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Companion boat or crew for Thames to Medway


Johny London

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I am considering - and I want to stress only considering at this point - doing the Thames to river Medway (Most likely would be entering Thames at Limehouse).

Would be interested to know if anyone is planning on doing this journey in the foreseeable, or if anyone who's done it before would fancy coming along.

Like I said, it's by no means definite, I'm just putting out a feeler or two at this stage and I still have to research it properly.

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If you are considering going to the medway you need to be at Thames barrier at high tide. Leaving from Limehouse this involves punching the incoming tide alway round the Greenwich loop. Far easier to leave Bow locks 1hr before high tide then you only have to punch the tide down bow creek, much easier.

There is good information on the medway transit in the SPCC tideway guide available from this page

http://www.stpancrascc.co.uk/node/87

Edited by Loddon
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SPCC organised a convoy last year - 11 boats downstream but only 10 came back (the other one went to Calais). It was great fun.

Anyway, my collection of resources, and blogs of the trips both way, are available here.  I'd be happy to answer any questions. The navigation is straightforward once:

1) you have worked out why the red buoys start on the right, then are on the left, then on the right, and then on the left again

2) you've got your binoculars working - the largest gap is over 3nm.

PS Please note that the SPCC guide is now a little out of date, in particular the buoys in Sea Reach have changed a bit due to the opening of the Thames Gateway

Here's a photo of Southend, and then one of us crossing the main navigational channel on the way upstream.
dscf7524.jpg

dscf7912.jpg

Edited by Scholar Gypsy
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I have done this trip several times but only as a youngster on my Dad's 17ft cruiser which was moored on the Medway.  In those days you bought the paper charts from Capt O M Watts in Leicester Square.  So I couldn't offer any significant wisdom - but if you would like to have someone on board for company, I would like to relive the experience.

 

 

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I've just got back from Allington, am currently in Limehouse, it's a great trip but I'm in a Dutch Barge, much more suitable. The PLA do a really good guide for recreational boaters on how to navigate the tidal Thames, you really do need to know what you're doing, as said before, check your insurance. We came up in a force 3 today, no real problem for us, even with wind over tide, however we took some 1 metre waves from the wake of an outgoing ship bow on, I'm convinced they would have sunk a narrowboat, so be very careful even if the weather is perfect!

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You may like to see this, from one of the outbound journeys last year.

It's worth joining PLA's tideway club - you get a copy of the guide mentioned above, and the tidetables etc. 

https://www.boatingonthethames.co.uk/Join-the-Tidal-Thames-Navigators-Club

 

Edited by Scholar Gypsy
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10 hours ago, rusty69 said:

Have done this trip in our sailing boat. I wouldn't attempt it in our narrowboat. Plenty of other waterways far more suited to that type of vessel imo. 

Yes but only one where my dear old dad is - he's too old and infirm to travel and would love to see the boat, plus I would be going to spend time with him. Wouldn't dream of attempting it otherwise.

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