Burnham to Chatham passage plan

[trellsy]

Does anyone have any thoughts about getting to Chatham from Burnham?
My thoughts were to leave Burnham at 3h Before LW
Crossing the Foulness at low water Whittaker time of 1000 1.1m on the 14th June.
Crossing at No 6 to South whittaker then take the flood down the East Swin to SW Barrow
Start crossing the Thames at Sea Reach no.1.
Presumably the flood will take me more or less all the way to Chatham assuming a 4 knot average and I will not be fighting the tide at any point. Its 41NM

Have I missed anything? any comments appreciated

PS. Just moving to Bridgemarsh...

 

[nigelm]

Que TillerGirl ............

 

[ex-Gladys]

From Mersea, I generally give it 1.5 hrs to LW, Spitway at about LW, round the Whittaker up the Maplin edge, annd plenty of flood to get to Chatham before HW. Thats at 5 knots though.

 

[FullCircle]

Should work as a plan. Welcome to the Forum.
I am in Bridgemarsh too. There are a few of us here.

 

[Lucky Duck]

From Mersea, I generally give it 1.5 hrs to LW, Spitway at about LW, round the Whittaker up the Maplin edge, annd plenty of flood to get to Chatham before HW. Thats at 5 knots though.

Once when Going from Burnham Yacht Harbour to Queenborough I underestimated how long it would take to reach Whitaker 6, punching the new flood for the last couple of miles became rather tedious and lost us a fair bit of flood tide for heading South West.

Depending on wind, etc I tend to cross the Thames from somewhere near Blacktail spit and usually end up somewhere near the wreck of Richard Montgomery.

 

[Behome]

Make it easy on yourself, get a copy of "Crossing the Thames Estuary".

 

[NUTMEG]

Second the recommendation. Really takes the guesswork (stress) out of planning. A work of genius.

Got a film of the crossing on my blog if interested (bored)

Steve

 

[tillergirl]

Bit late on my 'Cue' but I was out all day yesterday until late.

Forgive me (late night and all that so I maybe misunderstanding) but you are planning to cut over the end of Foulness from the Whitaker No 6 direct to the South Whitaker pretty much at Low Water? I accept entirely you want/need to be at the South Whitaker at the start of the flood but No 6 direct to the South Whitaker will take you over some drying heights. No 4 to the South Whit and keeping a careful eye on t'depth might be a bit more cautious.

It's about 13 and a half nm from Burnham Yacht Harbour to a waypoint due south of the Inner Whitaker so 3 hours at 4kts plus the last of the ebb mathematically works. However, I would subscribe to Simon's comment and leave yourself a little more time. Once at the South Whitaker you have about 19nm to the general area of SS Montgomery and then just over 12nm right up to Chatham, perhaps a little less depending on your final destination. Assume 7 hours of flood and you should be fine. My tables suggest @4kts on neaps you should depart the South Whitaker at around +4.30 after HW Sheerness and that will get you to the SS Montgomery about 3 hours before HW Sheerness giving you ample time to do the 12+nm from the Montgomery to Chatham.

Your post reminded me that back in 1933, Irving in Rivers and Creeks of the TE, there was considered to be a half-tide crossing of the Foulness from the area around what is now the Whitaker No 8 to the Maplin Spit for vessels drawing 4ft and under between half-flood and 1 and a half hours ebb (after which point the ebbs sets in very rapidly!). Not to be done late on the ebb then!