Cruising

The cruising section is the largest part of the club and caters for you whatever your level of experience.

If you are less confident you can join in regular weekend cruises within the Medway Estuary. As you gain experience there are regular cruises in company throughout the year to places further afield.

If you are already an experienced cruiser and want to be self-sufficient the cruising grounds of the East Coast, France and Belgium are only a day’s sail away.

Likewise if you play the tides you can sail up the Thames to London in one day.

Cruiser class has so much to offer it’s members both on and off the water. There is always someone to help you should you have a problem with your yacht or any aspect of sailing.

This Year’s Cruises

We organise cruising in company for those of us who want to sail beyond the pleasures of our river as well as cruising and fun events up and down the river. We have dedicated racing for the competitive members and on the flip side we have lazy weekend cruises to Ports, Harbours, Marinas and other Yacht Clubs that have welcomed us in the past.
2024

4th – 6th May

Description

Cruiser To Conyer

10th May

Queenborough Weekend

25th May

Isle of Sheppy circumnavigation, overnight at The Harty Ferry

 

8th June

Queenborough Weekend

 

17th June

Cruise to The Netherlands

 

30th June

Medway Marathon

 

12th – 14th July

Medway Regatta

 

13th July

Montgomery Cruise

 

3rd to 7th August

Cruise to Heybridge

 

21st to 24th August

London Cruise

 

14th September

Queenborough Weekend

 

We organise shore based social events throughout the year, from casual Bar-B-Q’s and Pontoon parties, to best dressed dinner functions in the clubhouse.

For many sailors the defining moment that inspired them to pursue sailing as a sport or hobby was when after leaving the mooring under motor, setting up your sails, turning your yacht to pick up the wind, THEN, turning off the motor. There it is, the SILENCE, only broken by the sound of the wind in the sails as you adjust the helm for best course.

To find out more about Cruising at Medway Yacht Club contact the class captain.

Moorings

With over 200 deep water moorings available for cruisers of 20 feet to 42 we can cater for most of your needs.

A trot boat service runs to take you from the club pontoon to your boat. This service is on demand at weekends during the sailing season. At other times it runs by prior arrangement or a regular morning, lunchtime and evening run during the week.

For the more independent there is ample space to store a tender ashore and secure, fireproof storage for an outboard.

Moorings

With over 200 deep water moorings available for cruisers of 20 feet to 42 we can cater for most of your needs.

A trot boat service runs to take you from the club pontoon to your boat. This service is on demand at weekends during the sailing season. At other times it runs by prior arrangement or a regular morning, lunchtime and evening run during the week.

For the more independant there is ample space to store a tender ashore and secure, fireproof storage for an outboard.

Shoreside Facilities

Medway Yacht Club is the only club in the south east with its own state of the art Wise travel hoist.

This is capable of lifting boats up to 12 tonnes drawing less than 2m out of the water and moving them to the car park for winter maintenance.

Deep keel yachts that need a shore cradle are catered for as the class has a number of cradles available for hire.

If you want a mid-season scrub the travel hoist can be used and the yard staff will clean your boat for you.

A cheaper alternative is to use the club’s scrubbing trolley and pressure washer. Using this a 30 foot boat can be cleaned in less than 30 minutes.

The car park has a 2.5m security fence and is covered by extensive CCTV meaning that your boat in winter storage is a secure as it can be.

When you go away for your summer cruise you can be confident your car will still be there when you come back.

The Tuesday Group

The Tuesday Group was started by a small group of retired members who used to come down to the club on a Tuesday to carry out mooring maintenance during the winter. Since then the club has employed outside companies to carry out mooring maintenance. This meant the Tuesday Group became a reason for like minded people to get together. It has grown and is now one of the largest groups within the club with approaching 100 members.

The group still meets every Tuesday and goes for a sail in company during the summer. The destination is flexible and is weather dependent. In the winter boats are worked on together and everyone helps each other. In this way a problem with your winter maintenance is easily solved as someone will have been there and done that already.

If you are able to get away from work on a Tuesday and wish to try sailing, join the Tuesday Group. There is no need to own a boat or have any sailing experience as all are welcome.

The Tuesday Group

The Tuesday Group was started by a small group of retired members who used to come down to the club on a Tuesday to carry out mooring maintenance during the winter. Since then the club has employed outside companies to carry out mooring maintenance but the Tuesday Group has grown and is now one of the largest groups within the club with approaching 100 members.

The group still meets every Tuesday and goes for a sail in company, the destination is flexible and is weather dependent.

If you are recently retired and wish to try sailing join the Tuesday Group. There is no need to own a boat or have any sailing experience as all are welcome.

The Class Captain’s Story

The two chaps in the photo are Bob and John – the current cruiser class co-captains. This photo was taken on Bob’s boat during one of the Tuesday Group trips into the Thames Estuary.

John joined Medway Yacht Club in 2013 having already obtained an RYA Day Skipper certificate and had kept his boat in marinas. Although he had the qualification, he did not feel confident to skipper his own boat on a longer cruise. He found that the marinas did not offer the support he wanted to gain more experience. Upon joining MYC and the Cruiser Class, John found the members very welcoming and plenty of people with many sea miles only too willing to take him sailing either on their boat or on his own.

John is now an experienced skipper in his own right and became Cruiser Class captain at the end of 2019. As John says “The joy of sailing is that no two days are ever the same and you continue to learn new skills every time you go out.”