fixes from GPS (Garmin GPS72) May11 2008 (corrected 7/7/8) , exactly between red/green lanes (i disclaim all responsibility for inaccuracy of course, )

10 August 2009 updated GPS position for outer buoys = 50 43.364 N, 1 44.062 W

1. Passage from Christchurch Bay to Christchurch Sailing Club (town centre)

speed limit is 4 knots ANYWHERE INSIDE THE HARBOUR (RIB PATROLS ENFORCE THIS)

Other waypoints within the entrance channel as buoyed Summer 2006 are from my Diff-corrected-GPS; approx centres of channel +/-5metres.. Obviously you need to keep to the rules of the road; passing stabd of anything coming toward you.within the channel

The channel is at least 10m wide! IT WILL TAKE YOU 20 MINUTES @MAX SPEED (4 KNOTS) TO GET TO THE CSC MOORINGS, ANOTHER 10 TO GET TO POINT 'A' . IT WILL TAKE ABOUT 6 HOURS IF YOU GET STUCK ON THE MUD, SO AVOID GOING INTO IT HARD.

fixes from GPS (Garmin GPS72) May11 2008 (corrected 7/7/8) , exactly imbetween red/green lanes (i disclaim all responsibility for innacuracy of course, )

BEGIN 18:37HRS TRAVELLING EXACTLY 4 KNOTS sog

N 50 43 438, W 1 44.210 First Entrance Buoys pair depth 2.2m (time was 2nd high exactly)

N 50 43 457, W 1 44.276, 3.1m

N 50 43.473, W 1 44.354, 2.2m AT THIS POINT YOU TURN PORT AND AIM UP THE CHANNEL. THE SHINGLE BAR IS ABOUT 6 FOOT SOUTHWEST OF THIS BUOY, BUT ITS STEEP SO EVEN IF YOU CAN SEE THE SHINGLE THROUGH THE WATER (UP TO ABOUT 6 FEET ON A CALM DAY), ITS NOT UNUSUAL.

WORST POINT HERE IS WIND OVER TIDE, IT GETS QUITE ROUGH FOR THE NEXT 100 YDS (HAVE SEEN HEIGHTS OF 4 FOOT)

YOU WILL NEED TO SPLIT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE SHORE AND THE BUOY AND DRIVE APPROX HALF WAY BETWEEN, SO OUTGOING VESSELS CAN SAFELY PASS YOU ALONG YOUR PORT SIDE, BUT DONT GO CLOSER THAN HALFWAY AS THE TOURISTS FISHING TACKLE IS OFTEN IN THE WAY AND IF YOU GET CAUGHT ITS A LEE SHORE. CHANCES ARE ALSO, YOU CANNOT SAIL IN NOW AS THE WIND FUNNELS OUT THE HARBOUR, SO YOU HAVE TO HAVE ENGINE ON. IF ITS CHOPPY, I ALWAYS HAVE MAINSAIL UP FOR STEADYING, BUT YOULL NEED TO FURL THE JIB.

THE IMPORTANT THING TO NOTE HERE, IS THAT THE ENTRANCE MINIMUM IS ABOUT 20CM DEEPER THAN THE SILT UP RIVER HALF A MILE, SO UNLESS YOU HAVE 20+CM CLEARANCE COMING IN, YOULL GET STUCK GOING WEST WITHIN THE HARBOUR BETWEEN THE MOORINGS.

N 50 43.386, W 1 44.579, 3.2m

N 50 43.325, W 1 44.600, 3.4m THIS IS IMPORTANT, DONT CUT THIS CORNER - TURNING TO PORT TOO EARLY

YOU NEED TO COME IN WITHIN 10M OF THIS BUOY OR 3.4m WILL BE MORE LIKE 1m HALFWAY TO SHORE

THE FERRIES OPERATE NEAR THIS POINT BUT THEY ARE MANOUVERABLE.

