Respite at Solva 29/10/2009

With the tide right, the wind still showing no sign of easing and Bobby not yet having the chance to paddle his kayak it was an ideal day to go for a paddle at the sheltered harbour of Solva.

The part of the harbour where the boats were moored was calm and sheltered from the wind and ideal for Bobby to get the feel of his kayak again.

Rounding the right angle bend at the seaward end of the harbour we lost the protection from the wind and there was a small swell coming into the harbour which was great for Bobby to get his confidence in slightly rougher water than he is used to paddling in. He was a bit tentative at first but soon was loving it, getting very wet in the process.

After a good half hour in the harbour entrance we paddled back to the car park where Harry seemed more interested in rock climbing than kayaking still a good time was had by all.

Ramsey Sound Playtime 28/10/2009

The wind and sea conditions abated enough through the night for me to venture back out in the sea kayak. Although they had eased the forecast wasn't brilliant so once again there wasn't to be any paddling of any distance but I decided to have some fun in the Ramsey Sound tiderace.

It was only a small tide but there was still quite a swell running which would make things a bit more interesting. This soon became apparent on reaching Pen dal-ederyn at the southerly end of the Sound.





I paddle out into the main flow and let it take me back northward past the Bitches and into the eddy which takes me back southward into the calmer water behind the outermost Bitch (rock) from the Island.

After having a brief rest here I then make my way from rock to rock across the Bitches over towards Ramsey Island and again have another rest behind the Bitch nearest to the main wave where there are a group of Cormorants or Shags trying to get some shelter from the wind.

I have a bit of play in the water around the Bitches and then head back across and back out into the northerly flowing tiderace but instead of letting it take me back up through the Sound I ferry glide across to the mainland and then paddle southward back up to Pen dal-ederyn and then out into the tide flow again.


This time I stay in the main tiderace and let it take me northward up to St David's Head where I stop and take some photos of the sun trying to break through the cloud over Ramsey Island. I follow the coast around across Whitesands Bay and back over to Porthsele, a very exhilarating paddle and great practise of paddling in tideraces, great fun!

Milford Haven Seal Hospital 27/10/2009

Today's windy and unsettled weather made it an ideal day to make our annual visit to the Milford Haven Seal Hospital which is housed in a disused oil refinery storage tank at the entrance to the docks.

There were 5 pups in the hospital today and apparantely so far this year it has been a lot quieter than last year probably because of the very settled weather we have had recently but I am sure this will change especially after the wind and rough seas we have had over the last few days.

The pups are kept in heated compartments with 2 small pools which the pups are constantly in and out learning their swimming skills.

It is well worth a visit especially at this time of year with both Bobby and Harry really looking forward to our visit.

We spent a very pleasurable hour there watching the pups being fed whole Mackerel. Terry and his volunteer staff do a fantastic job and as the hospital relies solely on donations they need all the financial help they can get.

Seal Pups Galore 26/10/2009

Once again when I decide to take a few days off work the weather also decides to take a turn for the worse.

With the shipping forecast predicting wind increasing through the day, my paddling options were pretty limited once again.

With no real plan I paddle out to the jagged group of rocks of Carreg Gafeilliog which stand at the northern entrance to Ramsey Sound, passing a Guillemot which is already in it's Winter plumage.

I decide to follow the mainland coast of the Sound, cross over to Ramsey Island, paddle along the eastern side and then cross back over the sound to Porthsele.

Just before St Justinian I spot a very white fluffy seal near the water's edge on one of the numerous isolated beaches.

Passing St Justinian I paddle over to Ogof Mary where last night's rainfall is still seeping through the cave entrance onto the algae covered rocks below.

Paddling on I pass the natural arch and onto the sheltered beach at Carn ar Wig, where surprisingly there are no seal pups. On reaching Pen Dal-adeyrn, the southern most end of the Ramsey Sound mainland, there is very little tidal flow so I am able to paddle southwesterly without being dragged back northwards towards the Bitches. I paddle towards Ynys Eilun, the rocky outcrop that lies to the South of Ramsey Island.

The nearer I get to Ynys Eilun the more the wind starts to pick up and makes my progress quite hard. I cut my losses before reaching Ynys Eilun and let the wind and what little tide there is take me northward back along the east side of Ramsey Island. I make rapid progress past the high cliffs at the south of the Island passing quite a few seal pups dotted on the numerous small bays and inlets on the way.

Nearing the Bitches, the weather really closes in with the wind increasing and misty rain starting to fall. I pass through the Bitches with no tide flow which doesn't happen very often and stop for a chat with Tim of Venture Jet, we both comment about the glorious weather! Good to see he is still staying quite busy.

On the small beach by the landing jetty there are 2 more pups with a bull trying to have his wicked way with one of the pup's mothers so I leave them to it and paddle northward to Trwyn Ogof Hen.

At the headland looking back down to the Bitches and across to St David's Head, the weather is getting worse and I am undecided whether to carry on round to Bay Ogof Hen or head back across the Sound.

I decide on the first option and am rewarded by finding another pup snuggled upon a sheltered rocky ledge above the high water mark.

