Home Waters

After a weekend break with my wife Hannah in London for both our birthdays, I was far to tired to work the bank holiday.  So I took the day off (for a change) and joined Taran, Scott and his dad Haydon for a late afternoon paddle from Llantwit Major to the Knap Barry.

It was good to get out with Scott and Haydon as I have sort of known them for a while now via Taran, the club and of course blogs.

It was spring tide and it was kicking up a bit at Llantwit Major which is usually the case over the reef.  As we made our way further east it continued to flatten out however.  These huge hay bales looked rather odd on the edge of the coast. 

We round the massive water intake tank opposite Aberthaw power station at a rate of knots and into the confusion that followed. 

Heading around Rhoose point I head inland too where the tide flows in a huge eddy around the Knap bay.  Here the flow actually flows in the opposite direction to the main flow and can kick up some very tasty waves, which it did today.  I got a bit to preoccupied playing whilst the other three carried on and got left behind.  I had to break out of the eddy and head off shore to join back onto the main flowing tide before catching them just as they were landing.

A one way trip today with a kind offer from Scott to drop us back to Llantwit.  After the recent paddling out west it was quite nice being back on home waters again.  Whilst I was in London I got to meet another sea fairing folk, apparently has a fleet of old galleys, he certainly looked the part...