Passage plan from Orwell to London?

Zippysigma

Zippysigma

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We are planning a trip down to St Katherines dock later this year and am after your suggestions as to timings, stop over points etc.

I was talking to someone in the bar at Pin Mill a few weeks ago and they were telling me to go to XXXYYY on one tide, then to zzzzzz on the next, wait a week and get the opposite tides back. Unfortunately the beer erased my memory and I can't remember any details /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

All suggestions welcome.
 
Take flood from Orwell to Stangate Creek*, second on left up the Medway. Anchor, sleep. Leave on last knockings of the ebb. Turn left out of Medway. Ride second flood to St Kat.

*Queenboro is an alternative on your first trip. Once you have done that you will use Stangate on subsequent trips.
 
Did this trip last year when I sold my Macwester 30 (not the fastest boat in the world!) and delivered it to Gallion Point Marina which is just short of the Thames Barrier.

Left Shotley about 2 hours before Low Water went via Wallet, Wallet Spitway, Swin Spitway, past Whitaker Beacon scanked around Maplin Sands near Maplin Bank and then straight up the Thames.

I asked a similar question about stopovers and got similar advice with also Ray Gut at Southend as another option.

I could not understand why anyone would deviate from the shortest route so I went straight up to Gravesend and picked up a visitors mooring outside the yacht club, just short of Tilbury. The tide was ebbing by the time I got there but was not too strong. Don't moor too far in as it dries when the tide is out but it deepens fairly rapidly.

Next day I saw moorings a bit further up near Grays (where there is a yacht club) and Greenhithe. These two would be a bit quieter as commercial traffic goes into Tilbury. There are also tugs at Gravesend that run their engines all night, but it didn't stop me sleeping. Again further up at Erith there are moorings.

If I did the trip again I would stop at one of the places I have mentioned and would not dream of deviating from my shortest route.
 
Stopped in Stangate Creek on way back from a rally to Limehouse in June. Amazingly peaceful. Nothing much to look at to the North (Sheerness) but if look from East through South to West it is just water / mud and some land. We found where to anchor just by depth sounder.

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Limehouse is a good alternative to St Kats. OK it is a stop out on DLR but the process of getting in and out is simple, the staff are helpful and you do not feel you are in a goldfish bowl with tourists walking round staring at you all the time! Plus we only paid £17 per night for a 35' boat. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
Thanks for the suggestions of route and stops.

I prefer the "in the middle of nowhere" anchorages or moorings to noisy commercial traffic.

Limehouse sounds a quieter alternative to St Kats as well.

Right, now to look for the right tides and hope for some better weather

/forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
Right, now to look for the right tides and hope for some better weather


[/ QUOTE ]

There's no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

Having said that - crew can live with cold, heath, no wind and too much wind.
But if it rains - forget it.
Tend to agree with them.
 
I mostly agree. I would not dream of setting out with an F7 or above forcast (although have had fun sailing when caught out in strong winds)

I agree that rain is what eventually dampens everyone's spirits. However, when on my own, and no crew to worry about, I even enjoy that!
 
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