RIB Cruise from Holland to London

[niels]

Hello ribsters

We are planning a rib cruise to London the 18th of mai with three RIBs.
A Ribcraft 6,8, a Revenger 25, and a Scorpoin 8,25.
We are leaving from Hoorn In the Netherlands to Blankenbergen Belgium.
The next day we cruise to London. We stay there for 2 nights and then return home.
Does anybody know: -if there are speed limits on the Thames?
-if Catharina dock is a safe marina?
-Where we can refuel near London?
-a nice place to stay near the marina?

Hope to hear some answers or others good tips.
Thank you very much in advance.
Best regards
Niels

[Andre]

Originally Posted by niels

Hello ribsters

We are planning a rib cruise to London the 18th of mai with three RIBs.
A Ribcraft 6,8, a Revenger 25, and a Scorpoin 8,25.
We are leaving from Hoorn In the Netherlands to Blankenbergen Belgium.
The next day we cruise to London. We stay there for 2 nights and then return home.
Does anybody know: -if there are speed limits on the Thames?
-if Catharina dock is a safe marina?
-Where we can refuel near London?
-a nice place to stay near the marina?

Hope to hear some answers or others good tips.
Thank you very much in advance.
Best regards
Niels

Make sure you advise Dover Coastguards of your crossing should you wish to avoid a NautiBouy's experience

[niels]

What happened?

[timw]

Dear Niels,

There is no speed limit on the Thames in London until you reach Wandsworth Bridge when it becomes 8 knots. Wandsworth is quite a long way up river.

Be careful with your wake and all the passenger boats as the river police are always active and on the look out. Keep on the right hand side of the river.

St. Katherines is very safe and in an excellent location with Tower Bridge, Tower of London etc and there are plenty of hotels around. If you are on a budget try Novotel in Trinity Square, short walk from St. Katherines.

Call St. Katherines first as they are often full.

Your only logistical difficulty will be petrol (gas). On the Thames near London only diesel is available from the floating barges. You could take a taxi with cans to the naerest petrol station, or make sure you have plenty on board from one of the Meday Marinas before you reach London.

Have fun, taking a Rib on the Thames in central London is an unforgettable experience.

[niels]

thank you very much.
that is helpful information.

[GuyP]

Originally Posted by timw

Dear Niels,
Your only logistical difficulty will be petrol (gas). On the Thames near London only diesel is available from the floating barges. You could take a taxi with cans to the naerest petrol station, or make sure you have plenty on board from one of the Meday Marinas before you reach London.

Niels - there is a shell garage directly behind St Katherines Dock, which you should be able to walk to:

http://www.streetmap.co.uk/newmap.sr...=newsearch.srf

[the bandit]

Don't go under bridge arch if there is a flashing light above it. It means there is a large craft manouvering on the other side. I got stopped by the river police, i was only doing 70 at the time.

[niels]

Can anyone tell where the nearest meday marina with petrol is located from London?
thank you

[Bern Hanreck]

Neils , unless anyone can tell you otherwise , I think you are asking about marinas on the Medway . I guess the nearest with both petrol & diesel is Chatham Maritime Marina , but their website is not particularly helpful .There certainly was a pub plus accommodation there , plus the historic naval dockyard museum . I believe that you have to lock in and out other than high tide . It's pleasant enough there , but a bit of a diversion off your main route .

[Andre]

Originally Posted by niels

What happened?

A lot of excitment. PM me your email address and I will send you a pdf file. You could also look it up on the forum

[Swifty]

Neils,
Passage accross from Belgium pretty strait forward. Cross the TSZ, head for Margate (keeping north of the Goodwins) then take either the Princess Channel, Kentish Flats windfarm to Port, Red Sand WW2 forts to Port, Medway approaches, Sheerness, river Medway. The nearest marina for petrol and diesel is Gillingham marina, Ch80. Speed limit in the last mile only! Chatham marina also do diesel and petrol but only upto 7PM. Beware their petrol price is HIGH (£1.21/L 2 weeks ago!!)
If the tide is with you, there is a Tesco just behind the sea wall at sheerness!

If weather is poor, take the inshore channel via Margate South channel, Gore channel, Whitstable street PHB to port, The Swale (inshore of IO Sheppey), Queenborough then carry on up the river Medway to Gillingham. Gillingham marina is about 15 miles upriver from Sheerness. Leaving the Medway, take the River Thames up to London. Berths available at St Katherines or Limehouse Basin plus a few others. No speed limit but watch your wash. Ch 14 London VTS to transit the Thames barrier.

Hope that gives you a taster. I would reccomend going via the forts at approx 51 28 N, 001 00 E.

Have done most of the route at some time, but not in a single run. If you need more info then PM me.

Good luck.
Tim.

[niels]

thank you for all the helpfull information.
We are planning the trip now and we are hoping for some nice weather and not to much wind.
Strange that you can't buy petrol near London at the water.
I think that we go to Ramsgate to refuel before we make the crossing to Holland on the way back.
What's the best pub near Catherine's dock?
Because i think that we are very thursty when we come in.

thanks again

Niels

[Bern Hanreck]

" The Dickens Inn " is the famous Pub within the Marina . To be honest , I was disappointed with the beer & food in there . Remember that you will probably have to lock in and out of St.Katherines , so if you are going to that trouble there are probably plenty of other places to eat and drink . ( There's a nice looking Indian restaurant in there as well ). If time is not on your side , you may be able to moor up outside Limehouse Marina , just across from the pub there . Good food and beer as I recall !

[Tideway]

Originally Posted by Bern Hanreck

" The Dickens Inn " is the famous Pub within the Marina . To be honest , I was disappointed with the beer & food in there . Remember that you will probably have to lock in and out of St.Katherines , so if you are going to that trouble there are probably plenty of other places to eat and drink . ( There's a nice looking Indian restaurant in there as well ). If time is not on your side , you may be able to moor up outside Limehouse Marina , just across from the pub there . Good food and beer as I recall !

Or....for a proper pub or two, walk down Wapping High Street for the 'Town Of Ramsgate', the 'Capitan Kidd' (which has outside seating looking at the river just behind the Police boat's pier) or a bit further down the 'Prospect of Whitby'. All are far better, and significantly cheaper, than the 'Dickens'. Plus the C. Kidd has a really nice restaurant upstairs.

Links to all below:

http://ultimatepubguide.com/pubs/info.phtml?pub_id=300#

Have fun, but heed the advice about fuel. Petrol is not a commodity sold afloat on the river.

t

[timw]

you can moor on the inside of the jetty outside St. Katherines (not outside of jetty as thats where the trip boats call) and not have to wait for the tide to go through the lock.
I was there on Sunday and agree that the Dickens isn't great but adequate.

[niels]

Does anyone know if you can get fuel in Ramsgate because that will be easyer for us i think.

thanks

[MarkM]

Niels have a look here:
http://www.marinefuel.info/
So not in Ramsgate, in Dover yes, but there you have to walk with cans on a lorry.

[niels]

thanks Mark

Lucky for me to ask this question because in a pilot of the region they say that there is petrol in Ramsgate.
Isn't it stupid that you can't tank some petrol in that region?

dank je Mark.
groetjes,
Niels

[niels]

just visited the internet site of Ramsgate.
Happy to see that they have petrol.

So that petrol site is not to good i'm affraight.