N Kent coast pilotage please

[PeterGibbs]

Planning to sail from Queenborough to Ramsgate and would like to take the Swale and a coastal route rather than out into the estuary and north of the Margate Sands. Is there a decent inner route and is the Swale to be avoided? Advice much appreciated. Draft 1.9m

Peter Gibbs

 

[ctelfer38]

Are you planning to do the Swale because you want to - or are you thinking it is the safer route? If the latter - no reason not to come of the Medway at Garrison Point and then taking the inshore route from there. Best advice I can give is to have the detailed chart and pilotage guide for that area and to follow it without deviation and at the right state of tide - an obvious thing to say I know - but it works. As to tide timings, make sure that you are at North Foreland with enough southgoing tide left to take you down to Ramsgate - it is that which will set your departure time from the Medway more than anything else. Make sure your echo sounder is reading accurately and use it as much as your compass. I have done that route only a couple of times - I am sure others will be along in a minute who use the area more regularly with some other more detailed remarks. But pick a good weather day and do it. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[PeterGibbs]

Charles,

Thanks for coming back to me. The Swale? Just because I've never done it before, really. I know the area across Whitstable Bay has only a film of water but it's been sailed since Roman times etc. There has to be a preferred route from the Whitstable St buoy in the east to Hook Spit in the west.

Thanks,

Peter

 

[Pye_End]

Route - Whitstable street to East Last - inside the sands - up to the Long Nose and turn the corner.

It gets a little bit shallow going through past East Last at Low water springs, but you will be aiming to be there a couple of hours before so as to get the tide as far as possible.

There are also some shallow spots in the Swale at low water, but you will be there around high water so should not present any difficulties (so long as you stick to the main channels).

Tides - you will want to catch the flood from Queenborough to round the back of the island. You will have the rail bridge to deal with, so allow an extra half on hour to get through. Worth monitoring the bridge channel on VHF so you know what is going on, just in case of any major delays, or coasters coming through. Aim to get to about Conyer at high water, or even HW-1, and from there with a half decent sail you will carry the tide all the way to Ramsgate.

 

[FlyingSpud]

How much water do you need? The Swale is a bit 'muddy; in the middle, and normally you would be going through on a falling tide

 

[ctelfer38]

Peter, I should have looked at your profile before replying. Would have realised then that you were not in need of 'encouraging'!! Thread drift I know; but are you off to the Baltic this year? I leave St Kaths for Kiel in mid-June. I will be in Queenborough for a tidal pitstop before heading out ( not via the inshore Kent route!!!) for the crossing to Ijmuiden and onwards. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[alldownwind]

As Pye End rightly says you can carry the tide right thro the Swale. With your draught, just make sure you stick to the channel. Note especially the tiny unlit Lillies cardinal buoy opposite Milton Creek, then once over the causeway (deepest water slightly N of centre) rigidly follow the red buoys. Then once past Fowley Spit, the channel widens and deepens.
Once out of the Swale, pass the Whitstable Street (it's a port-hand buoy these days, changed last year), then head for the East Last and go through the Gore Channel. It's a bit shallower than charts suggest as you pass the E.Last, just don't go close to it.
This is all much more fun than a boring outside route, and is described very well in 'East Coast Pilot' if you want to spend more time around here.

 

[PeterGibbs]

Many thanks to all you profis!

A historical note - my family used to take its holidays at Whitstable years ago and as a kid I used to stand on the beach and watch the Thames barges making for Sheppey from Whitstable harbour, where horses drew rail wagons round to dock for loading! Always wanted to sail the same route - this is the year!

All the best,

Peter