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.