PADDLER 79
We really enjoyed the coastline of the Llyn Peninsula . The tides forced us to have a few shorter paddling days to and through the Menai Straits , which gave us more time to enjoy the beautiful wild camping sites we found .
Soon , we were on the less paddled north coast of Wales , where Alison ’ s time ran out , leaving three of us to continue . Then , the largest storm of our trip made us seek shelter in a static caravan in Prestatyn . We were keen to get going again once the wind and rain had abated . However , after refreshing the forecast yet again , we took the safe option and decided to spend the next day in a café waiting for the swell to die down . We finally left Prestatyn on the evening tide for a short hop to our next camp spot on the Dee Estuary en route to Chester .
CALM WEATHER
Anticipation , excitement and fear of the unknown mingled as we set off from the Mumbles in early May . Our strategy was simple : paddle hard when the weather is good and sit out adverse weather . So , we made as much progress as possible while the weather was calm . This meant long days of paddling across bays or estuaries to get as far around the coast as possible . We didn ’ t intend to beat any records , so while the weather was bad or the wind was against us , we did shorter paddling days or rested altogether .
We were lucky that our start coincided with five days of sunny , calm weather and spring tides . This allowed us to get around Pembrokeshire , with its strong tidal flows and committing headlands , in just a few days by braving some long crossings . A real highlight in this section was watching pods of porpoises play near our kayaks .
By then , our paddling fitness had not entirely caught up with our ambitious paddling , and some of us were nursing blisters and tight back muscles . This meant we were not too upset by having to sit out a bad weather day after New Quay , especially as the wonderful Gareth and Alix Bryant of Llandysul Paddlers were able to accommodate us in their bunkhouse .
Feeling rested , we continued north along Cardigan Bay for a few days , debating when to cross to the Llyn Peninsula . We decided to go from Shell Island , making this a 26 km crossing , thinking it would take us maybe 4-5 hours . However , the weather had other plans , and an unexpected headwind slowed us down , which took us six hours instead . Mentally , this was one of the more challenging days as you prepare for a certain crossing duration , and any delay seems to make it go on forever .
TEAM SPIRIT
These harder days did foster our team spirit . We did not know each other well at the start , but we were beginning to gel by now . We had open and frank conversations addressing some issues like differences in paddling speeds or how to share the tidal planning . We were fortunate that we got on very well . We had different opinions and preferences , and each paddler had their quirks , but we were accepting and supportive of each other .
MANY PORTAGES
Once on the canals from Chester onwards , our progress was less dependent on the weather , but what slowed us down now were the many portages . We had trolleys , but we needed to get the loaded sea kayaks out of the canal and onto the trolleys , wheel them around obstacles like locked gates or right-angle bends , and then launch back into the canal .
Sometimes , the locks were bunched together , and although it was tough to pull a kayak uphill for a few kilometres , at least it got many locks done simultaneously . It was worse when the locks were spaced one or two kilometres apart , and we paddled just 10 or 20 minutes before we had to repeat the portaging process yet again .
After 3.5 days on the canal , the Severn was a relief with its flow and manned locks . Then , half a day on the Gloucester Canal brought us to Sharpness . We were glad to be near salty water again . Back in familiar territory , friends and family were able to support us with overnight accommodation , and we had a wonderful welcome back into Wales by Seren Dwr club members ! By now , we knew we would be able to finish our circumnavigation . Before bad weather loomed again , we paddled hard for a few last days before landing on the same slipway we had set out four weeks before .
PADDLER 79