
The crane barge Stemat 86 has been moved from alongside the eastern end of Wallasea Jetty on the River Crouch.
The barge is now in position 100m west of the jetty and clear of the Fairway in approximate position 51º 37’.05N 000º 50’.59E. Navigators should note that there is no passage inshore (to the south) of the barge.
The Lowestoft Harbour Master has issued a warning that the South Pier light is temporarily out of action.
He also warns that the traffic signals adjacent to the South Pier lighthouse are unreliable and that some may not work at times.
For further information call Lowestoft Port Control on Ch 14 or phone on 01502 572286.
SWALLOWTAIL BUOY RETURNED TO STATION
The Swallowtail West light buoy in the River Crouch approach channel has been put back on station, according to a Notice to Mariners issued by the Crouch Harbour Authority today.
The NtM states that they buoy, lit VQ(9) 10s, is in position 51°40’.043N 001°02’.652E.
A Notice to Mariners, issued today by the Crouch Harbour Authority, warns that the Swallowtail West light buoy (VQ(9) 10s) is off station.
Navigators using the Swallowtail Approach Channel to enter or leave the River Crouch should take extra care in the area.
DIVERS TO CHECK RICHARD MONTGOMERY WRECK
Work is due to start today (18th March) on the latest diving survey of the wrecked SS Richard Montgomery next to the main River Medway shipping channel.
Divers will be working from the workboat Medway Otter, which will be anchored within the buoyed area around the wreck, for up to a week. As usual, mariners are requested to pass by at reduced speed and to take extra care.
Further information is available on Ch 74 by calling Medway VTS or Medway Otter, or by phoning 01795 663025.
WALLASEA JETTY WORKS AND DELIVERIES
The Crouch Harbourmaster, Susan Harrison, has issued a Notice to Mariners warning that a large crane barge, Stemat 89, measuring 60m LOA and with 22m beam, is secured alongside the Wallasea Jetty and will remain there for up to 12 weeks while the hopper and conveyor system is modified.
The barge is lit on its upriver and downriver corners with vertical flashing red lights. Mariners are requested to keep well clear of the jetty and vessels manoeuvring in the vicinity, obeying any instructions issued by CHA vessels or the tug Arthur T, which is on permanent standby at the jetty and which operates a VHF Ports Service on Ch 11, callsign Wallasea Jetty, on behalf of the Harbour Authority.
Meanwhile, about three vessels a day bringing spoil from the London Crossrail project are now arriving and departing at the Wallasea Jetty and this number (or slightly more) is expected to continue for the foreseeable future.
The UKHO has issued a warning about the proliferation of counterfeit charts and nautical reference publications.
The use of such fakes is potentially dangerous to all mariners and contravenes several international laws.
John Dawson, Head of Marketing at the UKHO, said: “The UKHO urges all purchasers, users, inspectors and regulators to be vigilant for counterfeit Admiralty charts and publications. Because counterfeit versions have not been through the same rigorous checking procedures as official Admiralty charts and publications, they cannot be trusted for voyage planning or navigational purposes.”
He went on: “We are actively seeking to stop the production and sale of counterfeit copies of our charts and publications … and encourage anyone that suspects they may be in possession of counterfeit products to get in touch with us.” Email customerservices@ukho.gov.uk.
How do you recognise a fake? Official Admiralty charts bear the Admiralty’s ‘Flying A’ watermark within the paper and will carry a strip on the back showing the Admiralty logo, chart number, geographical area, barcode and date. The quality of paper, print and binding of books or folding of charts will also be clearly inferior.
For a simple guide to ‘fake recognition’, download the UKHO’s guide by clicking here.
A light has been re-
The buoy, known as the Sheerness Outfall, lies in approximate positioned at 51°26’.97N 000°45’.18E.
POTTON BRIDGE CLOSURE EXTENDED
The re-
It is now expected that the bridge will be re-
FISHERMAN’S GAT BUOYAGE CHANGES
Trinity House has announced that it will be making changes to buoyage in Fisherman’s Gat “on or about 18th March”.
The changes include small movements to some SHBs, repositioning of No 4 PHB and the establishment of a new No 6 PHB. The lights on Nos 1 and 2 buoys will also be synchronised.
For full details and downloadable chartlets either click here and then click on Temporary Notices or visit www.crossingthethamesestuary.com/page9.html and click on Temporary Notices.
BRIGHTLINGSEA PONTOON REPAIRS BEGIN
Repairs to the damaged Fisherman’s Pontoon in Brightlingsea harbour are scheduled to begin on Monday, 25th February.
A 30m x 11m barge, the Haven Searider, will be positioned close to the north cardinal mark at the western end of the pontoon and lifting gear from her will be used to extract the two damaged piles and drive in new ones. New pontoons will also be floated into position during the works. A tug, Haven Supporter, will be in attendance and both she and the barge will keep a listening watch on Ch 68.
Skippers are requested to pass these vessels at slow speed with minimum wash. For further information, call Brightlingsea Harbour on Ch 68.
Work is in progress on the lock gates at Limehouse Lock and is expected to continue for about four weeks. During this period the lock will not operate, so vessels cannot enter or exit Limehouse Basin.
A safety boat, Abwood VI, will be on station throughout the works and will keep a listening watch on Ch 14 and London VTS will broadcast any further information also on Ch 14. For further information, call the marina office on 020 7308 9930.
HARWICH YACHT TRACK DEPTHS IMPROVED
Harwich Haven Authority (HHA) has issued a Notice to Mariners stating that dredging work has improved the previously reduced depth at a point on the Yacht Track SE of Deane PHB and WSW of Inner Ridge PHB to a more useful 3.2m, which should leave the majority of leisure craft anaffected.
It has been announced that the navigation lights at the head of the All-
The NtM states that further information on the status of the lights may be obtained from the Medway Navigation Service on Ch 74, callsign Medway VTS, or by telephoning 01795 663025.
HARWICH YACHT TRACK REDUCED DEPTHS
Harwich Haven Authority (HHA) has issued a Notice to Mariners drawing attention to a recently discovered shoal patch on the recommended Yacht Track SE of Deane PHB and WSW of Inner Ridge PHB.
The patch has a depth of 2.6m and is shown on the accompanying chartlet (courtesy of Imray/Meridian ID10).
A short video to promote Queenborough has been posted on YouTube.
If you would like to take a look, click here.
Trinity House is to demonstrate the implications of a loss of GPS signal on the primary
means of obtaining Position, Navigation and Timing (PNT) information at sea. The
demonstration will take place over four days -
For the purposes of the demonstration, THV Galatea will be equipped with a low power
GPS jamming device that will be operated by the UK Defence Science and Technology
Laboratory. Jamming signals will be transmitted intermittently from 0930Z – 1200Z
and 1400Z-
Full details of the Notice to Mariners can be found as usual on our NtM page together with an image of the exclusion zone to be used.