X- Pilot Kent’s Classic Service Vessel

X-Pilot is a charter vessel working mainly in the rivers Medway and Swale in Kent and the Thames Estuary and also rivers in Essex in the Southeast of England. X-Pilot is licensed by the Port of London Authority for boat hire.

To book trips to Visit Redsand Fort with the X-Pilot please contact them via their website or their Facebook page.

The X-Pilot is Kent’s Classic Pilot Vessel, a charter boat sailing the rivers Medway, Swale and in the Thames Estuary. X-Pilot is a Port of London Authority licensed vessel for hire and can work in most rivers in Kent and Essex and the River Thames in Southeast England. X-Pilot’s Captain, Alan Harmer, is licensed as a Boatmaster by the Maritime Coastguard Agency. The X-Pilot is fully insured and licensed to carry twelve passengers and up to four crew.

X-Pilot is also the Official Supply Vessel for Project Redsand the custodians of the World War II Maunsell Fort off the Southeast coast of England and we offer regular trips to view these Redsand Towers and occasionally even offer the chance to board to support the Project’s Work Party’s trips to preserve and restore this fantastic British monument. You’ll definitely want to check out our Grand Forts Tour, a magnificent eight hour adventure that along with the Redsand Towers takes in the Shivering Sands Towers, the Knock John Fort and Isle of Grain Fort.
X-Pilot was built in 1967 and originally served as the pilot vessel on the River Thames based at Gravesend when she was simply called Pilot.

We also offer all kinds of trips and one of a kind experiences, if you’re organizing a party or anniversary, you may be a marine photographer or filming on the river and looking for that perfect charter boat, or maybe you’d like to hire the vessel just for yourself, or would just like to travel alongside Britain’s beautiful river sides and coastline and see the forts guarding the Thames, then X-Pilot is the charter vessel for you.

Sponsors

Meanwhile, two major civil engineering groups are playing an active part in the restoration of the Redsand Towers. They are Mowlem Marine (now Carillion) and Taylor Woodrow. Project Redsand are extremely grateful to both companies for their foresight and dedication to the conservation of our heritage. Both Mowlem and Taylor Woodrow have provided costly services to Project Redsand without charge. Both companies have supported the Project from the outset and without their support, this project would be difficult to realise.

Helping the project fabricating new windows. hillsidewelding.com
After several months of careful design and preparation, Mowlem Marine successfully completed the installation at the G1 (south) tower at Redsands. The ‘bespoke’ access system was built off-site at the Mowlem Marine base at the foreshore in Northfleet, Kent only…

Donors

A number of companies are now looking at the progress of Project Redsand with the view to assisting in the future.

Helping the project fabricating new windows. hillsidewelding.com

Support and Consent

Contact has been made with Government agencies, and others who may be able to be of help and assistance in the project. The response to date has been encouraging, with support and/or approval to proceed having been received from:

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Based in East Tilbury in Essex and run entirely by volunteers since 1983, the Coalhouse Fort Project has worked to keep this historical and unique location open to the public so an important fortification, like so many others, is not…