river Medway

[btlynn]

Hi, I have a 26ft Bella Flipper boat which I have had on the Gt River Ouse for a few years.
Due to circumstances, I am considering moving down to the River Medway. Has anyone any exoerience of this river. Is there sufficient moorings? Is it very busy? Is the scenary ok? etc. etc
If I get negative vibes, I may change my mind.
Thanks
B

 

[hlb]

Stick around. Some one will turn up soon and give you the whole senario of tales from the river Medway!!

 

[jhr]

There was a good article in Motor Boats Monthly on the Medway, about 18 months ago - probably worth searching the back issues bit of YBW.com to see if you can find it and order a reprint.

There's also a poster called Oldgit, who I think has been there on occasion. If you ignore his evangelical fervour over the beauty and grace of Sealines, he is quite sound on most other subjects. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[VicS]

Have a look at http://www.medway.gov.uk/index/leisure/rivers.htm

Also do a Google search for "River Meday"

 

[slowboat]

Medway is ok with some good cruising, non tidal bit (Allington to Tonbridge) has very nice country side above yalding, but casual moorings are a bit short on supply. The locks are do it yourself and can be hard work in the early season don't know how permanent mooring situation is. Tidal bit ( Allington to Sheerness) is good and plenty of permanent moorings, can be a bit like a motorway below Gillingham in the summer with lots of wash, dinghy racing ect. - There a lot worse places to base a boat .

 

[Buzz]

The medway is not that bad, non tidal bit is o.k but not that many places to moor overnight unless you belong to the local cruising club or you use the free moorings at maidstone and tunbridge,there are also moorings at the malta at allington and from memory at the anchor and yalding(food not that great)you can go through allington lock 2 hours either side of the tide.

Have to agree with slow boat about the tidal bit in the summer it can get abit like a motorway.As for moorings i dont really know although oldgit proberly will.


Regards

mark

 

[oldgit]

Ah the Medway.Around 40 miles of navigable water from end to end,depending on airdraft .The river is good place to boat given that you can normally find somewhere to go whatever the weather or time of year.Several posters on here keep boats on this bit of water including Mainshiptom who has a rather nice boat in Faversham creek which would be the most eastern end of the area you can cruise without going into exposed water.Journey to Faversham would be via the Swale a nice bit of sheltered water round the back of the Isle of Sheppey.Lots and lots of nice little tidal creeks to explore in the main river,the best known of which is Stangate which which will have lots of water innit no matter what the state of the tide,unlike some of the smaller creeks which dry out.Bit further up towards the Medway towns you will find the forts,another popuplar summer destination especially for power boaters who like to go ashore for B BQs etc.River narrows a bit and you go past the mainly yachty trots for mile or so until town centres.Two or three places to land,only one of which decent.Through the bridge to upper tidal bit where you need to watch tides in order to get to Allington lock 10 or so miles futher on.River starts to get very pretty from here on.Head of navigation is Tonbridge.
Loads of club moorings on tidal section and a couple of all singing Marinas one of which is MDL.Prices down here as on most east coast rivers tend to be cheap side.Only two things to watch out for,an E. wind in the lower reaches around Sheerness and commercial traffic.
Try thishttp://easyweb.easynet.co.uk/~srmulti/medway for upriver info.