I watch him for a while before I am joined by a large bull who kindly escorts me out of the large bay and halfway across Ramsey Sound when I stop to take a photo of Carnysgubor and the north of the island disappearing into the mist.

Reaching St John's point I take a last look at Ramsey and wonder what the weather has instore for tomorrow, but at least I managed a decent if not shortish paddle today.

A Bridge Too Far 10/10/2009

Launching at sunrise from a deserted Penarth Beach the plan was to paddle north easterly up the Bristol Channel with the last 4 hours of the flood tide and see how far I could get towards the 2 Severn Bridges.

The conditions were near perfect with a yacht passing me just at the right time to take quite a half decent photo.

The Outer Wrach Cardinal Buoy was also nicely silouehetted in front of the fast rising sun

I was losing valuable time taking photos so I decided to paddle until I got to Newport where I stopped for a well deserved break. Looking at the GPS I had covered a distance of 9.5 nautical miles and had been on the water for 2 hours but I still couldn't see the Second Severn Crossing as visibility was a bit hazy with even Newport not that clear.

Continuing on for another half an hour I pass Goldcliff, a small hamlet bounded by a sea wall, it is by here I catch my first glimpse of the bridge through the haze and it looks a very long way off!

I paddle for another hour with my speed picking up as the Severn Estuary gets narrower watching the GPS. I am averaging a speed of just over 6 knots with little effort. The visibility is also getting better and the bridge is now clearly visible and it is pretty impressive even from this distance.

Another half hours paddle and I am almost there but my speed is starting to slow, that would be about right after paddling all this way the tide turns before I get there!

After another 15 minutes I am there at the Second Severn Bridge which was started in 1992 and finished in 1996.

I feel very small up close to this immense structure being 5128 metres long overall with a span of 456 metres between the 2 main towers which are 137 metres tall with 37 metres clearance between the water and the bridge.

I paddle under the bridge but like Operation Market Garden in September 1944 the airbourne assault on Arnhem, it was also a "Bridge Too Far" for me as the tide had now well and truly turned and there was no way I would make it to the original Severn Bridge built in 1966 and another 4 miles upstream.

Looking at the GPS I had paddled a distance of 19.5 nautical miles so I had that distance to paddle back, taking a last look at the bridge I set off on my way.

The wind picked up a bit on my return leg which made things a little harder, but with the tide aiding me I made good progress again and in just under 2 hours I was approaching Goldcliff with Newport in the background.

The islands of Flat Holm and Steep Holm soon came into view and slowly got larger so I knew I was nearly home.

I passed Cardiff Docks with the Millennium Centre's bronze coloured roof glistening in the afternoon sun, I never thought I would be so pleased to see Cardiff Docks.

I was soon back at Penarth Pier with only a short paddle back to the beach where I had launched some eight and a half hours ago after paddling a distance of 39.5 nautical miles (just over 45 miles or 72.5 kms).

A great paddle with a feeling of accomplishment even though I didn't make it to both bridges, next time I might try paddling one way possibly launching from Lydney and paddling downstream to Penarth.

A Big Spring Tide 20/09/2009

Arriving at Penarth there was a slight problem. With it being a very big spring tide there was no beach to launch from, luckily I could launch from the lifeboat slipway.

Paddling up to the pier there was not enough space to get through under the main building but I could paddle through under the walkway.

With the ebb tide just starting to flow it was a bit of an effort to paddle the short distance to the entrance to the Cardiff Bay Barrage.

Inside the two breakwaters, one section of the road is raised up meaning that some boats are either entering or leaving one of the three locks. These locks allow boats to enter or leave Cardiff Bay at any state of the tide.

I decide to wait a while and in a few minutes the lock gates open and a small flotilla of boats steam out into the Bristol Channel.

As I paddle out of the breakwaters and back out into the Bristol Channel I can see straight into the lock and that the sea level has already fallen just over a metre, to a height of just under 12 metres, according to the scale at the side of the lock entrance.

Paddling along the outside of the breakwater I approach the five sluice gates that control the amount of water that flows from the Rivers Taff and Ely into the freshwater lake of Cardiff Bay.

I paddle towards the entrance to the Queen Alexandra Dock, I pass the White Sails Statue and the three navigational markers that guide ships into the dock.

The Queen Alexandra Dock was opened in 1907 and leads into the Roath Dock, these are the only two remaining working docks of the once massive Cardiff Docks.

The water level has dropped almost another two metres since I paddled the short distance from the Barrage. I paddle along the sea wall with a good view to Penarth Pier and Lavernock Point in the distance and also back to the dock entrance.

I paddle to the end of the jetty. It is looking a bit worse for wear and with the sails, in the background it is the new face of Cardiff with the rotten timber in the foreground the old.

I then paddle out into the main tidal flow where I am taken on an express train ride back towards Penarth passing the West Cardinal Outer Wrach Buoy straining at its moorings.

Before I know it I am back at the pier where, in just over an hour and a half, the tide has fallen very quickly with now plenty of room to get under the pier.

