This article covers the facilities available for yachts and motorboats in the East Swale area. It is possible to follow the Swale all the way round into the Medway, passing under one lifting bridge in the process. It is beyond the scope of this article to describe the passage.

Keelboats wishing to remain afloat can find anchorages in the Swale itself around the area off Harty Ferry. There are very limited facilities here, and the anchorage is exposed to the East. In these conditions shelter can be found by pushing deeper into the Swale.

Boats prepared to take the ground can push into Faversham Creek which divides a short way in, with Faversham Creek branching off to port and Oare Creek to starboard.

Various boat facilities are available at the junction of these two creeks, with further boatyard facilities in Oare Creek itself.

Faversham Creek if followed to Faversham Town can offer many more facilities including a popular boatyard, some drying moorings either side of the Creek, and the historic town of Faversham which can offer all normal town facilities. Aficionados of Thames sailing barges will find plenty to look at round here. ... read more

Approach to this area is either made through the easterly entrance to the Swale which commences in the area to the north of Whitstable, or having negotiated the Swale from it's Western entrance near Sheerness in the Medway.

The Swale itself is not really a river, but a submerged valley, more of a Ria. It completely isolates the Isle of Sheppey and the tide flows into it from both ends. The opposing tidal forces meet somewhere in the region of Milton Creek, and it is important to note that the direction of the buoyage changes at this point. The red can port hand marks and the green conical starboard hand marks always follow the direction of the incoming tide. Pilotage directions: ... read more

Anchorage or moorings can be had at Harty Ferry, Faversham Creek, Hollowshore, or Oare Creek, these are now described:

Harty Ferry. ... read more