Reflecting TimemiT gnitcelfeR

Lovely calm evening, with an incoming tide, Chris and I paddled out of Southerndown towards Ogmore for a relaxing meander.

Keeping in tight to the cliffs we made steady progress against the tides flow, exploring the interesting nooks and crannies along the way.

There are two interesting caves along this section. Both have beaches deep inside, one with large boulders, the other with sand and small pebbles. This is the interesting one. Beaching inside the cave and exploring on foot, it creeps back into the depths of the cliff face. Very dark, without a torch, I edged my way forward. With a bit of excitement I saw a thin shaft of light at the back. I recall a friend mentioning a blow hole somewhere on the cliff top walk. I had never known one existed. Seems as if I had found it. Some thing to go and explore at the top of the cliff one day!

Amazing how you can live in one place for a long time and still discover excitement like this.

On our way back, we both recalled a trip we had made when we first began paddling. It was along this same stretch of coast, again paddling against the tide. On that occasion we were further out in the main stream, having a bit of a battle going against the incoming tide. Neither of us realised that if we paddled closer to the shore we would be in for an easier time.

Tonight's paddle wasn't a huge distance, but I had the feeling that over the last year or so we had come along way.

Friends Reunited

Until today, I haven't walked for three years. That long ago I had a fortunate motorcycle accident. This involved trying to pass myself and motorcycle under a crash barrier on a remote Spanish twisty mountain road, and fly without wings over the edge.

Not recommended, but it did have some useful outcomes. I thought at the time I was about to check out-the exact moment was-"I don't think my head is going to fit under that".

I walked away with an ankle broken in 3, and a rearranged perspective on life. I say fortunate accident, as it became a life reassessment moment, and in a roundabout way led me to return to surf kayaking and the discovery of sea kayaking. (And that really was the end of life as I knew it!)

The rather over dramatic introduction of not walking needs some clarification. I refer to mountain walking and the reuniting was with my boots. It was refreshing to get out for a proper walk with some old friends (of the human kind) after such a long time.


I like mountains, enough to have been an active member for over 10 years of a mountain rescue team. My stomping ground was in the Brecon Beacons, the wilder, remoter, west of it. Here I developed a mentality of carrying all the required kit for the "what if" situation. (And the additional kit do deal with the current "has happened" shout.

This mentality seems to have found a home nicely in sea kayaking. Day, Night, Sun, Rain, Wind, Fog, Snow, whatever. Being able to face and deal with the weather mother nature decided upon is very empowering, to the extent that her moods lacked respect (within the remit of our sub 1000m operating zone I should stress).

The sea on the other hand (or foot) has the greatest of my respect.

I hope it always stays that way.

Walk or take the Escalator

After a few days of windy conditions it was a change to come home and find the wind had dropped off a little. Looked as if it would turn into one of those nice evenings.
I jumped at the chance to nip out for a short paddle along the coast.
The tide had just turned and was starting to ebb. Having no shuttle, it would be a there and back trip. Decided therefore to go out against the tide from Southerndown towards Nash.
I've paddled this stretch of water a few times now. It isn't getting boring, I guess just like a favorite local walk, it is convenient, less than 10 mins from home and along a beautiful stretch of the Glamorgan Heritage Coast.
Each time I've done it it is different. Today it felt like a jogging trip, a feel good trip to balance the weeks calorific intake against energy expended, so it felt good to be working hard against the gradually increasing opposing tide. After about an hour I could see the base of Nash Lighthouse and turned for home. Paddling back into the setting sun with the tide this time, it only took about 20 mins to return.

The sun's going down like a big bald head - Sharkey's Night - Laurie Anderson

I remember when I was little, (and confess, occasionally still do for the hell of it), running up escalators the wrong way to see if I could make it to the top.

Do you take the lift or the stairs?


It is fairly plain at which point I turned back, but I do worry how many kids these days can actually interpret graphs.

A second chance

I recently came across a pile of aerial photographs I bought as a job lot years ago, all taken around our locality. One that stuck out was the picture above, of a wrecked tanker. It was marked "Tanker at Nash - 1956".

Curious to find out what had happened, I eventually found information regarding wrecks in the Bristol Channel. There were none in '56. But I found a small amount of information regarding the BP Explorer.

"In Feb. 1961 she capsized and was lost with all hands while on passage from Swansea to Sharpness, she was discovered the next day by the old Severn Railway Bridge. The BP Explorer was salvaged and rebuilt as the BP Driver and in Jan 1962, in severe weather she too was wrecked on Nash Point, this time, thankfully, no lives were lost."

So this could be the BP Driver, there is no other mention of a tanker wreck off Nash Point that I can find. She didn't have much luck.

Click on the smaller picture above to see some detail, and you will see a lifeboat remaining on the deck. I assume that there was a second lifeboat used to save the crew. The open wooden boat isn't the sort of thing I'd like to be climbing into in a storm, but then again if your mothership is on the way down you make your choice.

Paper Anniversary

It's year to the day since I started seakayaking!

I've met up and paddled with some great people during this time and discovered the diverse world wide community of paddlers through their various blogs, books and DVDs.
Without exception, everyone who I've paddled with or talked to regarding all aspects of seakayking, have been enthusiastic, encouraging and helpful.

I am now seriously hooked on this tremendous sport. With the exception of the last two frustrating months of post-operative waiting, it's been a fantastic year, and I can't wait to get back into my boat in January!

The little fella above in the paper kayak was a bit of fun to make, if you fancy having a go, then download the pdf file from here. It only takes a few minutes to put together. Go on you know you want to.

A stitch in time . . .

At last my intestines bid for freedom has finally been stopped.
I have been handed a minimum 8 week sentence of kayak abstinence.
I shall not be grumpy. I shall not be grumpy. I shall not be grumpy. I shall eat chocolate, surf the internet and read kayaking books.