A Trust Port Managed by the Sandwich Port and Haven Commissioners under Acts of Parliament
Welcome
to the website of the Sandwich Port and Haven.
The Sandwich Port and Haven is a Trust Port managed by the Sandwich Port and Haven Commissioners for the safe benefit of all Users / Stakeholders.
Although the Port and Haven in its recognisable form has been around for over 200 years, the activities of the Haven go back as far as Roman times.
Sandwich - the entry port to the British Isles for 1000 years - and Richborough before that.
- by raid and by trade.
More under the HISTORY tab.
Leisure boating guide
USERS - PLEASE OBSERVE THE SPEED LIMIT OF
8 KNOTS
Byelaw 3 Refers
PLEASE ALSO CONTROL YOUR ‘WASH’ THROUGH MOORINGS AND
REDUCE SPEED ACCORDINGLY.
Byelaw 2 refers
Note that there are wide areas of shallow water in Pegwell Bay and in the entrance to the river. Be careful to avoid grounding, hitting the river banks and causing damage to the sensitive saltings and mudflats. The Harbourmaster is available to assist with advice.
Captain Colin Carr
Tel: 07958 376183
VHF marine radio, Channel 08
Please also…
Do respect other water users – keep well clear of other
craft.
Observe the Speed Limit of 8 Knots, less if necessary through moorings to avoid disturbance to moored craft.
Swimmers. Swimming is not encouraged, especially around moored craft where the run of the tide makes swimming extremely dangerous. If falling in near moored craft, strike out for the centre of the river and land where it is easy to climb out clear of moored craft. Getting very muddy indeed is better than drowning.
Comply with the ‘rules of the road’ – consider taking an RYA approved course. Sandwich Sailing and Motor Boat Club run courses. Tel: Paul Miller on 07595 839044.
Wildlife…
The river and it’s margins are important wildlife habitats of international importance…
Be aware of wildlife and avoid sensitive areas
Do not disturb birds nesting in the salt marshes and scrub. Many species of birds are protected by law.
Watch your wash. Excessive wash causes riverbank
erosion and is a nuisance to other boaters.
Check the weather and tides before going afloat
Wear a lifejacket, carry a marine VHF radio.
Personal Rubbish
Dispose of your rubbish safely and sensibly and not
by littering the Haven. Leave nothing but your ‘wake’.
Effluent. Please do not discharge grey or black water into the waters of The Haven - or higher up the river.
Useful contacts
Kent Wildlife Trust
Tyland Barn
Sandling
Maidstone.
Kent ME14 3BD
Telephone: 01622 662012
Email: www.kentwildlifetrust.org.uk
Kent Marine Police
Address: Tactical Operations, Coldharbour, Maidstone, Kent ME20 7SL
Telephone No: 01622 608056
Project KRAKEN
Project KRAKEN is a joint initiative aimed at encouraging the public to report suspicious or unusual activity around the coastal and maritime environment.
Seen or heard anything unusual? Report it.
Call your local Police on 101 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. Quote KRAKEN.
A Small selection of the seals to be seen just in from the mouth of the river. Photo taken by the Webmaster at the top of a higher than predicted Spring Tide, which left the seals nowhere to go sunbathing - February (10th) 2016. Although not clear, the vegetation on the marsh beyond the seals conceals a lot of tidal inundation.
Treacherous indeed with its gullies and channels hidden by that inundation!
Update - 5th July 2016
Byelaws are under revision to update them to current practice. The existing Byelaws remain valid until the update is completed.
DO PLEASE INFORM THE PORT AND HAVEN
…IF YOU ARE GOING TO DO WORK THAT WILL AFFECT SAFE NAVIGATION OR THE WATERWAY IN THE HAVEN
Forms are available for specific activities and are to be found on the Health and Safety tab above.
Their use triggers issue of a Notice to Mariners on your behalf. They are:
Diving
Tree Felling or Pruning works
Use of Hovercraft
Irregular Occurrence Reporting (Incident / Accident)
Construction
Hot Works
Navigation Marks Reporting
This site is the Intellectual Property of the Sandwich Port and Haven Commissioners
Copyright 2016©
Unless otherwise shown all pictures on this website were taken by the Webmaster Robert Holden. If you have something you would like to contribute relevant to the River Stour we would be pleased to hear from you.
Contact details on the contacts page via the buttons above.
