ST OSYTH SECOND PORT
	St Osyth Beach has been in use for some weeks now as a pipe launching site.  The pipes are similar to those used to pump sand and gravel ashore when the sea defences were improved about three years ago.  The stretch of shore west of the gap is long enough to be used to join the 800mm diameter steel pipes together into 450 metre lengths.  These are needed for a project to 'renourish' the beach at Southend-on-Sea!  The lengths are sealed and floated off to be towed round the coast to Southend where several strings will be joined and one end connected to the boats bringing the sand. The pipes have come from Holland, Skegness and Sheerness, the Dutch ones being brought in via Brightlingsea.  The sand, some 190,000 cubic metres of it, will be dredged from designated areas off the Barrow Deep.  The contractors are Ballast-Ham Dredging, a Dutch-based company.  Their programme anticipated completion at St Osyth by early April, but they were still there as this was going to press.  The work at Southend was due to be finished by the end of May. Info from Ballast-Ham Dredging (See also Nature Notes)