Obstruction in the entrance to the River Medway

Medway obstruction
Photo by Wendy Webster, Benfleet YC, 2011

Look closely on your chart and you may see “obstns” but the true horror is revealed by this photo from Benfleet Yacht Club’s website. Have you ever cut in between the Grain Hard Buoy and the Grain Fort, in order to cheat the outgoing tide, or to keep out of the shipping channel? Please let us know what you think or if you have had a close encounter. Afterthought: Is it just me or does it look like a fossilised grand piano?

Changes to buoyage

Max Taylor, Deputy Harbour Master, informs us that during September Peel Ports will be commencing their first campaign of buoy changes. In the region of 15 navigation buoys will be changed and river users will note a “new shade” of green for starboard lateral marks and a larger top mark for both of the lateral marks. More importantly the cardinal marks will be slightly different, the “body” of the buoy is painted grey, then there is equidistant black/yellow banding to denote the type of cardinal followed by the traditional “shaped” topmark. Light characeristics will remain the same and Notices to Mariners will be issued prior to the work being done.

Missing blue dinghy

A dinghy has disappeared from the Hoo Ness YC tender compound adjacent to Wilsonian SC sometime since mid July. It is quite distinctive, being 6 ft long, 3 ft wide and blue – inside and out.  The two oars are not a pair, one has a partially broken paddle and both have patches of blue paint. The ring for the painter in the bow has pulled out, so the painter passes through the hole where the ring was and is secured to the thwart with a bowline. There is a wooden ply patch about 1 ft square in the stern seat. If you have any information please contact webmaster@msba.org.uk.

Have you seen this stolen Sea-Doo from Sandwich?

image (4) image image (1) image (2) image (3)PC Stuart Duncan of Kent Police asks if any of us have seen this boat which was stolen from Sandwich on 7 August . It’s a Seadoo Challenger 1800, white and blue exterior, silver and purple interior, and has a small chip to stb quarter of bow.  Model Sport 5775 HIN US-CEC31164A303. It was stolen from the locked compound of Sandwich Bay Sailing Club. Offenders broke into the compound in broad daylight and stole the boat which was on a Seadoo trailer.