23rd September 2015 Notice number 15-2015
EXCEPTIONALLY HIGH AND LOW TIDES PREDICTED
Mariners are informed that at a coming natural 19 year lunar cycle there are expected to be a number of exceptionally high and low tides from now to January 2016.
The lower tides that go with these higher tides will be correspondingly lower as well at these times. Tidal flows will also be amplified and will carry much debris in the river - that the higher tides will lift off the saltings on both sides of the river.
Weather conditions will as usual play a significant role in determining whether tides meet their predictions, or indeed exceed those predictions becoming a positive or negative surge tide
The dates of concern are:
27th – 30th September 2015 27th – 30th October 2015
25th – 27th December 2015 11th – 14th January 2016
Signed Captain Colin Carr Harbourmaster
13th September 2015 Notice number 14-2015
SHOALING OF THE RIVER
Notice is hereby given that shoaling of the river at the Isolated Danger Mark and at buoy No. 6 (starboard hand) continues to take place.
Masters of vessels should make use of their echo sounders, and all other means of ensuring safe navigation, and keep a proportional distance when rounding these marks.
Buoy No. 6 and the port hand buoy close opposite the Isolated Danger Mark will be repositioned as soon as a low water survey has been completed.
Signed Captain Colin Carr Harbour Master
30th July 2015 Notice number 13 - 2015
SURVEY WORKS GOODWIN SANDS
Click here to go to the page.
Signed Captain Colin Carr Harbourmaster.
24th July 2015 Notice Number 12 - 2015
BARGE PONTRA MARIS WORKING IN PEGWELL BAY
Notice is hereby given that the barge has now completed it’s work and has been towed away.
This cancels earlier NtMs.
Signed Robert Holden Webmaster.
2nd June 2015 (2315 hrs) Notice Number 11 - 2015
BARGE WORKING IN PEGWELL BAY - anchor marker buoys now lit.
Notice is hereby given that the Barge – PONTRA MARIS – working on the sub sea electricity cable from the Thanet Array offshore wind farm has extending out from the barge are a number of mooring cables to anchors which are marked by steel buoys. Formally unlit they are now lit, we are informed by Thanet Fishermans Association. Light characteristics are Fl (W) 2s.
Signed Robert Holden Webmaster.
2nd June 2015 Notice Number 10 - 2015
ESTUARY CHARTLET UPDATE
Notice is hereby given that the Chartlet of the entrance to the River Stour has now been updated. It is available here within this website or from Highway Marine shop in Strand Street
Signed Robert Holden Webmaster
2nd June 2015 Notice Number 09 - 2015
BARGE WORKING IN PEGWELL BAY
Notice is hereby given that a Barge – PONTRA MARIS – is working on the sub sea electricity cable from the Thanet Array offshore wind farm. Extending out from the barge are a number of mooring cables to anchors which are marked by steel buoys. Formaly unlit they are now lit, we are informed by Thanet Fishermans Association. Light characteristics not known.
The works will be carried out around the 51’19.272 N, 001’ 23.989 E with a 900m radius in which anchors may be positioned at different stages of operations.
Vessels entering or leaving the ‘Haven’ should give the barge a wide berth from the Sandwich Fairway Buoy outward.
The Barge maintains a listening watch on Channel 16 VHF and is serviced by the support vessel NOVA K.
Signed Captain Colin Carr Harbour Master.
19th April 2015 Notice number 08 - 2015
Additional buoyage
Notice is hereby given that the buoyage mentioned in Notice number 07 - 2015 of 30th March 2015 is now in place. Trinity House confirmation of approval awaited. Position of the new Fairway Buoy is:
51° 18.90’ N
001° 23.55 E
Light characteristic; LFl 10 sec’s
New lit buoys have been placed at Shellness. They are:
SHELLNESS (Port Hand) Light characteristic; Fl(4)R 19 sec’s
THROAT (Starboard Hand) Light characteristic; Fl G 5 sec’s
The Isolated Danger Mark remains, though now out of the fairway consequent of overwinter river movement.
The Chartlet carried on this website is accordingly under revision and will be updated when all the river movement data has been gathered.
Additionally smaller new buoys have been placed in the river:
Lower reaches of Salthouse Reach; Port Hand red can marking an area of foul ground.
Stonar Cut; Starboard Hand green conical marking a new shingle bank consequent of the Environment Agency running of the Stonar Cut sluices.
Signed Captain Colin Carr
30th March 2015 Notice number 07 – 2015
Additional buoyage
Mariners are advised that additional buoyage, to augment the existing seasonal buoys, will be placed on station in the next 7 to 10 days. This is subject to the weather which is forecast to be very windy for the foreseeable future.
