Bitches and Grumpy Seals 21/08/2010

With the showers of rain finally easing off I launch from Porthsele for a late afternoon - early evening paddle. Although the tide is still flooding Ramsey Sound is flat calm, a trip around Ramsey may be on the cards.

I paddle into the sheltered bay at Carn ar Wig, no seal pups yet only a large blue barrel bobbing about in the glassy calm water.

As I paddle up to the southerly end of the Sound there is a horse taking it's life into it's hands to get a tastier bit of grass. As usual it is a bit lumpy as I start the ferry glide across to Ramsey Island.
I was quite surprised at the effort I had to put in not to get dragged down towards the Bitches but had a well deserved rest at Ynys Hen-Ffordd where I take a look at the Bitches reef which is almost submerged. Four Shags watch me as I round Penrhyn Twll and I am joined by a couple of bull seals who follow me as I paddle southward toward Ynys Cantwr.
Reaching Twll Y Dillyn I decide against continuing around Ramsey as the sea looks pretty wild with breaking waves as far as I can see, so I decide on the easy option and paddle away from Ramsey and back into Ramsey Sound.
The one very large bull keeps following me swimming very close behind me as I paddle, constantly snorting and then disappearing with a loud splash when I stop and look around to try and take a photo. As I am taken northward by the tide the bull finally leaves me by giving the stern of the kayak an almightly butt which gives me quite a jolt, I hope he is in a better mood if I bump into him again!

I paddle with the tide past the Bitches and then into the eddy which takes me back southward up to the outermost Bitch (rock).

I then make my way across the confused swirling white water towards Ramsey and into the calm water behind the Bitch nearest the main wave.
With the flood tide now easing it is an ideal time to have a play in the fast flowing tide race.
I make my way back across the Bitches and back out into the main tide race through the numerous small waves, great fun!

I paddle over the submerged Horse Rock where there are large upsurges as the tide is forced over the granite pinnacle bang in the middle of Ramsey Sound.

Taking a slight detour I paddle past the NE corner of Ramsey and out to the small rocky outcrop of Gwahan to the North of Ramsey. A large swell is hitting the rock, I think I probably made the right deicison not to paddle around Ramsey.

I then ferry glide back across the northerly end of the sound to the jagged rocks of Carreg Gafeilliog and back to Porthsele.
Paddling into Porthsele I am greeted by Bobby and Harry having great fun on their bodyboards.
After landing I watch and take some photos of the boys thoroughly enjoying themselves in the surf with Harry almost riding the tube on the 3rd photo.
A great way to end a paddle of just over 8 nautical miles (9.5 miles of 15 kms).

Surfing The Juice 20-08-2010

Arriving back at Pencarnan late afternoon there were some reasonable sized waves rolling in at Porthsele, I didn't waste any time in getting changed and paddling out in the Dagger Juice a great way to start the weekend.

The waves wouldn't have been too good for the surf kayak but the Juice was great fun and no need to worry about any rocks below.

A good couple of hours were spent playing about in the surf, I am really pleased with the Juice it turns really quickly and is easy to loop forwards and backwards, lets hope the rest of the weekend is as much fun.

A Blustery Day! 14/08/2010

With Eurion and Clare not arriving until the early hours of the morning it was not to be an early start. After much deliberation we decided to brave the quite breezy conditions and launch from Porthsele and paddle into Ramsey sound.
We all got a good soaking paddling out through the surf, the decision to wear the long sleeved cags seemed to be a good one as the wind was pretty strong as we paddled to St John's Point.
Reaching St John's Point we decided to paddle across the southerly flowing ebb tide to Ramsey Island, as the Sound didn't seem too rough.
At one stage we had hoped to paddle into the bay Ogof Hen at the North of Ramsey but the fast flowing ebb tide was having none of it and after admitting defeat we all resigned to a paddle down to the Bitches.
We pulled into the small sheltered bay of Rhod Uchaf which is the first place we are able to have a breather from the relentless wind. There is no way throught the cave that pierces the headland as the tide is way too low so it's back out into the wind.
Arriving at the Bitches we decide to paddle back up to where we had just come from as the tide was still flowing too fast to attempt a ferry glide from the Bitches back across to the mainland.

We are now paddling straight into the wind but have a little help from an eddy flowing the other way to the mainflow.

At the NE corner of Ramsey we break back into the main tide race and we quickly lose ground but slowly make progress sidewards back to the mainland.
We are swept down past the notorious Horse Rock but eventually we make it across Ramsey Sound and into St Justinian.
After a well deserved rest in the sheltered water at St Justinian it is once more back into the breach where, just to make things a bit more interesting, the wind increases.

Arriving back at Porthsele there are some good waves rolling in to end a pretty hard paddle of only 6 nautical miles. Hopefully Eurion and Clare enjoyed their excursion around one of my favourite stretches of water, and don't mention the tent poles!