A really fun trip, lots of learning and definitely a weekend of two halves !
Saturday morning’s meeting point was at Hele Bay. There’s a good public car park (only £2.80 for full day) where we met up with our guides, Greenie and Darren from Go With the Flow – Sea Kayaking North Devon. After assembling our kit we discussed plans for the day, and they briefed us on local weather and tide conditions.
The trip was planned for Sea Kayak Award level (and above) paddlers to get more experience in moderate conditions and for most of us to get our first experience of paddling the North Devon coast. Low tide was around 10am, just before our launch time meaning we would be paddling on a flood tide for the whole day. The Bristol Channel has one of the largest tidal ranges in the UK, so even though we were on Neap tides the tidal range was ~4.5m. The maximum tidal flow was 1.5 kts, combined with a forecast force 2 W-NW wind (wind over tide) giving us manageable conditions to paddle against the tide for the morning and return with it after lunch.
After trolleying our boats down to the beach we set off into a steady 1m swell, heading West along the coast. Paddling past Ilfracombe harbour and the strange concrete bunker architecture of the Landmark Theatre gave us a chance to see some local landmarks as well as appreciate the rugged coastline as we got used to the sea conditions. We then passed the old men’s and women’s Victorian bathing beaches accessible only by tunnels carved through the rock at Tunnels beaches, before starting our rock hopping adventures.
The group was able to spend a good couple of hours exploring the gully’s close into the coastline, with lots of opportunities to challenge ourselves. For some it was about reading the waves, working on manoeuvring in tight spaces and building experience. For others it was about being a bit more adventurous, practising skills and taking the lead on finding and testing routes through the rocks. We all benefited from coaching and tips from Paul and Darren …. and had a lot of fun !
At the end of the morning we paddled along to Lee Bay, a nice sheltered spot for lunch, joining a small crowd of bathers enjoying one of the last beach days of the season.
On the way back we headed much further offshore into the main channel to pick up the tidal flow and give ourselves a faster paddle back. We got a different perspective on the coastline seeing the rugged nature of the cliffs from further out, only heading in when we got to Ilfracombe harbour to see another local landmark. Damien Hurst’s 20.25m tall steel and bronze statue, Verity. It was a bit of a challenge to get close to as there’s a prime fishing spot at her base so we had to avoid all the anglers’ line. She also provoked some lively discussion from the art critics in the group!
We finished up the day with some of Greenie’s ‘fun and games’ … retrieving clothes pegs from our decks gave the group practice in balance and flexibility and also threw up some good opportunities to practice rescues and self-rescues at the end of the day!
The weather for Sunday, was forecast to be much worse and it certainly delivered, with wind speeds of Force 5-6 in the morning picking up to Force 8 gusting 9 by early afternoon.
So we made the decision to have a ‘dry day’ and Greenie and Darren led a tidal planning session at the Bideford Canoe Club’s clubhouse. Fortified by coffee and Mary’s excellent plum cake, we covered the basic principles, how to approach planning a trip and had a go at some examples. The more experienced in the group went over vectors and started putting together a plan for a route from the North Devon coast to the Isle of Lundy (maybe for a future trip?).
Once our brains and bellies were full we headed off home, making sure straps were tightened so kayaks stayed on roof racks in the gale.
A big thanks to Izzy for all her work planning the trip and making it happen and to Greenie and Darren for their coaching.
Six paddlers met on Bradwell Quay on a grey morning in August with a mission to fulfil. Our Essex trip differed from CKC’s usual weekend outings; it was a recce in unknown waters. We were there to explore the Blackwater Estuary for future club trips, which meant investigating as many jetties, slipways, islands, beaches, cafes and pubs as possible, noting down launch and landing points, highlights and hazards.
Our Saturday plan – drawn up by Jonathan and David with input from local paddlers – was to use the incoming tide to paddle the length of the estuary, up to Heybridge Basin near Maldon (home to the sea salt brand), then return on the ebb to Bradwell near the river mouth – a trip of 29 kilometres. Heybridge Basin looked a lively marina and tourist spot, so we anticipated cafes and facilities. As the tides dictated an early start, we arrived at 8.30am on Bradwell public slipway to offload.
We parked at nearby Bradwell Marina (£2 all day) taking a convenient footpath back to the public slipway past Munchies Café (a local legend). The Marina tower has toilets on the ground floor, and there is a clubhouse (with bar and showers) past the members-only barrier.
A sandy islet separates Bradwell Creek from the main river, so first we slipped down the creek, exiting gently into the main flow, which is around 3 miles wide at the river mouth. The wind was light (F2) but forecast to strengthen later (to F3-F4), and it did.
Our first mission was to check out two slipways on the south bank, at Stone Inn and Marconi Sailing Club. The Blackwater is surrounded by low-lying land (aka ‘The Saltmarsh Coast’), famous for internationally important bird migration routes and oyster beds. We’d checked the maps but needed to see any possible get in/out points for ourselves, especially the all-important ratio of mud to shingle.
We landed briefly at Stone Inn, where a short slipway was usable only around high water, though much of the foreshore was shingle-studded and firm.
