Welcome To Go Sea Kayak

Welcome To The Go Sea Kayak Blog...
This Blog is A Record Of My Personal Adventures And Wonderful Kayaking Lifestyle. It Is Also A Taster Of What You Can Expect If You're Adventurous Enough To Tag Along. Why Not Get In Touch And Join One Of Go Sea Kayaks Guided Trips On The Beautiful Mediterranean Island Of Sardinia, You Won't Regret it!

Tuesday 19 March 2013

Anglesey Circumnavigation Nuclear Protest Paddle...



So do you think Nuclear power has a future? What right have we to make decisions that are detrimental to our children's future?

There are currently proposals for new nuclear power stations at Wylfa on Anglesey & also Hinkley Point in Somerset. If we allow these to be built we risk leaving a legacy of poisoned land for our children to live in or be evicted from. Would you really want that?


We need to open our Eyes & ignore the lies being told by the Government & power companies, being indifferent & allowing new nuclear power stations to be constructed makes us as bad as the people who construct & run them.

They tell us that nuclear power is safe but we've all seen what happened at Chernobyl & Fukushima. They tell us that nuclear is green power but it leaves a legacy of radioactive waste & they tell us it creates jobs & prosperity yet the power companies have no obligation to provide compensation in the event of an accident which leaves people evicted from their lands, homeless & unemployed. Let me repeat that part for you, 'the power companies have no obligation to provide compensation in the event of an accident'. Yes thats right, the Government provides a get out clause & foot the bill themselves, with our own money!

So What Are We Going To Do About It?
Well we need to make our voices heard so I'm proposing a themed protest circumnavigation paddle around the Isle of Anglesey. This is a committing paddle in challenging sea's & will involve camping for several nights along the coast so it is only open to experienced paddles with their own kayaks & camping equipment.
As the paddle is themed I would suggest that we all wear white boiler style suits over our paddling kit & face masks too for protest pictures. Radiation stickers on the kayaks would be a bonus too.

The paddle is set for the Saturday the 15th of June starting out from Cemaes Bay near the sight of the current Wylfa power station at 09:00 & heading clockwise around the island.
The plan is to spend four nights camping to complete the circumnavigation though this may be more or less depending on how people feel.
To join the event or register an interest please go to the Sea Kayaking Adventures Facebook page & click on events.

*Please be aware that this is not a commercial trip & Sea Kayaking Adventures will not be liable for any incidents on or off the water*
*As a guideline of paddling ability I think you should need to be comfortable in up-to force 4 winds & moderate sea state (up-to 2.5 metre sea's) & confused tidal water. Conditions bigger 

than this will lead to the event being postponed*


Could I Also ask everyone to please sign & share these petitions. The more we SHOUT the more we make our voices heard. Thanks, Taran...

Sunday 3 March 2013

Cold, Cold Front...

Freezing! Thats my lasting memory of this trip, bloody freezing!
I got a call off Andy the club coach to see if I wanted to do a short paddle on Sunday? Does a bear shit in the woods, of course I was up for it. So Sunday morning saw me arrive at Penarth where Pete & Steve (also from the club) were already. We all all looking at the choppy sea & biting wind & having second thoughts (LOL).
I figured though that as the wind would be on our backs it wouldn't feel quite so bad.
Soon Andy from the club arrived with another Andy. Boats were loaded & left while they sorted the portage out as we were to paddle from Penarth to Barry, about 7-8 miles?
When they returned we got all the boats down to the beach for the cold launch.
Some of the group were a little nervous about the Rannies a notorious tide race off Lavernock Point in the far distance of this image. I knew it'd be easy today though as the wind was in the South East.
We passed the Rannies without incedent though our speed didn't half pick up & Lavernock was soon far behind.
Next it was Sully Island & time for a little break.


Can you spot the digger in the far shore? In the 80's I think it was there was loads on concrete waste dumped here on the beach & now the owner of the pub is paying for it to be cleared. They've done an amazing job but amazingly the council wont give permission for the waste to be removed so its all bunched up in a mound on the edge of the beach. You'd think the council would appreciate him doing the work & see the benefit to the environment not to mention the safety of the people on the beach.