Additional buoyage has become necessary consequent of the considerable ‘overwinter’ movement of the river.
Signed Captain Colin Carr
17th March 2015 Notice number 06 - 2015
REF NtM NUMBER 04 – 2015
RIVER CLOSURE ABOVE SANDWICH SWING BRIDGE
The NtM Number 04 – 2015 concerning the rivers closure, due to a jack up barge blocking the fairway in execution of the Environment Agency’s Sandwich Flood Protection Works, is CANCELLED. The works are now complete and the barge removed.
Captain Colin Carr Harbour Master
15th March 2015 Notice number 05 - 2015
River mouth buoyage - Seasonal Buoys
Buoys Number 2 and SHELLNESS buoy are missing from station.
Buoys 3 and 5 are off station some 50 meters to the north consequent of river movement.
Beacons at Shellness are off station due to the recent and unceasing dramatic movement northward of the sands at Shellness.
Isolated Danger Mark. Vessels should pass this mark South West of it as the river is shoaling to the North East and around it.
Seasonal re-marking of the river will take place in the coming weeks.
Masters of vessels should navigate using all means available to transit the ever moving mouth of the river, consequent of winter river flows eroding banks and the deposit of silt and sand.
Captain Colin Carr Harbour Master.
12th March 2015 Notice number 04 - 2015
NOTICE TO MARINERS No.03-2015 – River Closure 2nd to 6th March 2015 - is
EXTENDED to Friday 20th March 2015.
The contractors installing Larson Piling to the edge of the quay adjacent to Ainsley Court have encountered a patch of solid ground some three meters below the river bed. Even with a loading of 50 tonnes the equipment cannot pierce the obstruction. This extension of time is to allow the contractors to arrange heavier equipment to be delivered to site and installed. After which it all has to be disassembled and taken away.
The Environment Agency and Contractors apologise for any inconvenience caused by these necessary works and the enforced delay.
Captain Colin Carr Harbour Master
24th February 2015 Notice number 03 - 2015
NOTICE TO MARINERS No.02-2015 is CANCELLED. River closure 2nd to 6th March 2015.
However… NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the river will instead be closed for the duration of the following week – 9th to 13th March 2015.
This is caused by a further delay in the delivery of the barge that will serve the Environment Agency’s work, due to the work it is currently employed upon being delayed by the recent high winds.
The length of river affected remains the same being from the Swing Bridge upstream to Guestling Mill / beginning of Gazen Salts field.
The Environment Agency apologises for any inconvenience caused by these necessary works and the enforced delay of the barge delivery.
The delay is caused by the high winds recently preventing the barge from working. No doubt the sea as well but we do not know the whereabouts of where it is working. The delay is causing the contractors Jacksons and the Environment Agency considerable disruption to their programme of work. The use of this jack up barge has become necessary as a result of a need for heavier equipment to drive the piles into the river bed. There being no other option for this unexpected difficulty. The Port and Haven Commissioners are assisting, as far as they are able, in expediting this work without undue delay and as little disruption as possible to river traffic.
19th February 2015 Notice number 02-2015
NOTICE TO MARINERS No.01-2015 is CANCELLED. River closure 23rd to 27th February 2015.
However… NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the river will instead be closed for the duration of the following week - 2nd March to 6th March 2015.
This is caused by a delay in the delivery of the barge that will serve the Environment Agency’s work due to the work it is currently employed upon being delayed.
The length of river affected remains the same being from the Swing Bridge upstream to Guestling Mill / beginning of Gazen Salts field.
The Environment Agency apologises for any inconvenience caused by these necessary works and the enforced delay of the barge delivery.
Captain Colin Carr Harbour Master
12th February 2015 Notice number 01-2015
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that, in order to progress the Environment Agency’s Sandwich Flood Protection Works the river will be closed to navigation from the Swing Bridge upstream to Guestling Mill / beginning of Gazen Salts field. Closure will be from 0800 hrs on Monday 23rd of February 2015 until 17.00 hrs on Friday 27th February 2015 (5 days). This to enable the contactors work barge to traverse that length of river described, effectively blocking the river to navigation.
The Environment Agency apologises for any inconvenience caused by these necessary works.
This closure is necessary in order that steel sheet piling can be safely transported from the contractors yard by the bridge to the area upstream where they are carrying out their work. The size of the barge and attendant vessels will need the width of the river to move this equipment and materials safely, and, without damage to craft moored nearby.
Captain Colin Carr Harbour Master