Sailors getting ready to race
Approaching Marconi Sailing Club on the rising tide, we saw two dozen dinghies readying for their regular Saturday race. Jonathan had a quick chat with their safety boats to avoid the sailors, then we headed towards Osea Island in midstream.
It was a lively crossing as wind against tide raised waves that came at us sideways. Happily, Osea’s shingle beaches were prefect for a quick leg-stretch. The island is privately-owned, and a few yards inland signs warned of ‘guard dogs of the loose’. Meanwhile, Mary found samphire growing wild, a delicacy when lightly steamed with butter. Sunlight was breaking through cloud, picking out white yacht hulls against the slate-coloured water and sky.
We set off again, hugging the shore up to the headland before veering into the main flow. By now, it was sunglasses weather.
Traditional Thames barges opening their sails
The river was wide and sealike as we made towards the north bank a good distance away.
I pointed my bow at an angular rusty sculpture. It opened its sails and transformed into a magnificent Thames barge, huge vesselswith sails the colour of dried blood. Four of them rounded Northey Island (a bird sanctuary) towards us, unfurling their sails as they came. They belong to the Thames Sailing Barge Trust on Maldon quay.
Their presence between us and Northey Island settled any debate about whether to go there. Instead, we followed the river’s north shore (shingle beaches, all possible rest spots, though only accessible from the sea as the leisure parks behind them are private).
Our destination was Heybridge Basin. We arrived at high water and lunchtime, as planned. Yachts were moored along pontoons, and a happy clientele was sun basking outside the pubs, but landing was limited to a steep concrete stair. We didn’t fancy hauling the boats out vertically. Luckily, we found a pontoon with gangway access to the seawall, lashed the kayaks to it, then had a quick picnic.
As the tide turned, we set off towards Northey Island, sticking close to it, then crossing the wide reaches of the river to go round Osea’s other (North) side, mostly reed beds. The causeway linking it to the mainland is only exposed at low tide.
Things got challenging after Osea Island, where the two arms of the river meet, and the flow gets stronger. A SW wind meant waves, a turbulent following sea and wind pushing us away from the shore. It was a lively slog. I enjoyed surfing the waves to make distance, but it took concentration. Subsequent conversations with local sailors revealed this bit of the Blackwater is often choppy.
The ‘Ross Revenge’ the ex-Greenland trawler home to Radio Caroline pirate radio
Finding Bradwell on the horizon was easy; the decommissioned nuclear power station’s twin towers caught the sun. Then we passed the Radio Caroline pirate radio ship. But the outgoing tide created an entirely different coast with surf in the shallows and access to the creek limited to a narrow channel over a sandbar. We dodged homeward bound yachts on get back to the slipway. We were tired but happy from a long day of varied and interesting paddling.
Day 2: Sunday
We discussed multiple plans for Sunday before settling on a shorter paddle, setting off again from Bradwell Quay to cross the Blackwater near its mouth, going to West Mersea on the north bank.
Conditions couldn’t have been more different. Sunny from the outset, with a glassy sea. The water was smooth oyster grey-green, fittingly as West Mersea is the gateway to numerous creeks that have been famous oyster beds since Roman times. They remain the source of Britain’s biggest oyster harvest. Tollesbury Creek – a site of special scientific interest, and Old Hall Marshes are also bird nesting grounds and support rare hawks such as hen harriers. We had a gentle crossing with smooth billows mid-flow.
One sailing website describes West Mersea as “A very busy area for yachts, with narrow channels crammed with moorings.”
Disembarking at the oyster packing shed island
However, between the channels stands a low shingle island, home to The Packing Shed, a 19th century oyster packing shed, now restored and run by a charity who do half a dozen open days a year. We paddled up to look, expecting it would be locked. We were greeted by charity volunteers readying the place for a ‘Pirate Party’ kids’ day mid-week. They kindly showed us around. Inside, there’s an exhibition showing how the once-derelict structure was saved.
Back across the “narrow channels crammed with moorings”, we found the town slipway, busy with dinghies. We pulled the kayaks onto the busy pathway, ate sandwiches and explored the busy waterfront on foot.
On the return trip we practiced using transits of trees and pylons in the far distance for navigation. It was an uneventful journey. We halted so Jonathan could practice rolling, and got to see how quickly the outgoing tide pushed us downstream towards Bradwell power plant. Scrambling to recover ground, we made it back into Bradwell Creek at the end of a very satisfying weekend of paddling. The Blackwater may not be the docile winter training ground we were hoping to discover but it is an adventurous place that is well worth another visit.
It’s September, so it must be time for the annual autumnal weekend trip to the Jurassic Coast for CKC. It’s a trip we have been doing for many years, and we still love it! The coastline is always astonishing and for those that haven’t seen it from the sea before, it has truly amazing scenery. This particular trip was extra-special as it was the inaugural trip for Claire’s new boat (and roof rack). Although CKC supplies all boats and paddler’s kit needed for a weekend trip like this one, some members also own their own boats and kit.
Jurassic Coast paddlers
We all travelled down on Friday afternoon and evening, setting up our tents in the campsite before the early arrivers went to the pub for an evening meal.
