London log

[wayneakp]

I must say I am quite impressed by the tidal range of the Thames - yesterday it was 6.3 mtrs - which left a drying height in the lock

[mbird]

Blimey, and we thought a couple of feet range at WRC was big

[goodall_m1]

Blimey, and we thought a couple of feet range at WRC was big

I thought Yarmouth had a similar range at springs?

Time you Salties went a bit further afield, and plan a trip down to the Channel Islands...

The main marina in Guernsey is 2 MILES from the sea at low springs!

Or for real fun try the Bristol Channel (2nd highest range in the world)...

Of course the amount of fuel that you would use would make either trip very expensive!

Martin

[senator]

Well here we are in sunny Tollsbury, Yesterday we did St. Kats to Bradwell via Gillingham and a trip up the Thames after a 1.30pm lock out, in total we covered over 100 miles or enough to get us to Belgium, so it was a long day for Clanny but with them forecasting 5s and 6's for this afternoon it was decided to run the distance. It left us with just a short hop across the bay this morning to get us into Tollsbury.

You can only enter about 1 hour either side of high water due to the sill, and there is a nice restaurant, bar, tennis courts plus indoor and outdoor swimming pools and an on site chandlers.

The entrance is best described as interesting as most buoys are not there and those that are seem to make no logical sense, they look as though they are sending you straight back out into the estuary.

Will post pics up after food of the marina and facility's

Gavin if you are watching. Fuel stops are Bradwell and Gillingham with petrol at £1.24 litre at both, beware Gillinghams pump is very, very, very slow, it took 1 and 1/2 hours to put 400 litres into Clanny on the way in. There is a Petrol station about 1/4 mile from St. Kats but that is £1.20 a litre so not worth the walk. Avoid Levington at all costs as they have not worked out that petrol boats take volume yet and price it at about 70% over pump prices, if you are going to Ipswich there is a Shell Garage right next to Fox's, as Perry helpfully pointed out after I recounted my 4 mile double trip with a wheelchair and 80 litres a time last year.

Sorry to have lost our other two cruising companions but we had agreed before the trip to cruise in pairs with boats that ran the same speed, with the loss of a couple of boats that left us as the only boat with a 20 knot cruise so we were effectively running alone anyway. Just wish them good luck with finding a window for the 2 very long hops they have left to do.

Must go now as the Bar is calling.

[pks1702]

Senator wrote

if you are going to Ipswich there is a Shell Garage right next to Fox's, as Perry helpfully pointed out after I recounted my 4 mile double trip with a wheelchair and 80 litres a time last year.

You know me Ian always willing to help

Yes the entrance is 'interesting'

Bit more on Tollesbury

viewtopic.php?f=37&t=2948&p=33110&hilit=tollesbury#p33110

Is Ellen still based there?

[Guest]

Looks like we have a good weather window tomorrow, as we both have the range to do Lowestoft with 100 mile left in the tank that looks to be the option.

[mbird]

Well here we are in sunny Tollsbury,

I wish I had known that, as we were down visiting my brother at the weekend and had a trip to Mersea Island. Not too far from Tollesbury!

[senator]

A few more Pic's

[wayneakp]

Hi all

Crew's Crackerjack and SeaJem left St. Kats yesterday for the trip back as the forecast was only giving today as the good window for a calm sea trip. Leaving the lock we went to the fuel barge just outside which, with the considerable wash and chop on the Thames, was a challenge in itself.

We were planning to pick up a buoy at Gravesend - not ideal but because of the locking restrictions we had no option to leave St.Kats at an early enough time to make the trip home in daylight. A night passage was considered and quickly discounted. However, the guy on the fuel barge recommended going a bit further down the Queenborough, just up the Medway as he knew of a "mooring" there.

So that was the plan. After a reasonable cruise and careful navigation of the swatch channel with little water we arrived at the "mooring". This was a concrete filled barge in the river used a a lighter for the port authority. However the kind people who used or operated it had left some nice tables there for people to BBQ - so it would have been rude not to:

Little sleep was had by anyone mostly because of the noise of the tide drumming against the boats. This morning was an early start - up at 5:00 a.m for the gentle run home. We found, as forecast, light westerly winds with slight seas. After a 10 hour run CrackerJack and SeaJem made it safely back into Lowestoft. Soon after we were reunited with our crusing partners crew Clandestine, after a trip up from Tollsbury.

Lots more photos to choose a selection of to post later.

regards

Wayne

[Jupes]

Good to hear you all got back safely and in time for the airshow! Looks like you have had a great time.

[DaveS]

Welcome home 'one and all'

Dave

[Happy Jax 3]

Wow!

Certainly a trip to remember.

Glad you all are safely back on the Broads.

Col

[Lucky]

Glad you're all home safe and sound guys !!

As long as the winds keep down, we'll be popping through today, so will give you a shout...

[wayneakp]

A few more pictures - in no particular order:

[Antares_9]

Good to see you had a great time and it all went without incident guys.

[mbird]

Welcome back guys, and I'm so glad you had a good time and made it safely

[MY littleboat]

Bet you were doing everything you could to make the 'montgomery' go bang as you passed!!!!

Looks like a fab trip - any possibility of fuel useage breakdowns for future reference and general info on refuelling / prices / comparisons?

