Medway - day 2 - Darnet Island and Hoo Salt Marsh

Kingsnorth power station from Darnet

Darnet Fort viewed from the east end of the island

Pinhole lessons

Wrecks on Hoo Salt Marsh

Hoo Fort viewed from the channels at high tide

Crossing the temporary gangplank to Darnet Fort

Inside Darnet Fort

Waiting for the baked apples to cook

Thankfully, no 4:30 wake-up call to paddle to Deadman's island — with the tide now out, exploring Darnet is the order of the day — after breakfast, a red sailed barge tacks patiently into the wind — the east side of Darnet extends an unexpectedly long way at low tide — we discover lots of bricks, pottery shards, Victorian bottles, and clay pipe stems — photos are taken by all — re-group at the fort for pinhole lessons — post-lunch, with the tide in, we cross the choppy shipping lane to Hoo Salt Marsh — examine the picturesque rusting and rotting boat hulls — an identical fort to Darnet, but without the flooding — float between a portal of two rusty barges to a sheltered inlet and shallow channels — peaceful, calm paddling in the sun — in contrast to the exertion of paddling back across the whitewater shipping lane — cross the perilous gangplank to Darnet Fort — impeccable Victorian construction of thick iron and brick archways — vodka and tonic time — veggie sausages, tomato and chilli sauce, couscous, fire-warmed flatbread and hummus for supper — impatiently, we develop our pinhole experiments with mixed results — the strong wind buffets the tent all night