Swale/Medway YBW meet 2010

Cantata

Cantata

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OK, new thread as Mr. F-C suggested.
There was interest in a Swale meet-up. I replied with a few ideas off the top of my head as follows:

"All meet up at Swale Marina (head of Conyer Creek). It dries. Nice pub, or marina clubhouse might cater.
All meet up at Harty Ferry, moorings or anchor, dinghy ashore to Ferry House Inn (hairy, very hairy, if it's windy). Best in settled weather. Good adventure though.
Meet up in Stangate Creek, on anchor, raft up.
Meet up in Hoo Marina on the Medway, behind a cill, it partly dries (unless they've dredged it recently); eat at Hoo Ness YC."

Then Gin responded with this -

"We (HNYC) would love to welcome you to the club- I'm sure we would have plenty of moorings; the club premises and Hoo Marina(next door neighbours) have half tide access via the sinouous Orinoco creek, so either a timely visit ashore to socialise and eat and return to boats afloat- we can help with a launch service if necessary, or stay in the marina over the tide and enjoy the club/galley at your leisure and no stumbling about in the dark in dinghies after a few sherberts, which is very iffy as the trots are about 1/2 mile from the slipway.
We haven't yet sorted out our 2010 programme, and tides are just as important for us too but each Bank Holiday we have a gathering away (usually St. Kats is the first (April), then Burnham, early May, Ramsgate late May, then Blackwater August) The Swale may be a venue for a normal (2 day) weekend next year. So those are the dates to avoid or perhaps choose to access a greater number of vacant becoming available?
Do have a look at our homepage, which in due course will display our 2010 'Programme', and a further click to our 'Facilities' page gives the bar and galley opening times
http://www.hooness.org.uk/
If you are interested let me know your intentions as we are regularly visited by a number of Essex clubs based across the estuary in tha Canvey/ Tilbury areas. They particularly like a Sunday roast from Christine in the galley, for a very modest cost, so it is important that we manage group visits to avoid disappointment."

So let's have some discussion/ideas and try and settle on a venue, timeframe and format?
 
My only preference would be for a non-drying destination, other than that, great to get these dates sorted nice and early.
 
I've been to Hoo Ness YC several times when I had a Snappy. Like CPD I am not able to get in there now.

(Another) meet up with Cantata and others from foreign shores would be most enjoyable. Our trip to the Swale was the best sailing of 2008. I am planning to be in Holland until early July though.
 
Early indications are that drying out isn't possible for the bosts incorrectly specified for East Coast Cruising.:D:D
Perhaps I will meet Cantata at Harty Ferry on the Friday evening, then we will amble up the Swale/Medway to meet you all in a deeper puddle for the Saturday Evening.

Well, there is Medway YC at Upnor, Chatham Marina, Gillingham? More choices for 1.8m?

Can you get ashore at Stangate or similar for a BBQ?
 
FullCircle said:
Well, there is Medway YC at Upnor, Chatham Marina, Gillingham? More choices for 1.8m?

Can you get ashore at Stangate or similar for a BBQ?
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MYC may well have moorings available as a lot of the boats there seem to go in quite late.

IMO Chatham Marina is expensive (last year £28 pounds for one night, 29 foot).

There's a barge at Queenborough that you can moor alongside (and raft up)and board for a BBQ.

Not sure about getting ashore at Stangate, we tried once and nearly lost the dinghy and tide went out! We all got rather wet and very muddy. Someone else will know better though.
 
MoodySabre said:
I've been to Hoo Ness YC several times when I had a Snappy. Like CPD I am not able to get in there now.

(Another) meet up with Cantata and others from foreign shores would be most enjoyable. Our trip to the Swale was the best sailing of 2008. I am planning to be in Holland until early July though.
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FWIW my Sadler 26 deep fin draws 1.42m, and there is no problem getting into the marina 2 hours or so either side of HW- to be fair that marina is silting up and even with the cill to protect it ,boats do dry out (upright) in soft mud but it is a walk- aboard from land connected pontoons of course and just a couple of minutes walk from the clubhouse next door.One night costs me £13

On our Disabled Sailing Day early in the year our bigger boats of up to 2m draft slip in just before and after the top of the tide
 
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Gin said:
FWIW my Sadler 26 deep fin draws 1.42m, and there is no problem getting into the marina 2 hours or so either side of HW- to be fair that marina is silting up and even with the cill to protect it ,boats do dry out (upright) in soft mud but it is a walk- aboard from land connected pontoons of course and just a couple of minutes walk from the clubhouse next door.One night costs me £13

On our Disabled Sailing Day early in the year our bigger boats of up to 2m draft slip in just before and after the top of the tide
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I'm sure the boss could be persuaded to participate, and even allow WO to sink into the mud, so long as she (WO :D) remainded reasonably upright.
 
