Medway and Swale Boating Association
The voice of boating on the tidal Medway and Swale
To commemorate the 75th anniversary of D-Day, thirty DC3 (“Dakota”) aircraft will be flying from Duxford to Normandy. On the afternoon of 5 June they will pass over Long Reach on the River Medway. This should be a moving sight!
Further information at https://www.daksovernormandy.com/
The 4th Classic Yacht & Motor Boat Festival is open to any boat, large or small, designed or built before 1970 – wood, steel, aluminium, fibreglass, ferro cement, sail, power, steam or other, the bigger the variety of boats the better the show. If in doubt as to whether your boat qualifies please email a photo and a short description. Without classic boats, we will not have a festival, so we are delighted to offer free berthing for up to 5 nights for qualifying vessels that register with us before 2 August 2019. If you have any info on how to make this classic boat event even better than the last 3 we would be grateful with any suggestions. You must register by email and have received a confirmation email to attend. To register your Classic Boat please email admin@queenborough-harbour.co.uk. For visitors (by foot) entry is FREE, the harbour will be open to the public to view the boats and meet the skippers. In addition, we plan to run passenger trips around the harbour and visit classic boats on their moorings. Last year almost 1000 people attended and the atmosphere was terrific.
Good news for Hollowshore Cruising Club member Dr. Rodney Pell, whose book “Little Ship, Big Story” has been nominated for a Mountbatten Literary Award. It tells the history of Sheemaun, a 15-metre gentleman’s yacht built for banker Ernest Richards in 1935 in Fraserburgh. She is ketch rigged and currently has two Beta Marine Diesel engines. Researches by Dr. Pell led to the author discovering some of the amazing stories of those who over the past 85 years have variously owned, sailed or served on her in World War Two. In 1939, Sheemaun was assigned to the Thames Auxiliary Pool at Cliffe, on the Hoo Peninsula, and it is almost certain that she would have been engaged in clandestine duties. She had many adventures in the Thames and Medway Estuaries, and was present at the sinking of the explosives ship Richard Montgomery off Sheerness, parts of which can still be seen at low water. Sheemaun was sold out of service in 1947 and acquired by Rodney and Maura in 1987, and is now based at Ramsgate Harbour. She has featured in picture postcards, on a jigsaw puzzle, and in yachting magazine advertisements. Little Ship, Big Story is published by The Conrad Press at £9.99
Medway Queen features in the online version of the Smithsonian Magazine. A contact out of the blue requesting information on MQ’s part in Operation Dynamo was responded to in quick time to meet a tight timescale and the article appeared online last week. Going from first contact to “in print” within just 3 days!
The article contains details of Medway Queen’s part in the operation with many links to other information including the MQPS website. Appearances in magazines such as this are always very welcome as they put the MQPS before a new audience that may not already be familiar with the ship, her story and our efforts to restore her.
Read the article in Smithsonian Magazine…
A rare sight! Waverley, the last sea-going paddle steamer, made her annual visit to the Medway on Sunday. Plenty of passengers by the look of it.
Yes, the Medway has one of the finest (if not THE finest) collections of heritage vessels in the world! MSBA Chairman Brian Corbett is passionate about the Medway being a leading centre for British, European and World Maritime Heritage. He has drafted a paper to encourage the agencies involved with the River Medway to meet, as an interested and integrated forum, to share in and mutually benefit from, the River Medway attaining its rightful status.
Richmond – Historic and ceremonial river craft and gentlemen’s yachts. The day will include behind the scenes visits and traditional boat trips on the Thames.
This year the festival will take place at Chatham Historic Dockyard, which is celebrating its 400th anniversary by offering free access to everyone on 16 June. There will be “have-a-go” water activities on the Mast Pond and other activities on the river which you can watch from the area between HMS Gannet and the submarine HMS Ocelot. Other historic vessels will be open for visitors at the east end of Basin 1 (Chatham Maritime Marina) and there will be a Parade of Sail featuring historic vessels in the afternoon. High tide is at 3.30pm.
If any local boating clubs and organisations would like a stall at the Dockyard, please email info@msba.org.uk and we will pass on your request. We are hoping that the Council will provide tables and gazebos but this is to be confirmed.
Once a year, rain or shine, a very mixed group of Medway leisure craft led by local fishing boats, accompanied by police RIBs and sometimes the Sheerness lifeboat, makes its way up and down the Medway. Held over two days on an early summer weekend, the flotilla Beats the Bounds of the Rochester Oyster & Floating Fishery.
ROFF, a very ancient organisation indeed, can trace its roots back to a charter granted by Henry III to the City of Rochester and another by Henry VI giving the local fishermen rights to harvest fish and oysters from the river. The charter was given further weight in 1729 when George II passed an Act of Parliament allowing management of the river to be organised and policed by ROFF.
Day One
Each year, Saturday starts early with the Mayor, as Admiral of The River, holding court in the Rochester Guildhall, listening to reports from the Chamberlain of the Fishery, as to how the year has gone. The health of the fishery is noted; poaching has been a problem in the past.
After the court the Mayor led by the Beadle makes his way round the corner to Rochester Cruising Club where a boat has been allocated as his Barge for the Day.
The flotilla then heads upstream to the upper limit of the fishery with members of the great and good aboard. Then it’s back down the river for refreshments.
Day Two
Once again the fleet sets off following the ROFF fishing boats, this time heading downstream, frequently picking up vessels from some of the clubs and marinas as we pass. It is traditional that we fire a cannon at all the various clubs we pass and they answer in the same manner.
First “hove to” is the war grave of HMS Bulwark where a vessel is stationed for a wreath laying with local sea scouts and piper aboard. Then it’s off out past Garrision Point, sometimes with a water display from the Sheerness tugs and on to the SS Richard Montgomery
Again a “hove to” for a wreath laying and the Last Post before returning into Queenborough at the invitation of the Mayor of Queenborough and his good lady. Over 70 boats have been known to attend.
Venue: Aboard saling barge Edith May at Lower Halstow Dock, Lapwing Drive, Lower Halstow.
When: 11 Nov, 1030-1600 with parking available
Nick was brought up, afloat, on a Thames spritsail barge: his childhood life and that of the barge is told about in his first book. Nick now sails the Thames estuary between North Kent and Snape in Suffolk. Along the way, he observes the coast and compares with the recent past: much of our coastal history of the past 150 years is fast disappearing. While wending his way he studies the land’s often soft edges, looking at wasted marshes, at silted creeks and abundant wildlife. He wanders amongst old industries, lost barge quays, the rotting hulks of traders, wondering… See Nick’s web site at www.nickardley.com