For some this was their first time camping and kayaking, so learned a few things about combining them. Like test out your camping items before you arrive: As Steve said “I’d planned on sleeping in my car but realised that I needed a better mattress and I might not be able to fit stretched out. Also, my tent was too big for one person, made it colder at night and definitely would have been even colder if it was closer to winter. So will research better options for next time!”.
Although winter would have been colder, it was certainly a lot chillier on Friday night than most had planned for, although some compensated on Saturday night to have the absolute pleasure of waking up under two sleeping bags and a blanket on Sunday morning. The less said about Friday night the better (when sleeping bags say good for 15 degrees, believe them) is Matt’s advice.
For others it was the packing the tent away that caused some difficulty on Sunday morning: “it is definitely not worth taking a huge tent for two days!” advises Rachel.
Ingo suggested that you check all technical gear before packing, e. g. batteries are charged, as it is easy to find that vital piece of camping kit doesn’t work just when you need it most.
Mike observed that waterproof maps are essential for the leaders, but it makes the trip more interesting for each paddler if everyone has one too.
Dancing Ledge
On Saturday we travelled along the coast from Swanage, passed some amazing scenery which many of the group had never seen from the water before, visiting caves and rock-hopping along the way.
Paddling through connected caves
Rock hopping along the Jurassic Coast
Landing on Dancing Ledge we helped each other off the water in the 0.3m swell and managed to ensure than no-one capsized while trying to land.
Dancing Ledge
After getting back on the water we investigated some large caves and headed around St Alban’s Head for lunch at a shingle beach.
Big caves
The route back was more direct, cutting across to Anvil Point from St Albans Head with the wind (F3) and tidal flow behind us. The afternoon light on the cliffs made the cliffs look fantastic.
Anvil Point lighthouse
At the evening pub meal we attracted the attention of the waiting staff who were intrigued about what we were doing, as we seemed exciting! After great service and food, they thought they might try out kayaking too!
Old Harry
We all agreed that on Sunday we should do a shorter paddle and all of us loved the combination of the longer paddle first followed by the shorter paddle. On Sunday we launched from Poole Harbour and headed out to Old Harry. At Handfast Point we went through several arches and along to The Pinnacales.
The Pinnacles
Admiring the Pinnacles from the ocean, it felt really otherworldly and surreal. Despite losing count of the number of times that some of us have paddled from Poole Harbour to Old Harry, it still was as stunning a trip as the first time. For others it was the first time to visit Old Harry and it turned out to be a personal highlight, with the imposing and sheer white cliffs alongside us.
It was such a fun weekend, which everyone enjoyed. Whether it was practicing a deep water rescue in choppy water and using the ‘swimmer’ to act as a counter balance when emptying their boat. Or for some it was just being back on the sea after a break.
Although the paddling was phenomenal, we also met some locals who shared their experiences swimming. One had just had the magical experience of watching a sea horse in Studland Bay and saw how its shadow was highlighted by a sun beam, and was keen to share this magical experience.
In summary, we loved the trip planning under canvas. We had two great pub meals and a super campsite. Nipping around the rocks and through the arches was great fun! Maybe we should do this trip more than once a year?
Damien reminded us on WhatsApp that we needed to pack midge nets …. and he was right these tiny tiny creatures did (annoyingly) come out & greet us
Seven intrepid CKC paddlers headed to Onich, Scotland for what turned out to be a wet and windy week! Weblink for the routes we did can be found at the bottom of the blog.
Unexpected Yoga opportunity in the middle of the M40 motorway
Our northbound journeys didn’t go as smoothly as expected. David had the pleasure of becoming a photographer of Gilly & Corinne’s yoga on the motorway, which resulted in new friendships being made amongst the stationary cars!
Day 1 Loch Linnhe We went to Rockhopper, Corpach to hire kayaks & additional kit that we needed for our week. We had naively thought that the mountains would shelter us from a westerly wind, but that turned out not to be the case! The wind funneled down Loch Linnhe, as a F3-4 headwind, impeding our progress south west towards Onich. The kayaks that we hired took some getting used to, and were also shorter (~15ft), so not as fast as our usual CKC/longer (~17ft) kayaks. We attempted to tow to improve the group’s overall speed but realised we were not going to make the tidal gate through the Corran Narrows. So five landed and tried out different group shelters at a layby off the A82, whilst two paddled through the narrows to get the car to initiate the car shuttle to get paddlers and kayaks home. Needless to say we were all tired, and it was much later than planned by the time we got home!
Day 2 – Shuna, Castle Staker & Port Appin We had an easier day’s paddling, including spotting jellyfish, and seals. We launched from a layby into the Sound of Shuna, paddled down the west side of Shuna, around to Castle Stalker (before it dried out!), before landing at Port Appin. We can report that the Carrot Cake at the pub at Port Appin, made Corinne very happy. She was keen to sample some of the foods she enjoyed when she lived in London (and regularly paddled with CKC), but can’t get so easily in France! Sitting in sunshine at Port Appin was the best location we had in the week to wait whilst a car shuttle was happening =:) .
Castle Stalker (from the road!)
