Affordable Membership Sailing with SailTime Medway
Affordable Fractional Sailing with SailTime Medway
Enjoy a well specified, fully maintained yacht without the hassle of yacht charter or shared yacht ownership - at a fraction of the cost and at a fixed monthly price.
If you are a novice, we can help you achieve the required competence and qualifications to skipper with family and friends.
Less Hassle Than Shared Yacht Ownership
As a SailTime Member, you are guaranteed a minimum of 6 weeks sailing each year. You make your reservations on-line then turn up and sail, you can book up to 12 months in advance, re-arrange your bookings with no penalties and have unlimited free bookings within 24 hours.
SailTime fractional sailing membership removes all the worry about depreciation, running costs and maintenance. You just book online, turn up and sail!
Better Value Than Charter
Monthly membership on ‘Pippin', a Beneteau Oceanis 343, is £612 and is inclusive of all costs such as marina fees, insurance, maintenance, and even the fuel you will use.
Each yacht is shared by a maximum of eight members, who are all guaranteed exclusive use during their reservation. This limited number of users helps keep the yacht in first class condition.
Based In Kent
SailTime Medway is based at Chatham Maritime Marina on the River Medway in Kent. The Medway offers safe and sheltered sailing as well as access to the rivers of the east coast and the ports of France and Holland. Browse the Places to Go tab above for an idea of what the Medway can offer, apart from some of the best yachting in the UK!
Contact us to discuss membership or to arrange a meeting aboard Pippin. Follow SailTime Medway on Facebook:
Public and Member Events 2010
Open Days
The next Open Day is on Saturday 6th March. Contact Us to book an appointment before 2pm. There will be a short sail in the afternoon for those who pre-book.
Members receive discounted prices and priority booking on the following events but others are welcome. Click on the event to learn more, enquire and book.
Master Classes
This one day class provides practical instruction afloat to meet each student’s individual needs. Examples from past courses include berthing under power and sail, man-over-board techniques, sail trimming, cruising spinnaker handling, and picking up buoys under sail. Students are asked for an indication of the skills they want to focus on and we arrange agendas to suit.
| Date | Days | Price |
| 17 April | 1 | £120 |
| 20 June | 1 | £120 |
| 7 August | 1 | £120 |
SailTime Weekend Cruises
Leisurely 3 day cruises in the company of an expert Yachtmaster Instructor, building knowledge and experience in a relaxed environment where enjoyment and education are the key aims.
| Departure | Event | Date | Days | Price |
| Chatham | Cruising the Crouch and Blackwater rivers and visiting Burnham and Brightlingsea | 26-28 July | 3 | £399 |
| Ipswich | Cruising to Southwold and visiting the rivers and towns along the way | 2-4 August | 3 | £399 |
Mile Builder Passages
Three day passages aimed particularly at those planning to take the Yachtmaster practical exam since they each provide some important pre-qualifying experience.
They will clock up 2 passages of over 60 miles, 2 passages at night and potentially 1 as skipper. They will also be of interest to anyone wanting to extend their sailing experience with some intensive passage making. The passages will usually take less than the 3 days scheduled but allowance has been made for adverse weather.
| Departure | Destination | Date | Days | Price |
| Ipswich | Ostend | 24 May | 3 | £399 |
| Chatham | Calais | 21 June | 3 | £399 |
Yacht Club Rallies - Members Only
Hoo Ness Yacht Club has invited members to join their Rally Programme. Members who are interested book Pippin for the relevant dates and inform Hoo Ness Yacht Club they will be joining that particular Rally.
Building Skills and Experience
If you become a member at SailTime Medway, you can skipper your own yacht, enjoy own boat training and build your experience for a lot less than you might imagine!
Required Experience
To become a Sailtime member we require you to have reached the RYA Day Skipper Tidal qualification, or can demonstrate a competence at or above this level. We strongly believe that this standard is the minimum that will enable you to feel confident in handling your yacht and to enjoy your sailing with family and friends.
Initial Membership Induction
All new members, of whatever standard, also benefit from a two-day induction programme to ensure that they are familiar with their boat and the local waters before heading off on their own.
Novices Welcome
If you are a complete novice, or if you do not already have the Day Skipper qualification or equivalent experience, we can help you achieve it.
We arrange for an RYA accredited training centre to provide individual sail training to suit your schedule, allowing you rapidly to gain confidence and experience.
RYA Practical and Shorebased Courses
We provide a range of training to members through our RYA Approved Training Centre at Ipswich.
