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THE UPPER HAND Top tips from the RYA to help you explore the upper reaches of the river.
With planning, many rivers are navigable for a great distance
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he upper reaches of a river often go unexplored but usually offer stunning scenery, great waterside pubs and interesting places to moor. With a little prior planning and sufficient tidal rise, many rivers are navigable for a fair distance and offer a welcome rest to the hubbub of the main port. Here are six tips to help you to the head of the creek. 1. Deep water The deeper water usually flows near the outside of the bend. Keep this natural phenomenon in mind when the buoyage starts to thin out. Often a sand bank or shallow patch on the inside of the bend is ready to catch the unwary or those thinking of taking a shortcut.
echo sounder is used to locate one side of the channel when the depth reduces you will know which way to turn. For example, if following the 2m contour on the starboard side of a channel, turning to port should put you into deeper water. Most rivers will become shallower as you travel upstream
2. Pick a side When the buoyage becomes sparse, instead of looking for the middle of a channel, find one side of the channel and stick to it. If you are in the middle of a channel and suddenly lose depth, there is no way of knowing whether turning it to port or starboard will take you into deeper water. If, however, the
3. Tidal Heights Tidal height dramatically changes what you see, compared to the charted view. A channel may look straight forward on the chart because it gives the view you would get with no tide present i.e. if tidal height=0. But a rising tide covering the banks makes the obvious channel disappear, leaving just a scattering of marks, so if in doubt note the bearing and distance to the next mark on a plan to indicate which way to go. Most rivers get shallower as you travel upstream and require you to establish the tidal height to give you safe clearance. Remember, the depths on the chart give the lowest depth expected and any predicted tidal height is added to it. Therefore, if there is a depth of 2m on the chart and there is a tidal height of 3.7m, the actual expected depth would be 2m + 3.7m = 5.7m. Heights for many ports are available on the Internet, or the actual rise of tide can be calculated using information found in an almanac. 4. Clearance Allow sufficient clearance under the boat. If you have a keel and the propellers and rudder are protected, the clearance may be less than if the props and rudder would be the first to touch. The required clearance may also be affected if the bottom is hard rock or soft mud and whether the tide is rising or falling, as greater margins are prudent with rocks and on falling
You need to establish the tidal height to give your boat safe clearance
tides. Proceed slowly and watch the echosounder. A look behind the boat will often indicate whether you are starting to get shallow as the wash from the props will start churning up mud or sandy coloured water. 5. Make a plan Keep the all-important chart down below to stop it blowing away and instead draw a plan. Drawing a plan allows you to start building a mental picture of where you are going as one bend in a river is often similar to another. Keep track of your position by crossing off key points and buoys as you go. 6. Taking the heat Shallow water increases the chance of weed, sand and mud making its way into your engine seawater filter. Check the filters afterwards and keep an eye on your engine temperature during the trip.
It is important to have a plan. Image: RYA
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