Caldey Island, Sunday 6 October 2013

A GENTLE END-OF-SEASON PADDLE AROUND CALDEY………………………..?

Report by Rob G.

Hywel said he fancied Caldey as a gentle end of season paddle, whilst the weather was still mild. Sounded good so Rob joined him and after an early morning run to Tenby we parked conveniently next to South Beach where there were no charges after the end of September. A promising start!

We set off about 12.45 with about an hour or so left before low tide. No sooner had we hit the water than Hywel spotted two paddlers in the distance – turned out to be his mate Wayne from North Avon CC who he’d been to Scotland with earlier this year. Wayne and his mate had camped out on Caldey overnight and were on their way to Amroth. We continued our journey to the jetty on the island’s north coast, paddling into the breeze but mostly sheltered from it by Caldey.

We paddled around the island clockwise and after turning south-east we saw some seals at Caldey Point but as they were making some strange noises we thought it might be pupping season so carried on around the coast, stopping for lunch on Drinkim Bay.

After rounding Chapel Point we were into a stiffish south westerly breeze all along the south coast of the island with a lumpy sea all the way to West Beacon Point. Hywel had vaguely mentioned some “overfalls” there earlier in the day but I hadn’t paid much attention; wish I had because all along the south coast we could see a series of large breaking waves around the Point. I was concentrating on the lumpy sea but as we approached West Beacon Point Hywel said if we turned a sharp right (i.e. roughly north) then we could avoid the worst of it. But it still meant running the gauntlet for about 50 metres with breaking waves at your back. I’m not sure if Hywel heard my strangled cry to “stay close” but he was quickly around the corner and I had no real choice but to follow. After bracing against two waves which I reckoned to be about 1.5-2m I managed to turn and followed Hywel into the calmer waters of Sandtop Bay. Hywel said he thought I’d passed a bit too close to the rocks on our right – as if I had a choice. The sea was taking me where it wanted. I felt pretty relieved not to have taken a swim there, but more through luck than any judgment or paddling skills. Phew!

Sandtop Bay at 7.52 in the morning. Photo taken by Wayne from where he camped.

It was then a relatively gentle paddle to and around St Catherine’s Island before turning for home. With the tide and wind at our backs it took us only about 20 minutes to land back at South Beach again at around 15.45. A slog back up the beach but after a quick change and a coffee in an adjacent café (part of a new apartment block partially constructed at the end of the car park facing the beach) we headed for home.