Route from St Kats to the Crouch

[oldgit]

Having been to St Kats, Queenborough etc, I think they are massively overrated... horses for courses.

While understanding that, not everyone would consider £75 a night to stay slap bang in the centre of one of the most expensive cities in the world a bargain, even if there is only two of you on board and it is not unusual for most Mobo skippers to actually take wives and friends with them, the price per head is not outrageous.
The view of the city at night is stunning and all 5 mins walk from your bunk.

We probably agree on Queenborough.

 

[Sowenna]

Oldgit: Yep, we like the vibe of St Kats. But horses for courses! The Grapes is a great pub to, if at Limehouse.
Bru, thanks for checking out the plan. I think the most important thing for us is making it the most simple and safe plan (i.e. Max daylight window). We've been to Chatham before but never sea proper. I'm currently doing my day skipper.
So, staying at Greenwich the night before would enable an earlier start. So happy to do that. Maybe assume a cruise speed of 7 knots with tide on top. Ta John

 

[Sowenna]

Also, the boat isn't the most powerful, so working with the tides as much as possible.
A single trip might be a bit better for experience building but appreciate any recommendations that factor our inexperience. Ta John

 

[STOL71]

While understanding that, not everyone would consider £75 a night to stay slap bang in the centre of one of the most expensive cities in the world a bargain, even if there is only two of you on board and it is not unusual for most Mobo skippers to actually take wives and friends with them, the price per head is not outrageous.
The view of the city at night is stunning and all 5 mins walk from your bunk.

10 minutes walk from Greenwich Yacht Club to the nearest tube station, the cable car and the clipper pier - you'd be be in London Bridge within 7 minutes by tube. You can't beat that for a mooring fee of about £20.
Attached a few pictures of the pontoon and the club house and the water.

 

[Sowenna]

STOL, looks lovely and does mean we are not tied by locking times for our best onward departure time.

Do you need a dinghy to get to shore? Do you need to book in advance?

 

[Lucky Duck]

I used to work just opposite there and could see the club moorings from my desk.

They did seem suffer from the wash of passing boats so it would be wise to ensure you are well fendered if coming alongside.

Edit - In my experience the sheer volume of waterborne traffic in such a confined space makes the upper Thames surprisingly rough - probably the nearest I have come to falling overboard while on passage was just downstream of the lock into Limehouse.

 

[STOL71]

STOL, looks lovely and does mean we are not tied by locking times for our best onward departure time.

Do you need a dinghy to get to shore? Do you need to book in advance?

No need for a tender, walk ashore pontoon. You have to book though.
It can be quite choppy there especially around HW, make sure you’re fendered off well, tiller a bit over to keep the boat off the pontoon.
At a 5 knot average speed, leave an hour before HW North Woolwich and you get to Sheerness on the ebb, the following flood gets you into Queenborough.

 

[Sowenna]

Thanks STOL, any ideas on rough cruise times for that?

 

[STOL71]

Thanks STOL, any ideas on rough cruise times for that?

It's 37NM or there abouts, 5 knot makes 7.5 hours.
You have to leave an hour before HW as you only have 5 hours of ebb going east, going the other way it would be 7 hours of flood.

 

[Lucky Duck]

With a spring ebb assisting doing twice that at times wouldn't be unrealistic

 

[oldgit]

Just been doing a bit of passage planning for RCC to Burnham on Crouch
for Easter weekend.

Grain Hard bouy.( just off Queenborough) to Burnham .
About 8 knots plus bit of tide.
.35 miles @ 9 knots approx 4 hours duration.
Fly in ointment.... Easterly F4-5 against tide .

 

[Sowenna]

Thanks all, so really great tips and planning stats. Looks like we'll stop at Greenwich, head to Queenborough, then on to the Crouch. John

Oldgit: Sorry to hear the wind is not in your favour. Shame as temperature are looking appealing.

 

[oldgit]

Thanks all, so really great tips and planning stats. Looks like we'll stop at Greenwich, head to Queenborough, then on to the Crouch. John

Oldgit: Sorry to hear the wind is not in your favour. Shame as temperature are looking appealing.

The plan
04.00 Dept RCC
Rendevous with boats who went to Queenborough previous day.
As far as we can get on the ebb.
Punch the early tide up to the Whitaker, across as early as we dare and use the flood up to Burnham.
07.36 LW Whitaker.

Still think you are missing a trick regards a nice comfortable quiet nights sleep in one of the London Marinas.

IMHO. Trying to get to sleep in the tideway at 02.00, with the prospect of slap slap on the chine for another 3 hours just might make spending £75 quid next time an absolute bargain.
Might be wrong but.

 

[Sowenna]

Thanks for posting your plans OG. Helpful with my planning.

Re the tideway, I was thinking about that so we aren't restricted by lock times (ie leave at the optimal time). But if St Kats works re times (now that we are planning the shorter leg to Queenborough) I'll certainly consider that too, we are there this weekend and love the vibe in the central basin.

 

[oldgit]

Our normal mooring is on the inside of tideway pontoon and all the boats we ever had moored there, both displacement and planing suffered from chine slapping, worse when big tides and opposing wind.
Usually a pain at some God forsaken hour when the tide turned.
Never had the problem when above any lock ie.On the Thames above Teddington.
Doubt ever problem with yachts simply due to shape of hull.
Presume you have a aft cabin.so should not be that much of problem.
We always turned boat round when staying aboard on club pontoon, with stern facing outgoing tide. it usually cured the problem.
Until a couple of weeks ago.
A incoming spring tide and a brisk wind managed to produce big enough waves between us and the boat behind, to ensure a sleepless night.
Grrr..........

 

[Sowenna]

Yep, thinking St Kats is the best option now.

 

[oldgit]

go on you know you want to...
and that discount card they give you actually means something,we had £30 knocked off a meal in Cafe Rouge .Yea, I know but its so close.

 

[Sowenna]

Well, we don't have a microwave on the boat
;-)

 

[oldgit]

Well, we don't have a microwave on the boat
;-)

Not sure how food is provided or my boat, have staff who do that sort of thing. Although, have on occassion rang personally the maitre d at the "Waterside" if nowhere better available .
[h=1]maître d'm[/h]