Whitstable Harbour - Visit By Sea

Visit by Sea

Whitstable is a municipal harbour owned by Canterbury City Council who are the duty holder responsible for safety under the Port Marine Safety Code.

Whitstable is a drying harbour turned over to commercial and fishing use only.

Commercial Shipping

The Harbour is classed as a Competent Harbour Authority (CHA) and as such vessels over 50m LOA must comply with our Pilotage Directions. There is no physical pilotage service available in Whitstable, it is done remotely by the Harbour Authority. The Passage Plan will be sent to the inbound ship for the Master to read. The Master must then respond directly to the Harbour Authority confirming that the plan has been read and understood before entry to the Harbour will be allowed.

Visitor Berthing

Unfortunately, due to the size and nature of our harbour, no visitor berthing is available.

Small boat Mariners caught in bad weather and unable to press on may be able to obtain refuge in the Harbour. Just bear in mind that the approach is shallow, the harbour dries to soft mud at all Low Waters and that the walls are totally unsuitable for a small yacht to lean against without adequate fenders etc. Furthermore, strong onshore winds will send a swell into the harbour.

If you are not a berth holder and wish to visit us, please contact the Harbour Office to discuss any options or requirements.

Entering the Harbour

Entry is made between the two quays – East and West.

In the closer approach you find the red can Oyster buoy (Fl(2)R.10s), leave to starboard. The narrow entrance to the harbour has a Dolphin structure just off the West Quay, (Fl.G.5s), while the extremity of the West Quay is lit with two fixed green lights arranged vertically. Similarly, the end of the Eastern Quay is marked with two fixed red lights arranged vertically.

When approaching or intending to enter the harbour, VHF Channel 9 should be used to monitor for any shipping movements and/or, communication with the harbour.

Fuel

Fuel is only available to harbour berth Holders.

Byelaws

Byelaws are essential tools for the safe management of the Harbour. While it is our policy to educate, it is unfortunate that prosecution action in the courts is necessary for those who refuse to behave in a responsible manner.

The Whitstable harbour Byelaws can be found here.

Your preferred website links for:

Weather and tides

There are wide range of forecast and tide providers, each providing varying levels and type of information. Some suggestions are below.

Tides

https://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/coast-and-sea/tide-tables/9/105

Get in touch

If you have a question or need any information about the harbour, please call on 01227 266 719 or email whitstable.harbour@canterbury.gov.uk

VHF (during shipping movements only): Channel 09

Open hours: 09:00 – 16:00 Monday to Friday

Weekend Office Opening (by appointment only): 09:00 – 16:00

Incident Reporting

We aim to continuously review our safety policies and want to provide a good service to everyone, but things can go wrong. If this happens, we want to know about it so that we can put it right and stop it from happening again.

You can report any issues or complaints here.