Thames Estuary Sailing
Picture pages : 1 : 2 : 3 : 4 :

Painting of SB Greta at work off the East Coast in the 1960's
Now a brilliant sail on Monday 4th September 2006

The Kent & Essex Fisheries Protection Patrol Vessel drops by

As we arrive at Red Sands Army Forts

Just in time for Tea

Everyone's always thrilled to see the Forts

The Fisheries Vessel resumes Patrol with Shivering Sands Army Forts in the background

Base of Gun Tower 4 with Seagulls roosting

Artist Derek Ray with sketch pad captures the moment

Note at low tide the detail of the oxford picture frame base
 
Derek Ray's sketch's - Gathering at the wheel

Greta Saloon

6 of the towers that make up Red Sands Army Fort
 
Close up view into the Searchlight Tower where the generators are housed
You can see the Generators in action on Radio 390 in Red Relics

The new platform base & ladder arrangement into the Southern Gun Tower 1
 
Erected in 2006 this is the 1st phase of the refurbishment of the Fort

Redsand Towers North Buoy

All 7 Redsand Towers from the North West

For the whole history of the Maunsell Sea Forts see Fort Fax

Simon Greta Crew with the Windfarm in the background
 
A calm day & close sail by a Elsam Wind Turbines
Plans to build more Windfarms in the Thames Estuary are being greeted with mixed views
Ramsgate, in Thanet where a £400 million 150 turbine site should be completed by 2010
Gunfleet 1 & Gunfleet 2 are to be built 5 miles off Clacton Essex, with them the East Coast seascape will dramatically change & make life interesting for ships approaching the Thames Gateway Container Terminal
This London Array will make entry to all the ports of the East Coast a challange for other shipping & Yachtsman when taking into account the ever-shifting sand banks
108 turbines are also proposed off Norfolk at Sheringham Shoal

Derek Ray's - Greta & the Windfarm on the Kentish Flats

Happy Sailing Trippers, come & join us soon

Above Derek Ray's - Stowing the Fore s'l
With the wind falling away & approaching harbour the sails are dropped

Derek Ray's Up The Creek
A barge under tow making its way up Faversham Creek