Marinas - Chatham vs Gillingham

[gravygraham]

Hopefully, we'll be in possession of another boat before the spring (famous last words!). Our previous boat we moored in Ramsgate but now fancy a change. Have any forumites berthed both Chatham and Gillingham? I'd be grateful if anyone can offer any constructive comments on their differences. The boat I'm hoping to get is a 38' flybridge. Thanks in advance.

 

[Powersalt]

Well I have done both marinas but a few years ago and whilst its a matter of preference I much preferred the Chatham marina.

Finger berths and space are much better at Chatham. The lock is I think bigger and more professionaly run.

Gillingham closes the lock at night, like you not supposed to use your boat at night!!!!! they have wooden plies where you reverse in making it just that much more difficult. Possibly the only plus point for Gillingham was the club facilities. Oh and they mught have been a bit cheaper.
Hope that helps

 

[thomshap]

I used to go out of Gillingham on a friends boat, only thing I can remember is how slow the lock was, I think they used a bloke with a bucket to fill it - other than that it was a nice place to be and good location too.

 

[Colvic Watson]

Lack of 24 hr lock was a big problem at Gillingham and in winter it stops quite early in the day. It's a small lock but the marina isn't huge and it can stay open quite a while either side of HW. Very good chandlers. Catham has a very big lock but much bigger marina so more use it, also Catham is a long way round from Gillingham and the journey is hardly picturesque! Overall it's fairly even but the lack of 24hr locking would rule out Gillingham for me.

 

[maby]

Lack of 24 hr lock was a big problem at Gillingham and in winter it stops quite early in the day. It's a small lock but the marina isn't huge and it can stay open quite a while either side of HW. Very good chandlers. Catham has a very big lock but much bigger marina so more use it, also Catham is a long way round from Gillingham and the journey is hardly picturesque! Overall it's fairly even but the lack of 24hr locking would rule out Gillingham for me.

This is the mobo forum, isn't it? We keep our yacht in Chatham and it only takes about twenty minutes between Gillingham and Chatham - in any decent mobo you would scarcely have time to tie on the fenders before you arrived!

Seriously, the difference is enormous - Chatham is large and well equipped with well maintained pontoons and wide berths. The facilities block is excellent and the lock is staffed 24 hour - with 24 hour access provided your draft is less than 1m. The Chatham lock is much larger - you have to remember that the marina is located in an old naval dockyard - they used to bring submarines in through that lock for refits. In the summer it is common to have half a dozen boats rafted up in the lock - we did a quick calculation one afternoon last year and estimated well over a million quid's worth of boats in it!

Also very friendly with an excellent community spirit and plenty of social events.

The only thing Chatham is missing is the club house, but the management has provided a well equipped marquee which serves as a meeting place - you just have to bring your own food and drinks.

 

[Elessar]

Hopefully, we'll be in possession of another boat before the spring (famous last words!). Our previous boat we moored in Ramsgate but now fancy a change. Have any forumites berthed both Chatham and Gillingham? I'd be grateful if anyone can offer any constructive comments on their differences. The boat I'm hoping to get is a 38' flybridge. Thanks in advance.

Chatham. Excellent marina. Super floating facilities in the middle of the pontoons. No chandlery but typical MDL staff offered to drive me to one when I needed an impeller once. And when you get fed up of the grim surroundings you can move to another MDL without penalty.

 

[maby]

Chatham. Excellent marina. Super floating facilities in the middle of the pontoons. No chandlery but typical MDL staff offered to drive me to one when I needed an impeller once. And when you get fed up of the grim surroundings you can move to another MDL without penalty.

I don't think the surroundings are particularly grim by the standards of a South East marina - ok, you can find more picturesque down in the South West, but Chatham is not a bad place all in all. In terms of location, my only complaint is that it is so far up the river - twenty miles. We have to spend a couple of hours every time we go out watching the same river banks before we get to anything like open water to sail - and even then it's just the Thames Estuary!

We did spend time last year looking round at other locations along the Crouch and Essex coast, but they were all so tatty compared with Chatham that we decided to stay put. When we can eventually afford to retire, we may head west.

 

[gravygraham]

Thanks for your wisdom folks. Are there any issues with entering the lock on a strong tide? The other bit which appeals to me is becoming part of a boaty community. There didn't seem to be anything like that at Ramsgate.

. . my only complaint is that it is so far up the river - twenty miles.

Interesting, I only make it about 10.5 miles. Mind you, I'm pants at navigating.

