There are big changes going on at Queenborough Harbour. Peel ports have issued a notice to mariners: NtoM No 29 of 2018 (Updated) – Queenborough Harbour Lifting of Commercial Moorings and Laying of New Yacht Moorings
Wayfarer Southern Areas at Medway YC
© Richard Janulewicz / www.sharkbait.org.uk
Clifford Mickleburgh has announced the Cruising Association Kent Section’s 2018/19 programme of “Winter Warmer” talks:
More information on the CA Kent Winter Warmer 2018 – 2019 programme…
We are all invited to these excellent talks, which are held at 8pm at the Dog and Bear, Lenham, near Maidstone. It’s a good idea to book a meal (by 5pm please) on 01622 858219 for 7pm before the talk. A special CA 7-choice menu is available for £9.95.
The first presentation on 11 October is by Pam & Mark Bathurst of the Medway Queen Preservation Society. The Medway Queen was launched in 1924 and entered service on Thames estuary routes in May of that year. She was used as a minesweeper in WWII. Few ships associated with Dunkirk have fought so hard and escaped destruction so tenaciously and for so long as the Medway Queen. After the war she returned to her old route until 1963. From 1966 until 1974 she was a nightclub in the Isle of Wight. The hull rebuild was undertaken in Bristol with support from the Heritage Lottery Fund and the European Regional Development Fund and completed in late 2013. Medway Queen was towed back home and is now moored at Gillingham Pier where she can be visited.
This weekend sees the Wayfarer fleet descend on Medway Yacht Club for their Southern Area Championships and event number 6 of the Craftinsure sponsored Travellers and National Circuit Series.
A mixed bag of weather is expected by the 20 or so boats expected to enter with south westerly winds of force 4-5 with showers and sunny intervals on the Saturday followed by a westerly force 4-5 veering to the north west and reducing slightly accompanied by sunny intervals on Sunday. Of course, this being England, it could, and probably will, all change by the weekend.
The Medway Yacht Club is experienced at putting up the Wayfarers, having successfully hosted several Area and National Championships for the Class over the past decade. It is also home to one of the largest and most active Wayfarer racing club fleets in the Country. Aside from the racing, competitors will enjoy supper in the clubhouse and suffer the Commodore’s slightly dodgy but very funny quiz on the Saturday evening.
The Craftinsure Travellers Series has been very well supported in 2018. After the fifth event, 62 boats from 24 clubs have competed in at least one of the regattas. The best represented Club to date has been Medway YC and this statistic is unlikely to change over the weekend with at least a dozen local boats due to take part. The Series itself is currently led by Andrew and Tom Wilson from Datchet SC, from Bill Whitney and Lisa Whitney/John Shelton from Shoreham SC and then Brian Lamb and Sam Pygall from Wilsonian SC. All of these are expected to attend and be at or near the front of the fleet; Brian and Sam will be especially keen, as usual, to do well and put one over their near neighbours at the MYC.
Adam Taylor from Medway Council is looking for volunteers to recover life rings which have been caught under both piers, the life rings cost over £55+ and he’d really like to get some back. Please contact Adam at adam.taylor@medway.gov.uk if you can help.
Photo Gavin Parson
The abandoned Westerly Centaur, Lady Mine, which was left on Sun Pier for months, and subsequently broke her mast on the Veetee jetty, was left on an RNSA mooring. Today she sank, probably because the broken rigging snagged on the ground chain. What a sad end to yet another once-cherished boat, and an expensive problem for someone else to sort out!
A sad end to the Revenge. After occupying Sun Pier illegally for months the ill-fated “pirate ship” fetched up in Faversham Creek before being cut adrift, whereupon she went aground with her masts across the channel. Peel Ports cut the masts off to reduce the obstruction and now someone has put a torch to her. From the look of her frames she was a well-built vessel.
Note the main around the Island race this year is on SUNDAY 9 September. Full details at www.iossc.org.uk/islandrace
Photo Victoria Katherine Wright
With 17 entries received so far from 6 different clubs this event will no doubt be highly competitive. The event will comprise a series of thirteen races with a maximum of four races to be sailed each day, races will be run over in windward/leeward courses apart from a single distance race which will will be run on one day. In addition to some great racing a number of social events will be open to all MYC members. Read more…
Message from Queenborough Harbour Team: Unfortunately there will be NO trot boat running this weekend (11+12 August) due to mechanical issues. We apologise for any inconvenience caused and are trying everything in our power to rectify this.
UPDATE: The trot boat now has a new engine and is operational again.