Overnight moorings in lower thames

[nmeyrick]

I'm planning to move my boat this weekend from St Kats to South Dock and hope to do this over one high water. However I realise that locking does not always proceed as quickly as one might like, so want to identify a fall back option I can use as an overnight mooring if need be, to ride out the low water without having to schlepp out into the estuary.

I see from Erith YC's website that they have moorings they describe as deep water, and suitable for boats up to 35', however my boat is 38' and draws 1.6m. Does anyone know whether these moorings are indeed serviceable for a boat of this size, or know of any other sensible options?

Anchoring is something I would like to keep as a last resort since one of the jobs to be attended to is to fix my bow roller...

Many thanks
Neil

 

[MoodySabre]

You could try contacting Greenwich Yacht Club as they have lots of moorings in the river just downriver of the Dome (have a Google earth).

 

[Gumpy]

If you dont make it, provided its between 8am and 6pm Limehouse should be able to take you without a booking, access far greater than elsewhere so you should be able to leave up to 3hrs before HT giving you plenty of time.

 

[sighmoon]

The maximum length at Greenwich Yacht Club is also 35'. Thurrock Yacht Club may be an option, but probably the same length issue. If you decide to overlook the existance of the surplus foot, Erith and Greenwich are both infinitely nicer than Thurrock. Not that Greenwich or Erith are particularly nice, but Thurrock is that bad.

At a few places there are some PLA buoys. At Erith, before you get as far as the yacht club, there are a few buoys near a slipway. The one nearest the slip is for the PLA's launch so don't pick up that one, but the others are also deep, I think. Morrisons is just behind the slip if you need to load up with anything. The PLA were very helpful and friendly when I phoned them.

Another possibility, which I haven't done myself, but have seen others do, is to tie up alongside one of the many lighters that are moored at various points along the river.

Bow roller issues aside, I wouldn't want to anchor in the river proper, as the tide will have you pretty much at hull speed. If you can take the ground (which I guess you can't), there are a few more possibilities, like the creek at Creekmouth where you could believe you were in a wilderness rather than the middle of London.

 

[LeonF]

Erith have just put out the information that eight of their upstream moorings now have bridles to try and minimise swing in an easterly. I have always managed to find a mooring for a few hours, even when I had a Sigma 33 drawing 1.9, I would think you would be OK on an outer mooring. I wouldn't want to go alongside a lighter or barge, as wash can can be very aggressive on the river.