A chat with the coastguard!

Thursday 13th August 2009

Some clothing on the rocks

I managed to pry myself out of bed a bit earlier today, and was actually on the beach ready to depart at 0825!

The weather had again been a little unstable earlier this week so it was good to get out. Today I was doing a solo paddle just for practice etc.

The plan was to go around to Porth Clais and see how things were, and await the Flood tide and return back to Porthsele.

Looking out from the beach the sky looked as though it couldn't decide what to do for the day, it was feeling a little blustery, the beach however was deserted!

Rounding St Johns point and heading into Ramsey Sound the last of the Ebb tide made for an easy going with only a little swell, and a gentle breeze.

Before I passed through the sound I allowed the Southerly flow to carry me and had time to reflect on a great couple of weeks down here at Pencarnan.

Then after passing around Pen Dal-aderyn in the last rocky inlet before Porthlysgi bay, I spotted what looked like a Lacey top or a bra hanging on the rocks. I got in close and was sure that was what it was. When I set off again, just around the corner there were two more items of clothing, a pair of jean shorts, and a coral coloured shirt. Just 20 ft up on a natural ledge there was another item I couldn't make out.

My mind was racing now, I was convinced that this was clothing, and although I could not see up onto the ledge, there appeared to be no-one around. I had a good look around, but as I sat still in the kayak a back eddy was spitting me back out towards Ramsey Sound. I figured that if anyone had been in the water for whatever reason, then they'd be long gone from here.

I tried not to worry too much about the clothing, and as I paddled through Carreg Fran towards Porth Clais, I just had lobster pot marker bouys and the odd sea bird to keep me company.

I reached Porthclais and hauled up onto the shale to have some breakfast.

Plenty of people seemed to be launching sit on tops from here.

Whilst here TYF took every one of their sit on tops out of the storage rack and took the worlds biggest group out on the water!

I was just back in the boat and out of the corner of my eye I spotted a dragonfly floating past in the flow from the stream, I managed to get him out, and layed it out on the deck in a hope he'd dry out.

I passed him on to a family who were crab lining before setting out to sea, I didn't think taking him with me would be fair.

With Carreg Fran in the distance I started thinking about the clothing again, I decided I would Go back to Porthsele via the life boat station at ST Justinians and let them know what I'd seen.

Passing through Carreg Fran, I wondered if I would get through the slanting natural arch today.

When I went for a look there was quite a bit of swell coming through from the sea side, I went around for a look.

It didn't look possible, so I paddled back to the sheltered side, and then adventure took over and I just went through. As I set off it seemed like I had made the wrong decision with 3 big rollers one behind the other coming straight at me.

I had a bit of a bumpy ride, but managed to get through without either banging my head or the kayak. I ran the camera on video, and it is good to watch, but won't upload here, so here's a couple of stills from it.

After passing through the arch, I had just a short paddle to where the clothing was on the rocks.

I took another photo showing the layout, and checked my grid reference. Nothing had moved, and there still seemed to be no one around.

I then had just the overfalls to contend with, last time I had encountered them here on Pen Dal-aderyn, it was the beginnings of a southerly ebb tide, now it was mid flood, and the standing waves were biggish!

I had again set the video on the deck, but the still captures above show the excellent conditions!

After passing through without incident, my next point of call was to be the lifeboat station to report my findings, I hoped there would be someone there, as I took the hard route up the eddy line and across. I could have stayed in the Northerly flow for a while otherwise, but I still need to learn a little more about the whereabouts, and the effects of 'Horse Rock'

I hauled up under the slipway at St Justinians, and found the worlds supply of boat passengers waiting to go on their trips.

I climbed up to the operations room in the Lifeboat station, and reported what I had seen to the coxswain and another lifeboat crew member.

We called the coast guard, and let them know everything, and they decided it would be worth sending out a land based mobile team for a look. They noted my phone number and left it at that, saying they would call if they needed any other information.

I then had to get back into the kayak on the crowded slipway, and make my way back to Pencarnan. That afternoon during another scorching burst from the sun, the coastguard phoned me, and let me know they had found the site, but that the clothing was in fact 4 towels, apparently discarded by some young lads who'd been spotted fishing from that point the day before.

I was really pleased that the coast guard had called me back, as I would have been wondering what had become of the situation forever otherwise.

I did feel afterwards that maybe I had wasted the time of the coastguard, but really I know that if someone had been in trouble, then I would have felt terrible not to have done something.

A trip of around 11 miles, very enjoyable.

A small boy and a girl in a boat

Sunday August 9th 2009

Some simple paddle practice

After getting out quite a bit in my boat, I thought I'd try and get Connor paddling his mini sit-on-top.

Firstly I took him out for a blast around the bay in the micro bat, which for some reason wanted to constantly turn left, It was difficult to keep straight.

When I got Connor in his boat, I was surprised to see he had put on a lot of weight since last year, I don't think he'll be able to paddle this next year, it is sitting very low in the water and filled up easily with any breaking water.

He did OK with the paddle, I noted that I would need to mark his grip position with tape for next time though, he kept finding his way to the end of the shaft.

Cerys fancied ago, but soon found me dragging her up and down in the shallow water much more to her liking!

Stealth mission

Saturday 8th August 2009

What a vast place the ocean is, and in the dark....

