Meridian Canoe Club

Sunday 24th August 2014.
I am organising another club trip to visit Hoo Salt Marsh Island in the Medway estuary to see the Hoo Fort, abandoned wrecks,various wildlife and the newly restored Medway Queen paddle steamer and will be similar to the trip we did earlier in the year.
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1277

Chart of the area is here
http://www.visitmyharbour.com/harbours/ ... 2012-chart
This is a short trip of 5 miles but it does involve crossing the shipping lane twice and having the final hours of the incoming tide against us.
Therefore paddlers should be of a 2* standard.


Timetable.
Meet at Boathouse at 09.00 to collect boats and equipment.
Leave at 9.30
Meet at The Strand Car Park, Gillingham, ME 7 1RJ (free parking with toilets and café) at 10.30.
Launch at 11.00.
Cross shipping lane to south of Hoo Island and follow shore east and then to the north.
High Water is between between 12.54 and 13.07.
Continue heading north to the Medway shore at the remains of Cookham Fort for packed lunch at 12.30ish.
Leave 13.00.
Return to west of Hoo Island then cross shipping lane to Corporation Wharf, Chatham to view restoration of boats.
Return to The Strand slipway by 15.00.
Retire to café for those who want to.
I hope to be back at the boathouse by 16.30.
Low water is at 19.32.
This will be an inter-club trip with our friends from Bewl and Maidstone Canoe Clubs.
If you would like any more information please contact me via the forum or at the boathouse next Saturday.

Please note, if you are using any club equipment, it MUST be returned that evening as there is a 1* trip the next day.

Blessed with perfect weather conditions, warm and sunny with little or no wind, we met up with 9 members from Bewl Water Canoe Club and set off for Hoo Salt Marsh.


Our crossing of the Medway was delayed, first by a shoal of jellyfish who got our attention but more importantly a passing bulk carrier...



Hoo Fort is nearly overgrown with various shrubs and bushes.


The wrecks on the exposed east shore, used to stop erosion, always get plenty of attention.

The lack of wind and slack water made ideal conditions for exploring the wrecks.


'Is there anybody in?'




More photos of the wrecks can be found at :-
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/8455d338-794a ... tml#slide0

Stopped at Cookham Wood Fort for lunch...

.....where Kathryn found a spanner...

..and asked if there were any works she could stick the spanner in....

It was now high water and the original plan was to use the ebbing tide to take us back to The Strand but Simon from Bewl suggested we continue on to Chatham Dockyard; a few couldn't due to other commitments so our party continued up river and against the ebbing tide.
This was easy to start with but with passing time the flow became stronger and hard work for those in river boats.


Passing Upnor Castle.

Eventually we reached the Dockyard, tried to stop but the flow just took us back!
After viewing the continued restoration of the Medway Queen, due in service next year, at Corporation Dock, we finally returned to The Strand (and 8.5 miles later...) where Julia met a young beau, not with a Porsche or Bentley but his own hovercraft who promptly swept, or should it be hovered, Julia off her feet...