Medway Trip to Russian Submarine.

[Tharlow]

I am organising a trip to visit the Russian submarine moored at Rochester on Sunday 30th March.
This trip is based on one of the Discover Your Estuary Trails
http://www.discoveryourestuary.com/cano ... lfour.html
http://www.discoveryourestuary.com/CanoeTrail-4.pdf
except we will not visit Nor Marsh or Darnett Island as we plan to visit them later this year on other trips but will extend this trip to the submarine.

We will meet at the boathouse at 09.00 to load boats and leave promptly at 09.30 to arrive 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/ ... 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.
This is an inter-club trip with our friends from Bewl Water and Maidstone Canoe Clubs.

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!

For more information, contact myself or Kathryn on 01322524959

[john@larkshill.co.uk]

Hi
I would like to attend the above event but do not know if I am elegible. i do not have 2* qualification.
Please ask Simon Cole. I would also need to use a clob canoe/kayak.
Regards
John
John Francis
Member no. 809

[andy g]

Tim
I appreciate that this trip is all about tidal planning so you probably had little choice , but I am not sure if organising a trip on Mothers' Day is going to be a winner. It may rule out a lot of paddlers, including me.
Andy

[Randy Fandango]

I quite fancy the trip but not the distance.
14 miles?? Jesus.....
Giles

[Tharlow]

I quite fancy the trip but not the distance.
14 miles?? Jesus.....
Giles

..of which 1.5 miles will be across and against the tide.
The remaining 12.5 miles will be in the last and first hours of a following tide.
If the weather, particularly the wind, is against us,I have plans to shorten the trip.

If you do decide to join us, we could arrange to stop every 2 miles so you can take a little nap.......

[Randy Fandango]

Could you not just arrange for the submarine to be moved back to Woolwich?
Although I strongly suspect it would sink on the journey....
Giles

[Tharlow]

Could you not just arrange for the submarine to be moved back to Woolwich?
Although I strongly suspect it would sink on the journey....
Giles

So ...
If Giles can't paddle to the submarine, then the submarine must go to Giles...

[Timmy]

Is there not a submarine on a mooring near rochester? Must be a launch spot close by, save a lot of paddling

[Tharlow]

Back to the drawing board!
Will put together a shorten version, so watch this space!

[Randy Fandango]

I quite fancy the trip but not the distance.
14 miles?? Jesus.....
Giles

I wasn't totally serious here -- personally I'm more than happy paddling this distance but I guess it might be a bit of a long paddle for those without much experience and total hell for all concerned if the wind gets up properly....
Giles