Midlifekayak

Since we came round Malin Head five days ago we seem to have battled against headwinds. I’m sure all us paddlers (and cyclists for that matter) on expedition complain about the winds being against them. And I’m sure we only remember those days slogging it out against the wind rather than those where the sun warmed our backs and the winds have us a gentle push on our way. But we do seem to have had more than our fair share. But hey, no complaints – everyday is an adventure and a physical and psychological roller coaster.  If one of us is feeling low or slow, the other will try and perk them up. We’ve found that food and singing usually do the trick. Distracting each other from the thought of cranking out 30 or so miles a day has become a distinct skill of ours.

As for the singing – not sure we will be repeating performances on terra firma, but our repertoire is developing into an eclectic mix – The Auld Triangle,  South Australia, Wish You Were Here, Cecilia, Bridge Over Troubled Waters, Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia…..if you happen to find yourself on a headland along the Irish East coast over the next few days, and the wind is blowing in the right direction, you might just catch us murdering a great song.

On the way to Whitehead on Saturday we came across a charity cycle event in Larne. It was in aid of http://www.makeadifferenceworldwide.com – who are currently helping disadvantaged people in Malawi. Looked like a great event despite the strong headwinds (we have something in common with cyclists). The organisers saw us land and straight away invited over, gave us soup and food and made us feel very welcome.

Thanks so much guys and best of luck with the fund raising!

Last night we reached the south end of the Ards Peninsula and got a sneaky camp in the grounds of the Quintin Castle – an old Norman building – now updated and renovated complete with its own slipway and heli pad. Not a bad place to kip for the night.

This morning we made only 11 miles before the winds picked up to F7 and gusting F8. When Geoff got surfed over some rocks we decided it was time to get off. So now we are in the club house at Ardglass golf club, drinking tea and eating cake whilst looking out at a wild sea.

Right now we have covered 790 miles and have about 160 to go.  
Thank you to Chris, Janet and Morgan for your very generous donations! Around £1200 raised now – amazing stuff!
   
  

Making the most of the stream on this side of the country as the tide is squeezed between Ireland and Scotland. That means paddling two shifts a day – early morning to lunchtime and again in the evening.. 735 miles down and 215 or so to go.

Yesterday at Malin Head we ate breakfast on the beach watching dolphins broach and summersault in the bay before jumping on the tide to Portstewart where we relaxed and took on calories before jumping back in the evening tide around the Giants Causeway. A stunning way to see this world heritage site. 

We ended the day pulling up to a cottage at the base of the cliffs around the corner from the Causeway. The only way to get to the cottage is by sea. It has it’s own natural harbour. Sadly we were camping on the outside but it was idyllic. We watched the sunset and drank the last of our malt whiskey, a 16 year old Lagavulin. From where we sat we could see the Scottish Island of Islay – which appropriately is home to the Lagavulin distillery.

We climbed into bed as the full moon rose, reminding us that we are on spring tides and so the stream is good!

Today was fun. The stream past Rathlin Island had us ticking along at 8 and 9 miles am hour. We turned south and then had to paddle in the eddies to avoid the north going flood tide which was running well over 3 miles an hour.

The morning sunshine gave way to a sudden fog bank that descended – just as well it was time to get off the water and wait for the next tide anyway. We spent the afternoon in Cushendun before pushing on this evening to Glenarm. 

The next few days are all about the miles. We’ve a pretty good idea which day we will finish now – but of course it is weather dependent. 

Hands are swollen, various body parts ache and we’re both sleep deprived but each day is an incredible experience that we don’t want to take for granted.

Massive thank you to ‘Sam’, Janet, Sylv and Martyn for your incredibly generous donations! The total is coming along very nicely now – thank you!

Half way through our fourth week. We’ve now covered 508 miles – just over half way.

The last couple of days we have been heading east into the Bay of Donegal to position ourselves to make the crossing to Malin Beg. It is a spectacular coast but also very committed. There are few places to get out and the winds get compressed and accelerate over the mountains and hills and down through gulleys.

Yeterday we left Knocknalina with a southeasterly F5. We made good progress until we got into Donegal Bay proper.  We were facing F8 gusts frequently and for prolonged periods which attempted to rip the paddles from our hands. But we were still making headway, albeit only around 2.5 to 3 miles an hour. Then came the most torrential rain that was so hard it almost hurt the hands.

We had made 13 miles but progress was getting tougher. Porturlin was just a mile further on and offered an option to get off and reassess. If we pushed on we were committing to another 15 miles of potentially worsening conditions.

We opted for Porturlin. As we made our way to the back of the harbour and a beach landing we ate some food and discussed options. The wind seemed to be strengthening and so whilst we felt we could cope with the conditions we also felt why slog out 15 miles in 6 hours when we could probably so it in 3 tomorrow. 

We stayed in the kayaks and waited for the rain to stop. It was the best way to stay warm. In fact we both dosed off.  Finally the rain did stop and we landed and pitched the tents amongst the sheep and got some hot food on. 

It is strange how very quickly you become comfortable with a new camping site. What at first can look quite inhospitable becomes homely once you are warm and inside your tent. In fact I’m writing this inside my tent on a harbour wall while the world goes by outside.

Today the southeasterly turned into a southwesterly so although it was a similar strength as yesterday, at least it would give us a bit of a push.

For most of today, the rain stayed away and the sun lit up the extraordinary cliffs. We even had time to explore a couple of caves and gulleys – certainly the largest Geoff and I have ever seen. This is definitely an area to come back and explore more.

We have seen very few other craft up the west coast, those that we do see are lobster or line fishermen.  In some ways it adds to the sense of this being an extreme stretch of coastline. One thing that has struck both of us though is the greeting we get from fishermen as we paddle by. Not just a nod through a cabin window, most make a point of leaving their cabins walking to the stern and giving us a hearty wave.  

This afternoon we walked into Ballycastle to Mary’s Cottage Kitchen – soup, toasted sarnie, bread and butter pudding, cheese cake and around a gallon of tea. Perfect stop.

Thank you to Kim and David for your very generous donation! The total for our charities is climbing nicely.

The photos can’t do the scenary justice but do check for Geoff at the bottom of the cliffs – you’ll get a sense of scale.