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The Thames Estuary
Crossing the Thames Estuary can be intimidating for strangers unfamiliar with shallow swatchways, acres of drying sand and the curious idea that, even out of sight of land, there may be only a few metres of murky water under your keel.
Although the long, fanning banks may look bewildering on the chart, the Thames Estuary is well marked and the legs between buoys and beacons are short. GPS and radar take the worry out of poor visibility and you can have great fun picking your way through the numerous channels between the Kent and Essex shores.
The main shipping route into the Thames, the Princes Channel, can be taken at any tide. However, this deep fairway lies six miles off the Kent coast, and for most boats cruising west towards London it is quicker and more interesting to hug the Margate shore and keep south of Margate Sand via the Gore Channel.
There are various routes through the Thames Estuary. Yachts cruising between the Channel and the Thames turn the corner at North Foreland, usually having just left Ramsgate. With this in mind, I'll focus on three useful estuary routes: North Foreland across to Harwich; North Foreland across to the Blackwater or the Crouch, and North Foreland up to the Swale or the Medway.
Charts, pilot guides and passage distances
August, 1997 |
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The busy channels between the Kent and Essex shores can be treacherous and daunting. But don't be put off Peter Cumberlidge maps out some clear paths
