Tidal streams running at 6 knots, over-falls and tidal races, 20 kilometres of endless paddling, over five hours on rough seas and 5 kilometres from the safety of shore… why on earth do we do it? Because it’s there to be done. It challenges our preconceived ideas of what we’re capable of and it confronts our fears. Hey, and it’s great fun if you get to survive it all.
This sums up my first open crossing by sea kayak to a place off the northern tip of Anglesey called The Skerries, a large rock formation which houses a lighthouse and is home to the Atlantic grey seal. It is exposed to winds from any direction and lies in the midst of some of the most powerful tidal streams in the UK. Because of these tidal flows there’s no straight line paddling to get to The Skerries. You need to have all the relevant navigational information and skills to achieve the crossing safely. Get your calculations wrong and the next call you’ll be making is to the coastguards. The furthest I’d ever been off shore was 200 metres and even then I felt very vulnerable. I hasten to add, this was no solo crossing, but with a group of highly experienced and skilled paddlers who looked after me all the way; there and back. Having said that, it was still me who had to paddle, deal with wind, rain and the unplanned negotiation of a tidal race (Large crashing waves out at sea) to make it back to landfall, exhausted, exhilarated and with a lasting respect for the power of the sea and the wonder of nature.
Video clip of the trip:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVfDNHbv3tc
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