Best value moorings, River Medway?

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uknij

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Hi
Looking at buying a 25 foot trailer sailer, any recommendations for reasonable priced moorings on the River Medway ?
Guess joining a club will help, looking for good facilities if possible and good all tide access would be preferable.
Any recommendations welcomed, trying to keep costs down as low as possible so rules out any of the Marina's.
Cheers
 
Sailing/Yacht Clubs to try (in order going upstream):
Medway Cruising Club, Gillingham
Segas Sailing Club, ditto
Hundred of Hoo SC, at Hoo
Hoo Ness YC, ditto
Wilsonian SC, only dinghies
Medway YC, may be too expensive
Upnor SC, has all tide jetty and moorings on both sides of river
Royal Engineer YC, now based at Chatham Hitoric Dockyard
Royal Navy Sailing Association, ditto

You can find contact details inclusing websites and descriptions undre the Members menu on www.msba.org.uk
 
You say trailer sailer.... are you looking to keep it in the water or do you want somewhere to keep it ashore from where you will be able to launch at all points of tide....?

I trailer sail out of Hoo Ness YC although their slips are pretty much restricted to within an hour either side of high water. You may find another club that has a little bit more of a window than that, but you'll struggle to find one as welcoming or accommodating.
 
If smallish yacht with not much draft or airdraft,prices tend to moderate above Rochester Bridge.
One advantage would be very sheltered most of the time, however very restricted depths around low tide and needing to negociate the bridge in order to do any proper boating might be pain.Have noticed sailing craft actually sailing in the vicinity of RCC and appearing on moorings at Medway Bridge, both yards at Cuxton and every now and then Elmhaven, which surely cannot offer much water at all around LWS ?
 
Thanks for reply's.
Msba is very useful for contacts.
Would need to be below Rochester Bridge.
Have noticed Hoo Ness seem to have good facilities, would be looking for a mooring, but would be handy to have a slip to launch from. How good is dinghy access to the moorings?
 
tony_lavelle said:
Sailing/Yacht Clubs to try (in order going upstream):
Medway Cruising Club, Gillingham
Segas Sailing Club, ditto
Hundred of Hoo SC, at Hoo
Hoo Ness YC, ditto
Wilsonian SC, only dinghies
Medway YC, may be too expensive
Upnor SC, has all tide jetty and moorings on both sides of river
Royal Engineer YC, now based at Chatham Hitoric Dockyard
Royal Navy Sailing Association, ditto

You can find contact details inclusing websites and descriptions undre the Members menu on www.msba.org.uk
Click to expand...

Tony seems to have forgotten us at Lower Halstow YC http://www.lhyc.org.uk/ We can't offer all tide access, but probably won't be beaten on cost. Also the nearest to the open sea.
 
uknij said:
Thanks for reply's.
Msba is very useful for contacts.
Would need to be below Rochester Bridge.
Have noticed Hoo Ness seem to have good facilities, would be looking for a mooring, but would be handy to have a slip to launch from. How good is dinghy access to the moorings?
Click to expand...

Hoo Ness have a fair few moorings just out in the river, I suspect they would be able to find you something, especially if you're shallow draft and can use one of the inner ones. Access in and out of the actual yacht club is restricted by tide however they have a dinghy storage facility a little further along the river by the Wilsonian sailing club ( a short walk along the shoreside) and there is all tides access from there.
 
Humm might just mention that the Gillingham Marina used to offer Out of Season afloat /mud berthing at quite a reasonable charge along the pontoons; it still gives access to the Club House, Showers, dinghy park etc etc that is until the Season Starts again; it just might be more secure than a mooring on buoys in the River over Winter ?

Plus your winter works can be done in a restful way, with an On Site Chandler, Local shops for supplies of the body, car parking in a secure park (security on the entrance) local B&Q etc
 
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uknij said:
Hadn't thought of Lower Halstow
Would a lifting keel with bulb settle in the mud ok?
I see access is 1.5-2hrs either side of HW, is the access to boat by dinghy much better?
Click to expand...

Yes we have several with lifting keels with bulb. Anderson 22s and a Trapper 24, all sit upright. The 1.5-2hrs either side of HW is off the slip depending on height of tide. My boat at 1.2m draft floats about the same time as the water reaches the slip. The mud is a bit firmer near the slip, but you don't gain much dragging the dinghy out early and you end up muddy.
The site is fairly secure. If you want a look around, use the email link on the web site (it will probably be me that picks it up) and and we will arrange someone to meet you and let you in.
 
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As a local I've had experience of MYC and REYC moorings, I was happy with both of these and never had any issues other than 1 attempted break in.

What I would consider in your calculations is the faffing about launching and recovering the boat is likely to be offset against cleaning the bottom of the boat if you leave it on a mooring. The Medway and Thames are harsh fouling areas, so a club with some cleaning or drying out would be essential.
 
I'm a member of the Medway Cruising Club. Each member owns and maintains there own moorings. We have two locations for storing dinghies. The clubhouse above the Commodore's Hard which is accessible for about 4.5 hours either side of high tide. It used to be accessible 24 hours but there has been a creep of mud up the hard the last few years making it very difficult at low water. The Anchorage [not an anchorage but our main storage facility] which is located further down the river has good drying facilities including a pressure wash. It is also where we take our boats out over winter and has an excellent workshop. The anchorage is only accessible for about 3 hours either side of high tide. There are a limited number of mud berths at the Anchorage. To join the club you will be put through an interview process but there are vacancies and various committee members can sort out a mooring for you to purchase and storage facilities for dinghy, oars, outboard etc.
 
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