Help navigating Medway?

[ChasB]

Planning to take a few days trip up the Medway, stopping off at Gillingham first.

Anyone able to recommend any good books, charts, or sites?

Cheers! /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

 

[alan006]

I don't know if you know but the Maidstone River Festival is on next weekend so that usually causes a fair bit of movement on the river. The people who want to avoid it going downstream and those going to it popping upstream.
Its worth checking ahead as visitors moorings at marinas may be busy.

 

[ChasB]

Thanks Alan, but I won't be going for a month.

 

[tillergirl]

East Coast Pilot - http://www.eastcoastpilot.com/index.htm and Imray's website

 

[ChasB]

Excellent! Thanks

 

[ebbtide]

Nicholsons Waterways Guide Vol 1 includes the Medway. And there was a very pictureskew blog here last year - the poster was very helpful, worth searching for and making contact.

 

[AndyAndKatie]

Found this site. Seems to have a lot of good info on the Medway.
http://www.medway.gov.uk/guidetorivermedway.pdf

 

[markbloomfield]

Not a navigation guide but some interesting history.

Medway Pilots

 

[daveyjones]

Depending on the sizeof your boat, you can usually stay for free on a mooring buoy at Rat's Bay, just off the Sun Pier at Chatham. This is handy for the Town Centre shops etc. There isa lot of vandalism and theft in that area so don't leave an unattended dinghy on any public piers. The local kids think inflatables especially are a good object on which to test their pocket knives!

Sun pier is also handy to walk into Rochester if you want to visit the Castle and Cathedral.

Further down, the yacht clubs at Upnor usually have a space for visitors, and there is Chatham, Gillingham and Hoo marina if you want a pontoon. The Medway is an interesting river if you like (as I do) a working river, rather than a "pretty pretty" river. There are lots of good anchorages; Stangate Creek at the lower end is great , especially if you like peace and quiet and seabirds.

The historic dockyard at Chatham is well worth a visit
Queenborough on the Swale has moorings, you can also anchor. The pontoon is secure, the yacht club is friendly, and the pubs are good. It is also possible to walk or bus into Sheerness if you want the shops. Stations at both towns.

The great thing about the Medway is the soft mud - if you run aground it's like hitting a soft pillow, although you wouldn't try to walk across it!

 

[alldownwind]

[ QUOTE ]
Queenborough on the Swale has moorings, you can also anchor. The pontoon is secure ...................

[/ QUOTE ]
......but unavailable, damaged by storms months ago and still not repaired. It ain't that secure either, local scallywags have been known to nick dinghies etc from it.

 

[TheBoatman]

Medway YC offers free swinging moorings to visitors and if you stay over a w/end there's a free trot boat service from 09.00 - 18.00hrs. Club bar & galley are open and there are a couple of good pubs in Upnor that serve food ~ the Ship is the best.

Sat pm is the main racing day and you can sit and watch 4-5 classes racing.

Downside - it ain't easy to get to Strood/Rochester/Chatham - there is a bus service from Upnor village but I don't know any timings!

Peter.

 

[Andrew_Fanner]

There's an Imray book similar to the Thames one. Chris Cove-Smith again? The tidal river between Rochester and Allington gets very shallow LW +/-2 and can have more than a bit of rubbish in it, especially with the rivers running hard at the moment. Limit is 6 knots.