All Swale and Harty

All Swale and Harty: A circumnavigation of Sheppey

I set off from home in darkness, 30 minutes later I was on the A2 heading into Kent with the sun rising in front of me. I was reminded of the repeating epithet in the Odyssey; “Dawn with her rose red fingers…” which seemed fitting as I was setting off on an Odyssey of my own ; A 30 mile clockwise  circumnavigation of the Isle of Sheppey off the north coast of Kent. The route would take in river, estuary and open sea sailing in some of the remotest parts of the South East and still within 50 miles of central London.

 The plan was to set off from Queenborough, which is situated on the top end of the Swale and use the last of the ebb tide to sail out into the Medway and then into the Thames estuary. I would then sail south-east along the north coast of Sheppey into the face of the flooding tide for 10 or so miles until reaching Shellness point and the other end of the Swale. Then the flooding tide would be with me until 1pm, by which time I hoped to be at the midpoint of the Swale at Conveys Milton Creek where the tide splits and the ebb tide would then assist me as I made my way back Northwards toward Queenborough on the upper part of the Swale.

I launched from Queenborough just after 6.30am low tide was forecast for just after 7.00am. The wind was blowing a strong force 3 from the North West directly down the Swale and Medway. The wind over tide made for choppy conditions as I tacked out.

Leaving the Medway early morning

I was considering already what the conditions would be like in the Thames. If conditions were unsuitable I would turn around and sail back into the Medway, but as I got into the wider mouth of the Medway the sea flattened, no doubt helped by the approaching slack water.

Garrison Point

I had printed out my course onto laminated marine charts from my memory map app with the compass course and distance between the navigation markers I would use as my way points.

My charts with bearings and distances

 The first two were about 1.5 miles apart. After that I had a run of 7.5 miles to Shellness point at the bottom of the Island.

Looking back to Sheerness

 As I would now be sailing south east against the incoming tide my plan was to measure my progress between the first two markers, extrapolate the time and if I was confident I could get to midpoint of the Swale before the tide turned I would then commit to the long run, which would be in part under the primordial looking clay cliffs of the island which offered little landing opportunities.

Approaching  the "Mid Cant " marker

I reached the first marker in about 25 minutes and the second one in a similar amount of time. I was making much better then expected time against the tide; I committed to the long section to the bottom of the island. 

The long run

My route was now on a more southerly bearing and changed from broad reach to a run. The Essex coast on the far side of the Thames estuary disappeared over the horizon and the sea state got a little lumpier as the fetch increased, the canoe surfed down some of the steeper waves but never felt out of control. My focus was on Warden Point which lay about 4 miles ahead of me, the morning was murky and further south heavy rain clouds were unleashing themselves on the North Kent coast.

Approaching Warden Point, Storm clouds over Kent beyond.

As I passed the point the wind died off a little. I altered my planned course which would of taken me around the shallow mud banks and sailed closer to shore past Leysdown-on Sea and headed for Shellness point and the mouth of the Swale.

The clay cliffs of Sheppey

I tied off the sheet and rudder and paddle sailed around the point and into the flat waters of the Swale. It had taken me just 3/1/2 hours to travel 16 miles so far, a speed of about 4 knots.

Now aided by the tide as I turned the corner the sun came out as I passed the white beach of Shellness.

Shellness

Thousands of birds wandered around on mud flats, seals basked in the sun on sand banks, the golden wheat fields of Kent and Sheppey lay on both sides of me. 

Shellness beach

In the midst of this idyllic setting of natural beauty my thoughts instinctively turned to the pub.

The Ferry Inn

The Ferry Inn is situated on the Isle of Harty on the south side of the Island and must be of the remotest pubs in the South East. I landed on the old ferry slip and walked up for a swift pint of ale.

The ferry slip at The Ferry Inn

The mid circumnavigation pint

Selfie heading up the Swale

 I didn't hang around, as I still wanted to get to the midpoint of the Swale where the tide splits by high water. I took the opportunity to remove my drysuit as the day was now very hot, and set off once more.

Heading up the Swale 

The wind was starting to die off now to a force 2 but I still had made to the point where the tide splits by 1pm, at distance of 24 miles in 6 hours, not counting the pub stop, my average was now 3.5 knots.

High tide for Sheerness at the top of the Island was predicted for 1:15 pm. My plan was to reach the split at this time and then enjoy the ebb tide as it pulled me out of the upper Swale back towards Queenborough. As I passed Convey Milton Creek the Swale narrows. 

I was feeling a little tired now. The wind had died to a force 1 and was now directly on my nose as the Swale turned north. I sat down on the bottom of my canoe expecting the tide to ebb and drift me lazily along for the last 5 miles of the trip. Except it didn’t. At best I was stationary at worst I was being push backwards. Why wasn't the tide turning? Out came the paddle and I made tortuous progress into the wind and against the tide. Was the Northerly wind holding the tide back? Did I miss read my research on where the tide splits? Was I going to be pulled back from whence I’d come so close to the finish? The next 1.5 miles to the bridges was a really struggle, it took me an hour and a half and still the tide did not turn. The wind offered nothing, when a slight breeze did come trying to tack just brought me out from the edges and into the main channel. I discovered that the tide at the top of the Swale is an hour later in turning then that at the bottom. I probably could have  moored up in the channel and waited for the tide to turn rather than try to paddle against it.

The lifting bridge

Eventually just before the lifting bridge the tide let go and the wind picked up enough to allow me to tack, paddle sailing to it. The tide was still a couple of inches too high to allow my mast under the bridge so I stepped it quickly at the shore and paddled underneath

The new bridge

 Now I was truly on the home straight .I once again sat in the bottom of the canoe and just let the tide slowly take me along, marvelling at the stillness and silence However this part of the Swale is designated for jet skiers so the quiet was occasionally broken by the swift passing of a water skier or jet biker.

Cos cos for tea!

 After a bit of food and feeling rested from my paddling exertions  I furled the sail and started paddling once more , eventually rounding the last bend to land once more where I had started.

The last bend

    It took me 10 hours in total, not counting my pub stop the average speed was 2.7 knots. My odyssey was complete, and the pint of lager in the pub at Queenborough tasted like ambrosia!

Coming off the Swale at low tide.

Back at Queenborough, late afternoon