A Weekend Sail - Medway, Thames & Swale

A Weekend Sail - Medway, Thames and Swale

A 48-hour adventure on a small boat in the Thames Estuary.

Whilst waiting for the returning tide, we explore the banks of Faversham Creek, Kent - the home of many Thames Sailing Barges, including Mirosa and Orinoco.

Cambria, the last British trading vessel under sail alone, is seen in a dry dock at the beginning of her reconstruction at Standard Quay. She looks in a very sorry state. Fortunately in 2011 the rebuild was complete and she is now sailing again and can often be seen in Faversham Creek in all her glory. She is still handled in the traditional way, with no engine, as is Mirosa.

Thames Barges, Ironsides and Westmoreland, can also be seen at Standard Quay, both in need of restoration. Recently, the villagers of Lower Halstow have got behind Westmoreland's restoration and hope to bring her back to the creek where she traded for may years for Eastwood Brickworks. Hopefully she will join Edith May in Lower Halstow dock.

As the tide makes, Thames Barge, Orinoco, is seen heading back to her berth at Iron Wharf. She is a wooden, spritsail barge, built in 1895 at Greenwich.

At the top of the tide, we head off down the creek on board the Hunter Horizon 23, Eos. We pass the remote and, supposedly, haunted Shipwright's Arms at Hollowshore.

Before heading out into East Swale, we pass the Colchester Smack, Alberta (CK318) recently restored at Tester's Boatyard and the Faversham Smack, Game Cock, (F76) built in 1948.

At Harty Ferry, you can see the Norman church of St Thomas the Apostle, dating back to 1089. Worth a visit to see the finely sculpted Flemish oak muniment chest, depicting knights jousting, which dates from the 14th Century and is believed to have been found floating in the Swale.

Then on past Horse Sands, where seals often bask on the mud. Whitstable and Herne Bay can be seen in the distance.

Going about, we head up the Swale, past Elmley Causeway, where the remains of a WWII minesweeper can be seen, past Grovehurst Jetty and Ridham Dock. On past the Old Turkey Cement Works Barge Dock and under Kingsferry Lifting Bridge, built in 1959 and able to lift both road and rail so that ships can pass beneath. In 2006 the new bridge, Sheppey Crossing, opened to allow road traffic better access on and off the Isle of Sheppey.

As the sun begins to set, we pass Settle Speakman's Pier, built in 1953, still with its original cranes and on to Queenborough Harbour, where we pick up an overnight mooring buoy and are entertained by a runaway jet ski and its recovery by the harbourmaster.

The following morning the early mist lingers and we head out through the mouth of the Medway with Grain Power Station and the Martello Tower, Grain Fort, over to port and Garrison Point Fort, at Sheerness - now home of the Medway Ports Authority - to starboard.

The notorious wreck of the liberty ship, SS Richard Montgomery, lies off Sheerness, where she broke her back, before the D-Day landings, in 1944. She still has 1500 tons of high explosives on board! Her three masts are visible at all states of the tide.

Out into Sea Reach and to the Red Sand Towers, one of the WWII anti-aircraft batteries in the Thames Estuary. Also known as Maunsell Forts, they were credited with shooting down 22 aircraft and 30 flying bombs during World War Two.

The shipping in Sea Reach includes Clipper Harrald, an LPG tanker of 13,500 tons and Hapag Lloyd's, Bonn Express, a container ship of 45,000 tons and the Medway Pilot boat.

Heading back into the River Medway, past the Sheerness tugs and Thamesport container seaport, where the 78,000 ton, Hatsu Smart, container ship is unloading,

We head up Damhead Creek, past the remains of the Bees Ness Naval Jetty towards Kingsnorth Power Station.

Finally we head over to anchor in Stangate Creek for the night, to enjoy dinner and another stunning Medway sunset.

A memorable weekend sail in a small boat on the East Coast!

Thanks to Dylan Winter's, Keep Turning Left, for inspiring us to film our adventure.

Music: from Song of Songs by Patrick Hawes.
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/son...