Crossing the Thames Estuary

The Thames Estuary has narrow channels, shoal water, strong tides and shifting sands, with busy shipping, three major ports and six wind farms in and around it. Roger Gaspar describes 60 routes across it between the rivers of Kent, Essex and Suffolk.

Each sector of each route is described and illustrated with waypoints and 'rolling road' diagrams, with advice on hazards, the effect of the tide, shipping routes and anchorages. Swatchways shorten many passages but move as the sands shift; the author surveys several of the critical ones, publishes illustrated Notices to Mariners weekly and takes reports from readers.

What's in this edition

The third edition has new passage planning tables. For each route they give the start time for the quickest passage at 4, 5, 6 or 7 knots, with options for every 30 minutes of the day, the predicted arrival time and alternative passage durations, so you can see whether there is time to carry on up river. The tables sit alongside more detailed chartlets, in a new portrait format.

Significant changes and downloads are published on the book's website, crossingthethamesestuary.com, and emailed to readers on the 'Readers' Update' list.

About Imray

Imray has published nautical information for recreational and professional mariners since the mid-18th century. It is now part of FB Imray, a joint venture with the Austrian cartographers freytag & berndt, and is recognised by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency as a chart producer.