RYA theory courses are also available at Walton Training based in Bedford
Progress To SailTime Membership
Once you have seen our boats and your local SailTime base, you may want to progress to SailTime membership. If you don't already have a yacht or power boat there is no easier or cost effective way to get afloat.
To make it easier, we offer students who successfully complete a practical course at Day Skipper or higher, a refund of their course fees if they decide to join SailTime.
Continuing Skills Development
SailTime Medway members benefit from a schedule of events designed to extend their sailing experiences. These range from regular master classes, extended passage making and cruising with other members to compare notes and develop best practices. Browse the Events tab above to learn more.
Yachting in the Medway, Swale and Kent Coast
The waters of the Medway provide not only a safe area for day sailing but also a range of tranquil anchorages. It is navigable by yachts for around 13 miles from its mouth at Sheerness to Rochester. Much of the Medway and Swale is of great conservation significance due to extensive salt marshes and migrating birds.
Day Sails on Medway and Swale
(distances from Chatham Maritime Marina)
Half Acre Creek - 6 miles. Interesting at low tide when the flats are exposed.
Stangate Creek - 7.5 miles. Snug and popular anchorage.
Sharfleet Creek - 8.5 miles. Just a mile further on from Stangate and more secluded.
Slaughterhouse Point - 9 miles. Further south from Stangate creek. Sheltered
Queenborough - 10 miles. An all-tide landing as well as visitor moorings and a trot service make it convenient to go ashore. Queenborough today still reflects something of its original 18th century seafaring history, from which period most of its more prominent buildings survive. Admiral Lord Nelson, is reputed to have learnt much of his seafaring skills in these waters, and also shared a house near the small harbour with his mistress, the Lady Hamilton.
Weekend Sails on the Thames, Kent and Essex Coasts
Round the Island - 50 miles. The Swale is the 13 mile channel that separates the Isle of Sheppey from the mainland of north Kent. The enchanting 10 mile passage through the Swale can be finished with a great meal at the Harty Ferry Inn.
The Rivers Crouch, Blackwater and Colne - 53 miles. Burnham, Maldon and Brightlingsea are 35 miles from the Medway, whilst a further 15 miles distant lie the Walton Backwaters and the Rivers Orwell and Stour which wind their way into the Suffolk countryside. Further north you can navigate the unspoilt rivers of the Deben and Alde. Members can explore the East Coast using the SailTime yacht Respiro, a sister of Pippin based at Ipswich, without spending time crossing the Estuary.
St. Katherine’s Dock - 37 miles. A night in the City of London at St. Katherines or Limehouse marinas makes for a memorable end to an interesting passage.
Ramsgate - 33 miles. Visit the picturesque harbour of Ramsgate with its cosmopolitan cafes and bars lining the marina waterfront.
Longer Passages
Ramsgate, together with Dover a little way further south, are both on the doorstep of the continent making the coasts of Northern France, Belgium and Holland all within easy reach. For those who wish to make longer passages, the sharing of outward and return crossings with fellow members can make this a practical possibility even with limited sailing time.
With a SailTime fleet in Holland members can use SailTime PLUS and charter relatively inexpensive SailTime yachts to explore the delightful Dutch canals and extensive waterways.
There may be berths available on some longer passages to Ostend and Calais in June and August. Browse the Events tab above for details.
Passages From Other Ports
SailTime PLUS allows fractional sailing members to yacht charter at any of SailTime's bases worldwide as long as there is a spare membership available. Shared yacht ownership was never this flexible!
Medway members can sail out of Ipswich on Pippin’s sister yacht through an even easier system; they get given a 'viewing only' log-in to the Ipswich Scheduler and then reserve a vacant slot by email. This extends the membership cruising area and makes it practical to spend the weekend exploring the extensive waters of the East Coast. Browse the Places to Go tab on the Ipswich page to find out more.
Member Testimonials
I had pretty high expectations and they've been met. The scheduler, maintenance and access to the boat, have all been excellent - Paul Goddard
I have greatly enjoyed the opportunities for learning though masterclasses and other 'extra curricula' SailTime activity - Cliff Bean
You have gone out of your way to make us welcome, accommodate our concerns and generally been very enthusiastic. So thank you - Jon Manning
The positives are too many to list. I just think its great value for money. You pay your fee and then that’s it. No hassles. I understand the nightmares that boats can present and the time wasted on keeping them in the water working properly - Mat Forbes
As far as I am concerned it’s brilliant. Especially being able to book the boat at short notice without using any of our allowance - Darien Williams
I love the feeling of ownership rather than just a tenant of the boat - Helen Manning
FAQ
