Overnight at Fort Victoria (IOW)- July 21/22nd 2002.

"The worst summer I can remember", "when will it stop raining?" - all familiar phrases to sum up the early months of summer this year. Whilst some blamed El Nino or the effects of global warming, we know the real reason for the bad weather -SESK have planned another trip!! With the previous months trip in North Kent and our circumnavigation of Raasay 'amended' due to the weather, it was with some disappointment that I watched the weather pattern deteriorate in the week prior to this weekender. However, on a warm but overcast Saturday morning 15 of us met on the beach at Lepe. It was good to have a good mixture of regular paddlers, old faces and newcomers for this trip.

The wind was fresh as it breezed up the Solent from the south west but everything looked good, certainly better than I had expected. We launched from Lepe at 11.00 and headed straight across for point just west of Gurnard Bay. There was a considerable volume of traffic on the water, for safety's sake so we crossed the main shipping lanes in 2 groups. We now headed along the Isle of Wight coast towards Hurst Castle and had this stretch of water almost to ourselves. A pattern set in of paddling, chatting, swapping ideas and tales or generally setting the world to rights as normally happens on these trips.

The wind was staring to pick up and although was not causing any problems in itself, it had slowed the group down quite noticeably. Our original (if optimistic) plan of lunch at Scratchells Bay had been discounted a couple of hours previously but Alum Bay was still reachable. Our progress really slowed up as we approached Yarmouth and the wind started to blow quite strongly in our faces. A late lunch was taken on the beach just before Sconce Point and a review of the situation taken. The tide had turned now and was starting to flood back through the Hurst Race.

The proposed camp site was still about 1/2km round the corner, so it was decided to slog it round to Fort Albert, keep very close inshore and look at things again from there. We all made it round to Fort Albert OK but the wind and tide were really moving now and conditions off the Fort were not looking that welcome. In the lee of Fort Albert I decided to take 3 of the others back to the beach at Fort Victoria whilst the others paddled on. It wasn't too long before the rest of the group (except 4) had decided that enough was enough and returned to the beach as well. The 4 who continued were very experienced and quite capable of paddling in these conditions but only got as far as Hatherwood Point at the edge of Alum Bay. After pushing round the coast to reach this far, they returned via the main tidal flow and got back to us in a fraction of the time it took to get there!

Slightly disappointed not to have got further but pleased that we had all got here without incident we settled down for the evening. Just as last year, SESK treated those present to a firework display on the mainland on what turned out to be a quiet warm summer evening.

There was no rush next morning, so after the obligatory early morning swim and a legendary Fort Victoria Café breakfast we passed the time walking, reading and chilling out. About 1.00pm we launched and headed back across the Solent. The wind had dropped considerably and there was not as much traffic out as normal, so we headed diagonally across towards the Beaulieu estuary. A quick mid afternoon stop on one of the shingle banks, before the tide covered it, and then we were soon back at Lepe.

It had been a good weekend and hopefully enjoyed by all those who came along. For some, it was the first experience of crossing the Solent and for others their first kayak camping trip.

It was also a reminder that the proposed destination is just that - a proposal and not a target that has to be reached whatever the conditions.

My thanks to all who came along and to Phil and Gordon for their experience and help over the weekend. I look forward to meeting you all again soon.

Nigel.

Paddlers on this weekend: Nigel & Julie Williams, Peter Venters, Phil Chapple, Jackie Leslie, Gordon Summers and Dave, John Edney, Morven & Brian, Jim McBride, Clive Leonard, Richard Best, Andy White and Tim.

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