Boat owners coming in and out of the Medina at Cowes will be pleased to hear that the entrance/exit to the Solent has received / completed three months work improve harbour safety, even at low tide.
Cowes Harbour Commission (CHC) has completed a new, dredged Eastern Channel to the right of the new breakwater as you look from the Island.
The dredging work at the mouth of the Medina designed to separate small pleasure craft and commercial traffic has been completed.
The channel was previously usable by some craft that don’t extend deep into the water, or other craft at higher tides.
Now dredged, small craft, up to 20m in length, approaching from or departing to the north or east can now use the Cowes Harbour Eastern Channel and avoid the busy main harbour entrance.
This will aid in keeping small craft from the larger commercial vessels that will continue to use the main channel (known in sailing terms as the Inner Fairway).
The 35 metre wide Eastern Channel is dredged to 2.25 metres even at low tide.
For a detailed view of what has occurred and how the new layout works, CHC have a page holding all of the info including buoyage, navigation light characteristics, safety and navigation information. It’s also essential reading for all mariners.
The dredging works to construct the Eastern Channel were started in January 2019 by CHC’s contractor Jenkins Marine, and the project completed on time and as planned, before the close of the MMO (Marine Management Organisation) consented window that ran to the end of March. The dredging could only be done over the winter due to the presence of eel grass beds off East Cowes.
McIntosh: Impressive performance
Capt. Stuart McIntosh, Cowes Harbour Master, said:
“I am very pleased to declare the new Eastern Channel open for harbour users.
“The dredged Eastern Channel provides a more direct, all tide route to the Solent than the previous Small Craft Channel, and allows smaller vessels safe access to and egress from Cowes Harbour, reducing potential conflict with the ferry and commercial traffic movements.
“Our contractor Jenkins Marine has impressed with their performance throughout the project, and we thank them for their assistance in the successful delivery of the dredging works.”
