Most miserable mooring?

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ChrisE

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The post about Queenborough ATL being out of action reminded me that when we stopped there in 1999 & 2000 on our way up and down the Thames, I made a mental note that the place appeared to be the armpit of the world and it was singularly the least attractive place I've ever moored at. The next worse was in Praia in the Verdes at a fishdock but at least the place was warm and the beer was cheap.

Any other candidates?
 
Would that be the time when we were rafted next to some hairy great git and his charming wife? Damn me if the HGG didn't move into the neighbourhood causing the bouyant housemarket to collapse overnight....
 
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The real answer to your question is Ramsgate last August. Stopped off for one night helping another forumite move his boat from Shotley to Brighton.

We had phoned in advance to ensure there was space, then found it was full or regatta people. Young chap on the VHF sent us to a berth which was occupied, then to a the main pontoon where all the fishing boats go.

Swell was very uncomfortable, awful whining/creaking sound from pontoons all night, and generally a crap experience.
 
Canvey Island banked mud was not too pleasant, the trek down from Swanwick with the horrible overcrowding and NO MOORING signs was disagreeable, but on balance, Queenborough wins, even over the really mud strewn Canvey Island 'Marina'.
 
I liked Girvan. Went in, moored, watched a seal cruising up and down the harbour, got very drunk. Next morning cast off from pontoon and within a yard we'd gone aground, fortunately rising tide, soft bottom (the harbour not me or the boat), no harm done.
 
Brighton by far the most unpleasent experience in 30 years of sailing. Booked in advance, checked on route confirmed on entry, waited more than half an hour for fuel sent to three different occupied births. Being sent to occupied births was not the marina staff fault, they "only know what's on the computer". We eventually got a birth that was visible from the office, it had obviously not occured to the staff to look out the window.
Stayed one night in the concrete jungle and left.
 
Tranmere Moorings on the River Mersey. Tide rips through at up to 6 knots, can be extremely rough, generally smelly, muddy and slimy, oil tankers and cargo ships pass very close, far too close, lots of wash. Landing is a long way through the strong current, absolutely no security for anything ashore including car (it is Liverpool after all)
 
Not been there in a yacht (yet) but moored in the entrance to the river at Karachi makes all these others pale into insignificance, particularly at abt 2000 hrs when they used to open the sewers and flush all the raw seage down the river. The smell was enough to curl the hairs on a billiard ball. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif
 
It's a dangerous question this; we once stayed for six nights at Port Oriel/Clogerhead on the east coast of Ireland, rafting where we could, moving around to accomodate fishing boats against a bleak sea wall miles from the nearest shop/pub. it was a grim spot. However, we didn't decide this until our final day there; on arriving in a southerly F6/7 and for the next five days whilst it was blowing S/SW F6-F8 up the Irish Sea, it was one of the most wonderful harbours we'd ever seen! Is Queensborough the one on the south side of the Thames near that unexploded wartime ordanance vessel? if so it is pretty grim.
 
Yes, actually it is on the Southern side of the Thames. The War Office sent the Robert Anderson to blow Queenborough off the map with a full laden ship of TNT as a practice run for St Nazaire raid, but Jerry got to them just before the critical run toward the pontoon. Skipper had cut the corner a bit on the entrance and the extra draught from the hole in the side just touched down on the bank, and there he was neaped.
Well, knowing that his Aunty June had a seafront caff in Southend, and he was due for an illicit Candy Floss on his weekend pass out from the Admiralty, he disarmed the fuse and sent him and the lads off in the lifeboats toward Leigh On Sea, to have a pint of Bass and a plate of cockles in the Crooked Billet before jumping on a train back to London and filling in the intermninable Admiralty forms dealing with tthe premature loss of a ship that was due to be a loss, but wasnt quite.

And thats how folklore works...... and Queenborough survived the war.
 
Another vote for Brighton. It looks nice enough but it is full of spivs and spivvy mobos and the fingers are so close together it's impossible to get in without a bow thruster.

It's also where I met confirmedlifepartner but that has nothing to do with it.

Marina manager is very nice though, very good to deal with.
 
The posts about Queenboro, Ramsgate and Brighton vidicate our usual plan when heading south west for the sun from the Deben. We don't go in anywhere if we can help it until we are west of the IOW. Anchor in the quiet clean ASBO free sea.

Folk do differ though. We usually stop in at Shoreham on the way back: I quite like the "working harbour" aspect of it, but its on the Admiral's list places she dosn't like, for just that same reason (and because I go aground coming out of the lock)
 
I'm afraid that Queenborough is the most miserable mooring. In my experience, neither Brighton nor Ramsgate are in the same league of awfulness - and I've spent several weeks at both at various times.

The thing about Queenborough is that you can just sail on past up the Medway and anchor in Stangate Creek in good holding. Erm...even my CQR held there.
 
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