Hayling Island – Sunday 18th April 2004.
(Pictures to follow)
Anyone worried about global warming or a water shortage should come on a SESK trip
in the spring (or summer, autumn and winter)!
Sunday morning dawned – wet, miserable and windy – but I still set off
to Hayling Island, only slightly pessimistic that a circumnavigation may not happen.
Looking at a map you’d assume that finding 20 other kayakers in a small place
like Hayling Island would be easy. No - we’d managed to spread ourselves out
all over this rabbit warren of car parks, beach huts and amusements. Eventually we
all got to the same car park, looked at the dumping surf and the 2 long lines of
surf breaking off shore at either side of our proposed plan and moved off again.
This time it looked more organised and we probably resembled some out of time, displaced
nation looking for a new land to colonise.
The plan was reset, launch from the lifeboat station and keep to the east coast of
Hayling to the road bridge, have lunch and then come back the same way. As we launched,
a few people paddled out to the bigger waves and had a play around for a while before
catching up with the rest of us for an easy paddle up to the road bridge. Plenty
of time to chat, swap stories and plan trips for the future – the essence of sea
kayaking really. Clive even had time to give a demonstration of how to throw an Inuit
spear from your boat.
Lunch was taken on a small beach just west of the bridge and it rained. It did stop
raining during lunch but only to allow it to drizzle a little more. The best thing
of the weather was that in the rain, the Tesco garage opposite was less distinct
and took on the appearance of a small Scottish mountain range in the distance; well,
you did have to use your imagination a little!
Returning on the ebb tide, we soon made it back to the beach and this time it did
stop raining. It even stopped raining long enough for us to pack up, load the boats
and decide where the best place for tea and cakes would be. (A very good choice,
thank you Clive.)
Before we landed though John (Edney) and I thought we’d have a little look
at the end of the beach to see if the decision to come back the same way was right
or not. We could see the surf breaking on the sandbank off Eastoke Point and as we
got closer, the swell got a little bigger and then a little bigger again.
Deciding it was time to go back, we turned round, paddled and went nowhere! Actually
we were going somewhere but it was backwards. The tide was pulling us back round
the point and into the breakers dumping on the beach behind us. Once we realised
what was happening, we quickly ferry glided to the beach and had a short ( but dignified)
walk back to the others!
The weather had been unkind, we didn’t manage the circumnavigation but we did
get out on the water for what I hope, was a very enjoyable day for all. My thanks
to all those who turned up and I look forward to meeting you all again soon.
Nigel
