Great Britain’s coasting pilot: Being a new and exact survey of the sea-coast of England and Scotland, from the river of Thames to the westward and northward, with the islands of Scilly, and from thence to Carlisle…. The first part and the second part less.. Author Collins, Greenville, Printed by Freeman Collins, and are to be Sold by Richard Mount, 1693
Available from: Médiathèques de Quimper Bretagne Occidentale Estuary starts at page 62. Monochrome.
See 1693 Greenvile Collins Chart and at L Brown Collection. Colour download from www.vintage-maps.com.
See Greenvile Collins hydrographer.
GREAT BRITAIN’s COASTING-PILOT. The SECOND PART. – full text. Unfortunately, he omits the section between the Downs and Spits, out of deference to the Trinity House Pilots.
Local area extract
| Original text | Landmark to ID & comment | |
| Being in the Rowling-grounds, and that you would Sail into Harwich Harbour, keep close by the Andrews,* which is a Sand that lyeth off from Languard-Fort, and is steep too on the west side; the Tyde of Ebb runneth strong over the Andrews the first half Ebb, of which you must have a care; this Sand is dry at low-water. | Andrews dries at LW | |
| There is a small Channel between the Gristle and the Guard* of nine foot at low-water, but when you have opened Dover-Court Church of Harwich Town, then are you clear of the Gristle and Guard, and may Anchor before the Town of Harwich* in five Fathom water, or run up into Ipswich-water and Anchor. | Altar – now gone. | |
| Keep close by the Beach of Languard-Fort to avoid the Altar,* which is a small stoney Shelf that lyeth right west from Languard-Fort about a Cable and a halfs length from the Beach at the Fort, on which is but five and six foot at low-water: you may Sail to the westward of it, between it and Harwich-Cliff,Page 3 according as the Tyde is up, and what drought of water your Ship draweth. | Brewhouse N of Landgaurd? Glutton buoy. 16ft CD implied for Glutton | |
| Being past the Glutton, you must keep close to the Beach to avoid the Gristle* that lyeth in the middle between Harwich and the Beach of Languard-Fort, on which is but three foot at low-water. | Gristle Buoy. 4ft CD implied | |
| There is a small Channel between the Gristle and the Guard* of nine foot at low-water, but when you have opened Dover-Court Church of Harwich Town, then are you clear of the Gristle and Guard, and may Anchor be∣fore the Town of Harwich* in five Fathom water, or run up into Ipswich-water and Anchor. | Guard Buoy 9ft implied in channel. Dovercourt Church | |
| This is a very safe Harbour; and if a Ship should chance to blow ashoar, she cannot take any harm, the shoars being soft Owse. |
Estuary Extract
Directions for Sailing over the Spits, the Wallet, and by the Naze into Harwich.
Harwich.
HARWICH being a good and convenient safe Harbour, and much fre∣quented by those that use the Northern Navigation, and a place where Ships many times are forc’d in by bad weather, I have taken care to give such following Directions as will carry any Stranger into that place.
Sailing down the Swin or King’s Channel, and that you would Sail into Harwich over the Buoy of the Spits* into the Wallet, you must observe your Tydes; for at the Spits the Buoy lyeth in five, six, and seven foot water at low-water, and the Passage often altereth, sometimes more water, and sometimes less. The Buoy lyeth on the west end of the Gunfleet-Sand, and the east end of the Buxey, bearing from a flat Steeple, called Great Holland-Church, south and by east: Being over the Spits, you come into the Wallet,* where is very good Anchoring in five, six, seven, and eight Fathom water; the Sands lying without makes it a most excellent Road. There is a good and deep Channel to Sail into the Wallet between the Gunfleet and the West-Rocks, as you may see in the Mapp of Harwich, Number E. but this Channel is very seldom used. Be∣ing over the Spits into the Wallet, steer a∣way for the Naze,* which may be known by the Trees, and a House that standeth on it; keep about half a mile, or a mile of from the Naze, to avoid the Stone Bank* which hath but five foot water at low-water on it, and lyeth from the Naze Trees east by north about a mile and a half from the Naze Point; there is but eight or nine foot water between it and the Naze at low-water.* Keep Pain’s Trees (which lye a little to the southward of Harwich) open and shut with Harwich-Cliff, and this Mark will carry you on the Stone Bank, and the Trees on the Corkland just open of the Naze∣land will carry you on the Bank also. There is a good leading Mark to carry you be∣tween the Naze and the Stone Bank,* which is Harwich Steeple on Harwich Becon-Cliff, and will also carry you between the Pye-Sand and the Ridge into the Rowling-ground,* where Ships Anchor in three and four Fa∣thom at low-water. The Mark to Anchor in the best of the Rowling-ground is to bring Harwich Windmill two Sails breadth open of Harwich-Cliff. And to Sail from the Rowling-ground to the Naze keep Pain’s Trees open of Harwich-Cliff till you bring the Naze to bear south west, then keep Harwich Steeple on the Becon-Cliff to run within the Stone Bank.