 

[Powersalt]

Dont agree about the poor views from Chatham as Chatham looks out over the castle and medway yacht club, one of the best views of the river i think. To be honest having stayed in Gillingham for about 5 years I think its customer relations are awful and the whole area was built like a car park for boats with no thought that they can move with the wind and need space to turn. Go for chatham you wont regret it.

 

[maby]

Thanks for your wisdom folks. Are there any issues with entering the lock on a strong tide? The other bit which appeals to me is becoming part of a boaty community. There didn't seem to be anything like that at Ramsgate.

Interesting, I only make it about 10.5 miles. Mind you, I'm pants at navigating.

Actually, I think you're right - seemed wrong as I wrote it - takes upwards of two hours in a yacht at five or six knots...

The lock entrance at Chatham is quite wide - as I said before, this is an old naval dockyard, so the lock was designed for boats much larger than a forty foot yacht. There are short breakwaters extending out into the river on either side of the entrance which take the current off, but getting lined up with a spring tide in full flood can be a bit intimidating the first couple of times. The thing that causes me more lost sleep is entering on a strong cross wind - the breakwaters don't do anything to protect you from that.

If the worst comes to the worst, there are waiting pontoons in the river outside the lock entrance.

 

[SP2]

Another vote for Chatham

We weighed up Chatham and Gillingham very closely in 2005 before moving Spectrum Too to Chatham. Agree with most of the comments here - better pontoons, more space, professionally run lock and 24/7 access (except for a couple of weeks in Jan or Feb when lock closed for annual maintenance).

Entry in strong tides is no problem provided you take them into account. With twin engines and a bow thruster it is probably a doddle.

Easy access to entertainment if you get weather bound - Odeon Cinema and a variety of eateries which suit most tastes and also the Historic Dockyard for a trip if you are really stuck for something to do. If it's really grim then there is recreational shopping at the Outlet Centre

Disagree that the trip from Gillingham to Chatham is dull - the Upnor section is beautiful and reminds me of cruising on the upper River Dart. Useful trips include that to Woolverstone on the Orwell where there is free berthing as MDL customer.

We are leaving this year but only due to relocating to the west of the country and will be sorry to go - staff have always been fantastic.

 

[Powersalt]

We weighed up Chatham and Gillingham very closely in 2005 before moving Spectrum Too to Chatham. Agree with most of the comments here - better pontoons, more space, professionally run lock and 24/7 access (except for a couple of weeks in Jan or Feb when lock closed for annual maintenance).

Entry in strong tides is no problem provided you take them into account. With twin engines and a bow thruster it is probably a doddle.

Easy access to entertainment if you get weather bound - Odeon Cinema and a variety of eateries which suit most tastes and also the Historic Dockyard for a trip if you are really stuck for something to do. If it's really grim then there is recreational shopping at the Outlet Centre

Disagree that the trip from Gillingham to Chatham is dull - the Upnor section is beautiful and reminds me of cruising on the upper River Dart. Useful trips include that to Woolverstone on the Orwell where there is free berthing as MDL customer.

We are leaving this year but only due to relocating to the west of the country and will be sorry to go - staff have always been fantastic.

Yep exactly what I had found. To be honest I wonder how the Parham family did it at Gillingham and get away with their very anti boating ideas?? You wont be disappointed at Chatham. Assuming they have got berths available??

 

[superchip]

Chatham Marina v gillingham marina

The lock into Chatham Marina was not there when submarines were in the dockyard
That lock was built during the 1980s
Chatham Marina is inside the third basin and access was through the first basin next to gillingham pier
Chatham lock is about 100ft long which is probably less than half the length of a sub
Superchip

 

[maby]

The lock into Chatham Marina was not there when submarines were in the dockyard
That lock was built during the 1980s
Chatham Marina is inside the third basin and access was through the first basin next to gillingham pier
Chatham lock is about 100ft long which is probably less than half the length of a sub
Superchip

That is true, but it is still large by marina standards. They still bring some seriously large boats in under free-flow.

I have to admit a certain satisfaction watching a navy training vessel lose it completely and park diagonally across the lock! We had done pretty much the same ourselves the week before and felt rather stupid, so it was reassuring to see the professionals do the same...

 

[gravygraham]

I have to admit a certain satisfaction watching a navy training vessel lose it completely and park diagonally across the lock! We had done pretty much the same ourselves the week before and felt rather stupid, so it was reassuring to see the professionals do the same...

Reading that makes me feel better too