Midlifekayak

Yesterday morning we woke to the sound of rain on our tents. Never a great way to start the day. The dilemma is whether to crack on and pack everything away wet, knowing you’ll be climbing into a wet tent the following evening, or to wait for it to pass and then be late on the water. 

We compromised and cooked breakfast (porridge) in the rain but packed the tents up when it stopped. 

We were away for 7.45am, but not before we chatted to some of the local fishermen heading out in their currachs and got their take on the weather.

As we paddled out to Downpatrick Head the sun came out and warmed our cold hands. All was good with the world again. The transition, getting off the water and settled, or packing up again in the morning and climbing into wet gear, is the hardest part of the day we find. 

As if to reward us for getting up and away on time, we met two basking sharks in the bay. One must have been  5m long.  Just amazing. We said before this trip that it was one thing we would  love to see and now that’s our third.

We crossed Killala Bay and headed for Easky where we stopped for provisions and made some soup for lunch. 

The wind was picking up F5 gusting F6 but still in our favour so we made the call to push on and cross Sligo Bay and towards the Island of Inishmurray. That would mean we would finish the day having started the crossing of Donegal Bay.

Three miles into the fifteen mile crossing the wind gusts were now strengthening – F7 were now common. 

The swell was picking up but in the main it was wind chop.

We had set off on a bearing as Inishmurray is low lying and we couldn’t see it from the start. Indeed it wouldn’t appear for another three miles. 

As we approached the Island we could start to make out the ruins of the old settlement and monastery. The jetty we were aiming for was at the ‘sheltered’ east end of the Island.

 The wind was now a constant F7 gusting F8 and the sea getting a little lively. We could see the jetty, it looked short. We both hoped it would provide enough shelter from the southwesterly wind and waves. As we rounded the end of the jetty, we realised the water was also low exposing some enormous rocks. It was clearly only a useful landing spot at high water. 

This was going to be difficult. Controlling an 18 foot kayak that weighs 80kgs, fully loaded in swell, strong winds and around rocks, is pretty difficult. 

We decided to take a closer look and see if we could pull alongside the rocks and clamber out for a short swim and haul the boats out. 

It wasn’t going to happen. The initial haul out would have been too high and the risk of injury to us or the boats too great. 

We decided to paddle round to the leeward side of the Island and take a look there. The swell was now wrapping all the way round the Island but there was an area of calm water. Unfortunately the landing was to be on boulders the size of fridges. Perfect boat and ankle breaking territory. 

We had no choice. We climbed out of the kayaks and waded the last few feet up to our waists so we could control landing the kayaks on the rocks. We managed to get both out of the water balanced precariously. The plan was to empty the kit out and then come back for the kayaks. 

It was then we spotted the nesting sites above us. There were chicks moving around the top of the foreshore. We couldn’t risk disturbing them so there was nothing for it but to paddle the kayaks back against the wind and return to the jetty. We left some of the kit on the beach to make them lighter and easier to handle. 

Same as before we managed to get alongside the rocks by the jetty, get out and swim the kayaks in. All the time the wind and waves were buffeting us. A broken boat (or body) would have been the end of the expedition – as well as a difficult evacuation from an uninhabited island!

Fortunately, with a little less gel coat than they had that morning we landed the boats. Geoff and I suffered no more than bruises. It took us a further hour to retrieve our kit from the other side of the Island and then pitch our tents before the wind picked up even more. That night we were buffeted by gale force winds, but as ever, you always feel safe and cosy in your tent and very satisfied to have paddled 36 miles given the conditions.

Whether we could get off the Island in the morning given the conditions would be another matter……we had figured we could be ‘comfortable’ for three days before food started running out.

Day 26 – in the end, this morning the sun was shining on our little camp in the playground of the old school on Inishmurray, and the wind had dropped a notch.   We had a chance to see what a stunning place this is, and appreciate just how tough a life it must have been to live on this Island.

Given the previous day’s exploits it was a late start. It was a complicated, but safe launch in the end and it was good to be on our way again.

The 25 mile paddle today, north towards Malin Beg and the village of Glencollumkille, saw easily the biggest seas we have had on the trip so far. The early morning sunshine soon left us and we faced regular squally showers bringing a stiff F7 wind.  The westerlies over the last few days have built the Atlantic swell up too. Whilst officially only 2.8m, over shallower ground we were experiencing steep swell around  5m or 6m regularly. 

But we were making decent progress and we seem to be handling the conditions comfortably. Our C Trek boats seem to ooze confidence in this sort of sea.

We landed in Glencollumkille, Donegal, stored the kayaks above the high tide zone and managed to find a nearby B&B. We needed a shower and to be inside for a few hours. 

The next few day should see us round the top and heading south towards Rosslare.

Thank you Carol for your very generous donation for our charities!

Read Full Post »