One of our regular watchkeepers - Nick Heath - a member of the Royal Institute of Navigation, is responsible for possible changes to an Admiralty chart. Nick proved by taking photographs at low water of Little Sleadon Rock, off Peartree Point that, in fact, this rock never dries out.

Little Sleadon at high tide

The Admiralty chart, 1634, shows it as 3m above chart datum ie

covered by 2.5m of water on a big spring tide. As it is not seen covered by the tide there is a discrepancy of about 3m. A request was made for the correct position to be fixed,

On a bright day in March, Nick gathered a team from Prawle Point plus three young canoeists, to meet at Peartree Point at the start of low water, to carry out the complicated operation. One of the group with a pole plus GPS climbed to the highest point of Great Sleadon whilst the canoeists invaded Little Sleadon from the sea. Here they set up another pole so that the distance between the two rocks could be measured accurately. A baseline on shore was also set up and measured whilst Nick, complete with sextant, compass and GPS calculated the position of Little Sleadon.

So far only some of the data has been used but the position of Little Sleadon appears to be close to 50o12.95N / 3o39.26W. The Hydrographic office has been informed and a letter of thanks was sent to Nick and the NCI team for their hard work. It is hoped that in due course a Notice to Mariners will appear with NCI Prawle Point credited.

Nick organises the team