CornwallKayaker
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Porthcothan September 2012
Porthcothan view
Porthcothan Beach, what a peaceful summer scene. Sun blazing down, folks relaxing, children playing in the sand, barbeques wafting out aromas of sizzling food, all set against the constant backdrop of Atlantic waves gently breaking against the distant shoreline. Beautiful.
See those lovely tram lines? That’s evidence that I have just huffed and puffed my Gemini all the way up from the water’s edge in preparation for the final ascent of the Porthcothan sand dune…..PHEW!
Actually it isn’t much of a sand dune, but having trudged all the way from the sea it seemed larger than it was a few hours earlier when I had travelled in the opposite direction.
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Looking back
The sand in this area was softer than I bargained for. At one point I thought I wasn’t going to make it, however embarrassment kept me going.
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Are we there yet, are we there yet?
…….and finally to sea!
This was to be my to be my first paddle off the North Cornwall coast. The weather and sea state was perfect. A high pressure system had been positioned over us for a few days with a light breeze coming from a south easterly direction. Very little in the way of swell.
The state of the tide wasn’t ideal but that wasn’t going to stop me from launching. I had been waiting for this moment since the birth of my daughter at the end of May. With these perfect conditions a half mile trek from the car park wasn’t going to get in my way.
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Darling daughter Sarina born May 2012
Here she is, baby Sarina; the reason why my blog recently came to a standstill and will continue to remain intermittent. Whether she’ll share my enthusiam for getting out on the water remains to be seen, however I’ll continue to encourage her.
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Black and white always adds to the drama of it all
Whether I’m kayaking or out on my surfboard the cliffs of the north Cornwall coast always have a dramatic presence. That presence can be felt when the swell abruptly ceasies it’s journey as the sea meets the land.
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It’s all quiet out here, save for the gentle slapping of water on kayak
Nice view of Porthcothan from the sea. Moments like this make the journey worthwhile.
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Trevose Head and lighthouse
On the beach
Journey’s end at Porthcothan
Goodbye Porthcothan, see you again, but next time at HIGH TIDE.
- The arrival at Portwrinkle Harbour. I'd loaded the beast in the privacy of my driveway at home. Now was going to be the moment to publicly remove it from the roof-bars with as much grace as possible! . The calm water of Portwrinkle Harbour juxtaposed against the open sea gave a good indication as to how choppy the open water was. Two days ago there was a solid channel swell breaking over the harbour wall and it would've been foolhardy to venture out on this my maiden voyage. As the tide recedes the harbour drains completely exposing rock, so the alternative landing spot of Portwrinkle Beach can be used. However, I wasn't planning on being out too long so I was hoping to beach back in the harbour upon my return. I had checked the evening weather forecast and despite the fact the weather actually looked promising, the weather charts detailed a couple of weather fronts nearby which signalled rain was imminent. . I trollied my kayak down the steep path to the harbour wondering whether it was even going to be possible to wheel it back up again. My eagerness to get in the water though was all consuming and I thought that if the worse came to the worse, surely it would be possible to inch it back up, wouldn't it? . Having successfully exited the harbour I headed against the outgoing tide in the direction of Rame Head. Along the way I was planning on doing a spot of trolling in the hope of catching something for supper. As I paddled across Portwrinkle village I sensed many eyes looking at me from cosy front rooms with glorious sea views. . Given another time of day and brighter conditions I would've paddled on towards The Rame Head Peninsular. I perhaps would've indulged in a spot of ledgering too. Although overhead the conditions weren't showing any signs of improvement, things were looking brighter on the fishing front with my first and only catch of the evening about to happen. . I just love fresh mackerel, so it was a bonus when this beauty went for my spinner. I had only just placed it in the water when the unmistakable thump pulled my line. . Now that I had caught a fish, it seemed like my maiden paddle was complete so I decided to head back to the harbour. Two hours had passed since high tide and white water was now brimming around rocks that were previously covered. I was returning to my point of entry on an outgoing spring tide, but to be honest it didn't feel that my paddling was being tide assisted; I guess I was just tired. Either way, it was comforting to know that I was heading in the right direction. The sky was darkening dramatically and drizzle was in the air.
CornwallKayaker 