Advice on entering St Katherines Dock, London

[oldgit]

St Kats has been sold and bought a couple of times recently by "investment" companies.
They want their pound of flesh to pay back the money the have no doubt borrowed.
All notional profits will be located in a notional bank somewhere out in the carribbean

 

[davidfox]

Just wondering where we could find somewhere to moor for a night on the Thames half way between Ramesgate and St Katherines? Doesn't need to be anywhere flash or with facilities, but relatively easy to get too and safe.

Any suggestions?
Check out Gravesend,they have buoys and pontoons. Also google Erith Yacht Club and Greenwich Yacht Club for buoys. And phone the PLA, they sometimes have buoys. If you get stuck in adverse tide for some reason,just get a turn on any old thing you can! (such as moored lighter etc), all these tie- ups will be bouncy. But nobody will mind you hanging on to anything to wait for a tide,we've been at it for thousands of years!

I have picked up a buoy at Gravesend, they had visitors buoys when I went yellow iirc, bit of a drama getting ashore though, think I climbed over the fence at Sun Pier or what ever it was called, there is plenty of mud and I think anywhere else is not possible unless you are at high water.

 

[Amulet]

1. I can cock up most tasks, but never really had a problem getting in to St Kats. A while since I was there. Some harbour masters called yachts in one by one and packed them carefully. Others tolerated a mad rush.
2. Getting diesel on the Thames is a pain. If the fuel barge is in operation tank up before going in. Unless things have changed there's no fuel between St Kats and the Medway.
3. Stangate Creek beats Queenborough as an intermediate launch pad in my opinion. (Just because Queenborough is a manky hole.)

 

[Eddie.johnson]

3. Stangate Creek beats Queenborough as an intermediate launch pad in my opinion. (Just because Queenborough is a manky hole.)
We look forward to not seeing you in Queenborough!

 

[Twister_Ken]

If the rainfall of the last few weeks keeps up, the volume of freshwater going downstream will seriously effect the time and duration of slack water. Might be best to ask the PLA for a prediction nearer the date.

 

[GHA]

If the rainfall of the last few weeks keeps up, the volume of freshwater going downstream will seriously effect the time and duration of slack water. Might be best to ask the PLA for a prediction nearer the date.

Some actuals available on the pla website..

http://server2.pla.co.uk/hydrographics/ltdetail.cfm?gid=4005

http://server2.pla.co.uk

1.35m below prediction!

Edit: just noticed on the pla site you can download tide tables which include Southend, Tilbury, North Woolwich and London Bridge.

 

[Twister_Ken]

Note also that the barrier has been closing towards HW, which will (presumably) account for the lower HW tide level. A further closure is anticipated this afternoon, approx two hours either side of HW.

FWIW I believe this is done not to stop the marine tide causing flooding, but to allow the river above above the barrier to act as a sump for the freshwater coming downstream, without it being backed-up by seawater coming upstream.

This afternoon's closure shown here: http://server2.pla.co.uk