W
NW
N
N
NE
W
the Degree Confluence Project
E
SW
S
S
SE
E

Saudi Arabia : al-Šarqiyya

17.9 km (11.1 miles) SE of Ġunān, al-Šarqiyya, Saudi Arabia
Approx. altitude: 0 m (0 ft)
([?] maps: Google MapQuest OpenStreetMap ConfluenceNavigator)
Antipode: 26°S 130°W

Accuracy: 6 m (19 ft)
Quality: good

Click on any of the images for the full-sized picture.

#2: View looking north, with palm trees marking a new beach resort #3: View looking east towards 'North Hill' #4: View looking south, with several kites about 1500 m away #5: GPS Garmin GPSmap 276C:  N 25 59.998, E 50 00.002 at 5:33 p.m. #6: Windsurfing Star-board Start and vintage wooden kayak paddle, looking east towards Confluence and North Hill after sunset following the confluence visit. #7: Kite boarding beach looking north towards the confluence point 1400 m distant, bay-ward of the beach developments. #8: Zoomed-in view looking south towards kite boarders 1400 m south of confluence point, on September 11. #9: Google Earth 3D View of Half Moon Bay, Confluence Pin, beach launch site, and kite boarding beach #10: Garmin Track Log listing with a very close sample highlighted in blue; it is also in blue on the track map. During one of three very close passes, the GPS displayed all zeros.

  { Main | Search | Countries | Information | Member Page | Random }

  26°N 50°E (visit #3)  

#1: View of the confluence site, looking west towards the setting sun;  The shore and fenced-in beach camp dwellings are 288 m west of 26N 50E.

(visited by Greg Gregory)

11-Sep-2008 -- 26N 50E was visited for the 3rd time just before sunset, late Thursday afternoon.

The vicinity of this near-shore confluence, adjacent to a bombing range, did not have many visitors in the past (see narration for visit #1 in 2000). More recently, small beach resorts and gated beach compounds are being developed, and a favorite launch area for the kite-boarding community lies 1400 m south of this site.

I had been at another nearby windsurfing and kiteing beach on Half Moon Bay earlier in the day gathering some gear, and opted to paddle the 228 m distance from the shore to the confluence site via a windsurfing board and kayak paddle. A large portion of the transit to the site is less than 2 to 4 ft deep, but waters appear to be more than 5 ft deep at the Confluence, based on soundings with a 7+ ft paddle. A middling breeze of 9 to 16 mph from the NW moderated the 111°F / 44°C temp (116°F / 47°C earlier in the day). Water temp was a pleasant 87°F / 30.5°C, and only small waves were present due to the wind blowing across the short fetch from shore.

It took numerous passes to finally zero out at the Confluence. However, due to wind and wave-driven drift, and the sampling interval of my track log, I had to settle for snapshots which were slightly off from 000.

GPS showed consistent accuracy of 6 m. It also took a few passes to get cardinal direction snapshots from on-site, coordinating the paddleboard heading, compass, GPS, and camera. It was inspiring to see four kiteboarders making the most of the afternoon wind in the distance. Twelve kites were flying in the stronger winds the following day.


 All pictures
#1: View of the confluence site, looking west towards the setting sun; The shore and fenced-in beach camp dwellings are 288 m west of 26N 50E.
#2: View looking north, with palm trees marking a new beach resort
#3: View looking east towards 'North Hill'
#4: View looking south, with several kites about 1500 m away
#5: GPS Garmin GPSmap 276C: N 25 59.998, E 50 00.002 at 5:33 p.m.
#6: Windsurfing Star-board Start and vintage wooden kayak paddle, looking east towards Confluence and North Hill after sunset following the confluence visit.
#7: Kite boarding beach looking north towards the confluence point 1400 m distant, bay-ward of the beach developments.
#8: Zoomed-in view looking south towards kite boarders 1400 m south of confluence point, on September 11.
#9: Google Earth 3D View of Half Moon Bay, Confluence Pin, beach launch site, and kite boarding beach
#10: Garmin Track Log listing with a very close sample highlighted in blue; it is also in blue on the track map. During one of three very close passes, the GPS displayed all zeros.
ALL: All pictures on one page
  Notes
About 150 m from the coast in a bay of the Gulf.