Ormes yesterday.
Mar 30, 2008 8:29:56 GMT -1
Post by dorado on Mar 30, 2008 8:29:56 GMT -1
Well, instead of going up the river, as there was very little water in it still, we drove round to the little orme launch, off the main beach by the concrete pipe and toilet block.
It was pretty blowy, but being offshore the sea was flat. Some very strong gusts though - 60 knots from the CG! We paddled out round the little orme, with the wind astern it only took a couple of minutes.....we were sailing at over 3 knots with just paddles as sails.The water was very coloured for about 500 yards, and I only took my fly rod again. I will have to start using this mssy bait lark again I think.
Got round the little orme to the remains of the shipping quay. Nothing different there, except a bit of build up with the flood tide. Then turned and came back against the wind and tide - some of the gusts tried to turn us over, and a couple of times it was a bit dodgy with the downdraught from the headland increasing the wind - it was like being hit with the blast from a helicopter. You could see it coming on the water, but even then when it hit we were still weren't fully prepared for the strength of it.
Paddled right aross the bay, fighting the wind coming over the beach, we were out of the lee and it was a bit easier further out. In the main flow of wind, but away from those flukey balsts. The squallls weren't too pleasant either - the rain stung like hell being driven hard by that wind - I haven't felt it like that since giving up riding bikes with open face helmets. Thank god it didn't hail.....there were a couple of people fishing off the rock ledges on the end of the Graet orme - they hadn't caught anything either. There were 3 seals off the headland - I wondered if it was some of those that thye released. They stod right up in the water looking at us. Got as close as about 20 yards, then they sounded and came back up again about 50 yards away, they just kept us at a safe distance like that. Going across the bay of the Gt Orme towards the gun emplacemnets we saw a couple of dolphins too - so things are starting to liven up. There was a noticeable line betweent he brown soup and green, clear water. I gave it 30 minutes at the crease of the two colours, but even with the drogue it wasn't very successful - the tide was pushing my line under the kayak ven though I wasn't drifting much by the wind.
With the tide having turned we thought it prudent to get back in before the race picked up, and having parked all along the seafront I didn't fancy walking from west shore, so we came back - the wind had increased and we had to paddle the whole way from clearing the headland - where we got some great surfs in on the building waves now the tide was on the ebb - on edge. I had the gunwale under water leaning into the wind the whole way back, but it was a good workout. It was hard work trying to make any headway at all at times - and the wind was trying to rip the paddle out of your hands all day, so you had to keep your wits about you. It was good to get out again - been far too long.
It was pretty blowy, but being offshore the sea was flat. Some very strong gusts though - 60 knots from the CG! We paddled out round the little orme, with the wind astern it only took a couple of minutes.....we were sailing at over 3 knots with just paddles as sails.The water was very coloured for about 500 yards, and I only took my fly rod again. I will have to start using this mssy bait lark again I think.
Got round the little orme to the remains of the shipping quay. Nothing different there, except a bit of build up with the flood tide. Then turned and came back against the wind and tide - some of the gusts tried to turn us over, and a couple of times it was a bit dodgy with the downdraught from the headland increasing the wind - it was like being hit with the blast from a helicopter. You could see it coming on the water, but even then when it hit we were still weren't fully prepared for the strength of it.
Paddled right aross the bay, fighting the wind coming over the beach, we were out of the lee and it was a bit easier further out. In the main flow of wind, but away from those flukey balsts. The squallls weren't too pleasant either - the rain stung like hell being driven hard by that wind - I haven't felt it like that since giving up riding bikes with open face helmets. Thank god it didn't hail.....there were a couple of people fishing off the rock ledges on the end of the Graet orme - they hadn't caught anything either. There were 3 seals off the headland - I wondered if it was some of those that thye released. They stod right up in the water looking at us. Got as close as about 20 yards, then they sounded and came back up again about 50 yards away, they just kept us at a safe distance like that. Going across the bay of the Gt Orme towards the gun emplacemnets we saw a couple of dolphins too - so things are starting to liven up. There was a noticeable line betweent he brown soup and green, clear water. I gave it 30 minutes at the crease of the two colours, but even with the drogue it wasn't very successful - the tide was pushing my line under the kayak ven though I wasn't drifting much by the wind.
With the tide having turned we thought it prudent to get back in before the race picked up, and having parked all along the seafront I didn't fancy walking from west shore, so we came back - the wind had increased and we had to paddle the whole way from clearing the headland - where we got some great surfs in on the building waves now the tide was on the ebb - on edge. I had the gunwale under water leaning into the wind the whole way back, but it was a good workout. It was hard work trying to make any headway at all at times - and the wind was trying to rip the paddle out of your hands all day, so you had to keep your wits about you. It was good to get out again - been far too long.
