East Coast disaster trip

Saturday 12th June 2010

Skinningrove - Staithes - Runswick Bay

When we arrived Friday Lunchtime for the Sheffield Canoe Club birthday weekend, the weather was calm, the sea reasonably flat and the forecast good. It has to be, on this coast, there are very few sheltered bits, leaving little option for getting out on the water if the weather is rubbish.

Connor hit the beach Friday evening, and immediately filled it with holes! So much energy!

So on Saturday, the plan was to do the Skinningrove to Runswick Bay paddle.

Adele ferried me and the others, and then went back with the kids to Runswick.

As soon as she drove away I knew this was a disaster!

I looked out to sea and saw the foaming messy breakers coming in from what seemed like 1/4 of a mile.

I have no photographic evidence of what happened next but it went something like:

I got into my boat and knowing who launching through surf is not so bad, (unless you get the kayak at an angle to the surf right from the start) I thrust my way out into the unknown.

I hit the first wave or rather it hit me, and the resulting spray completly drenched me. My eyes were now full of salt. I paddled on.

Hitting the next one I kept on paddling, managing a quick look over my shoulder I saw Phill & Waren launching their sea boats. Somewhere out of sight, Julie in a river boat was also committing to what looked like a certain swim.

I looked ahead, what was coming at ne now was scary! I really braced and tensed up. It hit me hard, and when I opened my eyes, all was the right way up, but my emergency paddle had been knocked out from under the deck elastic. It was stuck out at almost 90 degrees to the boat. I had to hold my paddle high above my head with my right hand and reach down with my left to re place the other in the elastic. I couldn't quite reach, so I had to use the tip of the other paddle to hook it back within reach.

I paddled forwards hard again to get some momentum, and looked over my right shoulder. If you look at the first picture above, you can make out the pole that marks the end of the under-sea pipe line I was now right on top of.

I made the sensible decision to turn quickly on the next wave, and head back in.

Normally I would wait for each wave to pass under me, but this time I just went in.

WOW! I got the longest, smoothest and fastest ride in I have EVER had! I've not surfed the sea kayak before like this and it truely was amazing.

I reached the sand with a sudden stop, dived out and ran the boat up the baech a little.

Phill was already back in to my right, and was waving and pointing frantically toward me. Looking behind, Julie was just surficing after bailing out, I waded out and helped gather the bits up. Warren was still way out looking very comfortable.

We had a quick meeting, and decided it was a no-go.

Julie emties her boat, and phill runs up the beach in the hope of catching a club member who had being watching us, luckily she hadn't left as the mobile phone reception around this area is rubbish.

After much ferrying of cars people and boats, we got back to Runswick, and decided to paddle around the bay as it looked just too rough to be heading around the points.

Once out on the water it was clear just how big the swell really was.

The bow of my boat mid-air as another giant wave passes under me.

Warren enjoying the conditions, now you see me......

......now you don't!

It was quite a big swell, somwhere in front is young Shaun in his dagger kayak, he's only 8 and so brave out here in these conditions.

 

The foaming wavelets coming back off the rocks were a testament of how we were being thrashed around.

Some video captures of the massive swell, some where easily 10-15ft

Warren high above me as another cracker passes beneath me.

And here, I'm above everyone else

Landing was always going to be interesting. The tide has come right in now, and there are loads of families playing on the beach.

I went in first so I could assist the others.

The beach was steep, and the waves were coming back fast, and colliding with the ones coming in. The foaming water seemed to swallow me up at the same time as surfing me toward a pile of stinking seaweed.

I hit the shore!

Then slid back out, got washed sideways to my left, and back in again.

This time Adele came and grabbed the front toggle to hold me in, unfortunately, as she ran towards me, her shoe came off and shot passed me into the water. I reached out for it and this picture above is the resulting angle!

A really short trip! Hardly any distance, but certainly worth it! Every time I go out in the kayak it is all worth while experience.

This one wasn't great, but I learned not to go out when you can't see the sea-horizon for breaking waves!

The eventual jaunt around the bay at Runswick, again. not very far, but a good time had in what must have been the biggest rolling waves I'll find my self in for a while!