Significant new survey findings in Strangford entrance and elsewhere Admiralty Notices to Mariners No 5404 and 5428 of 2013, based on multibeam echosounder full-seabed-coverage surveys on the east coast of County Down between Killough and Donaghadee, have some very surprising findings, including many rocks hitherto uncharted, and many known ones revised shallower. There are significant implications for pilotage of the minor channels in the entrance to Strangford Lough. This area was cross-checked by an Irish Cruising Club team on January 20th, with the assistance of Strangford pilot Jeremy Rogers, and the government survey findings were confirmed. New directions for the channels, established by the team, have been included in the latest amendments to the ICC East and North Coasts Sailing Directions, 11th edition, on www.irishcruisingclub.com, and are summarised below. Note particularly that for the West Channel the traditional transit line 320·5° on Kilclief Church can no longer be recommended. A new 12th edition East & North Coasts Sailing Directions, 2014, thoroughly revised and up to date, will be available in March. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ West Channel Strangford Entrance Ballyquintin Point The passage W of the Angus Rock is less subject to the tide than the main 5 Pladdy Lug channel and tends to be much calmer in Fl R 5s onshore winds against the tidal stream. Angus Rock Kilclief Church and Angus Rk bn 289 05 2 It has a least depth of 3m; however it Tail of Angus Kilclief Church 314 is unmarked and only a cable wide o between rocks which almost dry at 2 The Knob 11 LAT. From the S, approach keeping the o 06 C Tail of Angus beacon well open left of Bar Pladdy BP WN the Angus tower until Kilclief Church 14 5 bears 314° (from waypoint WS Q(6)+L Fl 15s 01 54°19’·25N 5°31’·3W, see photograph). 2 1 WS Main Channel On this bearing the bell gable of the 5 church is in line with the dip in the 07 © Irish Cruising Club 2014 B Use only in conjunction with skyline east of a pointed drumlin hill. the latest navigational charts corrected to date Turn on to this transit, taking particular A 012345 care to avoid being set off the transit A. Beacons in line Killard Point line by the strong tidal stream. When cables the Tail of Angus beacon is well open to the right of the Angus tower (at WN 54°19’·47N 5°31’·7W) it is safe to turn to starboard. Give the Tail of Angus beacon a berth of 2 cables. Channel N of Bar Pladdy BP 54°19’·5N 5°29’·9W This channel between Bar Pladdy and Ballyquintin Point has 2·1m but The Knob, with 1·1m, lies a cable N of Bar Pladdy, and a rock with 0·5m lies a cable SSE of Pladdy Lug. Kilclief Church in line with the Angus Rock tower 289° leads between the rocks (see photograph). Pass at least half a cable W of the Pladdy Lug beacon. Take particular care to avoid being set off the transit line by the strong tidal stream. The navigable channel on this course is less than a cable wide. The new transit for the West Channel leads NE, rather than SW, of the rock with 0·1m (formerly charted at 1·4m). Kilclief Church 314° in line with the dip in the skyline E of the pointed drumlin hill (transit B on the plan) Angus Rock tower and Kilclief Church in line 289° lead through the channel N of Bar Pladdy (transit C on the plan). We hope that you will find this information helpful. Whilst every care is taken to ensure that it is accurate, we hereby formally disclaim any and all