Milton Creek has been left derelict for the last two generations after her use as a commercial port declined. The use of the Creek was almost lost earlier in the year after a plan to put a low level bridge over the Creek was proposed. A campaign by Sittingbourne Yacht Club managed to persuade the Kent County Council Planning Committee to ask that the type of the bridge be reconsidered so that the Creek could be kept open.
The Creek can be entered up to 2 hours either side of High Tide, depending on your boat's draught. There are withies visible at half tide to indicate the channel. The gutway is 5 metres wide at the entrance and diminishes to 2 metres at the top. The channel runs true right down the centre all the way to the top without meandering but tends to the outside at bends. The centre channel has some debris remaining in it but this does not protrude more than 150mm. There are some major wrecks at the edges, the sunken barge immediately prior to the old Barge Museum site protrudes right out to the main channel and is marked with a yellow diamond.
One can anchor in the Swale between the Lilies cardinal and the Elmley Ferry buoys and remain afloat at low tide. I anchored with a 10kg Bruce in a F7 and it held fine. (Please leave a note on the forum with your experiences.)
I have dried out at Murston Wharf (adjacent to Gas Road on the East side), the mud is flat and clear of obstacles and there is 1 metre minimum depth at neaps. This is owned by the Vice Commodore and you need to obtain permission from him, phone 01795426880. The site is undeveloped so there is no safe access to the wharf when the tide is out.
I have dried out at Gas Road (West Side) see pic above. As you can see the mud is very steep and it was not comfortable. It would have been better to have moored alongside the concrete jetty there but it was neaps and dropping and I wanted to be sure of getting off. There is some debris there but I aim to have a go at clearing it. Visited the local ASDA via the footpath, but have not yet checked out the local hostelries.
At the top one can tie up to the jetty on the tide, this is privately owned and is in a derelict condition. I have not stayed myself, but a Hoo Ness YC member reported staying there for some weeks a few years ago. I have used this to visit the local Homebase for DIY materials. Have made enquiries of the owners to see if we can use this.
Please let me know if you can join our work party to clear some of the debris from the Creek on Saturday 16th September (to coincide with the Medway/Swale Partnership clean-up weekend).
Wil Pretty
Rear Commodore
Sittingbourne Yacht Club
17 August 2006
Tel 01580 892741
Email rear.commodore@sittingbourneyachtclub.org.uk