There is a Channel to Sail from the Naze between the Cork-Sand and the Ridge,* keeping the Naze Trees south west, sailing down north east between the Cork and the Ridge in five, six, and seven Fathom water; and when you have brought Harwich Steeple on the Brewhouse that lyeth to the northward of Landguard-Fort, then are you clear of the Cork-ledge.* This Channel is much used by the Light-Colliers going to the northward.
Being in the Rowling-grounds, and that you would Sail into Harwich Harbour, keep close by the Andrews,* which is a Sand that lyeth off from Languard-Fort, and is steep too on the west side; the Tyde of Ebb runneth strong over the Andrews the first half Ebb, of which you must have a care; this Sand is dry at low-water. Keep close by the Beach of Languard-Fort to avoid the Altar,* which is a small stoney Shelf that lyeth right west from Languard-Fort about a Cable and a halfs length from the Beach at the Fort, on which is but five and six foot at low-water: you may Sail to the west∣ward of it, between it and Harwich-Cliff, according as the Tyde is up, and what drought of water your Ship draweth. But if you should chance to go into Harwich at low-water, and your Ship draw above fifteen foot, you must stay for the Flood to have water over the Glutton,* which is a nar∣row Ridge, and stretcheth off from the Beach thwart the Channel a little within the Brewhouse that is to the northward of Lan∣guard-Fort. Being past the Glutton, you must keep close to the Beach to avoid the Gristle* that lyeth in the middle between Harwich and the Beach of Languard-Fort, on which is but three foot at low-water. There is a small Channel between the Gristle and the Guard* of nine foot at low-water, but when you have opened Dover-Court Church of Harwich Town, then are you clear of the Gristle and Guard, and may Anchor be∣fore the Town of Harwich* in five Fathom water or run up into Ipswich-water and Anchor. This is a very safe Harbour; and if a Ship should chance to blow ashoar, she cannot take any harm, the shoars being soft Owse.
There is a Yard at Harwich where many of the great Ships of the Navy have been built, where is a convenient place to haul such Ships (as can take the ground) ashore to Wash, Tallow, stop Leaks, &c. This place is much approved of by the Commanders of Virginia Ships, being very convenient for unloading their Goods, ha∣ving good Store-houses for that purpose by the water side, and is the best Inlet and Outlet between England and Holland, as is experienced by the Pacquet-Boats, having made this place their station. It floweth here at Full and Change in the Harbour south; the Spring-tydes rise fifteen and six∣teen foot, and the Neap-tydes ten and ele∣ven foot.
Directions for to Sail into Harwich through the Sledway.
Being at the Buoy of the Spits, and that you will not Sail over the Spits, then keep down by the Gunfleet-Sand* in seven and eight Fathom water, till you come within two Miles of the Buoy of the Gun∣fleet, and then come no nearer then nine Fathom; for there lyeth off a Spit east south east from the Sand, about a Cables length. To the eastward of this Spit is a small Swatch through the Sand, into which and Goldmore’s-Gatt,* the Tyde of Flood set∣teth strong into the Wallet, of which you must have a care when you come near it, especially in little Wind or Calms you may be hauld on the Gunfleet-Sand. This Sand lyeth north east and south west, and drieth in several places. The Buoy of the Gunfleet* beareth from the Naze south east by east easterly. You may stand into seven and eight Fathom along the side of the West-Rocks* into the Sledway, keeping Balsey Church north by west and north north west till you bring Harwich Steeple on the Brewhouse (that lyeth to the northward of Languard-Fort) which will carry you clear of the Cork-ledge, on which is two Fathom and a half at low-water, and then stand to the westward, and keep Orford Church and Castle open of Balsey-Cliff a Sails breadth, till you have the Lights together, keeping them so till you are past the Andrews, and then follow the former Directions for sailing into Harwich. You may stand in upon the Platters* into five Fathom, on which Sand is but two and three foot at low-water; the Ridge hath seven foot at low-water. A great part of the Cork-Sand* dry∣eth at low-water; and lyeth in length northeast and south west about two miles and a half long, and a mile broad.
