Crossing the Thames Estuary

The thought of a passage across the Thames estuary is always a bit daunting for first timers, but Roger Gaspar has made the most complicated of passages appear quite simple by cleverly subdividing them into small sections, tabulating tidal flows and passage times for all stages of the tide at boat speeds of between 3 and 7 knots.  At first sight the 160 pages of close set tables make you want to close the book quickly, but a well written and easy to follow “How to use the tables” page succinctly explains their use, and quite suddenly all becomes clear and the user is overcome with confidence and understanding - a real ‘eureka’ moment.

It is a shame that the that the wire binding is too small so that the book almost immediately falls apart in use, and the useful chartlet showing the different routes across the whole estuary doesn’t label the routes with the numbers that appear in the text, as this would avoid the need for cross referencing with a chart or the text itself in the preliminary stages of passage planning.  The passage notes contain the more detailed pilotage information required, but this is often presented in a verbose and chatty style which requires a bit of digging in order to unravel the alternatives facing you.

The great benefit of this booklet is that the mysteries of the Thames estuary tides are fully exposed, and once engaged in following a route, it is a simple matter to move across the tables using the wealth of detailed information to adapt and change your passage plan to take account of changes in wind strength and therefore speed and timings. 

As a confidence booster this book is a must, and it will make your passage plan easy and your passage more comfortable.

Peter Flower

Price: 17.99

Available from IMRAY