Destinations?

stu9000

stu9000

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Hi
I'm based in the Medway and have spent the last few seasons sailing to the crouch, Orwell,etc. I've got a 7 day pass coming up so I'm working out what to do. The last few times I went north I had to bash my way home with the wind on the nose. 6 hours of crashing about listening to the engine and feeling a bit green is a bit boring so I'm looking for options.

I may still go north and want to visit the Blackwater and Deben as I have not been for years. I could go to Ramsgate and am tempted to head to Calais but don't want to get caught out and have to Quaranteen.

Sandwich looks a little tight.
Is Dover worth a visit?

7 days sounds like a lot but I have to turn round and come back again after three so I can't get too far out.

Suggestions welcome.
 
Interesting topic. Im based in the medway, and i find it restrictive on where you can go in a short time. With a week, its fine as you say you can cross north where there are many options. I find for a weekend, not much to do option wise. Hence why I have decided and moved my boat to the South for Aug and Sept to have a break from banks of mud! I do like the river Orwell, up to Ipswich. the Royal Harwich yacht club are always welcoming and friendly with good mooring facilities. I did cross to France last week for 4 days but since the channel islands were "complicated" and mostly closed to visitors, we found Cherbourg a little boring. It was very quiet, so we pointed NW to the Dorset coast instead, which is a decision im delighted we took. I might cross to the Netherlands in the coming weeks if i go back to my medway marina berth. Or i might even cruise up the east coast as i like the rivers!
 
Blackwater is pretty nice. You could do Bradwell and Tollesbury if you want marinas, plus Blackwater Marina if you're adventurous. West Mersea would be a good departure point back to the Medway. Heybridge isn't taking visitors this year.
 
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Cantata said:
Blackwater is pretty nice. You could do Bradwell and Tollesbury if you want marinas, plus Blackwater Marina if you're adventurous. West Mersea would be a good departure point back to the Medway. Heybridge isn't taking visitors this year.
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Thanks. Blackwater very likely if France is out. I neay went into Bradwell last week but it gets a bit shallow at LT. Not an issue with 7 days to play with. I don't think I've been to the Blackwater marina.
 
benlui said:
Interesting topic. Im based in the medway, and i find it restrictive on where you can go in a short time. With a week, its fine as you say you can cross north where there are many options. I find for a weekend, not much to do option wise. Hence why I have decided and moved my boat to the South for Aug and Sept to have a break from banks of mud! I do like the river Orwell, up to Ipswich. the Royal Harwich yacht club are always welcoming and friendly with good mooring facilities. I did cross to France last week for 4 days but since the channel islands were "complicated" and mostly closed to visitors, we found Cherbourg a little boring. It was very quiet, so we pointed NW to the Dorset coast instead, which is a decision im delighted we took. I might cross to the Netherlands in the coming weeks if i go back to my medway marina berth. Or i might even cruise up the east coast as i like the rivers!
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We did schevenginan last year. A really nice round trip jumping off from Harwich and returning via zebrugge and Ramsgate. I'll do it again next year but 24 h at sea is a bit much single handed.
 
We have two weeks coming up from next weekend and I am trying to work out what to do. We are based on the Orwell. I don’t want to have to push too hard ( it’s a holiday after all) I have looked at Brightlingsea, pyfleet,Bradwell,Burnham on crouch and down to the Medway. Possibly Ramsgate. Any other suggestion?
 
Denek said:
We have two weeks coming up from next weekend and I am trying to work out what to do. We are based on the Orwell. I don’t want to have to push too hard ( it’s a holiday after all) I have looked at Brightlingsea, pyfleet,Bradwell,Burnham on crouch and down to the Medway. Possibly Ramsgate. Any other suggestion?
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Brightlingsea is lovely. Bit shallow at low tide. Our recent stay at Burnham was pleasant but the wind against tide slog home to the Medway wasn't ideal. Its not always like that though. I might pop to Bradwell in the next few days but I'm also looking at Calais via Ramsgate. I might Anchor at Harty Ferry on the return leg and take the Swale home.
 
Denek said:
We have two weeks coming up from next weekend and I am trying to work out what to do. We are based on the Orwell. I don’t want to have to push too hard ( it’s a holiday after all) I have looked at Brightlingsea, pyfleet,Bradwell,Burnham on crouch and down to the Medway. Possibly Ramsgate. Any other suggestion?
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We're the same, current thinking is Ramsgate and then Boulogne, a bit of northern France /Belgium and then maybe St Kats and Bradwell.
 
While I agree St. Kats is overpriced these days, it's not necessarily a motoring trip. From the Orwell a night at Queenborough makes it a pleasant two day trip. I took a Stella there in !969, with the wind in the west all day (no marina but BIG buoys available outside and she had a Stuart Turner 4hp which you would only attempt to start in desperation. and went there several times with a Westerly Storm, mostly to windward with the engine started only for the Barrage and to enter port. Going to weather didn't seem to be a problem in my younger days.

Nowadays, the price at St. Kats is ridiculous. Limehouse isn't cheap, but nothing like as silly as St. Kats and DLR makes it great for visiting the sights in the smoke.

Peter.
 
PeterWright said:
While I agree St. Kats is overpriced these days, it's not necessarily a motoring trip. From the Orwell a night at Queenborough makes it a pleasant two day trip. I took a Stella there in !969, with the wind in the west all day (no marina but BIG buoys available outside and she had a Stuart Turner 4hp which you would only attempt to start in desperation. and went there several times with a Westerly Storm, mostly to windward with the engine started only for the Barrage and to enter port. Going to weather didn't seem to be a problem in my younger days.

Nowadays, the price at St. Kats is ridiculous. Limehouse isn't cheap, but nothing like as silly as St. Kats and DLR makes it great for visiting the sights in the smoke.

Peter.
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As we live in London we would go to the sites during the winter when it's less crowded ;)

We were thinking of spending one night at St Kats just because it's by Tower Bridge and no other reason. May not make sense to most but I know the kids would absolutely love it much more than staying in Limehouse
 
If you do St Kats, it's amusing to turn right on exit and get Tower Bridge to lift for you. Unless things have changed, all that's required is 24 hours notice of your intent to the Bridgemaster. It's kind to turn round promptly and pass back downriver on the ame lift, so they don't have to lift a second time to let you out of the upper pool. I remember my kids loving this.
 
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