UK-WOOZY
Well-known member
Im leaning towards Gillingham marina. my boat was there last year for repair from July-Nov. And I enjoyed my time there but didnt like the lock on the day i brought the boat, it was windy and tricky to use but i had never used a lock or marina much before that apart from a couple times at limehouse or once at St Kats. I chose Chatham to enjoy the area for a year at least i thought but love the medway river so want to stay for now. I also got to practice and get more used to the lock and berth manourvering at chatham due to the space. I love the lock how the sides raise and lower with the boat. The staff are great. But my boat was out for 8 weeks getting a new shaft and prop and the yard at chatham is horrible, the worst i have seen. High up so catches the wind, the ground is stoney and very dusty so walking onto the boat is like having sandpaper on your feet and it gets on cloths, in bolts etc. Whoever chose the surface is a twot, also the music that comes from the Copper Rivet Distillery wound me up, had very annoying "jazzy music with bad singing" blaring towards the yard. Apart from that i love Chatham but you dont get much for your money though the points system can help save some money. I didnt need the fuel ponton as i fill jerry cans on the way to the marina at garages. My boat is 9m but were charged for 10m as thats all they had when my boat was finished at Gillingham's workshop. But they said they would charge for 9m on the 10m pontoon i am on which is kind but still too much money for us again. So am thinking about Gillingham again now they also have a newly opened restaurant and nice bar and the people are nice, and they are making improvements to the marina and have a pontoon availabe for my boat in oct. The are using extra pumps too to keep the basin deeper and cleaner and are removing the pilings. The yard is better too, but the lock is of course tighter than at Chatham and unlike Chatham isnt 24/7 access though i doubt i need that. The other option is Medway yacht club but at the time of looking last week all they had was a bow to stern mooring right down the other end of the river which i dont fancy when all i have to use my boat is the weekend, i have been to medway yc numerous times and love it and the people are fantastic as well as the staffed bar and restaurant and professionally maintained moorings but the mooring they have puts me off for now. that then leaves upnor but i heard it is more basic than the basic club i came from originally, Erith yc and again upnor seems mostly bow and stern moorings no swing, Medway cruising and Seagas only have mud moorings which i dont want with my recently coppercoated boat and it being lift keel, plus am then also restricted by the tide. I am leaning towards Gillingham which is £500 cheaper than chatham as I love stepping on an off the boat as that saves time from going out to and from the boat on a trot boat or ones own dinghy. I heard there is Invicta pontoon within the historic dockyard but cant find much information on that apart from the owner is had to deal with reading forum posts. Another plus with Gillingham is the on site chandlery though i usually use Pirates cave, but had Asda next door. im unfamilair with whats around medway yc for amenities .