Rafted up by the side of Shuna island L to R: Corinne, Gilly, Fiona, Rich, David, Tudor, Damian
Day 3 – Caledonian Canal The winds still continued to be strong – so six of the group paddled north along the Caledonian canal, starting above Neptune’s Staircase. This included an unexpectedly long portage at the North East end of the canal. At the end of paddle, which was sheltered location – some took the opportunity to improve their rescue skills.
In the evenings some of us learnt how to play chevet – which involves flicking counters on a specially made board,
Day 4 Nessie at Castle Urquhart The winds were too strong for the group to paddle and so this became mainly a sight-seeing day. Corinne had wanted to see Nessie and so 4 of us headed off to Castle Urquhart to meet her. Whilst David sampled paddling in the wind, under the watchful gaze of 2 checking on him from the comforts of being land-based!
Nessie came to meet Corinne
Sightseeing at Castle Urquhart
Damian paddling around Castle Stalker
Moon Jellyfish
Day 5 Loch Leven We launched from Cuilcheanna beach heading east to then go through the Ballachulish narrows (under the Ballachulish bridge) and into Loch Leven. This time we easily made our tidal gate through the narrows. By now we were used to paddling with the odd drop of rain, and some wind. We were progressing well so we landed near Ballachulish coop, to see what the amazing Stiff Peaks patisserie (and Coop) had to offer for us to supplement our lunch with. After launching again we visited the burial islands. For most of our paddle this day we were predominantly blown downwind (eastwards) F4-5 with ever changing magical and dramatic skyscapes in front of us.
Loch Leven island
Paddling under the Ballachulish Bridge into Loch Leven
Day 6 Too-oo Windy! The last day of our week based at Onich, was also too windy to paddle. So some of us went for a walk around Inchree waterfall and discovered A LOT of rain had fallen recently, since the waterfall and river were clearly in spate!
Inchree Waterfall in spate
Thanks go to everyone for their contribution to a happy week, from coordinating meals and shopping, planning paddling routes, transporting kayaks, driving, and being cheery in spite of the weather!
All in all a happy week, and in spite of the rain and wind, our 5th day of paddling which featured both rain and wind (coming unpredictably from different directions during the paddle!) was our favourite paddling day!
Landing at Loch Leven burial island
If you want to see our paddling routes – these can be seen here:
Time to go on the CKC annual weekend trip to South Devon and our yearly visit to Sea View Campsite near Slapton Sands. Unfortunately we had a few last minute ‘not able to make it’ paddlers but still a good sized group of 11 paddlers came, including three out of London members.
The campsite was very quiet and we were all able to have a good amount of space near each other on the on the top field with Fiona taking up residence in the static caravan – which was ultimately vital as the England football team made it to the final of the Euro’s and where else would we be able to watch the match!
The whole weekend had been made to happen with the careful logistical planning – to get all the boats on cars and passengers sorted out. Also our knowledge of the coast made it easy for everyone, as we had already done the on the water trip planning. With a group of 11 we decided not to split up this year and all go as one group.
Launching at Hope Cove
Saturday’s trip launched at Hope Cove heading around Bolt Tail headland. The weather was mixed sun and cloud and not cold. We had been promised us caves and boy did the coast provide this! Super-big multilayer caves were great to explore deeper and deeper into. Caution and respect was needed as seals were also in some of the caves, some were curious, some not so. The seals that are happy to swim along side your boat are a joy to see with their little curious face staring back at you.
Inside a cave
A curious seal in a cave
Along this coastline are fabulous rock hopping opportunities with gullies and nooks to twist and turn your boat through. Little or no swell was happening so no risky bits to navigate. Great practice for everyone to try to get their boats to turn quicker and use different paddle strokes.
Some dynamic water to practice different paddle strokes 1
Some dynamic water to practice different paddle strokes 2
Lunch was at a lovely small cove called Soar Mill Cove, halfway along from Bolt Tail to Bolt Head. Dog walkers and picnickers come to this cove after a bit of a walk so no facilities but nice and quiet even at this time of year. The weather and sea temperature was good enough for some folk to take a dip and not sit and shiver afterwards!
Relaxed lunch at Soar Mill Cove
After lunch we did a return paddle back along to Hope Cove again enjoying the rock hopping, seals and caves. It was a not long trip distance wise but lots to see and do.
Gullies and nooks to explore
There was a bit of rush to be had after loading boats back on the cars to ensure we got to our booking on time at the local village pub in Slapton.
Sundays trip that was planned was to launch at Torquay, known by the Victorians as the UK’s equivalent to the French Riviera! There was a concern voiced that we are missing out on the Devon coast by coming to this urban area. By the end of the day I believe these concerns were put to bed, as apart from the first and last 10 minutes, no one would be aware we might be in a built up area because from the sea the coast line is still very attractive with rocky unspoilt views.
The conditions were a bit overcast, with little wind (likely to possibly build up later in the day) but warm enough. The paddle took us along the coast to an arch to paddle through known as London Bridge.
London Bridge, Torquay
Then onto a rocky island just off the coast called Thatcher’s Rock. From here was a short crossing further out to Ore Stone. This rock is known for its bird life. Certainly a lot of shags were there and some Kittiwake gulls. Earlier in the season you might also see Guillemots nesting on the cliffs, which is unusual to see that far south in the UK.