Once my core temperature was thoroughly diminished it was then time to move on paddling across Sully Bay to reach Barry Harbour.
And another rest at Jacksons Bay. I had the sense this time to stay in the kayak as it was slightly warmer with my legs covered & pogies on.
I was teasing a couple of the Guys about the race at nells point but again the South Easterlies were taking the bite out of the races :(
Steve wondering 'whats occurring' :oS as we pass Barry Island.
A quick loop around the cardinal post & we were done. A fab is slightly cold day on the water :)


Saturday 2 March 2013

England Or Bust...

Ok then, lets see? A stupid 'O' clock rise, on the water for 06:00 At Sully & heading on a bearing of due South for an hour & a half to complete the first stage of todays trip, It could only mean England was calling.
I was paddling with Noel again today. It was only a couple of weeks ago I took him to Flat Holm for his first visit & today I was really gonna make the bugger work :D

We were slightly late leaving the tip of Sully Island 10 minutes late 06:10, I can live with that.
The tides are on springs & really ripping today & we were on a due South bearing from the vector I'd worked out last night. You can see the angle Noel is paddling to reach the island, I did say the tide was ripping!

I was a tad conservative with my bearing though & decided we should turn off bearing a bit as I could see the shape of the Island changing as we approached the West side. A little local knowledge helps as its a veiw I've seen plenty of times over the years.

Another new Island for Noel, I reckon he's excited ;)
I cut a wee bit too close to the tip as I wanted to see if I could paddle through the Rudder (the Archway). I couldn't though as the tide was really ripping & now we had to push hard to get around to the South side. All good fun & not the first time i've done it.
revisiting the South of Rudder Rock.
The Seagulls seem to be getting ready for summer.

Phew, pee time.


After a short break we were on our way again, we'll be returning here later.
We're heading for that bump in the distance, Brean Down. I've only managed this trip once before & I'm really looking forward to going there again.

The surrounding land is so low thats its not far off being an Island.
Weston looks close.

Theres no easy landing on the Down but I'm ok in a plastic boat & I need another pee. I'm keeping hydrated on this long paddle!
I also need to stop to do a vector for the return to Steep Holm. I'd done the two vectors required to get here last night but thats all as I like to be more dynamic in my planning & its good practice to do them under pressure.
Its a 40 minute paddle so I worked it out for a whole hour as we were tiring & likely to take longer.
Back underway & I switched on my gps as I wanted to check the cross track error facility that gives instant vector bearing & it confirmed that my manual vector was spot on :)

Back at Steep Holm & for a slightly longer break, hopefully though I'm aware we're a bit late & the tides due to soon turn. I'd like to leave immediately as I want to cross to Flat Holm on slack water as I know it'll take longer & become a slog if we have to start ferrying. We were both quite tired by now so we gave it about 10-15 minutes rest & looking forward to a longer break on Flat Holm.
the crossing went well up to the middle mark buoy. We were well on course but the tide really started to pick up & it became a real slog!
We were still holding course but our speed had dropped to 2.5-3 KPH, really not good, it would take ages & we were knackered. As we were on course for the Eastern side of the Island I made the call to go off bearing & let ourselves drift to the western side & to land there. This had the added advantage of our speed increasing to a healthy 5-6 KMH, much better.
Land at last. we were approaching right by the wardens cottage.

The Gulls were back here too.
Noel trying to look warm, not easy, It was freezing here!
We walked to Castle Rock to see what the tide was doing, it looked like a whitewater river. It was only an hour since the tide had turned but being on springs had given it some bite. We had two options to consider at this point, stay till about 15:00PM & paddle back on the last of the ebb or slog our way back to the mainland on a very steep ferry angle?
We went for the slog as 15 minutes on Flat holm had us both utterly frozen. To reach Sully we had to aim for Penarth Pier but the angle worked well & I knew from experience that Lavernock would provide some shelter from the currant as we got closer.
We were both pooped when we finally hit the beach & instantly froze as soon as we stopped. I'm missing Sardinia :(
Then about an hour after we returned this happened, sodding typical.
It was an awesome adventure but after all that slogging I wonder if Noel will be busy next time I ask him out for a paddle? :D
Our Route...