Ramsgate to Chatham - Day 90

Ramsgate to Chatham - Tuesday 9th August 2011 - Day 90

There was a lot of yachts in the marina awaiting for a break in the weather, either going to the continent or going north across the Thames estuary.  It was still blowing hard from the northwest when we all left at 07.00 with the forcast for the wind to drop in the afternoon.

Margate

We headed north with one reef in the main and shortened genoa.  We were sheltered from most of the wind close into the cliffs as we passed North Foreland lighthouse but became more exposed as we came to the corner.  Two yachts ahead of us who looked as though they were heading across the Thames turned back in the lumpy sea.
I decided to carry on and to see if things would improve as we headed west up the Thames.  Off the coast is Thanet, the biggest wind farm I have seen, though like most farms not all the machines were working in very favourable conditions.
We put another reef in the main and reduce the genoa further as we headed towards the Margate sand banks.  You stay just to the south of this bank which did give us a little shelter. We were buoy hopping and staying very close to them until we were through the horse channel.  Passing between the Isle of Sheppey and the thirty strong wind farm on the Kentish Flats.

Richard Montgomery

 The water is shallow around  the Isle of Sheppey and a constant check on the echo sounder and using the chart plotter kept us out of harms way.
Just outside the channel into the Medway is the wreck of the Richard Montgomery with her masts exposed at low water.  This is a wartime  ammunition ship which sank here in 1944 and it is said if it every blew up it would take out the Isle of Sheppey.  It is inspected by divers once a year to make sure it is still safe.  It is surrounded by yellow buoys so no one should run into it.

Kingsnorth Power Station

We arrived at the entrance to the River Medway, Garrison Point at 16.30 on the flood tide and began the eleven mile run up the river to Chatham.
In my younger days I had been up this river many times while serving in the Merchant Navy and working on colliers carrying coal from the north east coast of England or continent to the Kingsnorth power station and it was gratifying to seeing this collier on the berth as we passed.
The Isle of Grain used to be BP's main oil terminal in the UK but the tanks have none gone to be replaced by LNG terminals and gas power stations. 
The passage up the rest of the river was all new to me and I thoroughly enjoyed navigating up to Chatham dockyard.  The lock entrance is situated on the opposite side to Upnor castle, in the old naval dockyard new marina and we were tied up by 18.45.  Our ropes were taken by an old friend Bob Niles whom I sailed with on the tallships and he has his own yacht on the Medway. 

The finished off in the marina pub, Sails and Trades, it has a very modern unusual decor which is attractive and the staff friendly and a good meal can be obtained.  It had been a long day sailing 45 miles in 12 hours in challenging conditions which had been well worth the effort.