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)
Sapphire & Boudicca waiting for Havengore Bridge to open
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)
Route across Maplin Sands
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!
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-61370382
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Bulwark_(1899)
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.
Medway, approaching Chatham, Rochester Castle in background
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
The South Eastern bridge at Rochester
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.
SKYLARK with masts down travelline through Maidstone
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.
Allington Lock
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. Continue reading
SKYLARK was towed over 500 miles on July 19th to Largs in Scotland to join another 30+ Shrimpers for the rally,.some had already been in the vicinity sailing for a few weeks before. We arrived late Sunday night where we stayed at a local B&B and arranged for SKYLARK to be hoisted into the Marina the following morning
SKYLARK was then taken out for a shakedown trip for the rest of the day to Little Cumbrae to check all the re-masting and rigging etc had been performed correctly. In the evening there was a group meal at 
The paddle steamer struggled to Rothesay on the Isle of Bute, where some of the passengers disembarked to visit the town, we continued to the Kyles of Bute but had to turn back before we reached the end due the weather. The return trip then returned to Rothesay to pick up passengers and then onto to Greenock where she berthed with difficulty due to the offshore wind.
The May SOCA meeting was a retro style presentation given by Stewart Warren, using 20th Century slides (taken at the time) and a borrowed slide projector, about his 1994 ocean passage from Cape St Vincent, the south-western-most point of Portugal and of mainland Europe to Porto Santo, Madeira and Tenerife. 
The Marina had 140 berths on floating pontoons. 11km long and 6km wide, Porto Santo has a wonderful 9km long natural sandy beach. Promoted as the Golden Island to the many tourists from Portugal and europe. We took a walk to town to hop at the market and also visited a “pension house“. We enjoyed a few glasses of wine in the elderly woman’s front room, dark and dingy but cheaper than a bar.
Due to a road closure on Long Lane it meant that some attendees had a chance to refresh their navigation skills.