liability for any personal injury, loss and/ or damage howsoever caused, whether by reason of any error, inaccuracy, omission or ambiguity in the above information. ICC Publications Ltd NMWebSearch Chart Update Results 5404(P)/2013 IRELAND - East Coast - Ards Peninsula - Ballywalter to Guns Island - Depths. Drying heights. Source: British Government Survey 1. Numerous depths less than charted exist between Ballywalter and Guns Island. The most significant of these are as follows: Depth/Drying height Position (WGS84 Datum) Drying 0·2m 54° 32´·84N., 5° 28´·05W. Drying 0·3m 54° 32´·38N., 5° 27´·04W. Drying 0·3m 54° 32´·20N., 5° 27´·05W. Drying 1m 54° 32´·06N., 5° 27´·69W. 0·6m 54° 31´·29N., 5° 27´·82W. Drying 0·6m 54° 30´·79N., 5° 27´·65W. 1·3m 54° 29´·53N., 5° 26´·39W. 2·2m 54° 28´·76N., 5° 25´·39W. 0·8m 54° 28´·28N., 5° 25´·83W. 1·1m 54° 22´·70N., 5° 28´·88W. 0·1m 54° 22´·55N., 5° 28´·94W. 3·2m 54° 22´·15N., 5° 27´·58W. Drying 0·2m 54° 21´·524N., 5° 28´·536W. Drying 0·4m 54° 21´·455N., 5° 28´·613W. Drying 0·6m 54° 19´·748N., 5° 30´·624W. 0·8m 54° 19´·694N., 5° 29´·934W. 0·1m 54° 19´·294N., 5° 31´·525W. 1m 54° 19´·252N., 5° 31´·566W. 0·7m 54° 19´·140N., 5° 31´·498W. 1·1m 54° 18´·266N., 5° 31´·984W. 1·9m 54° 18´·216N., 5° 32´·534W. Drying 0·9m 54° 18´·152N., 5° 32´·738W. 0·6m 54° 18´·080N., 5° 32´·651W. 2. These changes will be included in the next New Editions of the appropriate charts. Chart(s) affected - 44 - 2093 - 2156 - 2159 1.1 Document Query(NM’s): 5404/2013 NMWebSearch Chart Update Results 5428/2013 *IRELAND - East Coast - Copeland Sound to Killough Harbour - Depths. Drying heights. Rocks. Source: British Government Survey Chart 44 ETRS89 DATUM Insert depth 19 and extend danger line, dotted line, SE to enclose (a) 54° 21´·43N., 5° 28´·51W. depth 29 (b) 54° 20´·11N., 5° 28´·90W. ¬ 54° 14´·63N., 5° 36´·99W. Delete depth 37 , adjacent to: (a) above depth 37 , close N of: (b) above Chart 633 (plan A, Ardglass and Killough Harbours) ETRS89 DATUM Insert drying height 1 1 enclosed by 0m low water line (a) 54° 14´·944N., 5° 37´·891W. depth 01 (b) 54° 14´·927N., 5° 38´·002W. depth 2 enclosed by 2m contour (c) 54° 14´·777N., 5° 37´·687W. drying height 0 4 enclosed by 0m low water line 54° 14´·630N., 5° 36´·990W. depth 37 and extend 5m contour SW to enclose (d) 54° 14´·594N., 5° 37´·043W. depth 13 enclosed by 2m contour (e) 54° 14´·513N., 5° 37´·738W. drying height 0 6 enclosed by 0m low water line (f) 54° 14´·478N., 5° 37´·719W. depth 28 enclosed by 5m contour (g) 54° 14´·212N., 5° 38´·319W. Delete depth 12 , close N of: (a) above depth 15 , close S of: (b) above depth 58 , close N of: (c) above depth 36 , close S of: (c) above depth 56 , close S of: (d) above depth 26 , adjacent to: (e) above depth 27 , close E of: (f) above depth 113 , close N of: (g) above Chart 1411 (INT 1608) ETRS89 DATUM Insert depth 29 and extend 5m contour SE to enclose (a) 54° 20´·1N., 5° 28´·9W. Replace depth 21 enclosed by 5m contour with seabed type, R, with depth 15 enclosed by 5m contour with seabed type, R 54° 24´·8N., 5° 25´·5W. 54° 23´·1N., 5° 25´·3W. Delete depth 37 , close N of: (a) above Chart 1753 (INT 1661) ETRS89 DATUM Insert depth 27 and extend 5m contour NW to enclose (a) 54° 41´·06N., 5° 30´·95W. depth 32 enclosed by 5m contour (b) 54° 40´·89N., 5° 30´·73W. depth 18 enclosed by 2m contour 54° 40´·47N., 5° 30´·95W. Delete depth 55 , close SW of: (a) above depth 55 , adjacent to: (b) above 1.1 Document Query(NM’s): 5428/2013.