West-Rocks.
The West-Rocks* lye in length north east, and south west about three miles, and two miles broad, and dryeth in several places, full of Banks and Swatches, the Ground rocky and stony in many places. There is a small narrow Channel between the West-Rocks and the Cork.
Balsey-Sand.
The Marks for the south end of Balsey-Sand.* is to bring Balsey Church north west half west, and lyeth from the shoar a long League; this end is steep too, being eight and nine Fathom close by it. The Mark for the north end is to bring Orford Castle between the north by west and the north north west, and the Light-house north half east. This end lyeth about five miles from the shoar. Some part of this Sand dryeth at low-water.
Woodbridge-Haven.
*Lyeth just at the west end of Balsey-Cliff, and is a Bar-Haven, where is but three and four foot water at low-water; the Bar often shifts there, I advise such as are not acquainted to take a Pilot. After you are in ’tis a very good Harbour, and goeth up to Woodbridge. The water riseth and falleth on the Bar at a Spring-tyde fifteen foot, and at Full and Change it floweth south and south by east.
Cutler.
*Cutler is a small Sand that lyeth right off from Balsey-Cliff about a short mile, and hath but six foot water on it at low-water, and two Fathom between it and the Cliff. The Mark to go clear of of it, is to keep Harwich Steeple just open of Felsto-Cliff.
Directions to Sail from Harwich out the Sledway.
Sailing out of Harwich, keep close to the Beach of Languard-Fort, observing the Directions going out as you did going in, and when you come near the Andrews, if the Tyde of Ebb be made, it runneth strong over them the first half Ebb, of which you must have a care; bring the Lights in one, and Sail out so between the Andrews, the Ridge, and the Platters, till you bring Orford Church and Castle open of Balsey-Cliff a Sails breadth; Sail so till you Page 4 bring Harwich Steeple on the Brewhouse, and then stand out the Sledway, keeping Balsey Church north north west out. But if you turn out,* then turn Balsey Church on the two Trees to the northward of the Wood; and for the other side the Church two Sails breadth open of the Cliff. But if you know not the Marks, you may stand over to the West-Rocks till you bring Balsey Church north by west, and over to Balsey-Sand and the Shipwash, till you bring Balsey Church north west by north and north west.
Balsey-Sand.
The Marks for the south end of Balsey-Sand.* is to bring Balsey Church north west half west, and lyeth from the shoar a long League; this end is steep too, being eight and nine Fathom close by it. The Mark for the north end is to bring Orford Castle between the north by west and the north north west, and the Light-house north half east. This end lyeth about five miles from the shoar. Some part of this Sand dryeth at low-water.
Shipwash-Sand.
The Shipwash* lyeth without Balsey-Sand and the Whiting, and drieth in many places at low-water: It lyeth in length north by east and south by west about nine miles, and is very narrow, not above a quarter of a mile over in breadth, except the south end, and there it is broader. The Mark for the south end is to bring Balsey Church north west half west about eight or nine miles off. The Mark for the north end is Balsey Church north west, and Orford Light-house north north west half west.
Whiting-Sand.
*The Whiting lyeth north east by north in length about five miles. At the south end Balsey Church beareth west by south and west south west: and at the north end Orford Castle north west by north in five Fathom water. There is good Soundings on both sides of it.
Woodbridge-Haven.
*Lyeth just at the west end of Balsey-Cliff, and is a Bar-Haven, where is but three and four foot water at low-water; the Bar often shifts there, I advise such as are not acquainted to take a Pilot. After you are in ’tis a very good Harbour, and goeth up to Woodbridge. The water riseth and falleth on the Bar at a Spring-tyde fifteen foot, and at Full and Change it floweth south and south by east.
Cutler.
*Cutler is a small Sand that lyeth right off from Balsey-Cliff about a short mile, and hath but six foot water on it at low-water, and two Fathom between it and the Cliff. The Mark to go clear of of it, is to keep Harwich Steeple just open of Felsto-Cliff.
Hoseley-Bay.
Hoseley-Bay* is a very good place to Anchor, you having the Sands without, and is very good clean ground.