London & The River Thames - General Info
COVID-19: OPEN PORT
- St. Katharine Docks Marina has reopened for visitors to a limited extent.
- It is required to book in advance and ask for permission to come.
- The marina will again be offering six month berthing contracts this fall.
Description:
This world-famous historic city needs little introduction. In recent years several of the old dock areas along the River Thames have been utilized as marinas. It is possible to sail all the way up the river, with the mast up, as far at Tower Bridge.
Entrance Notes and Cautions:
Remember the River Thames is still used extensively for commercial traffic. From the Thames Estuary (Sea Reach No.4 Buoy) it is approximately 45NM upriver to St. Katharine Docks. Monitor VHF Ch. 68 (‘London VTS’) as you passage upriver.
On approaching the Thames Barrier Zone contact London VTS on VHF Ch. 14 for permission to proceed. Green arrows will show you which span you should use for navigation. Do not sail through the Thames Barrier.
SKD Marina has useful pilotage notes on its website.
When transiting the river, it is important to keep a listening watch on the correct VHF channels:
Channel 69: VTS Sea Reach 4 outward until PLA limits
Channel 68: VTS Sea Reach 4 to Crayfordness
Channel 14: VTS Crayfordness to Teddington
Useful Links:
- The Thames Recreational Users’ Guide
- SKD Pilotage Notes for the River Thames
- General Directions for Navigation in the Port of London
- Port of London Passage Planning Guide
- Thames Map
Position:
51° 29.22’N, 00° 46.42’E (river entrance)
- Tower Bridge, London – Photo from S/V Taipan
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Related to following destinations: East Coast (UK), London & The River Thames, United Kingdom
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The St Katherine Docks Marina on the Thames in London is wide open to visitors, and usually has slips available. There are a lot of available berths for those wishing to have a six month winter contract. http://www.skdocks.co.uk A few boats have already booked for this coming winter. Gus Wilson, Ocean CruisingClub port officer (who gets nothing but goodwill from the marina for posting this).