Tyla Images Expedition Around Wales Day 22...

Lleiniog To LLanddulas...

A Day For Fear...

I took a big risk today & paid for it with the most tense paddle of my life!
After a nightmare morning portage as the tide was out at Lleiniog & out a long way, I sat in my boat & prepare to go.
I was planning to cross the Menai & follow the sandbanks to the Great Orme.
Big, big mistake! The wind was howling when I left & the rain torrential, obscuring the view of the Great Orme & most of the far side of the Menai.
I was doubting my decision to go at this point but I was in a determined mood.

Half way across the Menai I touch bottom with my paddle? Yep, thats right, I'm in the middle of the Menai Straight at its widest part & the sea's only just deep enough to float my kayak.
I thought this would only be a temporary set back & the water would soon deepen, but no, I was wrong.
I must have struggle on for three quarters of an hour like this. It was slow progress & the high wind kept weathercocking my kayak as I was unable to put my skeg down in the shallows. I evan tried walking at one point but that was no better.
Eventually I spot another sandbank to my left & knew that the water should be deeper between the two. It was.
I was paddling normally again & upto 4 knots. As I'd left the shallows behind I faced a new challenge. I had 5NM to reach the Great Orme & the wind was howling, the sea was rough & the swells were pushing me all over the place.
I have to admit to struggling to control my fear at this point but I stayed calm & concentrated on the task.
Frequent squally showers hid the Great Orme from view & created an ethereal mist on the sea, waves looking like mountains rising from a misty valley.
The squalls came & went & were quite unsettling though their beauty enthralling.

Nearing the Great Orme I spotted a buoy that from a distance looked like another kayaker? I thought, bloody hell, what's he doing out here in these conditions. A few mins later the thought occurred to me, 'what the hell am I doing out here'.

Another problem I was expecting was for it to get rougher as I approached the Great Orme as it was facing into the high winds. I could expect clapotis & also a race as the tide got pinched around the headland. And it certainly did get rougher, the swells were getting steeper & the clapotis creating very confused water. I was using my paddle a lot for support & course corrections. After some focussed paddling I finally made it around the tip of the Orme, it was bigger than I expected & I had to pass a few headlands before I finally got around & into the shelter of Llandudno.

Llandudno couldn't be more different, the sea was calm in the lee of the wind & the sun made an appearance. What was all the fuss about? (LOL).
I pulled in to replenish my water supplies then headed of with the intention of paddling till high water then setting up camp.

It was going O.K. till Rhos On Sea where the sea started to feel the wind again & it became rougher & rougher. I was having to low brace frequently in the waves so decided to get off the water as soon as I could spot a suitable camping spot. I found a suitable location at LLanddulas & gladly got my arse off the water.

Without doubt the most tense paddle I've ever had & definitely the most stupid. Lets hope I learn from this!

Chilling in my tent, (O.K. snoozing) in the afternoon Dave, (Sound of the seagull) popped by to say hi & see if I needed anything which was nice of him.
I'm gonna try & arrange a blogger meet on Anglesey soon for a circumnavigation. Watch this space.

NOTE... The camera's definitely buggered, I'm using my SLR on the last few day's, though not on the water...

GEEK STATS

Trip Odom 18.2 Nautical Miles, (20.9 Statute)

Max Speed 7.6 Knots

Average Speed 4 Knots

Time Moving ? (couldn't read my writing(LOL).

Home For The Night...

Home For the Night...

Looking Towards Little Orme...

Rain clouds Over The wind-farms...