It is just a short paddle back to the slipway where there is now plenty of beach available to land on. Not a paddle of any distance but one that shows the huge tidal range of the Bristol Channel. It is the second biggest in the world behind the Bay of Fundy in Canada.

Swan Lake Part 2 18/09/2009

Like last week it was another ideal evening to go for a paddle on Cosmeston Lake, this time Bobby and myself were accompanied by my other son Harry and the wife Tracy.

Bobby and I paddled whilst Harry and Tracy walked around the lake armed with a bag full of bread for the numerous birds.

It was not only the birds that were after the food but Harry and Tracy were also hassled by a very friendly Grey Squirrel.

There was no sunset like last week but it was still a very enjoyable evening and hopefully I might get back out in the sea kayak over the weekend.

Swan Lake 11/09/2009

With it being my eldest son's 9th birthday weekend we got off to a good start by going for an evening paddle on Cosmeston Lake.

Cosmeston Lake is situated just outside Cardiff between Penarth and Sully. As members of Cardiff Canoe Club we are allowed to use it on Thursday and Friday evenings. We haven't used it as much as we would have liked due to work and the weather but today was ideal.

Cosmeston was once a limestone quarry which when quarrying ended in 1970 quickly flooded and formed the lake which is an ideal place for Bobby to practise his paddling skills.

The lake is now a haven for much birdlife including numerous swans which are surprisingly tame probably as they are used to the presence of people and the numerous loaves of bread that are thrown to them.

After a few circuits of the lake we called it a day as the sun set over the trees and the lake ending a perfect evening's paddle and beginning Bobby's Birthday weekend.

Ramsey Island - Seals Young & Old 29/08/2009

With the wind finally easing and the sea calming down quite considerably, I was back in the sea kayak after yesterday's surfing session.

Although the sea had calmed down a lot there was still quite a large swell which I was able to use to help me around Penrhyn Dalar against the increasing flood tide.

Reaching Pen Dal-aderyn, the southern tip of the Ramsey Sound mainland, the conditions weren't too bad and I didn't lose too much ground as I made the crossing against the tidal flow over to Ramsey Island and shelter from the constant SW wind.

Even though I was sheltered from the wind, there was still quite a swell especially by the arch at Penrhyn Twll. Paddling past the steep pebbled beach there were a number of seals hauled out, I think they were mostly bulls hence it is sometimes known as the Batchelor Beach.

As usual I am followed closely behind by a couple of the bulls constantly splashing and snorting making sure I am aware of their presence.

Coming in the other direction is a large sailing boat obviously making use of the strong wind and the north flowing flood tide.

Reaching Twyll y Dillyn I felt the full force of the wind again and seeing one of the boat trip RIBs turning round and coming back I decided it wasn't a wise move to continue on any further.

Even though I have paddled here on many occasions, the ruggedness and beauty of the coastline on the island still takes my breath away as I paddle back northwards towards the Bitches.

There are a few pups already on the sheltered beaches, keeping my distance though I wave to Tim of Venture Jet as he speeds by.

I don't paddle through the Bitches but through the narrow gap between the mainland and the Bitches and through the arch and into the calmer water near the landing jetty.

Whilst having a drink and a rest I watch another sailing boat making good progress through the Sound and a boat trip RIB speeding through the turbulent water of the Bitches.

There are 2 very healthy looking seal pups on the small beach by the jetty. I am soon joined by a very large bull, I have seen him quite often over the years, he has the biggest head I have seen on a bull seal and reminds me of the Sontarans from Dr Who which I am often forced to watch by my sons Bobby and Harry. He follows me for a short while but is far more interested in having his evil way with the mothers of the pups!

I paddle northwards along the island passing the first sailing boat I saw earlier which is now anchored in the calm water of Rhod Isaf. I then paddle out into the Sound taking a last look back southward passing a young gull who didn't seem too bothered about me.

Whilst crossing the Sound,a Fulmar constantly circles around me gliding effortlessly just above the sea, I am quite pleased with the photos from my new Pentax Optio W80 as they fly at quite a speed.

I pass quite close to the turbulent water around Horse Rock which even though the tide is easing off is still quite confused.

I then let the tide take me down to St John's point where again the water is a little choppy.

It is then a short paddle back to Porthsele where, hopefully, the weather will continue to improve.

Hurricane Bill 28/08/2009

All the rumours from yesterday appeared to be true as the weather again took a turn for the worse through the night with winds up to force 8, as a result the sea picked up considerably.

I don't know if it was the remnants of Hurricane Bill that had come across the Atlantic or not but the sea state was pretty impressive.

Whitesands was totally blown out with the waves breaking a few hundred yards out so I decided to give Porthsele a go, it was a bit more sheltered but with some large waves coming through.

They weren't ideal waves with most closing out quickly but they were very powerful with plenty of impressive wipe outs which proved quite popular with the holidaymakers on the beach.

After a cracked deck on the surf kayak and the feeling that I had been through a washing machine a few times I had a great time.

Here are a few photos of my 27 year old Palm Ultimate Surf Kayak which I promised to Corgimas (Rob).