Back to the Medway! 29th September 2012

I attended the OCSG meet at Ullswater back in July and this was to be the last of my summer sailing for 2012.A month in Ireland then a return to the UK straight into a new job put paid to that.
However Saturday's weather forecast looked promising a F4 Westerly predicted. At 8am I was still undecided and I didn't even know what the tide was doing, a look on the internet showed high water around 11.30 am. If I put in at high water at Queenborough I could reach up the Swale to the estuary and  tack down it in slack water then motor back with wind and tide.Game on!
 Inevitably getting the canoe loaded took longer then anticipated as did remembering how to get to Queenborough and getting the canoe ready. This was the first time I was using the outriggers on a solo trip so they needed attachment as did my foredeck and the airbags need re inflation so a little more faff then normal. I was on the water for high tide.

On the slip at Queenborough

A pleasant reach up the Swale against the incoming tide soon took me to the Estuary proper, I passed the mouth of Sheppard Creek on the way up the Swale, this is a little short cut across Deadman's Island, only accessible at high tide. I toyed with the idea of using it but as its relatively narrow and was directly into the wind I pressed on the short distance up the Swale to the estuary proper.

The Swale meets the Medway

looking back to Queenborough

It was a great day for sailing on the Medway, lovely clean winds, with little wave height, and unlike last time quite a few sailboats taking advantage of the conditions.I hadn't really any planned destination in mind and in my haste to get on the water I had neglected to bring any provisions, a themos of coffee would of been welcome,as It was I decided to sail more or less the same route as my last visit. I beat up into the estuary; the wind  was  creating a little swell and some confused water around the mouth of Stangate creek,I reached back and forth on this patch for a while, a massive barge stood guard at the creek mouth.

Moored Barge

 Eventually for want of a destination to aim for  I  decided to land on Burntwick Island, close to the remains of a WW2 barrack block that sits on the mouth of Stangate creek. This is awash at high water, a testament to the fact that this and other islands in the estuary are gradually being submerged into the waters, whether this is due to human intervention or due to lack of it I have no idea but it does threaten nesting sites for the birdlife. As I made my way to a small beach next to the blockhouse to land a Curlew, my canoes namesake took flight.

Barrack block on Burntwick

I landed for a short while again regretful that I had brought neither food or drink.The tide was turning so I decided to investigate further down the creek. I sailed on to the mouth of Sharfleet creek, this snakes along the south side of Burntwick Island. By now the tide was well on the turn and was racing through the creek being squeezed by Burntwick Island to the North and Green Borough Marshes to the South creating turbulent currents. I reach a few times back along the upper Stangate, a few other sailboats passing by.

I met the skipper of this yacht back at Queenborough, he told me  that Stangate creek is the local sailors favourite spot when there's a bit of a westerly blow on as it makes for terrific reaching on calm waters.

eventually I headed back to the main estuary for the run back to the Swale, I had my jib up at this point, rather unnecessarily really, up ahead I spotted a massive mooring buoy in front on me  and made a mental note to gybe only once I was passed it, a few moments later I was fiddling around with the jib and wondering wether to sail on down the Estuary a bit longer or head for home. I decided to gybe to head in towards the swale, I did so only to only to realise that I had done so right in front of the buoy;only 30 feet on so uptide of it! This really shook me up,  a couple of seconds later and  I would of been pushed onto it by the tide during or just after the gybe, and such was the size of the buoy it would of rolled the canoe right under it. I decided that this mistake was partly due my jib  obscuring forward vison somewhat and hiding the buoy, but as I'd spotted and noted it as  potential hazard only a minute or two earlier how come I sailed myself in to that potential danger?  I was bimbling about on a stretch of water not sure or particularly bothered as to which direction to take. Perhaps waters like this  really warrant  a bit more thought about where you are heading to and better realisation of what the hazards are:
I didn't really have a passage plan.

Suitably self chastened I heading back down the Swale toward the Queenborough slipway. Landing on the slip was a little tricky as its only 12 foot or so wide and had a fairly strong current running over it.A wrong step and it would easy to find oneself in deep water.I landed without problems.

Back on the slip

it was my second time on the Medway, it warrants further exploration and maybe a day isn't long enough to do it justice.I'm planning an overnight camp there in the new year and hope to get further down into the estuary.





Some footage from the day: