Today we did 4.5m paddling across the mouth of Southampton Water from Calshot Castle to Hamble. It was another really nice day, the late autumn/early winter sun low in the sky and I forgot my sunglasses....great! But a great day for kayaking and not really cold until we got out and the end.
John and I were joined by Stuart, who hasn't kayaked with us for a couple of months now, but is back in action although admitted to finding it quite hard work after so long away from the water.
We arrived at Calshot and, unlike our previous excursion from there when we parked on the main road and launched from the beach, today we drove all the way along to the castle itself and launched from the slipway. The big difference was the fee.... £6 to park and launch from there as opposed to gratis from the beach but..... there you go.
After out recent aborted trip to the IoW, both John and I had done some research this time. We knew what the tide was doing so were fairly sure the paddle across to the other side of Southampton Water, about 2 miles into the marina just up the Hamble River, would be relatively easy. Tide was low and we were paddling around the time of the lowest tide, so it was all fairly calm from that point of view. However the water in the middle was fairly choppy. Occasionally a cruiser went past creating a bit of wake, but it's fair to say that we were getting pushed around a bit as we travelled along the waves coming up Southampton Water from The Solent.
Once we got across to Hamble, it was very calm and the river was very easy paddling, although we only went for a short distance to the first marina. At that point our previous experiences told us that, before the tide starts coming in we should get back out of the river to make our lives as easy as possible.
So, after a Snickers break off we went. More choppiness, a number of breaking waves and a decent breeze didn't really quell our enthusiasm for what was, we all agreed, a really good paddle.
Lessons learned.... the hard way, yes, but we got there in the end.
An awkward moment on these trips is the decision whether to change into dry clothes or just put a towel on the driver's seat and get home asap. I decided to change this time, and only just retained my modesty as another vehicle came from nowhere and started reversing down the slipway where I was changing behind the car door. All present and correct in the nick of time, I'm pleased to say.
After a cuppa in John's VW Transporter mystery machine we had a pint at Calshot Activity Centre (that's my favourite of the activities offered there!) and then agreed that, before Christmas, we would have to make another attempt at crossing to Cowes....
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Replies to our begging letters!
A few weeks ago Jon and I spend a couple of hours writing emails to various companies asking for help with our cause, and setting up a sponsorship website.
We had started to get pretty disconsolate at the lack of replies, but today Jon has received two.
The first was from http://www.phseakayaks.com/ saying that they are going to send us a 2012 expedition support request form.
The second was from http://www.aswatersports.co.uk/index.html offering free training and discounted equipment, plus saying that they will write to their suppliers to see what else could be offered.
Great to finally get some replies, and the offer of free training is particularly useful given our experience on The Solent at the weekend!
Let's hope it's the first of many replies. I've heard nothing from Eurotunnel yet!
We had started to get pretty disconsolate at the lack of replies, but today Jon has received two.
The first was from http://www.phseakayaks.com/ saying that they are going to send us a 2012 expedition support request form.
The second was from http://www.aswatersports.co.uk/index.html offering free training and discounted equipment, plus saying that they will write to their suppliers to see what else could be offered.
Great to finally get some replies, and the offer of free training is particularly useful given our experience on The Solent at the weekend!
Let's hope it's the first of many replies. I've heard nothing from Eurotunnel yet!
Abortive Solent attempt
Jon and I resolved to cross the Solent on Sunday, and were suckered into a false sense of security, then paid with a hard slog back to Lepe after bailing out half way to Cowes. Well, I say Cowes...
When we got to Lepe, the sea was like a mill pond. But there were 8-10 sea kayakers who weren't falling for it. When I asked whether they were heading to the island, they said "no chance". They were off to Lymington for the day, and promptly set off in that direction, cutting through the water in a way that our trusty and well-appreciated sit-ons can't really achieve. We wanted slightly envious as the effortlessly powered off to the west. They had warned us that there was a force 4-6 coming in later and it would be coming from the north, meaning that it would be a hard paddle back if we went over to Cowes.
