Seeking the Wolf

After my Greenland rolling course with Kayak Ways it seems I spent the most of July and August making paddles and practising rolling at my local bays.  I was still without a waterproof camera so we now skip forward to the end of August... 

Meeting up with Elan the plan was as follows; use the ebb to take us down onto Flatholm but attempt a ferry glide over to Monkstone Lighthouse.  It'll be a little fight with the tide but I've managed it before with Taran.  We aim to leave Flat Holm just short of low water to give us enough time to continue on down stream to The Wolves Rock and hopefully catch it just ever so slightly above the surface.

Leaving Penarth we paddle out past the Cardiff Grounds Buoy and onto the giant sand bank itself.  We brush past the fast flowing waters surrounding the banks and surf the tidal waves to keep us on track for Monkstone Lighthouse.

We land briefly on the rocks that the lighthouse endlessly guard looking back toward Penarth and Cardiff under dark shadows of a storm system.  

We hop back on the River Severn conveyor belt, which takes us now directly on to Flat Holm. 

We land beneath the cliffs we normally paddle amongst at high water.  Elan sparks up his trusty Jet Boil to cook us up a hot brew, but it's only a short stop as we have some business to attend to.  

The Wolves.  In the fifty or so times I have paddled past here there would normally be a shipping buoy and some rough water.  At spring low tides the rock does surface and for a while I've wanted to make a point of landing on the rocks.  Today wasn't a big spring.  Last night I did some old school tidal planning and calculated the rock may possibly only just be surfacing.  It wasn't worth the bother.  But the Mike Mayberry confirmed my calculations by adding there should be around 30cm/1ft of rock surfacing and to prove it we should go measure.      

Well he wasn't wrong but landing would be a little difficult....

But Elan wanted to measure.

 The tide was now on the flood and we arrived back at Penarth in quick time.

Just enough time for a few practice rolls :-)

Holm Buoys

I had set myself up for a paddle across the Bristol Channel, along the east Exmoor coast and hop back across the channel before darkness.  I was in a battle between my heart and head.  The latter was concerned about the forecast.  Southerly force 3-4, gusting 5-6 in the evening with heavy, thundery showers.  It would have been a long day on my own so put it on the burner for another day.  

Meanwhile I needed a short local paddle now to fill my day.  High water was about 1130 so I opted for a trip out to Flat Holm for the second time this week but taking in Monkstone Lighthouse also.  

Again big tides ferried me along at an easy 6-7 knots.  I had to fight the tide as I neared Flat Holm to get around to the east side of the island and under the lighthouse.

I parked up on Coal Beach and relaxed in serenity with my breakfast.  I simply sat around enjoying the view for a good hour, something I rarely actually do.  

From memory I allowed myself 30 minutes to paddle across the two miles to Monkstone Lighthouse.

 From the lighthouse I followed the line of buoys back to Sully.  First Cardiff Spit....

Then Cardiff South....

 And finally Ranie.  The tide increased considerably with each buoy.

I left out the Lavernock spit buoy which would mean heading back out off shore.  The Wolves can also be seen set against Steepholm.

It's been a while since I last did that trip and it was great retracing my steps once more.  As I packed up my kit the heavens opened and I couldn't help thinking if I had gone with my original plan I would have another eight hours to go.

Holm Alone

Our annual trip up to Skye has been postponed until the Spring but with a brief spell of high pressure this weekend I was going to make the most of it.  With my van loaded last night all set for Pembrokeshire I had to make yet another cancellation due to weather. 

I was determined to get out once this weekend so decided on a trip to my usual hot spot Flat Holm.  Southerly force 2-3, smooth to slight, it was perfect.  Visibility was poor, could only just make out Flat Holm on the horizon through the early morning haze.

Through the usual race off Sully island an I was on my way.  I was picking up all sorts of traffic on my VHF, apparently due to high pressure.  A lot of coastguards way down south around Plymouth and the Isle of White.  I had quite a bit of French conversation come over and a missile firing down around Guernsey and Jersey.  Kept me entertained anyway.

The sun was trying it's hardest but the haze and cloud didn't relent.  There was about 2 knot of flow and I was steaming along well over 6 knots.

