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Places to go
If you are looking to charter a yacht in the Medway, why not consider membership of SailTime and enjoy flexible chartering all year round? With SailTime membership, you book your boat online and spend the minimum amount of time arranging your sailing – just point, click and sail! Since all UK SailTime yachts are less than 4 years old, and equipped to the same high standard, you can be confident of a quality experience.
Membership guarantees a minimum of 6 weeks sailing a year with unlimited bookings within 24 hours. You can sail at short notice, book up to 12 months in advance, and can re-arrange your bookings with no penalties.
In addition to membership on your chosen yacht, you can charter boats at over 60 European & US SailTime bases. To find out more phone 0844 800 5727 or email medway@sailtime.com.
Closer to home, the extensive waters of the Medway provide not only a safe area for day sailing but also a range of destinations close to the marina for lunch or overnight stops. From 5 to 8 nautical miles of the marina there are a host of tranquil anchorages such as the popular Sharfleet and Stangate Creeks to name but two. 
The harbour at Queenborough on the Isle of Sheppey is 10 miles away where the all-tide landing provides safe access for visiting yachts. Queenborough today still reflects something of its original 18th century seafaring history, from which period most of its more prominent buildings survive. Admiral Lord Nelson, is reputed to have learnt much of his seafaring skills in these waters, and also shared a house near the small harbour with his mistress, the Lady Hamilton.
Queenborough also marks the Medway entrance to The Swale, the 13 mile channel that separates the Isle of Sheppey from the mainland of north Kent. The popular Ferry Inn at Harty Ferry is towards the Swale’s eastern end where it joins the Thames Estuary. Although good tidal planning is necessary, the enchanting 10 mile passage through the magical waters of the Swale can be finished with a great meal at the Ferry Inn. If conditions permit the return to the Medway can be made by a 20 mile passage completing the circumnavigation of the Isle of Sheppey.
Outside the Medway lies the wider cruising area of the East Coast and its beautiful rivers. The Crouch, Blackwater and Colne, with their respective destinations of Burnham, Maldon and Brightlingsea are some 35 miles from the mouth of the Medway. A further 15 miles distant lie the Walton Backwaters and the rivers Orwell and Stour which wind their way into the Suffolk countryside from the major ports of Harwich and Felixstowe. Further north you can navigate the unspoilt rivers of the Deben and Alde.
Back on the Kent coast and just 33 miles from the Medway, is the picturesque harbour of Ramsgate with its cosmopolitan cafes and bars lining the marina waterfront. Ramsgate, together with Dover a little way further south, are both on the doorstep of the continent making the coasts of Northern France, Belgium and Holland all within easy reach. For those who wish to make longer passages, the sharing of outward and return crossings with fellow members can make this a practical possibility even with limited sailing time.
Places to Eat
The Ship & Trades is a spacious Shepherd Neame's pub with bars and accommodation overlooking the marina. The pub serves food and has an extensive open air waterfront eating area on the marina’s edge.
Within a few minutes walk, there is the Dockside Outlet Centre where there are a range of restaurants and cafes for eating during shopping hours.
More upmarket dining can be found in nearby Rochester. One restaurant, the Golden Dragon, offers berth holders return transport to the marina or a free bottle of wine.
Places to Visit
Within a very short walking distance of the Marina are The Dockside Outlet Shopping Centre, and an Odeon Cinema Multiplex. Dickens World, the new themed entertainment visitor attraction based upon the life, times, books and characters of Charles Dickens, and the Historic Dockyard Chatham, are also very close.
A couple of miles away are the historic towns of Gillingham and Rochester. The Romans and Normans each left their mark and the area has a long seafaring tradition. A fuller list of heritage and leisure attractions can be found here and some highlights listed below.
The great keep of Rochester Castle towers over the River Medway, and together with its inseparable twin, the magnificent cathedral, these medieval buildings share and dominate the skyline.
Rochester Cathedral is the second oldest cathedral in England and was founded in 604 AD by Bishop Justus. Construction on the present building was started in 1080 by William the Conqueror's architect, Bishop Gundulf, and it was finally consecrated in 1130.
The Historic Dockyard Chatham is set in an 80-acre estate with stunning historic architecture, historic ships, and museum galleries. The site offers a unique and rewarding visitor experience that takes several days to fully explore.
Upnor Castle, an attractive turreted castle on the banks of the River Medway, was built in 1559 as a gun fort to defend the warships at anchor in the Medway and Chatham Dockyard. However, it proved ineffective when the Dutch sailed up the Medway in June 1667. When they left two days later, they had destroyed or captured a large number of the Royal Navy ships anchored at Chatham.
Local Sailing Businesses
The chandlery at Gillingham Marina is the largest in the South East, and stocks a large range of sailing clothes and country wear as well as chandlery.
Elite Sailing is SailTime Medway’s preferred RYA sailing school and is based at Chatham Maritime Marina. They are able to provide professional quality training to you & your crew to achieve whatever training objective is required. Discounts can be arranged for 4 of more members.
