Provisional Passage Plan- Gillingham to Faversham

[vjmehra]

I'm just wondering if anyone can see any obvious flaws with these two alternate options:

Route A (Inland)

[table="width: 500, class: grid"]
[tr][td]Start Point[/td][td]End Point[/td][td]Start Log[/td][td]End Log[/td][td]Distance (nm)[/td][td]Estimated Speed[/td][td]Time Taken (mins)[/td][td]Total Time (mins)[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Gillingham Marina[/td][td]Folly Point[/td][td]0[/td][td]1[/td][td]1[/td][td]6[/td][td]10[/td][td]10[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Folly Point[/td][td]Queensborough Spit[/td][td]1[/td][td]7[/td][td]6[/td][td]15[/td][td]24[/td][td]34[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Queensborough Spit[/td][td]Kingsferry Bridge[/td][td]7[/td][td]10.5[/td][td]3.5[/td][td]8[/td][td]26.25[/td][td]60.25[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Kingsferry Bridge[/td][td]Faversham Spit[/td][td]10.5[/td][td]17.5[/td][td]7[/td][td]8[/td][td]52.5[/td][td]112.75[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Faversham Spit[/td][td]Faversham[/td][td]17.5[/td][td]20[/td][td]2.5[/td][td]6[/td][td]25[/td][td]137.75[/td][/tr]

[/table]

Route B (Coastal)

[table="width: 500, class: grid"]
[tr][td]Start Point[/td][td]End Point[/td][td]Start Log[/td][td]End Log[/td][td]Distance (nm)[/td][td]Estimated Speed[/td][td]Time Taken (mins)[/td][td]Total Time (mins)[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Gillingham Marina[/td][td]Folly Point[/td][td]0[/td][td]1[/td][td]1[/td][td]6[/td][td]10[/td][td]10[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Folly Point[/td][td]Queensborough Spit[/td][td]1[/td][td]7[/td][td]6[/td][td]15[/td][td]24[/td][td]34[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Queensborough Spit[/td][td]Richard Montgommery[/td][td]7[/td][td]10[/td][td]3[/td][td]12[/td][td]15[/td][td]49[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Richard Montgommery[/td][td]Pollard Spit[/td][td]10[/td][td]18[/td][td]8[/td][td]12[/td][td]40[/td][td]89[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Pollard Spit[/td][td]Shell Ness[/td][td]18[/td][td]19[/td][td]1[/td][td]12[/td][td]5[/td][td]94[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Shell Ness[/td][td]Faversham Spit[/td][td]19[/td][td]21.5[/td][td]2.5[/td][td]8[/td][td]18.75[/td][td]112.75[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Faversham Spit[/td][td]Faversham[/td][td]21.5[/td][td]24[/td][td]2.5[/td][td]6[/td][td]25[/td][td]137.75[/td][/tr]

[/table]

The plan would be to leave Gillingham on Saturday approx 2.5-2 hours before HW (so around 13:20-13:50 it looks like), then to moor up in Faversham, staying overnight, hopefully finding a little B&B before heading back the next day!

So, any suggestions, is there any reason (weather aside) why one or both of those routes may not be plausible?

Is there anything else we should consider (I presume we need to pre-book a mooring somehow)?

We are a 4.8m RIB, so draught less than 1m, which probably helps!

 

[Cantata]

Go either way, nowt wrong with either. Why not go one way and return the other. Don't use the Montgomery as a waypoint though, unwise and against local regulations. Anyway it's totally unnecessary to go that far out to sea.
If you're thinking of leaving your RIB unattended, I'd leave it at a boatyard. Iron Wharf is the place. No doubt you are aware that Faversham Creek dries and therefore your boat will sit on the mud a couple of hours after HW.

 

[vjmehra]

Yeah, weather permitting I think you're right we may go one way and go back the other, makes sense! The logic of using the Montgomery was that a few people suggested it was worth a look, but we're not set on that, we should have enough water to stay closer to shore if need be.

Cool, I wasn't sure which was the best place, I will get in touch with Iron Wharf. Yep, touching the bottom isn't a problem for us, our base is a drying mooring, so that's not an issue.

 

[wilkinsonsails]

You can tie up on the town quay ,just past our sail loft .Very close to town centre ,pubs ,cafes etc.
Cindy

 

[Cantata]

You can tie up on the town quay ,just past our sail loft .Very close to town centre ,pubs ,cafes etc.Cindy

Er, would you leave your RIB there overnight, unattended??

 

[pioneer]

Iron Wharf is on a public footpath, so security is not the best. Might be worth trying Oare Creek (Youngs boatyard). They have a fence and locked gates to deter those up to no good. Faversham is about a half hour walk and there is a bus. Just a thought. If Faversham still attracts with a metre draught (I draw 0.8) then you'll get on/off about 1-2 hours either side, don't do what I did and get there early as whilst there's water in the channel the quayside is still dry. There is a very good chartlet available to download from Faversham council website - just believe it and follow the marks, there's a lot of soft mud to be found!! Have fun and enjoy the trip

 

[Cantata]

As a Faversham-based chap with a boat in Oare Creek, I will stick to my original advice...

 

[jerrytug]

Another suggestion for leaving your RIB safely overnight in Faversham: Go up the creek and after Iron Wharf,there are various liveaboards such as a big old tug,trawlers,barges,and further up,some in-commission smacks/gaffers. When you see someone on board,ask if you can tie alongside. Then you will be safe from kids but in the middle of town. Got to be worth a try!

 

[GHA]

Probably not such a big deal in a rib, but a tablet or something with GPS and Google maps can be useful getting up faversham creek, satellite pic was taken at low water.