But...what did they know? The water looked serene, and we decided to go for it.
It started to get choppy after about two hundred yards, and progressively worse.....and then went like a mill pond again. I kept thinking that perhaps this wasn't a good idea. I think Jon thought the same, but equally we both felt condident that we wouldn't sink in a sit-on, and so the worse that could happen is we could get rolled on a heavy wave and have to jump back on.
So we [sort of] powered onwards. We approached a massive buoy which had a bell on it, donging away every time it swayed on the tide. As we passed it, I realised it was coming towards us at speed, then it rushed passed us and headed off towards Cowes.
Of course, this isn't what was happening at all. The water piling up in front of it simply gave the impression it was moving. In fact we were being swept along at a fair pace by the tide rushing past the static buoy, noisily tolling away like a death knell. It was the final encouragement we needed.
Let's go back, we said almost in unison.
It wasn't easy. I fixed on a yellow buoy just off Lepe, and lined it up with the cafe on the beach. But the gap between the two viewpoints widened as we tried in vain to paddles against the tide, crabbing slowly towards our goal.
Eventually, knackered, cold but more experienced than when we set out, we arrived in the calm, still mill-pond-like water off Lepe. The tide had retreated considerably and we had to carry the kayaks much further up the beach than we had down it on arrival.
As we went back over our paddle, grateful not to have been washed ashore in Cornwall somewhere, we looked out at the bell buoy we had passed, and realised it was well to the west of Cowes, where we had been headed. The tide had taken us well off course, and we hadn't even realised until now.
A really important lesson about understanding the tide times and the currents and, of course, the weather.
But we'll get to the island at some point, and it'll be a real boost when we do!
When we got to Lepe, the sea was like a mill pond. But there were 8-10 sea kayakers who weren't falling for it. When I asked whether they were heading to the island, they said "no chance". They were off to Lymington for the day, and promptly set off in that direction, cutting through the water in a way that our trusty and well-appreciated sit-ons can't really achieve. We wanted slightly envious as the effortlessly powered off to the west. They had warned us that there was a force 4-6 coming in later and it would be coming from the north, meaning that it would be a hard paddle back if we went over to Cowes.
But...what did they know? The water looked serene, and we decided to go for it.
It started to get choppy after about two hundred yards, and progressively worse.....and then went like a mill pond again. I kept thinking that perhaps this wasn't a good idea. I think Jon thought the same, but equally we both felt condident that we wouldn't sink in a sit-on, and so the worse that could happen is we could get rolled on a heavy wave and have to jump back on.
So we [sort of] powered onwards. We approached a massive buoy which had a bell on it, donging away every time it swayed on the tide. As we passed it, I realised it was coming towards us at speed, then it rushed passed us and headed off towards Cowes.
Of course, this isn't what was happening at all. The water piling up in front of it simply gave the impression it was moving. In fact we were being swept along at a fair pace by the tide rushing past the static buoy, noisily tolling away like a death knell. It was the final encouragement we needed.
Let's go back, we said almost in unison.
It wasn't easy. I fixed on a yellow buoy just off Lepe, and lined it up with the cafe on the beach. But the gap between the two viewpoints widened as we tried in vain to paddles against the tide, crabbing slowly towards our goal.
Eventually, knackered, cold but more experienced than when we set out, we arrived in the calm, still mill-pond-like water off Lepe. The tide had retreated considerably and we had to carry the kayaks much further up the beach than we had down it on arrival.
As we went back over our paddle, grateful not to have been washed ashore in Cornwall somewhere, we looked out at the bell buoy we had passed, and realised it was well to the west of Cowes, where we had been headed. The tide had taken us well off course, and we hadn't even realised until now.
A really important lesson about understanding the tide times and the currents and, of course, the weather.
But we'll get to the island at some point, and it'll be a real boost when we do!
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