Ramsgate is a useful and important harbour of refuge if you are coming from the English Channel and heading towards the Thames or the North Sea. Likewise if you are heading south and west from these areas. It can be tackled in all weathers short of storm force winds from the East.

Ferry traffic does use the port, but it is nowhere near as frenetic as Dover. Accommodation for small craft consists of one area in the tidal harbour and a much larger locked in area. There are plenty of berths available even for quite large craft, and if you need to abandon your boat for a while the inner harbour could prove very useful... ... read more

Whichever way you approach Ramsgate from you will have to deal with the dredged shipping channel that leads into the outer harbour. This is extremely well marked with green conical starboard hand buoys, red can port hand buoys as well as cardinal marks.

If these don't make things clear enough there are also a pair of leading marks within the outer harbour consisting of a black-and-white triangle with the apex pointing downwards as the rear and a black triangle with a white stripe, apex pointing upwards as the forward mark.

At night a sectored light shows the way for the shipping, it's narrow white sector showing the channel. (DirOc.WGR.10s5M). A further white light (Oc.5s) is mounted behind this on the leading line.

For yachtsmen or motorboaters this isn't too relevant because they have to keep out of the approach channel anyway.......

Further Pilotage Directions.. ... read more

Once inside the Royal Harbour you will see that Ramsgate Marina actually consists of three distinctly separate areas. Immediately on your port hand side as you enter is the so-called Western Marina. This is the place most visitors make for immediately. It is apparently dredged to 3 m so deep draft craft should have no problems here. Pontoons are being refurbished in Feb 2010, and should be ready soon before the season starts.

More details and prices...

Slightly deeper into the harbour lies the Eastern Marina... this has slightly less water available and is mainly used by fishing craft and boats servicing the new windfarms. The windfarm boats are a newish feature in this harbour, and their activity should be taken into account by visitors. ... read more