Torquay, Thatcher’s Rock, Ore Stone and CKC paddlers
Ore Stone
For any geologist the coast line is also interesting with obvious movement of the Devonian Sandstone in arches and dips (synclines and anticlines ). We paddled past Hope’s Nose and another place called Hope Cove, and past Anstey Cove. They were warning notices evident to alert folk to the area being special for sea grass protection. Sea Grass is not a seaweed but has now been understood to be vital material to help with carbon reabsorption. Seagrass – Wild Planet Trust
There are quarried features at the next headlands we paddled past. On these promontories were a lot of fisherman for which one had to paddle right out away from their far-reaching casting lines. Also, a rather alarming high diver was seen but not captured on film, doing a somersault as he dived from at least two buses high up from the cliff into the sea. ‘Buses’ are the international measurement unit of heights.
Babbacombe
A sweet charming little cove was our lunch time destination at Babbacombe (this time with facilities of a café and toilet). Our return back to Torquay was uneventful but the wind did pick up very slightly (F3) and was a head wind and the sea was a little bumpier but not anything that any of us could not manage. Whilst getting our boats back up the slip way and onto our vehicles we were merrily serenaded by a Torquay busker who was rather in need of some singing lessons!
Another year with fantastic paddling conditions in South Devon
For those that stayed on to overnight on Sunday we had wonderful pizzas from Joe’s Pizza in Totnes for our supper before watching England being beaten in the Euro final by Spain. Well-tried England though! Unfortunately, the weather and wind changed for the worse on Monday so no paddling was possible, instead some intrepid club members ventured to the Totnes cheese shop as a consolation.
CKC Moderate Water Trip to Pembrokeshire April 2024
CKC Attendees:
Fiona, Claire, Rich, John L, Tudor, Damian, Rachel, Jude, Gilly, Izzy, Mary, Mike L, Paul H, Steve D, Ingo, Andrew
In April, Fiona and Claire organised a fantastic trip to Pembrokeshire for “moderate water” Sea Kayak coaching with Sea Kayak Guides (SKG) who had coached CKC on a similar weekend in 2023. Pembrokeshire offers some wonderful scenery with access to some challenging moving water conditions.
Sixteen of us converged on Trefin/Trevine, just off the Welsh coast path, on the Friday night, with several people bringing club and personal boats from London on roof-racks. We’d booked out the whole of the Old School House Hostel for the weekend, with shared rooms, a drying room and a communal kitchen stocked with copious breakfast foods laid on by the owner. After meeting up, most of us went to dinner in the Ship Inn just a few doors away.
Saturday 20th
On Saturday we were up early and carpooled to Llanungar Caravan/Campsite to meet our coaches from Sea Kayak Guides Martin, Ben, Bramble and Pablo. It was bright and calm so we could sit outside to introduce ourselves and discuss our goals for the weekend and come up with a plan. (The trip required Explore Award or higher). After going over the tides and weather forecast we settled on putting in at Porthclais, southwest of St Davids, planning to head west to Ramsey Sound.
The guides rented us additional boats and equipment and we loaded them up on their trailer before squeezing into as few vehicles as possible to get to Porthclais. At Porthclais we unloaded at the bridge but because of a low tide, had a couple of hundred metres of pulling the kayaks down the stream before we could get in. Once on the water we gathered together and divided into two groups – one (with Ben and Bramble) intent on going to Ramsey Sound and the other (Martin and Pablo) spending more time to rock-hop along the shore.
We paddled along the cliffs in beautiful, calm weather stopping to practise some strokes at a couple of points. Nearing the Ramsey sound, (site of a tidal turbine project) the coaches reviewed the tidal streams. There was a strong southward current at this state in the tide (peak flow, of up to 6 knots at springs, occurring at high tide). Bramble crossed the eddy-line to show how fast it was flowing. We were able to keep in to the shore and work North through the back eddy until we were ready to do a ferry glide across the current to the Bitches rocks by Ramsey Island. Bramble took up station downstream to be able to assist but we all made it across and into an eddy behind one of the rocks. Then there were a series of rocks with jets between and we paddled into them and enjoyed being able to ride the small standing waves after some strong paddling to overcome the initial flow.
We paddled through an arch by the small harbour wall and then paddled back to the mainland and across to Porthlysgi beach for lunch, just as the other group was leaving. There we kept having to move the boats up the beach as the tide came in. On our way out we practised some strokes, rolls and rescues, then rock-hopped back to Porthclais where we were able to paddle all the way up to the launch ramp.
We all went for another great dinner at the Ship Inn again and looked at weather forecasts and tides to outline some trip proposals for Sunday.
Sunday 21st
Sunday’s weather was again great – sunny with little wind and swell. We met the guides again at Llanungar and decided on the trip options. We’d all put in at Whitesands beach, northwest of St Davids. We could all paddle round Ramsey Island, and then split into two groups – one group paddling round to Porthclais and the other returning to Whitesands, which might be a bit more challenging against waves and current. This required a bit more planning to get some cars to Porthclais. At Whitesands we put in and paddled with the current west to St David’s head before striking out to a rock off the north of Ramsey Island. There we sheltered in the eddy and split into groups to circumnavigate the Ramsey island anti-clockwise.