I've found out today that it's feasible to land on part of the shore of the creek but the nature of the terrain, and the fact that the place is teeming with wildlife (that's the big attraction of Stangate, the peace and quiet and the wildlife) I think means that a BBQ is a non-starter. In fact if I was there, as a local, and saw a crowd having a BBQ ashore I'd probably be pretty annoyed!
 
Is there anywhere round Harty Ferry, or maybe a bit further, in suitable for BBQ? Maybe on the Sheppy side? Have never really explored the shore side along there, except the walk to the pub from Harty Ferry.
 
A summary so far, then...
Chatham expensive and I wouldn't go there for this.
Gillingham slightly less so.
Hoo a possible good option with those who don't mind a muddy bottom going in the marina, and those who do mind finding a mooring outside if HNYC could arrange it. Food and club very good.
Stangate Creek not really an option for going ashore.
Queenborough, the concrete lighter a real possibility, can be booked in advance, rafting allowed and BBQ can be used on it. Will get charged £9 per boat at this year's rates though, just for tying up.
Conyer (Swale Marina) is all muddy bottom stuff.
Harty Ferry, lots of moorings plus safe anchoring. But hairy in the extreme to get ashore if blowing, and wind over tide. BBQ entirely possible on beach on south side, don't know about north side but I can't see why not. Good pub close on north side, two good pubs one mile walk on south side.
 
My vote then is for Hoo, looks like we can accomodate everyone in one fashion or another.

I can really warm to this one - we will need to go onto Mobo and invite the likes of Stoaty, Olgit unit18 an all those hilarious folk.
 
FullCircle said:
My vote then is for Hoo, looks like we can accomodate everyone in one fashion or another.

I can really warm to this one - we will need to go onto Mobo and invite the likes of Stoaty, Olgit unit18 an all those hilarious folk.
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Our next Sailing Committee meeting is scheduled for next week, so we shall discuss the possibility of an EC Forum group visit and our provisional 2010 programme- I shall report back with suggestions observations etc for further consideration

Gordon
 
Stangate Creek is a complete no-no for going ashore other than to let the dog excrete. It's orrible muddy bird poo covered marshy mud and getting ashore means tripping over rocks and stinky mud.
Damn fine place to anchor though, one of only two places we haven't dragged :o
 
Funny, I remember having three idyllic days sometime around 1999 in Stangate when I had my triple keeled Fantasie 19. I just dried out on the port shore just before the creek turns to starboard. I took cushions ashore and sunbathed and walked and I don't recall it being muddy at all.

PS You could all come up to Gravesend if you fancy a long trip. GSC hopes to have 30 new deep water moorings next year. If the dates are right we could organise fish and chips in the clubhouse. And our bar is dirt cheap.
 
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LeonF said:
Funny, I remember having three idyllic days sometime around 1999 in Stangate when I had my triple keeled Fantasie 19. I just dried out on the port shore just before the creek turns to starboard. I took cushions ashore and sunbathed and walked and I don't recall it being muddy at all.
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That's right, there's a strip of sandy stuff below the wall along that shore. However I do think strongly now that a crowd with a BBQ is a no-no down there, for the sake of the wildlife.
 
Cantata said:
That's right, there's a strip of sandy stuff below the wall along that shore. However I do think strongly now that a crowd with a BBQ is a no-no down there, for the sake of the wildlife.
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Fabulous selection of birdies around there ( and near the clubhouse too)- a small family of Brent Geese just arrived outside the marina, egrets oystercatchers and greenshank always around of course. At Stangate, and elsewhere ,curlews abound ( numbers are dwindling nationwide I'm told), black-tailed godwits and many many more species.

Our flock of migrant turnstones which sit on the marina wave-break and the nearby lighters haven't yet arrived from Scandinavia and beyond but you can really get close- a few feet- in a passing boat which is most rewarding
 
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