Queenborough All Tide Landing Open

[Cantata]

I've been banging on about the potential of the place for years and it's nice to hear others seeing it too.
I expect Phil's off for a few days - the fact that the boat is running every day is because they've recruited a second chap to run it.

 

[xyachtdave]

I'm currently rafted with 4 boats to one of the large mooring buoys. The harbour is full, people are still arriving and the harbour staff doing their best to accommodate everybody.

Phil is on duty and when I chatted to him earlier he filled me in on a few things.

He's having a break from YBW as apparently he receives a lot of PM's that are rude and abusive generally attacking the good work the QHT have started. That style of under the radar constant critique would drag the best of us down I'd imagine.

 

[Lucky Duck]

I'm currently rafted with 4 boats to one of the large mooring buoys. The harbour is full, people are still arriving and the harbour staff doing their best to accommodate everybody.

Phil is on duty and when I chatted to him earlier he filled me in on a few things.

He's having a break from YBW as apparently he receives a lot of PM's that are rude and abusive generally attacking the good work the QHT have started. That style of under the radar constant critique would drag the best of us down I'd imagine.

Were are part of a similar raft just downstream of you.....

Sadly I understand the new pontoons for the ATL extension suffered some damage on their journey up channel

 

[xyachtdave]

Were are part of a similar raft just downstream of you.....

Sadly I understand the new pontoons for the ATL extension suffered some damage on their journey up channel

The unfortunate and familiar story of a tug losing its tow....surely it can't be that hard to look out the back occasionally to check the tow is still there!

Best of luck to the trust and hopefully the retrieved pontoon can be re delivered by a more reliable outfit.

 

[Vid]

We were at Queenborough this past Saturday and had a great time there. Such a lovely setting and reasonable fees and the moorings were full by 6pm with late arrivals having to moor against some barges, not ideal but at least they were accomodated.

We did have to wait quite a long time around 7pm to be collected to be taken ashore - Phil was clearly busy and in great demand, but at times like this - a busy summer saturday evening - a second boat would be a good idea: it need only be operational for an hour or so, then again at 930pm when the service ends and a big bunch of people arrive at the ATL at the same time.

 

[Athene V30]

Phil was clearly busy and in great demand, but at times like this - a busy summer saturday evening - a second boat would be a good idea: it need only be operational for an hour or so, then again at 930pm when the service ends and a big bunch of people arrive at the ATL at the same time.

An additional boat would be a lot of cost to the Trust for little reward on just a few Sat evenings.

 

[Vid]

An additional boat would be a lot of cost to the Trust for little reward on just a few Sat evenings.

The costs should be borne by those Queenborough pubs and shops who lost income due to long waiting times or people not bothering to come ashore at all. There were several in our group who decided to eat on board rather than ashore because they didn't want to hang around waiting to be ferried ashore.

This is no criticism of Phil, but one boat handling ferrying duties, on top of harbourmaster duties, and collecting mooring fees is too much for a one boat operation when it gets busy.

 

[jerrytug]

The costs should be borne by those Queenborough pubs and shops who lost income due to long waiting times or people not bothering to come ashore at all. There were several in our group who decided to eat on board rather than ashore because they didn't want to hang around waiting to be ferried ashore.

This is no criticism of Phil, but one boat handling ferrying duties, on top of harbourmaster duties, and collecting mooring fees is too much for a one boat operation when it gets busy.

Good point about the pubs

 

[sailorman]

Good point about the pubs

even WMYC refund the taxi costs

 

[xyachtdave]

even WMYC refund the taxi costs

The water taxi is free and before the QHT were involved there wasn't a regular one at all!

The idea of a second boat funded by the pubs and shops to carry the overspill passengers ashore at busy times (maybe 20 nights a year if generous) is quite frankly laughable. How can the cost of a trot boat, paying a person to drive it, insure it, berth it and put fuel in it possibly be covered by the profit on a few cod and chips and a some pints of milk in the shop?

Maybe we need to accept the fact that on the very few sunny Saturday evenings with 25 degree heat we're blessed with it's likely to be busy!

 

[Lucky Duck]

Some time back paying the mooring fee also included a free token for the ATL, would be nice if that was reinstated.

 

[ChattingLil]

well I agree with Dave. I think it's a great service and well worth the money and I dont mind waiting half an hour or so for the trot boat. I think Phil is great and doing a great job. I know it all adds up, but the cost of the token is ok too. For us the alternative (anchoring in Stangate for eg) makes it totally value for money. the alternatives are there for everyone!

 

[Vid]

The water taxi is free and before the QHT were involved there wasn't a regular one at all!

The idea of a second boat funded by the pubs and shops to carry the overspill passengers ashore at busy times (maybe 20 nights a year if generous) is quite frankly laughable. How can the cost of a trot boat, paying a person to drive it, insure it, berth it and put fuel in it possibly be covered by the profit on a few cod and chips and a some pints of milk in the shop?

Maybe we need to accept the fact that on the very few sunny Saturday evenings with 25 degree heat we're blessed with it's likely to be busy!

Laughable? Really? You can't see the link between people going ashore and spending money? Just look at the yachts moored there in the summer - many must have cost their owners £50k upwards, some a lot more, many on holiday. With a crew onboard and somewhere decent to eat onshore there'd be the income potential for someone to realise.

