Spot the difference

East Yorkshire coast

Saturday 20th June 2009

Travelling up to Robinhoods bay with the family and Sheffield canoe club, we arrived mid day Friday.

Myself and Adele had not camped for 5 years or more, and the kids have never been so this was to be a proper adventure.

We got the tent up and then the wind blew! One cracked pole! I splinted it with cable ties and some metal tent pegs and it held out ok.

Waking at about 0730 on Saturday, I was surprised to learn that both kids had slept right through the night, (earplugs meant I heard nothing).

Glastonbury like camping was a bit rubbish!

Robinhoods bay or Smugglers cove was steep but interesting, we wouldn't paddle from here though.

Today we went north up the coast through Whitby to Sandsend beach, a long flat sand and a steep concrete sea defence, a pain to get down with the boat.

The sun was shining through the clouds, but that blue clear water of Wales just doesn't happen in the north sea!

We paddle a short distance as we had a group of 8, six of which were short river boats and an eight year old boy, Shaun in a Dagger Dynamo!

Landing on a steep shale beach under a cliff, we had a bite to eat and explored the stream that emtied onto the sand. There was evidence of the constant erosion that is destroying these tall cliffs.

I noticed there were many large pebbles embedded into the rock, and the odd fossil, couldn't work out what they might have been though.

It was then I noticed two or three holes in the cliff face at about head hieght. As I approached them I remembered the TV program 'Coast' and how they had described the way people had extracted Jet from these cliffs over the years to make jewelery and ornaments.

We got back in the boats and paddle back the way we came. This time though I hugged the cliffs.

Where a stream had been emptieing over the cliffs there was an amazing amount of built up lichen growth.

In the back of a small inlet this Kittiwake was looking a little sorry, eyes closed and shaking, the incoming tide was maybe 20 mins from washing him away, just 50 metre further there was another dead bird floating in the water.

At sometime in history it looked as though an optimist had attemted to defend this part of the cliffs with a rather time consuming method, not surprisingly there was only this 10 metre section.

In the village of Sandsend itself this bridge carries the main road North along the coast. I imagine that there are some spectacular scenes of white crashing water here during the winter months.

As we arrived back at the beach I checked my gps and was dissapointed to have only done 2 miles! Looking ahead into the distance I could see the break waters that mark the entrance to Whitby harbour, I hatched a plant to paddle on to hear, and with no takers, I did it alone. I hauled up on the beach first though, had a coffee and arranged a meeting spot in Whitby with the family.

As I got closer to Whitby there was an increase in the swell, I had been warned by Phil, that sometimes in the right or(wrong) conditions you can be surfing in through the harbour entrance.

Once inside the harbour I got the camera out again, today is the 1st day of an RNLI fundraising event.

The Trent class Lifeboat was moored alongside one of the older boats.

I had arrived just in time to see the swing bridge opening and numerous craft passing through, including an old lifeboat doing pleasure trips, and this trawler that towered above me as I sat feeling vunerable and small.

Anyway, did you 'spot the difference'?

Its my kayak! Its changed, after the awkward handling in the tidal flow in South Wales I decided it had to go. I've replaced it with an ex-demo Valley Aquanuat LV. This was its maiden voyage in the sea (under my power anyway).

Perhaps after buying the new Kayak, this should be my boat?

A short but interesting trip around a new venue.

First time around!

South West Wales

31st May 2009

After last nights paddle, I had a choice, I could go home, or stay another day, and paddle somewhere in the morning.

I needed to be away from the campsite for 14:30 latest to get home at a reasonable hour.

Richard had very kindly invited me up to their caravan for a beer or two the night before, and here we hatched a plan to paddle in the morning.

When I awoke in the morning, the weather had done us proud again. I ate breakfast, and Richard popped down to suggest we 'just paddled around the island'.

So I gathered myself together, and headed for the beach.

I must admit here, that I was a little nervous as we headed away from the sand.

