Water levels on River Cam

[Tomek]

Hello Everyone ! I'm buying a Dutch river cruiser this summer and it will be moored in Cambridge area. My cruiser's maximum draft is around 1 m and it's currently moored in King's Lynn. I thought that navigating it to Cambridge will not be a problem as I've checked river and lock dinentions. However, for last few weeks I have been checking water levels every day for River Cam and it did not exceed 0.300m. This morning the water level at Cambridge Baits Bite was just at 0.244 m. Does anyone know if bringing my steel cruiser to Cambridge is even possible? The size of the boat: lenght: 10m / beam: 3m / draft: 1m / air draft: 2.4m. Thank so much in advance for your help and advise ! Tom

Edited June 11, 2018 by Tomek

[Momac]

2 hours ago, Tomek said:

Hello Everyone ! I'm buying a Dutch river cruiser this summer and it will be moored in Cambridge area. My cruiser's maximum draft is around 1 m and it's currently moored in King's Lynn. I thought that navigating it to Cambridge will not be a problem as I've checked river and lock dinentions. However, for last few weeks I have been checking water levels every day for River Cam and it did not exceed 0.300m. This morning the water level at Cambridge Baits Bite was just at 0.244 m. Does anyone know if bringing my steel cruiser to Cambridge is even possible? The size of the boat: lenght: 10m / beam: 3m / draft: 1m / air draft: 2.4m. Thank so much in advance for your help and advise ! Tom

The water level and the depth of water are probably  two separate things.

[Momac]

To add

The datum at Baits Bite  is 3.6mAOD. the chart therefore indicates water level above 3.6mAOD. The river bed level is not shown on the EA website as it no doubt varies

https://flood-warning-information.service.gov.uk/station/6193?direction=u

 

Edited June 11, 2018 by MartynG
.

[Tomek]

Oh... I want to laugh but I should cry ! I fell kinda stupid now but obviously I'm new to boating so maybe I should reconsider lol thank you very much anyways, that explains a lot ! 

[Momac]

1 minute ago, Tomek said:

 I'm new to boating

We all have to start somewhere . At least you had the good sense to look for some information about depths to plan your journey . I know people who go whatever time they like and don't plan anything .

[pearley]

Take it you have a mooring sorted in Cambridge otherwise only 48 hours. 

[Nick D]

2 hours ago, MartynG said:

To add

The datum at Baits Bite  is 3.6mAOD. the chart therefore indicates water level above 3.6mAOD. The river bed level is not shown on the EA website as it no doubt varies

https://flood-warning-information.service.gov.uk/station/6193?direction=u

 

I must be stupid too as I always thought that the river levels shown on the EA website were the same as the depth. If it's not, how can you find out the depth of a river?

[Momac]

10 minutes ago, Nick D said:

I must be stupid too as I always thought that the river levels shown on the EA website were the same as the depth. If it's not, how can you find out the depth of a river?

The EA data is used primarily for flood defence and its use for navigation is incidental.

 

The depth of water on rivers can vary considerably from place to place .

The datum is certainly not the river bed.

If you click on the ''key information'' on any river level page you will see the ordnance datum level that corresponds with zero on the gauge . 

 

 

[David Mack]

30 minutes ago, Nick D said:

I must be stupid too as I always thought that the river levels shown on the EA website were the same as the depth. If it's not, how can you find out the depth of a river?

Charts are available for larger rivers e.g. tidal Thames and Trent. But for most you are reliant on maximum craft dimensions published by the relevant navigation authority. This is not always available, and where it is, is not always accurate.

[Tomek]

12 hours ago, pearley said:

Take it you have a mooring sorted in Cambridge otherwise only 48 hours. 

Yes imI'm lucky enough to have family that lives in a house with river access and mooring that they've never used

[Scholar Gypsy]

54 minutes ago, Tomek said:

Yes imI'm lucky enough to have family that lives in a house with river access and mooring that they've never used

Very lucky. 

On the datum point, if I have got my sums right then on a high spring tide, the sea at Kings Lynn is almost exactly the same level as the stretch of the Cam above Jesus lock (the part which is not normally used by powered craft). Makes you realise the importance of Denver sluice.

 

The Cam always feels pretty deep to me, though I've not got the depth sounder out. I could have a go next weekend if you like, when I am going that way to watch a bit of the rowing.

[Tuscan]

 Google Denver sluice, the maximum navigatable depth for the great Ouse complex is shown as 1M so should be ok

 

https://www.eastcambs.gov.uk/sites/default/files/Great Ouse Tidal River Baseline Report (final) - INTERACTIVE (002).pdf

Edited June 12, 2018 by Tuscan

[MoominPapa]

1 hour ago, Tuscan said:

 Google Denver sluice, the maximum navigatable depth for the great Ouse complex is shown as 1M so should be ok

 

https://www.eastcambs.gov.uk/sites/default/files/Great Ouse Tidal River Baseline Report (final) - INTERACTIVE (002).pdf

That's a fascinating document. Well worth a serious read.