As we paddled round, we visited a cave and spotted seals peering at us from the water while oystercatchers flew overhead. At the southern end of the island, our guides briefed us on paddling through the short tidal stream which was against us through the Midland gap. We broke through to the eddy on the other side and paddled up to have lunch at the harbour, the only permitted landing place on Ramsey, along with another group of kayakers. After lunch we divided into groups again, with some paddlers heading back to Porthclais, and others returning to Whitesands, after playing in the now-northward tidal stream between the Bitches rocks. A couple of us did some assessments and self-rescuing before returning to the beach.
Monday 22nd
Some returned to London on Sunday night, and a few people walked or cycled on Monday, so on Monday seven of us were paddling, and we met two new guides from SKG, Rich and Lucas (who had coached for CKC the previous year). We discussed goals and agreed that with the wind expected to reach a northerly force 4 in the afternoon, we should choose a sheltered route. They felt that while we wouldn’t be able to paddle around Skomer like last year, a trip along the lee shore would be possible, with some coaching and skills building as well as the chance to see puffins.
This entailed a longer drive around St Bride’s Bay to Martin’s Haven. We unloaded kayaks near the slipway but parked cars higher up at the National Trust car park. After getting on the water, while a dive team was shuttling gear to their boat, Rich (from SKG) had us practicing low brace turns. We then went round the headland and paddled across the southward tidal stream to regroup in an eddy behind a rock just off Skomer. There Rich (from SKG) and Lucas coached us in entering and exiting the streams using the low brace turns.
After playing at crossing the eddy lines for a while, we paddled southwest along the south coast of Skomer Island, and were soon paddling under hundreds of puffins, paddling out to sea to avoid the groups of puffins on the water. We rafted up while Andrew got into some dryer clothes and we had some lunch, then paddled back, catching nearly slack water in the channel but then paddling into the predicted rising northerly winds which made the last stretch quite choppy.
Several CKC members stayed on in Trevine and took a two day first aid training course.
First Aid Course
Overall we had a great weekend with excellent weather in a beautiful location. The Pembrokeshire coast had very interesting, challenging paddling with brilliant coaching from SKG, who ensured the challenges matched our individual abilities. Thanks for putting together such a great trip, Fiona and Claire!
An almost unprecedented 1pm on the water time meant that the Herne Bay trip, launching at Hampton, was very relaxed start. After a safety briefing we launched into virtually no waves from the shingle beach, although the wind was a bit stronger than expected, F3 from the East and pretty constant, the temperature was a very pleasant 14C with bright sunshine.
We paddled past Herne Bay with some waves 0.4m, 6s, caused by the wind against the tide. The wind seemed to have taken away a lot of the tidal assist that we had planned for, but the waves were fun to paddle through.
Coloured houses and waves at Herne Bay
We landed at Reculver in the lee of the breakwater and are sheltered from the wind and it becomes very warm. We have ‘lunch’ although it is 2:30pm while Mike checks the football scores to find out that Sheffield Wednesday have won their match and therefore not been relegated. So he is even happier!
Powering past Reculver
We get back on the water and paddle towards Minnis Bay. With the tidal flow reducing and the headwind still F3 with some stronger gusts, our progress is much slower. We decide to take a break on the shingle beach for scones and Sardinian jam (from our late Autumn trip to Sardinia).
Scones on the beach
While eating the scones we can see that the tide has turned and the water level on the beach starts to increase quite quickly. We hop back into our kayaks and start the return journey back to Hampton without stopping at Reculver or Herne Bay, using the increasing tidal stream to push us back. The wind has dropped almost completely and the journey back is done in blazing sunshine, and really gets quite hot.
Rafting up
After the trip: still Happy Paddlers!
Arriving back exactly at the estimated time of arrival in the plan, we carry the kayaks up the shingle, have a team photo and get changed, pack the cars and load the boats. After we’re done, our table is ready in the pub – perfect timing again. Over dinner several of our group noted that this trip was the furthest that they had paddled in a day, and that the distance and the waves had made it a thoroughly enjoyable day. To top it off we see an amazing sunset from the pub window while eating a well earned pub dinner before the long drive back to London.
A strange landscape that was once top secret and remains largely inaccessible
We punched through the waves with the flow behind us down the seaward side of Suffolk’s longest shingle spit. Suddenly we were surrounded by seals.
Britain’s largest new colony of seals is well-defended by unexploded ordnance and the North Sea. The Atlantic greys first appeared on Orford Ness three years ago, where their presence was kept secret by wildlife rangers until early 2024. Judging the colony of 200 seals as strong and stable, the National Trust called in environmental journalists for the big reveal. But the seals have seen few humans since as they live on an ex-weapons research base, largely undisturbed by land visitors or tourist boats.
Seeing them was a highlight of CKC’s recent trip to Suffolk. Their wildness and isolation could be seen in how they escorted us through their territory, policing us in formation. Like other sea kayakers, I’ve often seen seals watch from a distance and follow our boats but never so many, or with such boldness.