I have been out to the Bitches before, and have landed on Ramsey Island, it was a long time ago, and heading out in to the sound, and ferry gliding across to the Southern end of Ramsey was making me a little apprehensive.

We take a break in a back eddy at the Southern most tip of the mainland, then I go first into the Northern flood tide, it is only just running but is pretty fast here. I noticed on Friday that the slab sided kayak of mine became awkward to handle in these conditions, and the picture below shows what happens when it is hit by a quartering flow.

Safely across at the Ramsey side of the sound, the Bitches are just in veiw behind me.

I made it with some to spare, but when I asked Richard, he would have preffered to have lost less distance as we crossed.

I reckon I lost 100m just getting the kayak back into a ferry glide after it swung around in the flow, and it just doesn't cruise that well. Ok, I was feeling it a little in the shoulders having paddle more in the last 3 days than I have all year!

We pass through the cave at Penhryn Twll, and head past Foel Fawr.

I can see through to the West side of Ramsey, and there is the tiniest swell every now and then, amazing really as there is not much between here America across the Atlantic.

My next hurdle was to pass through 'the Devils hole', the northerly flow of the tide splits through here as it heads around Ramsey. Just like a river running through really, so why was I nervous again? I have been in bigger moving water inland, but to me here it is the ultimate situation, go for a swim here and theres now edge or bank to get out on, it would mean a rescue in the flow, and in the ocean.

Richard passed through first,

I followed on, passing through without a worry. We headed along the rocks to our right, and into a bay that turned out to be full of seals, there were 6 to 8 with their heads out most of the time.

We then pass under the tallest sea cliffs in Wales,

As we travel along the coast we come across numerous overfalls, the Northerly flowing tide is giving us a free ride up the island.

In one of the caves we discovered this long exit, straight out to sea, there was a bull seal in it at first, but he dissapeared so I went through, he reappeared in front of me at one point as if to say 'hey, clear off this is my place'

We are soon heading around the top side of the island, we paddle South for a while before heading straight across the North flowing tide allowing it to carry us across almost to St Johns point.

We're soon back at Porthsele where I have to say my goodbye's and get the tent down, boat loaded to the car, and get motoring North. The sun is really hot now, and its a real wrench having to go home and back to the real world.

Again, many thanks to Richard for his hospitality and his guiding, I dropped in at the last minute to get some paddling in, and never expected to get my first Ramsey circumnavigation under my belt.

The best weather in the best place in the world.

A relaxing evening

South West Wales

Saturday 30th May 2009

After the trip to Porth Melgan this morning, I had few snacks and a lay down, I drifted in and out of sleep for a while, but thought I ought to get up and do something.

I came across into Richard who had been looking for me whilst I was out.

He suggested we went for an evening paddle, how could I refuse?

We met up 1/2 an hour or so later and left Porthsele beach heading West towards the rocks known as Gwahan.

The Southerly flowing tide was fairly easy to cross, and we rested behind the rock in an eddy.

Then we re-joined the South flow letting it take us South To the Northern tip of Ramsey Island.

This cave goes through one of the headlands on Ramsey, but today the water is too low to pass through, just look how small Richard looks sat in there!

Next we re-joined the south tide, and headed for the Bitches, its clear to see where the high tide marks are on this deadly reef of rocks.

Here I am on the last 'bitch', the most Easterly rock, nearest the mainland. As the tide has not really built up yet, I can sit here comfortably without having to paddle, we then ferry glide over to the mainland.

As this is my first trip around here in a touring kayak, I am amazed to see how much more there is to see when you're not having to 'force' a white water kayak along.

I will be forever gratefull to Richard for taking the time to guide me around his 'neck of the woods'.

As we head North past St Justinians, and the St Davids Lifeboat the sun is low making it difficult to see anything ahead.

When we left Portsele beach earlier it was full of families enjoying the sun, now it is deserted.

An eye-opening paddle for me, being able to cruise along enables a little more time to enjoy this ever suprising coastline.

Many thanks go to Richard, I would be down here every weekend if I lived closer, but don't worry, 279 miles is much too far.