Off to the Jubilee

[bond9007]

Hi all,

I managed to book the week at St Katharine's Dock for the Jubilee week and will be making the trip from Medway yacht Club at Upnor most of the pilot books say that it can be done on one tide leaving the Swale about 1 1/2 hours before low water but it seems a fairly long trip to do in 7 or 8 hours.

The return is likely to be trickier as the ebb is again according to some an 1 hours shorter than the flood so we will be pushing tide which my little 10hp bukh hates to do and the meandering of the river must make sailing problematic.

Any advice welcome on the best way to complete the trip (most of it single handed)

Thanks

 

[ChattingLil]

Others with much more experience and knowledge will pop along soon I'm sure, but my pennyworth:

Try your best to maximise use of tide. We got caught out by missing 2 lock turn outs at St Kats and mssed nearly 2 hours of ebb tide. When the tide turned against us we were making less than 2 knots over ground. It was really long slog to get around the bend into the Medway.

But it's a good trip and I'm certain you'll enjoy it! Loads of really interesting to see from the water. Have a good one!

 

[TimfromMersea]

We regularly do Chatham to St Kats, having stopped at Chatham for a day or so exploring the delights of the Dockyard and Rochester whilst on the way to St Kats from West Mersea.

Leaving Chatham say two hours before LW Sheerness, taking the last of the ebb out of the Medway, and reckoning to motor to Sheerness if the wind is anything out of the East (which ideally it will be for a trip up the Thames), we have picked up the first of the flood just past the entrance of the Medway. The furthest that we have sailed is Gravesend, as by then all the buildings and development are messing up the wind too much for a short handed crew to work with, although there are people in our Club who have sailed until the O2, other than of course through the Thames Barrier, through which sailing is not allowed.

Having sailed to Gravesend and then motored, at low revs and with the tide - which THRUSTS ! you up the Thames - then it's easy to make St Kats and in fact every time we have done it, we have had a wait on the bouys outside for the lock to open.

It's a great trip and have a good time doing it.

 

[Kurrawong_Kid]

Hi all,

I managed to book the week at St Katharine's Dock for the Jubilee week and will be making the trip from Medway yacht Club at Upnor most of the pilot books say that it can be done on one tide leaving the Swale about 1 1/2 hours before low water but it seems a fairly long trip to do in 7 or 8 hours.

The return is likely to be trickier as the ebb is again according to some an 1 hours shorter than the flood so we will be pushing tide which my little 10hp bukh hates to do and the meandering of the river must make sailing problematic.

Any advice welcome on the best way to complete the trip (most of it single handed)

Thanks

Did the journey 2 weeks ago. Left Queenborough 1.5 hours before LW Sheerness, went across Nore Swatch, then south shore till past Canvey when inbound tide swept us along. Boat speed about 5 knots, but still had to slow down approaching Limehouse as going to be early. Shouldn't be a problem. However check you have all correct paperwork for your boat and identification for all aboard ( we were accosted by the Police on "exercise" ) and make sure the barrier will not be shut as you approach. (give them a ring the day before?). I know the barrier is shut all day on Sunday for the Pageant. (030612).
Also be aware that waiting for the lock at St. Kath's can be hairy from the wash of water buses and if you are too early you have to stem a fierce tide or tie up to robust bouys!

 

[ChattingLil]

Also be aware that waiting for the lock at St. Kath's can be hairy from the wash of water buses and if you are too early you have to stem a fierce tide or tie up to robust bouys!

++ million percent.
It was horrid and would hate to have done it single-handed. Mind you, we were there on a bank holiday weekend and there were - no exaggeration - at least 30 boats waiting to get into St Kats. Add all the regular river traffic and it was chaos. There was no room on any of the waiting buoys (most were rafted up with club boats) Need eyes in the back of your head!

 

[bond9007]

going to jubilee

Thanks for all this, I had thought about a stop over at EYc as this works the tides better and gives an early eta at St kats which hopefully will mean we get a bouy if we have to wait.

Do they open the lock on request or is it a case of them waiting till either a lock full or specific time?

Thanks again

 

[Athene V30]

Watch out for the fast ferries once you get up to Grenwich and beyond. The come from nowhere and are very quiet. Was amazed at how much traffic there is on the river. Also keep a good look out for floating debris particularly if there has been heavy rain in the days before.

 

[neale]

Also keep a good look out for floating debris particularly if there has been heavy rain in the days before.

...or if we are just on, or coming off, spring tides.

 

[Cantata]

Thanks for all this, I had thought about a stop over at EYc as this works the tides better and gives an early eta at St kats which hopefully will mean we get a bouy if we have to wait.

Do they open the lock on request or is it a case of them waiting till either a lock full or specific time?

Thanks again

Did the trip to St Kats from Queenborough just today, no probs as usual. Best timing is to leave Qboro at about HW+5, as suggested in a pilot book that I won't mention. Keep up boat speed at about 5 knots and you'll get here in plenty of time. No they don't open up on request, just tell them when you get close and eventually they wil call you in. Their locking procedures can be very long-winded if the lock is full. There are only 3 waiting buoys outside at present and one of those is not nice to topsides. Locking times are shown on their website.