Accessible mooring from east London?

[Captain Crisp]

Just for reference, I once returned from the Pyefleet to Muswell Hill, N10, via my bicycle, the Stone Point-Brightlingsea foot ferry, Arlesford train to Colchester to Tottenham Hale, bike to Muswell Hill.

Took 5 hours and gave me a nasty hemorrhoid.

 

[GunfleetSand]

Somewhere on the internet must exist a list of times when ‘engineering’ works have been carried out on a certain line - if you find it post it here.
My experience of east London to east coast is that trains don’t run at the times required due to tides/work, I’ve seldom seen returns for better than £40 and maybe it’s a coincidence but whenever I’ve thought oh I could take the train there’s been the rail replacement add on. An all tide mooring helps.

With all that it is doable and taking the train home (someone else driving) is bliss if you’ve worn grooves the road with a lot of visits in a car and are knackered from a day or so on the water.

Folding bike has worked for me. I leave all kit on boat - when boat finally sorted after months of fettling - so that it’s just a ‘go bag’ to take and no maintenance. Leave boat ready to go each time you are done.

Having a well sorted fettled boat is essential for your plan. Pay others to do what you would need a car for.

 

[Puffin10032]

Somewhere on the internet must exist a list of times when ‘engineering’ works have been carried out on a certain line

I think this might be the resource you're thinking of

Find details of current incidents | National Rail

As well as current disruptions it has the facility to search for planned works on a given date.

 

[GunfleetSand]

I think this might be the resource you're thinking of

Find details of current incidents | National Rail

As well as current disruptions it has the facility to search for planned works on a given date.

It’s good but can’t see historic works as far as I can see.
Be nice to see a spreadsheet of trains out of a station to see who have the most delays or works - arguably those with the most works should need the least going forward!

 

[Poignard]

(...)

..... and gave me a nasty hemorrhoid.

More information than is strictly necessary

 

[Captain Crisp]

More information than is strictly necessary

Forewarned is forearmed!

 

[Poignard]

Forewarned is forearmed!

Yours is one ailment I have been spared, having always heeded my mother's advice never to sit on stone walls.

 

[Gargleblaster]

In terms of rail replacement one of the reasons I like the trains to Medway is that from London you generally have a choice of routes. Last Saturday I went down and there were works on what I call the Dartford route so from London Bridge I caught a train direct to Swanley and then a train to Gillingham that stopped at all stations. I came back yesteday (Thursday) when there were no rail replacement buses and took the Thameslink which dropped me off at Farringdon going through Dartford and Greenwich.

Rail replacement can be a problem when they are working on the line between Strood and Rainham or between Meophan and Gillingham. Every weekend for a while they were working on Rochester Bridge which was very inconvenient. Otherwise often you can get around it. Teh constant rail strikes over the last year or so have been a greater problem and severely interfered with what days I travel or forced me to use the car and I hate the M25 and its stop start traffic.

I'm surprised at Oldgits pricing schedule. Without trying to duplicate it I find I pay an extra 10p for a return when I leave Friday and come back Sunday. But I do tend to book a few days in advance using one fo the apps that promise significant savings.

 

[SOTM]

I'm surprised no one's mentioned Gravesend Sailing Club.
Good sailing and friendly members.
Easy access from London by train, Stratford by HS1 is 20 mins.
Deep water swinging moorings available.
Look at their website.

 

[Snowgoose-1]

Also, possibly, Thurrock yacht Club in Grays.

Fierce tides in the Thames may put some folks off.

 

[oldgit]

A mid winter couple of hours off Cockham Reach Upnor , might be tad less less challenging than a couple in Gravesend Reach ?

 

[SOTM]

OG... what's wrong with a challenge?

 

[Groucho]

Planned R

Somewhere on the internet must exist a list of times when ‘engineering’ works have been carried out on a certain line - if you find it post it here.
My experience of east London to east coast is that trains don’t run at the times required due to tides/work, I’ve seldom seen returns for better than £40 and maybe it’s a coincidence but whenever I’ve thought oh I could take the train there’s been the rail replacement add on. An all tide mooring helps.

With all that it is doable and taking the train home (someone else driving) is bliss if you’ve worn grooves the road with a lot of visits in a car and are knackered from a day or so on the water.

Folding bike has worked for me. I leave all kit on boat - when boat finally sorted after months of fettling - so that it’s just a ‘go bag’ to take and no maintenance. Leave boat ready to go each time you are done.

Having a well sorted fettled boat is essential for your plan. Pay others to do what you would need a car for.

Planned Rail engineering works are listed here: Find details of current incidents | National Rail
That is, if they go to plan.

 

[justanothersailboat]

Can't believe I missed this thread!

I am in a very similar position to the one the original poster envisages: I live in East London and don't drive. Boat is on the Swale at Queenborough. It works fine nearly all the time and keeping a car in London would bring a lot of pain and cost I don't need. I know another chap in the same position, based at Gillingham. So it can be done and be very much enjoyed.

