Maidstone Canoe Club

Paddle from the Strand to the Russian Sub at Strood organised by Tim Harlow of Maridian CC. Unfortunately I will not be able to make this one as I am sea paddling that weekend but details are below  Geoff

with winter as good as gone I am eager to start some Medway Estuary trips and looking through the tide tables we can fit one in on Sunday 30th March based on one of the Discover Your Estuary Trails

http://www.discoveryourestuary.com/canoetrails/canoetrailfour.html

http://www.discoveryourestuary.com/CanoeTrail-4.pdf

except we will not visit Nor Marsh or Darnett Island as we hope to visit them later this year on other trips but will extend this trip to the submarine.

Meet at The Strand Car Park, Gillingham, ME7 1TT at 10.15 and launch by 11. (High Water 13.27.)

A chart of the trip is at http://www.visitmyharbour.com/harbours/north-kent-swale-medway/medway-marinas/chart/1FFF5C48AE531/medway-gillingham-and-rochester-2012-chart

We will cross the shipping lane and paddle (for 1.5 miles) across and against the tide to Folly Point by Hoo Fort on Hoo Salt Marsh.

With the tide now with us, we head north then east behind Hoo Salt Marsh to Hoo (Port Werburgh) Marina where we rejoin the Medway and continue following the north shore up river to Upnor and its castle and on to Chatham where the Medway does a sharp U-bend and heads north to Rochester then Strood where the submarine is moored (just before Rochester Bridge).

This is 8.5 miles from The Strand.

We will get out on the north shore and eat our packed lunches. High Water is at 13.22 so we will start the return trip about 14.00. As soon it is safe to do so, we will cross the river and follow the south shore back to The Strand, Gillingham, a distance of 5.5 miles.

The total trip is 14 miles.

I plan to return to The Strand by 16.00.

Paddlers should be of a 2* standard for this trip.

Important.

This Sunday is the day after the clocks have moved forward one hour for BST so please take note and set your alarms accordingly.

British Summer Time and tide wait for no man! 

Could you check my check my tide calculations?

Rochester tide table

http://www.visitmyharbour.com/tides/79/uk-tables/rochester-stroodpier-tide-tables

Chatham Tide tables (Subtract 2 minutes for Gillingham)

http://www.visitmyharbour.com/tides/78/uk-tables/chatham-lockapproaches-tide-tables

The trip can be shortened by 2.88 miles by paddling directly north from The Strand to Hoo (Port Werburgh) Marina thus avoiding going around Hoo Salt Marsh.

Something to consider if we have bad weather on the day.

I have posted details of this trip on the Meridian website at

http://www.meridiancanoeclub.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1255&p=4873#p4873

If you have any questions, please get back to me.

Tim Harlow

Meridian Canoe Club