The paddle round Canvey Island conveniently starts from Two Tree Island slip way. We left the slipway 2 hours before high water, this gave us a fair tide to just beyond the bridge at Benfleet. The creek at this point narrows and we met the incoming tide which flows from the west of Canvey. As we still had an hour before HW, we had a hard paddle all the way to Holehaven creek, paddling under the main Canvey access road and through the flood control sluice. Once in Holehaven creek the surroundings are Oil refineries and derelict piers, though these are interesting to paddle around.

Once out into the Thames the now out going tide is with you again and you are sharing the river with ships of all sizes. It was just possible to cut across the mud banks approaching small gains creek, then a short distance against the tide back to Two Tree island slipway. The trip took approx 4.5 hours to complete.

Click on thumbnails for full size pictures.