For Kent most line closures have alternative routes, except the Rochester bridge. Gravesend club are a friendly bunch, reasonably priced and close to London. There are some nice places in Essex that are not too bad from Stratford or Liverpool St, but the routes are less likely to have alternatives and unfortunately some great Essex spots are not as reachable by train.

 

[nortada]

Can't believe I missed this thread!

I am in a very similar position to the one the original poster envisages: I live in East London and don't drive. Boat is on the Swale at Queenborough. It works fine nearly all the time and keeping a car in London would bring a lot of pain and cost I don't need. I know another chap in the same position, based at Gillingham. So it can be done and be very much enjoyed.

For Kent most line closures have alternative routes, except the Rochester bridge. Gravesend club are a friendly bunch, reasonably priced and close to London. There are some nice places in Essex that are not too bad from Stratford or Liverpool St, but the routes are less likely to have alternatives and unfortunately some great Essex spots are not as reachable by train.

Walton on the Naze is.

 

[Khaos]

The railway to Brightlingsea closed in 1964, but Wivenhoe might be a good option - there is a very friendly sailing club and although tide restricted to a degree it’s nothing like as restricted as Manningtree. Also a very short walk from Wivenhoe station to the waterfront.

There's a regular bus from Colchester to Brightlingsea. Its a bit of a trek motoring up and down the Colne if you're going to be doing it regularly. Wivenhoe is nice though. I spent last winter there. Their club pontoon is accessible by dinghy most of the time. The one in Brightlingsea harbour is accessible at all points of tide. You've also got the Pyefleet and Stone point anchorages nearby with a landing at stone point and pub not too far away. Not much else around there though apart from the oyster fishery at Pyefleet.

West Mersea also has regular busses from Colchester. It's a longer walk from the bus stop than Brightlingsea. There are a lot of moorings and it can get busy on weekends. The pontoon is easily accessible at all points of tide but depending where you're moored you might be quite a distance away from it.

 

[Khaos]

Just for reference, I once returned from the Pyefleet to Muswell Hill, N10, via my bicycle, the Stone Point-Brightlingsea foot ferry, Arlesford train to Colchester to Tottenham Hale, bike to Muswell Hill.

Took 5 hours and gave me a nasty hemorrhoid.

I did a similar thing in reverse. Returned to Pyefleet on foot from the bus stop in West Mersea. Took me quite a while. I kept asking people for directions and they kept telling me that it's not a walking distance. It wasn't too bad though. Probably wouldn't want to do it again. I had a dinghy repair kit in my bag to fix the dinghy that I'd slashed on all the oyster shells there.

 

[Khaos]

I can't imagine trying to sail from anywhere away from home without having a car, however I wouldn't want to be accused of discouraging someone from sailing. I'm sure it must be possible somehow, but how one gets to move stuff to and from home I can't really see. One could, I suppose, take a small outboard on a train, and one's weekend necessities, but it's going to be a trial. Gone are the days when the railways allowed for sailors by selling 'yachtsman's' tickets allowing you to go to one station and return from another.

When I first started I was travelling from Oxford to my boat at West Mersea by train. Its not so bad if you're used to it. I have to do a lot of walking to get petrol and things that people in cars wouldn't need to think about.

The nearest petrol station to Wivenhoe is miles away. Brightlingsea it's a bit of a walk. West Mersea it's about 10 mins walk from pontoon. People sometimes think it's strange when you buy petrol on foot. Particularly at Brightlingsea co-op for some reason.

 

[justanothersailboat]

I have to say, extravagant though it is, an electric outboard is fantastic for a non driver.

 

[Rafiki]

Hi all, I'm a reasonably experienced dinghy sailor looking to learn to sail a larger boat. I've posted elsewhere here about what might be suitable but, broadly speaking, I'm interested in gaining experience on the east coast - creaks and coastal overnight sails - but would also like to explore further afield (I a want particularly to sail to the Frisian Isles) when I've gained experience. I am planning on crewing for various friends and doing my coastal skipper soon, but in the medium term I'm thinking of getting my own boat, and am looking for a mooring. I'm based in east London and can't drive, so it would need to be accessible via public transport (& bicycle at the other end). Unfortunatly the moorings along the north shore of the Thames - at Leigh on Sea etc - which would be very accessible for my by train, don't seem very suitable for novice sailers (and the tidal access would be difficult). I had thought the blackwater, but it's pretty hard to get to by train, or the Crouch, which would be doable. But I'm now gearing towards the Medway, which I could get to in 1:30hrs, and which looks like a great place to gain confidence. Or does anyone have any potential spots I've overlooked? Cheers.

Surprised no-one has mentioned Woodbridge. The railway practically forms the boundary to the Marina, the station is but 5 minutes walk and importantly there are supermarkets ( Ok only one !) in the town within 10 minutes walk. I think you have to change trains at Ipswich ( 1 hour from Liverpool Street), but then it's only 10 minutes or so on the local train to Woodbridge. Lovely spot as well.