(Prepared by O. Shaw as part of the passage plan for the 2008 LSC to Dee SC cruise)
I went out to New Brighton to look at the Channel at Low Water on 5th June. With a 1.1 m height of tide there was water all the way; on the Saturday when we intend to use it the predicted height is 5.1 m at 1200, falling to 3.1 m at 1400, by which time we expect to be long past there. So even if delayed, provided we are through Rock Gut by 1400 we can expect minimum depths to be at least 2 m. Returning on the Sunday we will if necessary wait off, for sufficient rise of tide, aiming to pass through not earlier than 1800, with a minimum depth of not less than 2.5m and rising.
Shortly before reaching Brazil (Green Conical Light Float), turn to port, out of the buoyed channel, to pass within a few metres (north) of Green beacon with topmark (2FG (vert)) west of the Rock Lighthouse (unlit) – Beacon 1.
Steer to achieve 270o M over the ground, to pass 1 cable north of drying concrete blocks in position 53o 26’ 52” N 003o04’18” W, through Rock Gut. We have no tidal stream data for Rock Gut, so you will need to monitor your line by back bearings on Beacon 1. Those with GPS might like to key in a suitable waypoint: I make it 53o 26’ 42” N 3o 04’ 30” W (or, if you prefer, 53o 26.7’ N 3o 04.5’ W ) - Waypoint 1.
Soon after passing passing the above beacon on Perch Rock, observe two further Green beacons to port, Beacons 2 and 3 respectively, and also St James’s Church (conspic., with spire). Your course will take you about 2 cables north of the first of these, Beacon 2. There may be a small yacht racing buoy, somewhere to the north of this beacon; we understand that it is laid and maintained by the marina, and it was there when I looked over the channel on 5th June. You can pass close to this buoy, which was well within the channel, whereas the beacon was (just) dry, and if you are too close to the beacon you will need to head well out again to clear the above drying concrete blocks, although at the times we will be there they should be well covered.
Beacon 2 in transit with St. James’s Church spire clears the above drying concrete blocks, but this clearing transit is not a course to steer.
At Waypoint 1, Beacon 1 bears 093o M, Beacon 3 bears 130o M, and St. James Church spire lies roughly mid-way between Beacons 2 and 3.
Now alter to 284o M, to pass up the Rock Channel, but use the depth sounder (dinghies use centreboard as a depth sounder) to keep in the channel; the channel may well not be quite where it is shown on the chart. Aim for the left-hand end of the wind farm, and leave the large collection of drying wrecks (if you see them) to starboard - they are the skippers who got it wrong!
After 2½ miles we reach a second waypoint, Waypoint 2. Those with GPS might like to key it in:
53o 27’ 36” N 3o 08’ 24” W (or 53o 27.6’ N 3o 08.4’ W). Check my working for yourselves, but I make that nicely out of the Rock Channel. Bidston Observatory, situated adjacent to an old lighthouse (although incredibly far inland), bears 152o M; Rock Lighthouse 109o M; sewer outfall buoy (Yellow Conical Fl. Y 3s) bears 253o M.
From there we have two options. The standard one is to steer 280o M for HE1 buoy, at the start of the Hilbre Swatch. That keeps clear of East Hoyle Spit, and from there it is just a buoy-hopping exercise until we are past Hilbre.
However according to the Imray chart, East Hoyle Spit dries only 1.7 m at its highest charted point, and LW Hilbre is 2.8m (LW Gladstone Dock 2.4m). So, very much dependent on the amount of swell, dinghies at least just might be able to safely cut across the spit, with an expected depth of about 1 m. From that second waypoint, a course of 240o M takes us 3 cables inside the sewer outfall buoy, across the neck of the spit, and into the Hilbre Swash about half a mile outside HE2 buoy. But if there is any sign of heavy swell over the spit, neither dinghies nor yachts should attempt this short cut.
Article Copyright © 2008 Oliver Shaw
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