Having been up to Strumble Head today so that Connor could see a lighthouse, I was desperate to get out in the flat calm sea again. I left it late and almost gave up on the idea, but then I thought 'it would be interesting, and a good experience to paddle in the dark'.

We gathered together on the beach at Porthsele, and with most people lighting fires or finishing off their BBQ's we had some interested people asking what we were up to.

After getting on the water I turned back to look at the campsite, it already looked small.

It wasn't actually pitch dark when we left the beach so paddling out of Porthsele and across towards Penlledwen was quite straight forward.

The flash on the camera makes the background much darker, but I couldn't really see much more than you see here. When we neared the cliffs across the bay I had picked out some flashing torches and shouting from the cliff tops. Rather than get involved in the shouting I chose to say nothing, it was when we were nearer that Dad heard the words ' are you OK?'

With a simple 'yes' we carried on around into Porth Melgan and hoped that there was no surf onto the beach as the sea was now a little choppy.

We landed without incident, and had 20mins or so.

When we set off back we took a more direct route than on the way there. However, I did notice that it was not easy to use the compass on the deck of the boat, it has no luminous marks so cannot be read!

Looking forwards towards our goal, it was possible to make out the numerous caravan lights in the distance, Dad had his head torch facing forwards, I turned mine to the rear so as not to shine them in each others eyes, I followed Dad.

When we neared the beach I swapped my light to the front and went close in for a look at what the surf was doing, it seemed Ok, so I sat to wait for the next one to pass and follow it in, all of a sudden Dad shouted something, and that was it! A freak wave came in, picking me up and firing me at the beach, I managed to stay upright and on course, what I wasn't so sure of was if anyone was in the water swimming or paddling in front.

Luckily there was no-one, and once Dad was in safely, we packed up and went for some supper!

Paddling at night, is different to say the least. It is difficult to paddle across the waves where they are hitting you side on, as there is no visual horizon to act as a balance point, I was tending to over correct in a 'reactive manner' instead of what normally is something I don't think about.

I am glad I did this, it is a reminder to plan trips carefully, as getting caught out and having to paddle like this would be a challenge.

Thanks must go to the guys who asked if we were OK from the cliffs, I'm sorry I didn't reply sooner, but with the water splashing around and a bit of wind blowing I just could make out what was being said.

Only a short trip, but a great experience! 2 miles

A trip out to the island

Friday August 7th

My first 'self guided' trip to Ramsey & the Bitches

After having an easy morning lazing around the campsite, I decided that i would take advantage of another cracking day of calm weather and head off into the sound with an hour left of the ebb tide, I would decide exactly where I would go when I got out there.

I was going alone, as we did the long trip to Solva yesterday, but Dad decided he'd come along...he didn't know I was planning to go out to Ramsey.

At Carreg-garfieliog a lone Cormorant watched us slip by on our way to Gwahan, I was going out to see how the sea looked for a trip to the island.I still hadn't told Dad the full plan yet!

Part way over to Gwahan, the sea was glassy smooth with hardly any tidal flow and only a slight swell it would be an ideal day to head for the island of Ramsey. This would be my 1st self led trip across Ramsey sound and over to the island, I needed to get this right.

When we reached Gwahan, I was expecting to get a rest close to the rocks, but I was wrong! There was a lot of confused water coupled with an intermittent swell, and sitting around for a rest wasn't possible.

We headed down to Ramsey and found rest in the 1st back eddy at the tip of the Eastern side of the island.

Paddling down a short way there are a number of caves, and this one I think is Ogof Hen.

A little farther down towards the harbour on Ramsey, at Rhod Uchaf we found another cave that went all the way through the rocks, not today though.

Just a bit further we spotted a rather silly sheep! It had clambered down a near vertical cliff to eat what looked like the same type of grass that was up at the top, or maybe they like licking the salt water deposits?

At the bottom end of Rhod Uchaf we paddled into this cave and got a lovely surprise, we managed to pass through to Rhod Isaf with ease. The pass through made possible by the fact we were now at low water.

Now in the Ramsey Harbour we poured a well earned coffee, and rested for our next test. The crossing back to the mainland would require a ferry glide across the row of rocks known as the 'Bitches'

I kept looking out to see how the flow was, and it seemed very slight, there were plenty of Rib's about.

Next time I checked the flow it looked considerably bigger than last time, so I collected Dad from the peace of the harbour.

We headed to the bitches for a look, I have been here before with a group of play boaters, and also on board a tourist Rib trip. The water today in comparison to then was almost flat.

So with a bit of guidance I sent Dad out first to ferry glide across to the 1st large rock, and to have a rest in the eddy behind.

It was a gentle ride, and didn't really need a ferry glide as such, we headed out the end Bitch, here the flow was a lot more powerful, and after a bit of a breather, we paddle out another 100m or so, and then let the Northerly flood water carry us up the sound.

Just letting the beginnings of the flood tide carry us North we maintained 5mph and when I paddled flat out I managed 9mph! After passing over slight over falls at St Johns point we rounded back to Porthsele beach which was crowded again on what had turned out to be another scorcher! Many Thanks must got to Richard for showing me around here earlier in the year.

A journey of 5.5 miles and a monumental one for us, one for the logbook I think.