Deben to Queenborough for Thames trip - advice...

[dickh]

Hi , I'm planning a trip up the Thames in a few weeks time and intend to have a stopover at Queenborough, then up the Thames to Limehouse Basin. What's the best time to leave the Deben? - I'm thinking of 2/3 hours after HW(so I can get out) with arrival at Queenborough at approx. HW, the leave for the THames i hour before Low water to carry the flood all the way to Limehouse.
Is this feasible? - Boat is a Moody 33, draught about 1.5m. Dick

 

[Norman_E]

Not sure on the answers you require, but the all tide landing at Queenborough was closed in mid March, indefinitely, as it is damaged and judged unsafe.

 

[Otter]

There's normally lots of visitors bouys available. It's still a good place to stop over, though anchoring round the corner in Stangate Creek is pretty magical.

 

[alldownwind]

Leaving Q'boro' at HW+5 is about ideal, gets you to the Nore Swatch buoy just about at LW. You then have 7 hours of flood to get you to Limehouse. Don't forget to ring ahead and book at Limehouse. And check the Barrier ain't going to be closed, too!
I'm told the the landing at Q'boro may be fixed by then but ask nearer the time.

 

[Cotillion]

The landing stage is still broken but you can get ashore using the concrete slip further along. Though it is difficult to think of a reason why you would want to.

 

[kengill]

There's a very nice pub there - can't remember its name -was too pissed.

 

[Otter]

I think it's the Flying Dutchman, but we were pissed as well.

 

[MrCramp]

Did the trip last weekend. Went to Shotley on Friday. Left later than we wanted Saturday morning as we found we were short of a chart. Left at 1000 and went straight to Gravsend arriving at about 2000. There are a number of moorings there but you will need to be further out than we were as only have 1 metre draft.

We had never been up the Thames before and if we did it again I think we would overnight a bit further up at either Thurock YC or probably Erith YC. Erith is based on a boat and we suspect that you could land there easily. There is a slipway at Thurock that looks accesable at Low Water. At Gravsend it is possible to get to the gates to the lock even at Low Water as there is a deeper chanel OK for a dinghy. There were plenty of empty moorings at all these places.

At Thurock or Erith you are above Tilbury Docks which appeared to be busy and we thought that there would be less ships wash.

I cannot see why anyone doing this trip would go out of their way to moor overnight at either Queensborough or even Leigh-on-Sea. We were on a delivery trip (sold my Macwester 30) and motor sailed until turning to go up the Thames, were the wind was on the nose, then motored at 5/6 knots.

 

[davidfox]

agree if you get a wriggle on you can make gravesend in one tide, but it is difficult to get ashore agree with thurrock as an alternative, try phoning them for advice

 

[alldownwind]

[ QUOTE ]
agree if you get a wriggle on you can make gravesend in one tide, but it is difficult to get ashore agree with thurrock as an alternative, try phoning them for advice

[/ QUOTE ]
There is now a 'marina' at Gravesend, the gate opens from HW-1 to HW. It's called The Embankment Marina. It's in the old canal basin which has been bought by the people who make the 'Moorfast' gadget, and they say they are working hard to bring it up to scratch from its previous manky state. See here www.theembankmentmarina.net
Only problem is the access, if you are planning to go further upstream you want to be out again at LW not HW !