[Guest]

Glad everyones all back and lovely- looked very tired when i saw them but happy and healthy nontheless- they'd all really enjoyed themselves.

Watched Job Done, Sea Jem and Crackerjack through the locks at oulton broad; kindly serenaded by a flypast from the red arrows. Pity i didnt have my camera ready, would have been such a good picture

I'm still trying to convince dad that I had organised the flypast for their return ...he's not having any of it

[Guest]

So glad you all had a safe and fun trip, and we are not in the slightest bit envious ... brushing up on our Germinglish for next year when Clanny will have a cruising companion.

"any possibility of fuel useage breakdowns for future reference". I'll save Ian the trouble Gav, shagloads!!

Phil and Carron

[MY littleboat]

Ah I wasn't sure if it was 'shagloads' in Ians case, 'more than I would have liked' in Waynes case, 'Just a bit' Adam is bound to reply regarding his trip, and 91.34 gallons for 181.3 miles run is what I would guess from Johnathons 'command centre' bridge that even the Royal Navy would be envious of!!!!

On a personal note Phil, how's your leg shaping up??

[Guest]

last few pic's

And finally Sea Gem returning to Lowestoft

Well done Wayne, Tracy and Kristie

[Guest DAYTONA-BILL]

I`m sure you`ll find the paddle steamer is the "Kingswear castle", which always used to be stationed at Thunderbolt pier off the old Chatham Dockyard. My boat Mistral (see thread here`s mine in members boats) used to be moored about 400 yds downriver on the dockyard side right in front of Chatham Marina lock gates. It`s now on our drive high and dry down here in Dorset. Also, when you came past Tilbury and Gravesend, you came right past my old flat in Northfleet, and i used to spend ages watching all the boats going up and down the river. I hope you`ve all had a great time, and all came home safe and sound. Regards .................. Neil.

[senator]

So glad you all had a safe and fun trip, and we are not in the slightest bit envious ... brushing up on our Germinglish for next year when Clanny will have a cruising companion.

"any possibility of fuel useage breakdowns for future reference". I'll save Ian the trouble Gav, shagloads!!

Phil and Carron

Depends how you define shagloads as I don't think many would call £1200 worth of fuel just a drop but it equates to around 1000 liters which broke down as

Leave Reedham with full tanks

398 liters Gillingham Marina

40 liters BP filling station outside St. Kats (Silly idea to cut out going to Gillingham for fuel and instead run to Bradwell, aborted after 1 trip on Jonathan's folding bikes)

257 liters Gillingham Marina

120 liters Bradwell Marina

Return to Reedham after 2 runs out from Lowestoft for the air show and the run back up via Oulton Broad with 3/4 tanks which will take around 200 liters to fill

Total milage 350

So that gives an average fuel burn at a cruising speed of 20 knots or over ground of between 18 and 23 knots of 1.55 Nm to the gallon from my twin 4.3 Volvo carburetor petrol drinkers, might come as a bit of a surprise to those who think petrol can't be used for serious sea work.

Also filled up waterside 3 times at £1.24 liter or about 15p a liter more than 60/40 split Diesel.

We also didn't have to spend anything on oil as it didn't use a drop and the engines didn't miss a beat as they haven't for the last 2 and 1/2 years, with only routine servicing and a dosing of fuel additive carried out.

We did have pretty good seas to run on but ran around 80 miles against the tide so we could possibly have improved on it further if we had wanted to run on rougher water.

[Guest DAYTONA-BILL]

Depends how you define shagloads as I don't think many would call £1200 worth of fuel just a drop but it equates to around 1000 liters which broke down as

Leave Reedham with full tanks

398 liters Gillingham Marina

40 liters BP filling station outside St. Kats (Silly idea to cut out going to Gillingham for fuel and instead run to Bradwell, aborted after 1 trip on Jonathan's folding bikes)

257 liters Gillingham Marina

120 liters Bradwell Marina

Return to Reedham after 2 runs out from Lowestoft for the air show and the run back up via Oulton Broad with 3/4 tanks which will take around 200 liters to fill

Total milage 350

So that gives an average fuel burn at a cruising speed of 20 knots or over ground of between 18 and 23 knots of 1.55 Nm to the gallon from my twin 4.3 Volvo carburetor petrol drinkers, might come as a bit of a surprise to those who think petrol can't be used for serious sea work.

Also filled up waterside 3 times at £1.24 liter or about 15p a liter more than 60/40 split Diesel.

We also didn't have to spend anything on oil as it didn't use a drop and the engines didn't miss a beat as they haven't for the last 2 and 1/2 years, with only routine servicing and a dosing of fuel additive carried out.

We did have pretty good seas to run on but ran around 80 miles against the tide so we could possibly have improved on it further if we had wanted to run on rougher water.

It just goes to prove that petrol engines in boats are very much maligned and very undeservedly so. I remember years ago going on someones boat which had a ford petrol inboard, and when underway, you could hardly hear it. Also, per normally aspirated cc, petrol engins are a lot more powerful. Regards to all ............... Neil.

[Guest]

Of our 3 weeks on board the best moment has to be passing under Tower Bridge, but close second must be pedal karting at the maize maze, a must if you visit Southwold.