Tag: Done

Some suggestions for reading about the area plus links to a number of older books available for free online. Also links to reference information.

At sea, our waters are shallow with many named shoals and sandbanks. Some dry out such as Cork Sand, others lurk just below the waves. Inland, our rivers have many creeks and their banks have features worthy of mention. These come and go over time and the names change. How they change and the origin of the names can be of interest.

I am told there are people who do not care for maps, and I find it hard to believe. Robert Louis Stevenson Charts, Pilots and Sailing Directions of the area. Ignoring Ptolemy, who gives little detail, the earliest Pilot claims to date from 1190. More detail emerges from the eighteenth century and there are many …

Read more “Charts”

People with a connection to the area or important mariners are, in a few cases, such as Washington recognised in the name of a buoy or feature. Others have a connection with the area and are still of interest such as the men who surveyed our shallow waters. Several of these, such as Washington, Hewitt …

Read more “People”

A selection of information and sources of data useful for local: Sailing Kayaking Swimming Topics open in new tab Local Real Time Wind and Sea Local Forecasts Environment for Swimming Tide Predictions and Data Webcams Shipping Information Channel Weather Planning Pilotage Info Charts & NTMs Other & Clubs Medium Term Forecasts Weather Background

Our waters are shallow with many shoals and sandbanks. The safe channels have been known for many centuries and some, such as the Spitway, are mentioned in old documents. There are also our rivers which have names for the different reaches and creeks. As the same term often applies to both the bank and the channel, i.e. Ray Sand, some items are allocated to both categories.

These items refer to features in the area such as the Martellos or Walton Castle that are not navigational. Other items are about topics that cross several categories such as Cement Stone Mining.

Age of sail terms and concepts, navigation, seamanship etc.

About specific vessels such as ships, shipwrecks, sailing barges and less obvious vessels such as concrete lighters and forts. Sailing vessels and Mason’s Barges at Waldringfield are a particular interest.

With modern navigation aids Lighthouses, Lightships, Beacons and Seamarks have become a rarity. In the past, however, there were ..

Buoys marking our waters are of four basic types. Whilst not of great interest in themselves their names, or the reason they are there, can tell a tell.