Orford Ness is a 10-mile-long shingle spit squeezed between the River Ore and the sea. The National Trust allows visitors (for a fee) to walk among the eerie ruins of radar research stations and nuclear detonator testing sites but only on few marked paths for safety reasons.
Our weekend in Suffolk’s restless shorelines and huge sea-like estuaries began with a Friday evening planning chat, where Jonathan, our sea leader, outlined two trips, along the Ness or up the River Deben (pronounced Deeben by locals).
As the wind on Saturday was potentially too strong for the Ness (force 4, gusting 5), we opted to do the Deben first – a good decision that delivered two days of strong sunshine and manageable winds.
On Saturday morning, we launched at Bawdsey Quay, opposite Felixstowe Ferry, thankfully not the container terminal (whose cranes were visible to the south) but a quaint village with yacht moorings. We put in below a sign that warned of ‘strong currents’ beside the ferry steps, carefully avoiding the tugboat-style ferry itself.
Dodging yachts, and the Horse Sands shoal, we set off upriver for Woodbridge, 9 miles away, with a lunch stop planned at 6 miles. We had the incoming tide pushing us along but a strong crosswind required plenty of skeg. Avoiding yachts and their support boats became one of the day’s themes.
I (Mary) was doubting my fitness after a winter on the sofa and awed when a gig-type old-world wooden rowing boat turned against the flow and swept past us. All 8 rowers were elderly women, so I worked harder to settle into a cadence.
A windy trip upriver
The Deben is nearly half a mile wide at points. After three miles, it opened out into Ramsholt bend and a cross wind from the west slapped up a properly sealike swell. Another three miles along, we evaded dinghy sailors to pull in at the Maybush pub in Waldringfield – an excellent fish platter and burgers sort of place, just as Jonathan had promised.
We enjoyed a lengthy lunch, before going on to Woodford, arriving in time turn around at slack water.
Waiting for slack water
The hardest work was on the return trip as the incoming flow picked up, though we had the comfort of knowing it was in the Plan. We had another, quick stop at Waldringfield, hugged the salt marshes as the tide strengthened, and smacked through more whitecaps in the Ramsholt bend. The last 20 minutes were tough in a satisfying way.
Happy faces at the end of a long day on the Deben Estuary
On Sunday morning, we tackled the Ness. The plan was to go down the spit, with the tide behind us, then turn into the mouth of the River Ore (also known as the Alde) and back up to our starting point. There was no landing on Orford Ness, and tricky currents at the river mouth. It was vital to hug the end of the Ness to avoid being swept past it.
We launched from the narrow neck of land at the top of the Ness, near Slaughden Sailing Club. The water was glassy and the sun strong. Our plan to avoid the strong wind had paid off, I thought.
Launching at Slaughden
We saw the first seals early on, lying on the shingle in groups of 35 or more.
Orford Ness’ other big attraction is its weird-looking pagodas and pyramids, the remnants of blast testing sites. Bombs and nuclear weapons parts (everything bar the radioactive bit) were tested here. It was a radar research station in the 1930s and ’40s and used to develop military flying tactics from 1913 onwards.
It soon turned out that we were in giant eddy protected by protruding shingle where the main spit turns southwest. A line of white appeared on the horizon. ‘What’s that?’ I asked. ‘Wind against tide,’ explained David and Jonathan. The next 20 minutes were ‘very committing’, as they say. The sea remained choppy all the way and we were soon congratulating ourselves on being fine with it.
Sentry seals popped up about 20 metres offshore, evenly spaced, to defend a shingle bank dotted with cream and tan youngsters. Meanwhile, a squad of 10 or more bull seals formed up to escort us down the coast, sticking their heads high out of the water to watch us.
With a few of Orford Ness’s roughly 200 seals
Ten kilometers on, we did a handbrake turn into the River Ore in brilliant sunshine that lit up the dramatic, flows in front of us. Counter-intuitively, the outgoing tide flows strongly into- and-upriver for several hours. We were relying on it to get us most of the way home. But first, we stopped for sandwiches on the far bank, and watched gulls being swept backwards by the flow on the estuary.
The river splits around Havergate Island bird sanctuary so we took the main flow up to Orford village, where we pulled up briefly at the jetty. Matt decided it was time for a flat white, despite Jonathan’s persuasive argument that ‘the longer we rest the more work we’ll have to do’. He started a rebel trend that soon spread to Jonathan himself (although for hot chocolate)!
By this time, the weather was turning greyer and windier. The final eight kilometers were tough and got tougher as the flow slackened. The river itself offered false hope in the form of hidden bends, but there was no mistaking our destination in the wide, sealike reach approaching Slaughden. We pulled in exhausted and watched a rowing boat of fishermen struggling static in the wind a few meters offshore. It was the end of a memorable trip.
“Avoid travelling completely or find something to do at home: decorate the bathroom or something,” so said National Highways as they shut the M25 over a weekend for the first time in its history. Unluckily for them, I decorated my bathroom last year, and I had signed up for Liza’s planned trip on the Solent, one of the first CKC sea trips of 2024.