 

MP.

 

[mark99]

Don't they measure the depth in carrot #'s in EA?

[Tomek]

On 12/06/2018 at 07:29, Scholar Gypsy said:

Very lucky. 

On the datum point, if I have got my sums right then on a high spring tide, the sea at Kings Lynn is almost exactly the same level as the stretch of the Cam above Jesus lock (the part which is not normally used by powered craft). Makes you realise the importance of Denver sluice.

 

The Cam always feels pretty deep to me, though I've not got the depth sounder out. I could have a go next weekend if you like, when I am going that way to watch a bit of the rowing.

That would be great if you could please ), never enough info thanks ! 

[Scholar Gypsy]

1 minute ago, Tomek said:

That would be great if you could please ), never enough info thanks ! 

I'll do my best. If I get stopped by the police carrying this on the Tube, I may refer them to this website ...  (The instructions said to drill a 1/2" hole in the bottom of the boat, for the ultrasound sender, but I preferred this approach)

 

[Tomek]

Drill a hall?! ? I'm new to boating but even I know it's not the greatest idea. Might work but I wouldn't risk it for sure... enjoy your cruise! 

On 12/06/2018 at 08:09, Tuscan said:

 Google Denver sluice, the maximum navigatable depth for the great Ouse complex is shown as 1M so should be ok

 

https://www.eastcambs.gov.uk/sites/default/files/Great Ouse Tidal River Baseline Report (final) - INTERACTIVE (002).pdf

Oh this is really helpful ! Thanks! 

[Tomek]

On 12/06/2018 at 10:06, MoominPapa said:

That's a fascinating document. Well worth a serious read.

 

MP.

 

I found a similar one. You might know it but if not it's very helpful as well and covers entire region. 

20001183.pdf

Edited June 13, 2018 by Tomek
Mistake - now/not

[Scholar Gypsy]

On 13/06/2018 at 08:44, Tomek said:

That would be great if you could please ), never enough info thanks ! 

So here's the data I collected yesterday. I may have got  a bit carried away, but there wasn't a lot else to do most of the time.

 

cam_soundings.pdf

 

I should really have got my GPS system running so that you could tie up the times with the positions more exactly, but I hope you can work it out! The sounder is a few cm below the water surface. Key points

 

• Most of the time there's quite a bit more water than 1 meter
• The Cam above Bottisham (Camcon) is generally rather deeper. I suspect this may be because it is quite narrow and most of the time the bank is piled with concrete
• There are some significant silt banks (well I assume they are silt rather than something more solid eg gravel) at various junctions, where tributaries or pumping stations discharge into the river. These are marked in yellow on the spreadsheet
• The water is indeed significantly deeper on the outside of bends.

Sorry for the gap in data around the Plough Reach, but I was focussing on avoiding about a dozen rowing eights who were coming down for a race and crossing in front of me (and also responding to banter from the bank, given my boat's home port). There will be some photos on the blog shortly   https://nbsg.wordpress.com/ 

 

Good luck.

PS for any others, the new GOBA mooring is now open, on the right hand side just before you get to Horningsea. Named Baits Bite lock, which is a bit confusing.

[Tomek]

On 17/06/2018 at 08:23, Scholar Gypsy said:

So here's the data I collected yesterday. I may have got  a bit carried away, but there wasn't a lot else to do most of the time.

 

cam_soundings.pdf

 

I should really have got my GPS system running so that you could tie up the times with the positions more exactly, but I hope you can work it out! The sounder is a few cm below the water surface. Key points

 

• Most of the time there's quite a bit more water than 1 meter
• The Cam above Bottisham (Camcon) is generally rather deeper. I suspect this may be because it is quite narrow and most of the time the bank is piled with concrete
• There are some significant silt banks (well I assume they are silt rather than something more solid eg gravel) at various junctions, where tributaries or pumping stations discharge into the river. These are marked in yellow on the spreadsheet
• The water is indeed significantly deeper on the outside of bends.

Sorry for the gap in data around the Plough Reach, but I was focussing on avoiding about a dozen rowing eights who were coming down for a race and crossing in front of me (and also responding to banter from the bank, given my boat's home port). There will be some photos on the blog shortly   https://nbsg.wordpress.com/ 

 

Good luck.

PS for any others, the new GOBA mooring is now open, on the right hand side just before you get to Horningsea. Named Baits Bite lock, which is a bit confusing.

Wow you got some great data on there ! Thank you very much! It will be very helpful I'm sure! Thanks again!!