A dark shape looms out of the haze also steaming along, quite glad I didn't set off to Steep Holm.  I reach Flat Holm in half hour from leaving Sully.

I paddle around the east side of Flat Holm and explore, it would be rude not to.

Arch not quite big enough at Castle Rock.  I suddenly realise it's very quiet, not a single gull in sight!

I land very briefly to get my lunch out of my hatch and move it to my deck bag before setting off again for Monkstone Lighthouse.

Not before ringing the Mrs to say morning.

Monkstone just visible through the haze on full zoom.

I use the last of the flood to take my straight up the channel.

My intention was to tie off the boat and have lunch up on the tower but the tide was still flooding quite strongly.  My boat was being dragged around the back of the tower and I didn't fancy getting in a tangle or risk not being able to pull my boat back around.  I managed to get out and have a a quick climb up the ladder though.

I made my way back to Sully, starting off against the tide, linking up the shipping buoys on the way.  Cardiff Spit.

Keep your eyes peeled these things have a habit of keeping up behind you.

I can never remember which one this is, it doesn't have a name?  At this point I stopped for a bit of chocolate, the GPS was showing 0 knots, no drift whatsoever.

By the time I reached Ranie buoy there was 1.8 knots of drift.  Lavernock outfall buoy in the far left.

I hit some moving water just off Lavernock.  Through the rough stuff and over the eddy line and I was home dry with barely no tidal assistance.

A tall ship heading up the channel.

The orange cliffs of Sully.

Back at Sully after a 2.5hrs round trip, and the sun comes out.  I sit up on the beach dry off my kit and have my lunch before heading home.

That's my battle scars, Monkstone Lighthouse paint from trying to tie off.

Even though I wish I was up in Skye or out in the turquoise seas off Pembrokeshire, it was really nice to be back on home waters in such pleasant conditions.

Naked Holm

A change in the weather meant we managed to get out for some decent paddling, even if it was the same old trip out to Flat Holm.

We left a hectic Sully bay just after lunch into a slight south easterly wind in glorious sunshine.  It was perfect, a gentle breeze and small waves braking on the bow enough to cool the sweltering heat.

Today I was joined by Taran  and Jules who was paddling the yellow P&H Scorpio I tested last weekend. 

There seemed to be very little tidal assistance as we made directly for the far side of the island to explore.  From a distance it was obvious there were a lot of people on the island, looking rather pink.

I recognised the Norkapp and Capela straight away as being Richard and Eurions boats.  I had a sneaky feeling we might bump into someone today with the sudden break in the weather.

Thinking about it should only have guessed Eurion would have been here testing out the cider at the newly opened pub on the island.  Seems to have a knack at finding a pint at the end of a paddle :) At £5 entry and £2.50 we though we would give it a miss.  It was good to meet up having known them both for a quite a while as fellow bloggers.

It also seems we happened to have landed on the day the nudists had decided to descend on the island.  I got a feeling it Taran had it all planned out, I think he just wanted to join in.  Can't believe you asked that couple for a picture!  I don't have any pictures you will have to visit Tarans blog for those.

We left Richard and Eurion to their own plans and headed off on to our next destination, Monkstone lighthouse.

We left it a bit late heading out here before the change of the tide but had no problems as the water was slow to pick up momentum.

 Jules was eager to scale the lighthouse on his first trip out here.

 Next was Taran.  What goes up...

 Must come down!  Cant just come down like a normal person, got to either slide down the beach in his boat or jump off lighthouses.  I suppose it gives a new outlook to coasteering. 
 I couldn't resist the temptation to get a different camera shot in.  I must have more shots of Flat Holm and Monkstone than my kids.

 Taran in the clouds of swirling mud.

 With what wind there was with the tide the sea flattened out brilliantly.  We attempted to find some more 'active' waters around Lavernock but we weren't in luck.

 Just calm flat waters and Jellyfish.

 The speed of the current had picked up as the Ranie buoy approached out of nowhere.

 Before long we were hauling the boat back up on the beach at Sully after a very enjoyable days paddle.  No paddling this weekend coming but hopefully get out west at the end of the month and possibly with a new boat.