I'm thinking of ways in which to increase the prosperity of Queenborough: some investment may reap more rewards.

Over to you to come up with some ideas rather than defending entropy please.

 

[xyachtdave]

I'd be interested to see the numbers for your proposal of a second boat at peak times funded by the shops and pubs.

I'm not sure how the cost of the visiting boat equates to money spent ashore, these 'wealthy' individuals are often the same ones moaning about paying £12 for a mooring at places like Queenborough or West Mersea and these larger boats generally have more of the creature comforts that would make a trip ashore unnecessary.

The harbour is now well on the way to prosperity and when the pontoon finally arrives it should take a lot of pressure off of the trot boat. I'm assuming people who want to go ashore will berth there and those that don't grab a mooring.

In the past I've been at the ATL on Saturday mornings trying to fix it - none of the local shop or pub owners were there helping fix the landing to get their potential punters ashore.

 

[Beyondhelp]

Was down here again the other week. I saw a sign saying closed until further notice?

 

[Lucky Duck]

Last weekend the trot boat was operating normally despite the sign.

IIRC the notice relates to berthing on the ATL, not that the local fishing boats appear to take much notice!

 

[Chalk]

My wife and I visited a couple of weeks ago for the very first time having followed this thread and contacting Phil - who we have never met before - direct about procedures. We were ferried ashore by a jovial chap by the name of Max. My wife showered in the municipal block: only one cubicle and could have done with a cob-web brush, but OK. My son and I visited the yacht club for a shower where we then all met and had a drink. Good showers, beer not brilliant. Max had detailed that the access tokens were available from a variety of places for one pound each. The Flying Dutchman said that they had struggled with the supply of tokens from the council; typical admin issues, but I can see the thought process: advertise the places where the tokens are exchanged, and they might get a sale. Sounds fair to me.
We visited the co-op for bread and milk and noticed how down at heel the town seems in places. The town needs a lift and developing it into a stopping off point for a journey up the Thames is a strong point that they need to promote. It will not cure everything but it will help. We popped into the Old House at Home and had a really good pint. I could not comment on food anywhere at Queenborough but would not rush to eat at either the Dutchman or the House at Home.
The visit cost us £15. I think this is reasonable. The ATL and the whole set up must be subsidised. I can not see the ATL engineering works and the trot, two blokes (Max & Phil), insurances, maintenance etc., all being paid for out of the takings from the likes of us.
On the way back from London we were planning on stopping in Stangate Creek, but thought £14 (by then our son had left us) was well worth going back. We had the pleasure of meeting Phil who said that he would be running the trot until about 9.30 that night, which gave us plenty of time to take a taxi to the filling station for a couple of cans of diesel, and spend some money in the pub.
I think that this is a cracking place which can only get better. There are other plans for pontoon extensions better facilities etc., but for now it is great. We will go back.

 

[Eddie.johnson]

It is nice to have such positive feedback. The harbour is not run by the council or subsidised by the council. In fact the council was going to remove all of the moorings in 2012 unless someone came forward and took over the operation.
The income is raised by annual mooring holders and visitors, though QHT were awarded a grant that has gone to obtaining the much awaited pontoon.
Phil who has become the face of QHT often contributed to this forum in his own time to promote and up-date interested people, however due to a number of offensive e-mails he decided to cancel his account.
QHT is committed to improving the facilities within the harbour, but have faced a number of challenges; these have included objections to the harbour look-out.
Queenborough is ideally situated for yachts navigating the South East and Thames. It has always been the vision of the members of QHT to turn the harbour into a successful and appreciated destination, and to this end we endeavour to give visitors and mooring holders the best service possible.
We hope that people who visit may also decide to explore the rest of the island and experience the many historically interesting places.
We hope that people who viewed Queenborough in a dark light may visit again and see how the harbour has improved since QHT took over and we would like to thank everyone who has visited the harbour and gave Queenborough such a good review.
Though QHT will continue to work for the harbour, other amenities and services will only evolve with the continuing increase of visitors. Hopefully Swale Borough Council will see the benefits the harbour has for the town and community, and will invest in town improvements.

 

[Cantata]

Well said Eddie. We have always seen the potential of the place ignored by the dead hand of the local authority for so long.
Had a good natter with Phil when we visited a few days ago, he was driving the launch. An unfailingly nice bloke.
Hope the pontoon gets done soon, a terrible shame about the delays with it that meant it missed the peak season this year.

 

[xyachtdave]

Phil who has become the face of QHT often contributed to this forum in his own time to promote and up-date interested people, however due to a number of offensive e-mails he decided to cancel his account.

It would be nice to have Phill with us again, his updates on trot boat times etc were very useful for us locals.

I'm sure he can set himself up to not receive private messaging so anyone thinking of launching a keyboard attack on our man would have to do it through the forums, allowing the rest of us the opportunity to comment on their nonsense, saving Phil the hassle of doing it himself.

His inbox (300 messages?) was full at one point! Give the guy a break unknown cyber warriors....

YBW is a great resource but a little less useful without Phil's updates.

Thanks for the update Eddie.