The plan was to obtain some information that would assist visiting yachtsmen who might like to come to Milton Creek – a virtually forgotten creek that runs from Sittingbourne on the North Kent Coast and flows into the Swale. It used to be a major port in the 1900’s but later fell into disuse and has suffered from planning blight for over a generation.
It is best to plan to enter approx. 2hrs before High tide. From Grovehurst Jetty on the Swale, the channel runs 30 metres from the saltings called the Lillies, then you head for a stone section of the sea wall on the port hand side. Thereafter the channel is mainly in the centre of the creek, but you need to tend towards the outside of the bends.
It was a Spring tide (5.6 metres at Sheerness) and once in the creek we found 3.4 Metres of water in the main channel at High Tide and 2 metres up against the wall at Murston Wharf (1.2 nm from the Swale on the port hand side). Thereafter the creek narrows and goes a further 1.5 nm up into Sittingbourne where it widens at the end. Here we found 1 metre of water at high tide. If the tide height is less the water depth is correspondingly reduced.
On Saturday we were joined by Charles Stock in his 16ft gaff-rigged sailing cruiser Shoal Waters. He had come over from Maldon and this was his Easter cruise destination! He has no engine or electronics, but had timed his journey perfectly such that he reached the top of the creek just as the tide started to ebb. He told us this was probably going to be his last visit here as he is now 79.
Wil Pretty, April 2006