Harwich to Thames Barrier-Best Route??

[MrCramp]

Wanting to leave Shotley around 0800, 3 hrs before LW, Friday next 22 June. Would like to stop over somewhere on Friday night. Ideally take the tide up the Thames but do I go (Southend on Sea times) in the dark LW 0058BST or 1257BST?? Which is the best place to stop? Sailing sloop, bilge keel 1 metre draft, cruising speed 5/6 knots, no radar. Experinced skipper + 3 experienced crew, cross chanel etc but never yet up the Thames. Charts coming tommorow so unable to do the detailed planning yet. Thanks

 

[FlyingSpud]

Traditional tactics are to stay at Queenborough and then sail across to be off of Southend Pier for low water to ride the tide up all of the way

 

[dickh]

Thats the way - stop at Queenborough(but the All Tide Landing is out of order...), leave 1 hour before Low water and you'll carry the tide all the way to London bridge, I've done it in a 20' yacht with time to spare.

 

[Cotillion]

The problem is getting out again as you will run out of ebb long before reaching the sea and will then face up to 4kts of incoming tide, though shelter may be found at Gravesend to wait for the the new ebb.

 

[shmoo]

You can stop at Queenboro but anchoring in Stangate Creek is nicer and anchoring off Leigh is much quicker and avoids the two crossings of the London River. You may want to keep this up your sleeve in case of murky weather.
See the anchorages here
http://www.woodbridgecruisingclub.co.uk/anchorages.php

 

[MoodySabre]

The alternative at Leigh/Southend is to come into the Ray Gut and about a mile west of the Leigh Buoy (the one nearest the pier) there are some bouys. Ignore the first two (as they sometimes have fishing boats on them) but then there is a pink buoy with a pick-up bouy and then a yellow buoy both of which were in enough water for my 1.7 mtrs last weekend. When the tide goes down the sandbanks either side make it free from swell from ships.

 

[shmoo]

That's worth knowing.

 

[alldownwind]

[ QUOTE ]
The problem is getting out again as you will run out of ebb long before reaching the sea and will then face up to 4kts of incoming tide, though shelter may be found at Gravesend to wait for the the new ebb.

[/ QUOTE ]
Not so in my experience on several trips in an average 30' yacht - without making an effort to hurry, always got to the Nore Swatch just about at LW, in time to catch the new flood into the Medway.

 

[FlyingSpud]

Have to say I have never had a problem getting out, and it always seems quicker, probably because you tend to be able to get the rags up as well, whereas, more often than not, it seems the wind is on the nose going up.

 

[MrCramp]

Thanks for all the replies. Going to Quennsborough does appear to be a big detor and if we cannot get ashore we won't bother. Think the best option is to stick to the north shore and moor in one of suggested positions. Weather is looking calm.