The Radio Forts & Sights of the Thames Estuary

A sailing from Queenborough, Sheerness on the Isle-of-Sheppey on 14th September 2024

A copy free feature of a 'Grand Forts Tours' on the 'X-Pilot' from her home port

Mini-Hovercraft ...

... watched us cast off

Yacht passes Grain Tower

Address: Number 1 The Thames

'Crewless' of Hamble powers out of the Medway Channel

Montgomery East Wreck Bouy

Bouys moved further out from wreck site

Montgomery main mast

loking towards Sheerness, note Dockyard Church

'Norsky' Finish Flagged Ro-Ro IMO 9186128

MSC 'Yukta X' Container Ship

leaving Oaze Deep for deep water cahannel to Princes Channel

MSC 'Yukta X' IMO 9146467

Knock John Naval Fort with Barrow #10 Bouy beyond

CMA CGM 'Goya' Container Ship IMO 9365972

Inbound in Knock John Channel

'Knock John Naval Fort

Knock John Naval Fort Service/repair rail

Radio Essex 222 still just readable

Knock John Naval Fort

Netting has been tied in place to prevent birds entering?

'Claus' Chemical Container Ship IMO 9268253

Outward bound in the Warp

Knock John Naval Fort with Gunfleet Windfam beyond

General Cargo Ship 'Fast Sim' IMO 9356517

North of Kentish Flats Windfarm

Shivering Sands (Tony Gillham, August 2024)

Shivering Sands Army Fort with Hopper Dredger 'Hanson Thames' IMO 9887786

loaded in the deep water channel to Princes Channel

Hopper Dredger 'City of Westminster' IMO 8902278

approaching deep water channel at Shivering Sands

Shivering Sands Army Fort with Knock John beyond

General Cargo Ship 'Erieborg' IMO 9463437

Inbound in the Oaze Deep

Red Sands Army Fort Gun Tower #2 & #3

Kayak paddles between Gun Tower #1 & Bofors Tower

An unusual sight, flat calm but 5 miles from nearest land at Foulness

Kayak under Bofors Tower

Shouting across checking they had saftey equipment and radio

leader to left assured they were wisely fully kitted

Kayak group leaving for an hour and a halfs paddle back to the Isle-of-Sheppey

Mainland at Seasalter tide was on flood so will take them westard

Leaving Red Sands

'Meuse River' Hopper Dreger IMO 9866988

Inbound Oaze Deep

General Cargo Ship Seacon 'Charente' IMO 9155676

Outward bound Oaze Deep

Container Ship 'A2B Future' IMO 9122241

Otward bound in the Warp

Chemical Oil Tanker 'Theodor Essberger' IMO 9403906

Outward bound in the Warp

Ro-Ro Ferry 'Ostrand' IMO 9087362

Outward bound in the Warp

Tug 'Svitzer Monarch' IMO 9756470

at Sheerness Docks

Tug 'Svitzer Ramsey' IMO 9440899

at Sheerness Docks

Cement Carrier 'Cemvale' IMO 9048287

at Sheerness Docks

Cement Carrier 'Cemvale' IMO 9048287

at Sheerness Docks

'NACC Kingdom' IMO 9135486

at Sheerness Docks

Car Carrier 'Auto Eco' IMO 9736365

at Sheerness Docks

'Yesterday' the 'Pilot' right with her sister vessels on the River Thames at Gravesend (1970's)

from the X-Pilot Achive

'Flashback' to the Mystery Jets aboard filming 'Bubblegum' in 2016 with the red Sands Radio Antenna still standing

X-Pilot on the ATL (All Tide Landing, Queenborough (14th September 2024)

For Thames Estuary, Medway and Thames Cruises X-Pilot Sailings