Bob (the organiser of the 2022 East Coast Shrimpers Rally) has provided the following log of their recent rally.

“Six Shrimpers, (Including SKYLARK from SOCA) set out on July 15th from various places with the vague ambition of trying to find the source of the river Medway (or at least getting as close as possible). These were;

• Lady B (David & Pat)
• Bumble Chugger (Robin & Gillie)
• Thrift (Paul & Debbie)
• Skylark (John & Judith)
• Sapphire (Paula & John)
• Boudicca (Bob)

Friday (15th July) There was a spring flood and gentle westerly to take us rapidly South. For the overnight stop, 4 Boats went into Burnham-On-Crouch and two into Bradwell. The next morning (Saturday) the Burnham boats explored the delightfully winding maze of creeks that connect the river Roach with the Thames at Havengore. By lunchtime we were waiting at the (lifting) Havengore bridge for the man to arrive for the first opening of the day (90 min before HW)

 

 

 

and crept nervously out over the notorious Broomway and Maplin sands with almost no water beneath our keels.

 

 

 

A f4-5 easterly breeze had built up quite a chop going across the Thames but it was on our hindquarters so we flew across, surfing down the waves. An exhilarating sail but I really should have put a reef in!

We arrived at Queenborough, at the mouth of the Medway, at HW to re-unite with Bumble Chugger who had sailed around the outside of Foulness from Bradwell. We tied up on the pontoon but I then realised that this was a mud berth that was only accesible for 2 hrs each side of HW. Oh well, we would just have to get up at 05:00AM  to move to a swinging mooring. We all had a lovely evening together in Queenborough YC. The bar was open, no food but they very kindly provided plates and cutlery so that we could get a chinese takeway delivered to the club.

The next morning (Sunday) we sailed up the Medway to Chatham, against the tide, but with a fair breeze. The idea was to arrive at lunchtime so that we could spend the afternoon in the Historic Dockyard, only to find that they were hosting a gaming event and that most of the normal exhibitions were closed. Oh well – I went anyway, it was quite interesting. It was also starting to get very hot! Temperatures were around 35 deg C. The first pint of cold lager was total bliss – as were the others that followed. Bumble Chugger had already explored the Medway and so went off to explore the Swale

On Monday, We had a lazy morning waiting for the start of the flood tide and went out of the Chatham Marina lock around 10.30AM. There was still very little water in the river which was definitely helpful going under Rochester Bridge (HW air-draft about 8m). We allowed the early flood to carry us up river, occasionally scraping our keels on unknown submerged  items. The scenery was almost entirely man-made but not without interest, including a paddle steamer and ex-russian navy submarine. Most of us gently grounded at times and had to wait 10 mins for the tide to lift us clear. My rudder blade lanyard broke – I had to lift the rudder off from inside the boat (at anchor), repair the lanyard and replace the rudder – all single handed!  -It actually was easier than I’d expected – it only took 15 mins.

We arrived at  the very pretty Aylesford bridge near Maidstone around 14.30. This has an HW air-draft of 2.5m so it was definitely a mast-down job. We all anchored and helped each other to take our masts down in the middle of the river, which, by now, was quite narrow and starting to look and feel more like an inland river (although still tidal). The river then passed through Maidstone town centre and we shortly reached Allington Lock, where the tidal Medway finishes and it becomes a freshwater river.

 

The lock keeper was really helpful and after locking through, we found moorings alongside the bank directly outside the pub – perfect!

 

Tuesday – another really hot day-

We ventured further up the pretty and rural Medway through several locks but decided that we would turn around early afternoon and return to Allington for the evening.

 

Most of the locks, and various other places, en-route had been adopted by local teenagers as impromptu swimming pools. Shrimper rescuing a canoe in difficulty

They probably should have been at school but they were keeping cool and having lots of fun and who can blame them?

 

 

Wednesday, – An early start from Allington lock. The lock-keeper  starts work at 07.00 which exactly coincided with HW. This was perfect for us as we wanted to carry the ebb all the way back to Queenborough.

We stopped and tied up on a pontoon at Rochester, just before the bridge, to put our masts back up, slightly nervous that there would be enough air-draft to get through. We watched another yacht go through, scraping its VHF antenna under the bridge, but it was definitely bigger than a Shrimper so we charged through with confidence.

 

 

Thursday – Starting the journey home. HW was around 08.00 3 boats set-off together (Boudicca, Skylark & Sapphire) to sail (actually motor)  out of the Thames and head NE around the outside of Foulness. The wind was right on-the-nose but the wind gods had otherwise served us well all week. The sea was fairly flat and we got around into Bradwell without any problems. The guys from Skylark kindly drove the short distance across the Dengie peninsula from Burnham and Judith drove down with husband Dave to join us for our last dinner together in the Green Man at Bradwell Waterside – which was a lovely evening.

Friday – sailed back from Bradwell to the Deben etc. We were with the ebb tide but there was an easterly and it was quite choppy especially coming out of the Blackwater with wind on the nose. The seas eased a bit when we turned north and we were able to get the mainsail up to motor sail back up the coast to the Deben.

A lovely and memorable trip – with many more interesting events than I have time or space to relate here. I feel that there were lots of other interesting places that we bypassed en-route due to lack of time, and look forward to the next time that we head south.

Bob  (Organiser of Rally)

Post Supplied by permission of East Coast Shrimpers Association