The plan was to paddle about 10km along the south coast from Lymington to Lepe and back again, about 20km in total. But first, we had to get there. After meeting at the Arches to pick up the boats and kit (shout out to hero Phil for driving down to the New Forest and back with two boats on his car despite having no plans to get on the water himself), Liza and Mike’s military-precision route planning was put to the test. But despite fears of a five-hour gridlock nightmare, we sailed past the offending area and on to the New Forest with barely a second thought.
I hoped this would be a good omen, since the trip would be my first ever sea kayaking experience.
Safety First
Let’s go!
The launch point was an easy-to-access beach near Lymington, and after a quick kit change and some surreptitious nature pees (out of sight of beach walkers, of course), our group of seven launched one by one into the water, which was calm with little surf. With overcast skies and a light wind, we paddled eastwards reasonably close to the shore and with the flow, which, mercifully for the sea debutantes on the trip, was strong enough to give us a welcome boost.
Despite my initial apprehension about quite how wavy the Solent’s waters would be (fearing multiple capsizes, my dry bag was stuffed with several changes of clothes), I soon settled into the swing of things, and while a pesky side wind occasionally upset my attempts to paddle in a straight line, the group leaders Liza and Mike were on hand with guidance and encouragement and capably kept us all on course.
Quick pitstop
We made it to Lepe in time for lunch and a restorative coffee while we waited for the flow to change direction. The hardy seafarer reputations we had built among the families visiting Lepe Country Park during our lunch break were soon dispelled by a somewhat chaotic return to the water, mostly on the part of my husband Ben, which included a bit more splashing and a bit more water in his boat than intended.
But we were soon on our return leg – the wind had died down so the group enjoyed a smooth and speedy paddle back, and we paddled a bit further out into the Solent as were not planning to stop. We sadly didn’t spot any beach dwelling cows, which I’m told is something of a right of passage on CKC sea trips, but the role was ably understudied by a couple of New Forest ponies.
Return journey, in calm conditions
The whole paddle took about 4 1/2 hours. We were lucky that the flow helped us along in both directions and the water wasn’t too choppy. Having initially been a little apprehensive about how I would fare on the sea, with limited kayaking experience, I was reassured by how manageable the trip was. It was a fantastic opportunity to learn and a chance to improve my technique and stamina in relatively forgiving conditions. Huge thanks to the group for such a fun day and to Liza and Mike for their expert planning and leadership.
Following on from the Margate to North Foreland trip in February 2024, CKC had planned a trip in another Inshore Shipping Forecast area: Selsey Bill. Checking the forecast on Friday for the Saturday trip didn’t give us much hope:
“The Inshore Forecast issued by the Met Office at 0500, Friday 1 March…North Foreland to Selsey Bill, Southerly or Southeasterly 5-7, occasionally gale 8, veering West or Southwest, 4-6, rain or squally showers, good or occasionally poor.”
Some hasty re-arranging, meant that we were able to change the day of the trip to Sunday, where the forecast was much more to our liking: “Variable 3 or less, increasing to 4 at times, mainly fair, good.”
We arrived down at Bracklesham at lunchtime and found the car park full and partially flooded. Most of the cars seemed to belong to surfers or play boaters practicing on the small but perfectly formed waves close into the shoreline. After a short safety briefing we launched through the small surf one at a time, before heading East towards Selsey. The wind was very light (F2), the sea almost flat and the sun was out in the blue sky.
Towards Selsey Bill
The flow around Selsey is often turbulent, with waves caused by the tidal stream coming into an area of shallow water. We could see waves breaking on the Bill further out and with relatively calm water between there and Selsey we chose to paddle across close to land. Once over Selsey Bill we headed Northeast passed the Selsey RNLI station.
Selsey RNLI Station
There were lots of people outside the RNLI station singing to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the founding of the RNLI in 1824. There has been an RNLI station at Selsey since 1861, but we’re not planning that they will need to use their two boats Denise and Eric for us today!
A bit further along the coast we spotted a shore based member of CKC and headed in for lunch near to the end of the holiday cottages. These cottages were originally railway carriages and have slowly been converted to houses, although a few of the originals remain.
Railway carriage house
Coming in for lunch
Lunch in the sun on a virtually deserted beach
View to Bognor Regis
Getting ready to launch
We had a quick lunch on a virtually deserted pebble beach before it was time to catch the tidal stream back to Selsey. The wind had increased slightly to F3 and was in our faces for the first leg back to Selsey Bill. But more importantly the wind and tide were acting against each other so the waves started to get a bit bigger.
Start of the return adventure
Around the Bill the waves picked up further (0.5m) and became more frequent (6s) making the paddling a bit more of a challenge.
Westward over Selsey Bill at High Water on Neaps
The winds and waves didn’t drop off for the return journey and we kept going until we arrived at Bracklesham. We had planned the trip to arrive well after high water to avoid the dumping surf that can sometimes occur at this beach. Even so, we went in one at a time so that the shore based club members could help each paddler out of the surf zone and then everyone could help the next person in.
Once safely on the beach, changed and boats loaded it was time to reflect on the trip. It was fun trip – enjoyable with some paddling conditions that stretched the group’s abilities a bit. So ultimately it was a very satisfying trip to have had some conditions and been able to successfully paddle in them, building our confidence for future trips.
