Changes in River Crouch

 Major changes to the navigational marking of R. Crouch will be taking place between 20th June and 22nd July 2011.

All of the existing buoys from the Whitaker Channel to Burnham No1 Fairway buoy will be replaced and the number and quality of buoys will be greatly increased. There are presently 16 navigation buoys in this stretch, three of them unlit,  and these will be increased to 30 buoys, all lit.

The work is being done in readiness for the new shipping trade importing tunnelling materials from the London Crossrail project to the RSPB's Wallasea Wild Coast marine habitat creation project. The unloading pontoon for the project is presently under construction in Poland and the shipping operation to Wallasea Island  will start in March 2012. In all some 29 new buoys have been purchased.

Crouch Harbour Authority Chairman John Archer said, " We are very pleased to be able, with Crossrail's assistance , to announce this major improvement in marking of the Crouch and its approaches. This is the first real benefit that  mariners, both commercial and leisure, will see from the  Wallasea Project. Hitherto the Crouch has been quite a difficult river to enter for strangers. The new buoys will change that and we hope will encourage visiting yachts, as well as making navigation safer for commercial ships."

The new buoys are  larger than the existing ones, with higher focal plane lanterns and closer spacing so they will be much more visible. The main Whitaker Channel and Outer Crouch buoys will have synchronised pair flashing lanterns using the latest technology. For the first time the shallow Swallowtail Bank  which obstructs the entrance to the river when approaching via the Spitway will be properly marked.

Crouch Harbour Master Mark Wakelin said " This will be a major improvement in the ease and safety of navigation in our river.  It is not widely realised that CHA's boundary  goes right out to the Whitaker and close to the Spitway, and in the past that has been a difficult area with shoals and often confused seas. The new buoys will make it much easier for yachtsmen to be certain of their position, and to stay within the deep water."

Crouch Harbour Authority have produced a chartlet illustrating the new buoys, available from the Harbour Office (tel 01621 783602) and also on their newly modernised website www.crouchharbour.org.uk.  This chartlet is based on the 4.00m LAT contour which gives a much clearer impression of the Crouch channel than standard charts which are based on the 5.00m LAT contour - so may be of interest even to experienced Crouch hands. New editions of the Admiralty and Imray charts are being produced.

The main Whitaker Channel and Outer Crouch buoys will be laid  for CHA by Trinity House Vessel Alert  week commencing Mon. 11th July 2011. Buoys within the river will be laid by local contractor Crouch River Services, who will also recover the ‘old' buoys.

For updates on progress with the operation visit www.crouchharbour.org.uk or call the Harbour Office: 01621 783602

For a charlet of the new buoyage regime, click HERE

For the relevant Notice to Mariners, click HERE. 

 

Contact/Information:

Mark Wakelin  (Harbour Master)

Crouch Harbour Authority, Harbour Office, The Quay, Burnham on Crouch, Essex CM08AS

www.crouchharbour.org.uk

mwakelin@crouchharbour.org.uk

Tel office 01621 783602 ; mobile 07747 604344