Caravans' Sea Phew!!!

I have to admit I can't take full recognition for the title, I pinched it from the Sun newspaper, where else?

I spent all day yesterday on my boat project.  I have received a few needed bits and pieces and spent the day planing, sanding and filling and cutting the cockpit.  (The cockpit above is cardboard for size).  I spent this morning cutting the cockpit recess and could easily have spent another day whittling away but decided it was about time I actually did some paddling...

I left my local Gilestone beach a couple of hours before high water and sunset.  The plan was a short paddle to investigate the landslip at Porthkerry caravan park that fell last Monday.

It had been surf all the way up but luckily Rhoose point had provided the shelter needed to get up close to the shore.

 All the caravans have since been taken back except this one that still looks rather too close for comfort.  Looks like other people had the same idea, scrambling the narrow slither of beach to see the cliff fall.  The water comes right into the cliffs along here but still people are marching along as the tide rises.  I've got a feeling there may be some rescues over the next few weeks.

Much of the cliff still looked like it was only just clinging on and I'm sure parts will continue to fall over the next few winter months.

Here is an aerial shot from one of the news sites, in the process of moving the caravans.

What remains of someone's patio area.  The whole Glamorgan coastline is made of sediments of Jurassic Limestone, all very loose and in danger of collapsing without warning.

I carry on a short while along the golden cliffs, all showing evidence of previous landslides.  It's still another hour before the turn of the tide but I turn back anyway not wanting to paddle home in the dark.  The long eddy in this bay provides a good push in the right direction.

 The low Autumn sun highlights the golden cliffs beautifully at Rhoose Point. 

I took my new piece of handy work for it's first soaking, not used it yet though, think I'll try it out in the pool first.

On the way here the water was a bit random but with the turn of tide the conditions become glassy and flat.

I stop off just before Aberthaw power station, these nice sandy beaches are a hidden gem far beyond the beach access.

As the sun dips lower it become blinding.  During the summer the sun would be setting just beyond Nash Point but with the turn of the seasons it's now jumped over to the English side of the border to set.

I land just as the sun is about to dip bellow the horizon.

Not happy with the colours in this shot.  I lost my picture editing software when my computer was serviced recently, not happy!

More boat building to follow shortly and hopefully some more paddling too...

A Bit of Quiet Time

For the past week or so I have been going out of my mind. I haven't been able to work due to the weather and I've been stuck in the house with two bored kids. Hannah wasn't in work till 12 today so I had a couple of hours to get out for some time off.

It was an early start from Aberthaw after digging my boat out of the snow and prising it free from the decking. I ventured out against the flow of the spring ebb tide toward Barry.

Beneath the cliffs of Fontygary caravan park huge icicles clung to the overhanging cliffs.

It became quickly obvious that I wouldn't be going far today as I made slow progress into the flow at 2-2.5 knots.

I haven't noticed these tunnels in the cliff before, there's a stone quarry is just over the cliff.

The weather was a bit dull and misty, no chance of a sun rise today.

There's Peregrine Falcons up on this cliff here but I couldn't see them today, just here their screeching.

It looks cold but I felt a little warmer today than past paddles, some of these icicles must be more than 10ft long.

Around Knap Point and into Barry harbour marked the turn around point, it had been a very slow 2 hours.

There was a cold wind blowing into the harbour so I paddled back around into the Knap for a coffee break.

Paddling back I made a beeline for Rhoose point taking advantage of the tidal flow. That's more like it 6-7 knots!

Within 45 mins I was heading back in to Aberthaw Bay looking for a place to land that wasn't sinking mud. It was now low tide and boiling hot water was spilling into the sea from the power station. The water was like a bath and the birds were dive bombing for fish all around.

Another half hour walk through mud, seaweed, freezing rock pools and snow covered steep boulders to finish. Becoming a habit this is! A short 10.6 nautical mile trip in quiet tranquility!

Lost confidence but a paddle at last

The weather might be utterly predictable at the moment but the sea has been quite different. It has been glorious sunshine for weeks now but every time I check the coastal forecast it has been force 4, 5 and sometimes 6. It seems it drops to a force 2/3 when ever I can't get out! I attempted a short paddle from Llantwit Major at low tide.

Forecast was a force 4 and there were plenty of 'white horses' and waves breaking all over the place. Since my swim in The Bitches quite a few weeks ago now I have been more aware of the danger of paddling alone and completely lost any confidence I had. I didn't get anywhere this day.

Next were a few evenings at my local bay next to Aberthaw power station. One evening was once again force 4 and there was a bit of a swell. So I practiced paddling with a following tide and picked up a bit of speed. I chickened out of a performing a role though.

Next was a short paddle out from Aberthaw to Llantwit Major in much better conditions. After a long walk through the mud and seaweed at Aberthaw I headed out to the water intake tower for the power station. A race forms off here as the current rushes around the tower. I paddled up an 's' shaped eddy that formed behind the tower.

The other purpose of the paddle was to try out my new dry trousers that I bought after nearly getting hypothermia during my swim at The Bitches. They are brilliant at keeping the water out but in this weather I was socked from the inside, sweating buckets!

Thursday night I went for a paddle out from Llantwit Major again this time at high tide. I only had an hour before picking up the kids so it was just a confidence booster in some rough sea. I headed over toward the caves toward Tresilian bay. Upon reaching the caves it was clear I wasn't getting anywhere close. The waves were breaking quite far out.

Heading back once again feeling uneasy an orange rescue helicopter flys overhead. He doubles back and hovers overhead, seemed to be checking my condition. Once again there were plenty of white horses and it was a bit difficult to lift my paddle toward the wind.

I got in early from work this afternoon and checked out the forecast for the weekend. Force 2/3 this afternoon and tomorrow morning then back up to 4. That's it I'm going. It was mid way between a flooding tide which made Aberthaw a perfect place to launch from.

Heading east from aberthaw the conditions were almost perfect. In fact only a mill pond could beat this. Heading once again toward the tower off Aberthaw I paddle directly into the race. I glanced down at my GPS and I was doing 8.1kts!

Passing Rhoose I noticed a stone circle has been recently built just off the coastal path, well I've never noticed it before. That's one way to baffle the archaeologists of future millennia. Maybe neolithic man had the same idea.

When I reached these cliffs off Rhoose I could here loud screeching from what I guess was a nest of Peregrine Falcons. I was buggered if I could find it though. Typically as I looked back after paddling away one was hovering in the up drafts above the cliffs.

Paddling past Porthkerry viaduct and into The Knap bay there was a pretty strong back eddy occurring. So much in fact it slowed me down to a 2kt slog.

Flying past the fixed buoy at Barry docks I paddle around in to the eddy behind the rocks off the headland. The fast tidal flow around the headland was kicking up a bit of rough water so I had a play about to gain some more confidence.

Waiting in the bay of Barry Island for the Mrs to pick me up on her way home from work the conditions were perfect. Another kayaker paddles out in the bay with Steepholm in the distance.

I practiced a few good roles and some handling maneuvers in the race off the headland before landing on a very busy beach. Not far but good to feel comfortable in my boat again. Fishguard next weekend for a week can't wait! Fingers crossed for the weather holding out.