Kingsferry Bridge Swale

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mirabriani

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A little help please.
Does any one have experience of navigating the Swale Kent at night and in particular, using the lifting bridge at Kingsferry
My passage plan would involve passing through at between 12 midnight and 1 o/c I cannot find the telephone number and I will not be in the area until tomorrow. It would be polite to make an enquiry rather than assume there will be a service for a little boat.
Thanks in advance, Briani /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
Tel number of the bridge is in Reeds. they opperate on channel 10. If you pm me your mobile number before 11.30am I can text you their number this afternoon
 
bridge phone number is exdirectory
call vhf ch 10 - he will lift on request (apart from rush hour when its only once an hour)
any more info call 01795 663025 - helpful fellah on the line
 
Reality in rush hour this year (weekdays 0700-1000, 1600-1900 approx) is that they probably won't open at all unless for commercial traffic (obviously you can pass through with them).
Saturdays they seem to be opening about 20 past the hour. Sundays on the hour.
This is despite the fact that the Swale is a marine right of way, and that Railtrack or whatever they are called this week are obliged to open up on request. The problem is caused by the building of the new fixed road bridge, or rather it's caused by the ridiculous temporary roadways and 2 million cones that they have planted in the area.
The bridge operators themselves are generally very helpful and sympathetic and responsive to a bit of soft soap.
 
I was in the Swale a fortnight ago, and went aground at half tide. Was heading east from the bridge...past the Lillie (?) buoy it gets very narrow...I was being lazy and beating under jib alone.. well it was a great evening. There are two timber structures which look like scrubbing posts on each shore. Line the Port buoy up with the one beyond them and head thru. Was really surprised at how narrow it was when I viewed it on the slant from ashore. No damage done. Even in my long keeler. Floated off and carried on thru in the dark. Plenty of moorings to pick up and two nice holding buoys south of Fowley island for Swale Marina at Conyer, which is a great place to stop, but is a HW access job in anything drawing more than about a meter. Have fun
 
LeonF
I believe you are describing the two posts marking the gas pipe. Always stay between them, I have bumped a dinghy
going outside. Next time you go through watch the depth sounder and scare yourself.
After that, going East the river divides into several channels at low water.
The Swale can be very pleasant on a nice evening.
Regards Briani
 
Thanks Briani....I didn't think they WERE scrubbing posts, but nice to know what they actually are. Yes I have done the round the island race in Wayfarer and Bosun dinghies several times, but my first time thru in a yacht. The Swale is a great place tho I agree. And even on the slant the squid pasta tasted great and the sunset was beautiful. Leon /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
Went for cruise last week and had no problem going East through the bridge. The operator leant out of the window and asked me to wait five minutes till a ship came through. Coming back at about 3pm the bridge opened for a yacht two minutes ahead of me and slammed shut after it. The traffic was crossing very slowly and a two minute opening would not have been a delay because the road was not clear ahead.

Half an hour later another yacht, also heading for Stangate, arrived and radioed and were told that it would not be opening till after the rush hour ie 7.20. By this time the tide was with so we dropped the mast and went through. The other boat moored up for tea.

We checked up later. My girlfriend learned that the bridge had opened at 3.47 and 5.20.

Also found a website advertising a texting service offering texts 1hr in advance of openings for 25p. Sounds a right con to me as they probably charge when you don't need to know as well.

If the bridge ops knew an hour ahead why didn't they say? Why is there no notice of opening times - or non opening times? One problem is that the cabin is on the west side of the bridge so they can't talk to people going west without a radio, but an electronic screen wouldn't cost a weeks wages and a set of lights indicating 1hr, 30min, 10min would be very cheap.

Worked on Sheppey about seven years ago and had to wait for half hour on one occasion because two ships went through. They were over quarter hour apart but it didn't close between them. Another time I had to wait for two hours but that was caused by an accident about 200yds beyond the bridge. I have no idea why they took so long about clearing it up enough to get some traffic moving. The queue to get onto the island was about 2miles when I joined it so the total time must have been about three hours. Invicta FM suggested that people take an alternative route! The poor traffic lady got right royally ribbed for the next six months!! Someone came up with an alternative - Channel tunnel, drive to Rotterdam and ferry to Sheerness.

Archie
 
The bridge can certainly be a right pain this year. Railtrack (or whoever they are this week) own and run the bridge and are exploiting the fact that someone (Medway Ports?) has agreed to fewer lifts during construction of the new fixed high-level road-only bridge.
The excuse given is 'traffic jams'. There are only traffic jams because of the ludicrous traffic management scheme that's been put in place (presumably by the KCC) to guide the traffic through the roadworks. Why they couldn't have left the road alone until they actually need to connect it to the new bridge (next year!) is quite beyond me.
The guys who man the bridge have to get the go-ahead from the railway signalman at Sittingbourne to lift the bridge. They do not seem to be allowed to plan more than a few minutes ahead. However they will always yield to a ship's pilot when he's approaching on the bridge of a freighter!
In theory all this should be a lot better when the new bridge is finished (summer 2006), when only rail traffic will use on the lifting bridge.
In the meantime, the rule is - avoid the bridge during 0700-1000 and 1600-1900 on weekdays. Weekends they should be more accommodating but don't bet on it.
 
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