I have found Heaven . . .

. . . and it feels as if I ate all the chocolates in one go!

I am compelled to thrust these images upon you like a person who visits you on a Saturday afternoon bearing a leather bag and a copy of Watchtower.

Now there IS a kayak there!

Now it all starts to make sense

You can only take so much of a good thing, and now I feel so small and insignificant I need to lie down.

Stackpole Sea Kayak Festival

Not a sign you normally associate with the countryside

After making the long trek up to North Wales for the symposium it was nice to be able to meet up with some like minded paddler types a bit closer to home. Stackpole SeaKayak festival is held, well, at Stackpole.
This stretch of coast has been on my want to do list for a while now. Visions of caves, stacks and arches have been floating around in my head from numerous descriptions of what this coastline has to offer. Unfortunately for now they will have to remain in my head as the last spate of excellent paddling weather came to an end just as this gathering was gathering. This 3 day paddle fest began with the forecast of 5-6 occasionally 7, and ended up at gale force 9. Some higher force was determined to stop us paddling. The level 5 coaches had other plans and made a fantastic effort to achieve paddling opportunities for a mixed bag of paddlers (ranging from absolute beginners to seakayaking to experienced paddlers) on every day. Well done to them.


At our first days put-in we were greeted with the above. Jim's wind gauge showed a steady 25 knots at the above outlook, so with a group decision made, we headed off to a lee shore.
It set the tone really for the following days. Never mind, we were able to use various parts of the coast line to duck and dive the wind direction of the days, but this did mean we missed out on the paddling gems in this locality. They will be there for another day.

West Angle Bay provided us with a nice sheltered spot to get out on the water and move out into progressively rougher water around Thorn Island, at the eastern edge of the Milford Estuary. An ideal spot to practice ferry glides and to hone some rock hopping paddle skills.

Although the wind picked up for the Sunday we paddled from Lydstep Haven to Stackpole Quay, the sea state had dropped a little and we managed to get a small taster of what this beautiful coastline has to offer. This provided us with, I think the term used was,
a challenging paddle.



The final day of rain and a forecast gale 9, I decided to sit the day out in the sauna while Taliesin did a rolling session with Mark Tozer in the pool. Very civilised.

Others bravely dared to go and have more excitement.

Driving home was exciting enough for me, with bits of tree strewn across the roads, gusts of wind taking the car in directions I wasn't intending it to go. Roping the front of the kayak to the car solved the problem of the kayak bending in the wind and ensured a safe journey home!

Toys 4 boys

I've never been able to sit on a waveski without falling off. Just haven't got the balance.
I was very impressed with Tal's efforts tonight at surfing, considering this was the first time he'd ridden one.

Harry shows us how it's done

Another end to a day

Testing

This weekend we are due to go to this years Stackpole Sea Kayaking Festival. Thought it might be a good idea for Tal to tryout a seakayak to see how he got on. The last time he tried one was getting on to a year and a half ago. He's grown a bit since then, but even so it must be quite daunting to get into a 17 foot boat when you are his size.

I thought he got on rather well with it, but he decided on taking his small boat instead.

Adrian's Quest

Adrian leaves Reynard's Cave

A little 8km paddle after work to blow out the cobwebs. From St Donat's we headed East, dropping into Reynard's Cave at Tresilian, on past the spit at Llantwit Major and to the caves at Stout Point before returning.

Manoeuvres at Stout Point, before heading home

Adrian took his new plastic Valley Quest out for the first time, while I played around with the feather on the new blades. Previously I've been using 60 degrees, but as the Werners can be adjusted easily I did a little experimenting and ended up preferring 15 degrees. Is that an odd angle? How this will be affected by a nice headwind I am yet to find out.

Doing it on Porpoise

Towards the steelworks at Port Talbot

Meeting at Aberavon club house we paddle out towards the steel works, across the harbour entrance with the industrial back drop at Port Talbot.

Quite nice if you like heavy industry, cranes and the like.

I was surprised when a pod of harbour porpoises came to investigate us.

Porpoise ahoy!

Small video clip of the porpoises

I've got fibre

That's not the kind with roughage.

I owe the misfortune of trying out other peoples carbon fibre blades for the considerable lightening of my paddle and my wallet.

I ended up not sure if it was going to be Shuna or Corryvrecken.
The Shuna wasn't giving me enough resistance, I felt it wasn't grabbing enough water for my liking, wasn't stalling in the water. Might have been poor technique, I don't know.

I went for the Corryvrecken. If I've made the wrong choice, it will show soon enough.

Chris and I went for a spin along the coast around Nash buoy and back to Southerndown.

It felt a bit wierd. No strong opinions yet on the blades, many variables have changed for me to get used to. The weight, blade shape, cranks are set up in a different way. Got to give them a chance to make an impression.

Initial feedback is the difference was like starting to walking with an empty rucksack. I can get used to that!

After a hot day in the office

With some very nice weather being had, I couldn't think of a nicer way to spend the evening than down on the beach, messing about on the water. The logistics were a bit of a nightmare with the four little ones, but with them all wetsuited up and a friend to keep a keen eye on 3 of them, Tal and I went for a little paddle along the coast with Chris.

Tal takes a rest

The father son pose

When we get back, the fun and games start with various piggy back rides on the boat.
Shame Chris ran out of light, there were some cracking moments.

Llew hitches a ride

Going after buoys

This is Jim's navigation trip. Putting into practice what he did on the navigation training at Anglesey last week.
Armed with his newly exchanged Expedition HV (he swapped is LV over to the HV as he's been eating too many doughnuts) a compass and his bearings (lost his marbles years ago he says), we head out to various fixed objects in the channel.
Leaving Ogmore beach we ferry glide over to Tusker Rock, where Jim takes a moment to refresh himself.

Jim makes a brief stop on Tusker Rock

Neal off Tusker Rock

Tusker Bell (the red thing - not the guy in the boat!)

We head to our first buoy - the Tusker Bell Buoy, which is just a short distance away. Then out on a long leg to the Scar Weather East Cardinal Buoy. Just a blip on the horizon. But we get there. Well done Jim. A short hop to the Hugo buoy and some playing on a little bit of surf on the sand bank.

Scar Weather East Cardinal

This is Hugo, Jim and Neal are surfing the sand bank in the background

Fairy West Cardinal

Then another long leg to the distant Fairy Buoy, before ferry gliding back to Ogmore.

Well navigated Jim, his tidal stream allowances were spot on. Impressive.

It was such a nice evening I didn't fancy stopping, so decided to continue on to Southerndown. Met up with Chris there. He had just bought a Dagger Outlaw for playing in the surf. (Not tonight though, as it was flat as a pancake).

Chris in his new boat

Just a tad over 28km