Harwich to London

[Leighb]

Leigh I believe we passed each other down the Orwell on your route to the Thames this June, we departed RHYC at a similar time. We were heading for Tollesbury as the girls were booked in at the lightship for a sailing course. We have a dark blue hull Sadler 32 usually three daughters and a mad lab in tow.
Ben

We left on Monday 31st May alomg with Jan & Bruce in NIXI. We were the last survivors of the planned Club Cruise, that should have gone on the Saturday but strong winds meant that was not possible. By Monday everyone else had run out of time.

I am afraid I don't remember seeing you that day, but it was quite a while ago now.

 

[Cantata]

True, they are further from the pier at the time you would be interested, however this does not change the spacing which is pretty tight between the buoys. The inner trot is, as you can see in the photo, more widely spaced.

Yes they are close, Leigh, but it's not as bad as that pic appears to show. In ECP Edn2 there is a close-range pic at sea level with all the buoys occupied, although probably all boats under 30'.

 

[Leighb]

Yes they are close, Leigh, but it's not as bad as that pic appears to show. I have a close-range pic at sea level with all the buoys occupied, although probably all boats under 30'.
Worthy of mention in the next edition of a pilot book, though, probably!

We are 30' and having picked up the middle of the 3 outer buoys spent the next 40 mins fighting off either the one ahead or the one astern!! I imagine that if a yacht was on the downtide one it would have been pulled back a bit by the tide though. It would be interesting to say the least to try and pick up one of the last vacant buoys.

 

[RMA]

I complained once about how awkward the waiting buoys were and was told that they were spaced like that deliberately, otherwise people just tied up to them for a few days and used their dinghy to get ashore. Makes sense, from their point of view, but they can be a pain.

 

[Cantata]

There seems to be an opinion at least in our club that St.Kat's is run quite differently to every other marina you might visit - not generally too customer-oriented, you might say.
The smart answer to the issue of waiting is, of course, to turn up at the right time. Easier said than done as locking times don't always conform to the published timetable. I've probably been there 6 or 7 times now but only this last time did I get it right - just a 5-minute wait, and then straight into the lock in pole position!

 

[catseven]

Hope i'm not repeating anything in previous posts but the Port of London have published a River Thames Recreational User Guide 2010.

It's a plastic coated large scale chartlet (about 3 feet by 2 feet double sided!!) with lots of information on all the Marinas, VTS channels, recommended yacht tracks, Thames barrier details, etc etc.

I phoned the PLA (try the office at Gravesend 01474 562200) and they sent me 4 copies free of charge by return of post.

Catseven

 

[Silent Lady]

St Kats

Just got back .. Had a great trip .. Watch out for rubbish in the river we managed to get a kids anorak round the prop and called out the RNLI . Queenborough is bad news. Watched the locals disappear with a dingy and outboard but did not realise they were nicking it in the middle of the day. Concrete barge in the middle is ok for mooring . Get there after 20.00hrs and leave before 08.00hrs and its FREE .. Cable laying in the river was not a problem. We left Queenborough at LW - 2 .. 12.00hrs Got to Greenwich at 18.00hrs so took us 6hrs .. 4hrs of tide but St.Kats closes at 18.00hrs. So we stopped at Greenwich. Great place but you do need FENDERS to keep you off the pontoon tyres. The pontoon looks horrible from the river until you get close and realise they have a scafolding barrier round it. We got close enough to get a line round an upright and then it was easy. Continued to St.Kats day after. HAve a good trip. Outside the lock at St. Kats is busy. No order so just go for it or you may have to wait. They get about 10 boats in at a time. We stopped on the way back at Greenwich and then at Erith to wait for the tide down to Queenborough. Our berth as we could hardly move forward was outside STARBUCKS .. You will see it on the way in ..

 

[Cantata]

Greenwich sounds 'interesting'.
For future reference you could maybe have borrowed a mooring (or gone alongside the club pontoon) at Greenwich YC, or, a bit further on from Greenwich, South Dock Marina don't finish locking until 1900.
But then it sounds as though you had a free night out of it anyway.

 

[Silent Lady]

Greenwich

We booked Greenwich which you have to . When we arrived we were a little concerned at how to approach the club pontoon. It looks horrible from the river. But once you get near you can see what its about . They have very strong mooring cleats on the pontoon but you can use the scafolding poles until you get yourself sorted. You mentioned about the swing moorings. The ones near the club are mostly drying ones so you have to watch out which one you pick. Ian the Harbour Master at the club was very helpful and one of the club members took me and 4 cans down to Sainsbury's for diesel. Good pub near by . The Pilot . Great bar food and not that expensive . Good helpings as well . Went to the one the other way first and the landlord had decided not to do food so we had to get a taxi. Queenborough was the free night on the way back . Greenwich is £10 a night includes water and electric .

 

[Cantata]

Ah, I see, I thought when you said 'Greenwich' that you had somehow managed to tie up on the piers by the Cutty Sark!
Pleased to hear the club made you welcome, they are a friendly bunch.

 

[benw]

Thanks Ian will be looking out for all debris. Good advice re St Kat's lock we shall scrum it with the best.
Ben

 

[minquiers]

forget queenbro, if you are off the naze at low water, you will have the full flood to take you down, and you should be able to get to gravesend, in one tide, there are mooring bouys there to pick up and have a good sleep, have a nice time.

 

[Lucky Duck]

forget queenbro, if you are off the naze at low water, you will have the full flood to take you down, and you should be able to get to gravesend, in one tide, there are mooring bouys there to pick up and have a good sleep, have a nice time.

Unless things have changed very recently I think there are only one or two visitor's buoys at Gravesend so its taking a bit of risk there will be a suitable buoy available and the alternatives (presumably Thurrock or Erith) will seem a long way off by the end of that journey.

The best I have achived in one tide from Walton on the Naze to that neck of the woods is the Medway Yacht Club so I think I would be hard pushed to make Gravesend before the ebb set in. Other people with faster boats might have more luck!