N 50 43.249, W 1 44.601, 3.2m GO ALONG THE ROUTE SLOWLY AS THERE ARE SWIMMERS AND CANOES FROM THE BEACH HUTS, AS WELL AS THE FERRY

N 50 43.208, W 1 44.626, 2.3m TURN TO STARBOARD FAIRLY SHARP, ALLOWING ROOM FOR THE FERRY TO TURN ON ITS PIER NEARBY

N 50 43.196, W 1 44.695, 2.2m KEEP WITHIN THE CHANNEL, STARBOARD OF THE GREEN BUOYS IS A HUGE DRYING SANDBAR

N 50 43.187, W 1 44.803, 2.4m

N 50 43.185, W 1 44.924, 2.3m

N 50 43.198, W 1 44.985, 2.3m

N 50 43.235, W 1 45.025, 1.9m OBVIOUSLY THE CRITICAL POINT, SHALLOWEST EN ROUTE, MY IDEA, IF ITS COMPLETELY CLEAR OF TRAFFIC AND WINDY FROM THE SOUTH, KEEP TO MIDDLE OR PORT OF CHANNEL IN CASE YOU GROUND, SO YOU WONT DRIFT INTO SHALLOWER WATER.

N 50 43.271, W 1 45.080, 1.9m

N 50 43.298, W 1 45.220, 2.0m

N 50 43.322, W 1 45.362, 2.0m (typing error corrected on 7/7/8)

N 50 43.322, W 1 45.455, NO RECORD, PROB 2M

N 50 43.315, W 1 45.528, NO RECORD, PROB 2M

N 50 43.309, W 1 45.604, NO RECORD, PROB 2M

N 50 43.321, W 1 45.679, 2.0m HERE THER IS NO GREEN BUOY, JUST THE RED ONE AND THE SHORE

N 50 43.350, W 1 45.781, 2.0m ITS SLIGHTLY DEEPER NEAR SHORE SIDE OF MIDDLE

N 50 43.395, W 1 45.903, 2.0m

N 50 43.457, W 1 45.989, 2.6m LAST BUOY DONT GO TOWARDS NORTH ITS A LEE SHORE AND SHALLOW MUD (NO BOATS MOORED)

END 18:59 HRS , SO THIS SECTION TOOK 20 MINUTES

NOW YOU ARE IN THE RIVER WHICH IS MOORED EITHER SIDE, SO SIMPLY DRIVE UP THE STBD SIDE OF THE RIVER, TIDE CAN BE QUITE FIERCE HERE AT FULL EBB SPRINGS SAY 4 KNOTS (ABOUT THE FASTEST TIDE IN THE HARBOUR EXCEPT THE ENTRANCE 'RUN')

AS YOU GET PAST THE REEDS ON THE STBD SIDE, DO NOT CUT THE CORNER, KEEP THE GREEN BUOY TO YOUR STBD SIDE, AS THERE IS A MUD BANK BETWEEN IT AND THE REEDS (CHANNEL ONLY 20M WIDE HERE BETWEEN MOORED BOATS AND THE GREEN BUOYS)

FURTHER UP YOU WILL SEE A SPLIT AS THE STOUR GOES WEST TO PORT, AND THE AVON RUNS IN FROM STARBOARD, AGAIN IF YOU WANT THE AVON, DONT CUT THE CORNER, BUT TRAVEL WITHIN 30M OF THE SHORE BEFORE TURNING OR WATCH YOUR DEPTH GAUGE AND GO SLOW

 see how far off-track you are.

I would reccomend you never cross the path of any shipping less than a mile away, and put up the radar reflector as high as possible.

N50,43.476/W1,43.927 (Outer Entrance buoys - 'I')

N50,19.94/W1,51.20 Overfalls1 to dodge en route to Cherbourg

N50,18/W1,48 Overfalls2 to dodge en route to Cherbourg

N50,18.9/W1,40.8 Overfalls3 to dodge en route to Cherbourg

N50,17/W1,24 Overfalls4 to dodge en route to Cherbourg

N50,19/W1,35 Half Way waypoint to Cherbourg, dodging the overfalls

N50,19/W1,56 Half Way waypoint to Cherbourg, dodging the overfalls, by dog-legging West a few miles

N50,17/W1,24 Overfalls4 to dodge en route to Cherbourg

N49,40.5/W1,35.6Cherbourg France

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