Sheerness freight ferry last sailing has already left.

The difference in distance between Calais and Dover compared to Calais and Sheerness is huge. This is an added cost in fuel and time, besides being a less freight efficient ship compared to those on the Calais Dover route. The extra time exceeds the time it takes by road to get to the M25. Dover is much closer to a motorway than Sheerness is. Then add in the extra customs problems that have just come into force, along with Covid, freight demand has reduced for freight space. So "operational difficulties" is business speak for "we cannot make profits from this service".
 
There is no doubt that the surface hawser linking the mooring buoy to the pier at Garrison could present hazard and would be better removed .
It may be though because I don't race or that I haven't normally had to trek down the length of the tidal Medway before hitting the sea that I haven't found this a particular imposition ,rather passing timidly down the north side of the channel away from the pilots and tugs ,until I can see around the corner and cross over .
So I was surprised to hear when this was put in place last year that anything other than the Round the Island race might warrant cutting close to the point and making a beeline for Warden Pt. across the flats .
But then maybe I was unduly conditioned by the large sand dredger that watched me approach down the Thames under full sail and on the starboard side and with the tide before deciding to run astern off its jetty into the stream towards me without making signal .:rolleyes:
 
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Olau Line. Now there was a super ferry sevice. Enabled me to keep my boat in Goes Sass for summer.
Ferries from Sheerness have never really been viable for all the reasons previously stated, although several have tried and failed.
 
Mostly I'm sorry for them it didn't work out and hope anyone who loses their job makes a good move. I've stayed clear of that ship loads of times last year :-) always very easily as it's so predictable. But I really hope (doubt, but hope) this provides some excuse for the removal of that thing off Garrison Point. In many combinations of wind/tide/destination/avoiding shipping... it doesn't matter at all. In a few, it's right in the way and without it anyone shallow-draft could just skip round and happily slip off down-estuary.

As it happens the only time I really had a slow-moving, protracted "can I slip round or should I chicken out and go the long way" there, I was silly enough to not be in great trim when I arrived as was mostly trying to keep two slightly unsure kids happy and feeling safe and it was the last thing I needed so I bear a bit of a grudge. Someone I am pretty sure posts here kindly gave me a bit of room and a friendly (? ... :-) wave while roaring past me in much better shape. Lesson learned: my error as skipper, in the event of fussy small crew, noodle about upstream until everything is sorted - then start going the right way from the best possible starting point. Still, even if real problems are mostly me, fewer obstacles would still be something we could be thankful for.
 
justanothersailboat said:
so... no chance of obstacle removal then :)
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Does not look like it. There was no guarantee it would go any way, just keeping my fingers crossed it would be removed if the ferry was no longer calling.

For those who do not know what is being talked about, this photo shows the yellow buoy off the end of the jetty and the attached cable..

IMG_2894 1000pix.jpg
 
Good pic :-) don't know why I can hear the shark-attack-imminent tune from Jaws when looking at that picture, but I can... I think you would have to have a problem of foresight AND bad luck at the same time for it to be a serious problem rather than a minor hazard or planning irritation, but in a certain combination of wind direction + oncoming LNG ship the size of a small moon, it can be right where you don't want it.
 
Concerto said:
Does not look like it. There was no guarantee it would go any way, just keeping my fingers crossed it would be removed if the ferry was no longer calling.

For those who do not know what is being talked about, this photo shows the yellow buoy off the end of the jetty and the attached cable..

View attachment 129515
Click to expand...
Just noticed the scrap heap in the pic.

We now have Brightlingsea, Ipswich and Sheerness. Must be big business now .
I wonder where it all goes.
 
LONG_KEELER said:
Just noticed the scrap heap in the pic.

We now have Brightlingsea, Ipswich and Sheerness. Must be big business now .
I wonder where it all goes.
Click to expand...
A quick google says this:
Imports In 2019 the top importers of Scrap Iron were Turkey ($5.19B), India ($3.34B), South Korea ($2.16B), Belgium ($1.76B), and Italy ($1.69B).
 
justanothersailboat said:
Good pic :) don't know why I can hear the shark-attack-imminent tune from Jaws when looking at that picture, but I can... I think you would have to have a problem of foresight AND bad luck at the same time for it to be a serious problem rather than a minor hazard or planning irritation, but in a certain combination of wind direction + oncoming LNG ship the size of a small moon, it can be right where you don't want it.
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The real problem is when a ship isn't there, the line is lying mostly in the water.
The recommended route into and out of the Medway, mind you, is across on the western side. If you nip in close round that jetty corner at the best of times you might have a nasty surpise, e.g. one of the tugs, who definitely take no prisoners!
 
Cantata... yes, it's the length of surface obstacle, definitely. I love being on the other side of the channel, but not if it means wallowing across in the face of large ships!

Long_keeler... I've yet to get on the wrong side of one of those tugs (and they always seem fairly civil to me) but I wouldn't envy someone who does. COLREG rule zero "avoid being the cause of colreg scenarios when you are on holiday and the other chap is at work" definitely applies.
 
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