Midlifekayak

Our day weatherbound in Kilkee was spent washing and catching up with what’s going on in the world. We also found an amazing cafe and bar which benefited from our custom for several hours each (no surprises there then).

We had set up camp just below St George’s headland, in a public shelter out of the driving wind and rain. We watched the large Atlantic swell crashing in over the reef that extends halfway across Kilkee Bay. Think we made the right decision to stay off the water.

The next morning we broke camp and were on the water by 8.30am. It had stopped raining and the winds had reduced slightly and veered westerly now. So although the swell was smaller, there would be a lot of confused clapotis around any west facing cliffs.

We picked our route out of the bay to avoid the reef and turned right along the coast. The boats bounced around in the confused water but they (and we) felt comfortable. 

We rounded Donegal Point and headed into Mal Bay. We had thought we could stop off at Spanish Point mid way through the bay but seeing how far it in it was we decided to push on toward Mutton Island and then Hags Head. 

It was a low speed day. The wind chop and swell and stream conspired to keep us to an average of just over 3 miles an hour. Slow but not too painful.

The swell was still fairly big. Geoff and I would lose sight of each regular as we sat in the troughs between swells. 

As we approached Hags Head I could see on the chart a large area of submerged rock. That would likely cause the swell to break in impressive fashion. True enough, as we got closer we could see and hear the roar as the swell broke.  We turned into the wind and worked our way around.

As Hags Head slowly disappeared behind us, Ireland’s next coastal attraction emerged before us. The Cliffs of Moher.  For the next four miles we paddled in some exciting clapotis with an incredible back drop – the cliffs rise to over 700 ft. Tourists were dotted along the edge at the top – probably they wouldn’t be able to make us out at that distance. It also appeared that one of the Doolin sight seeing vessels couldn’t make us out either as they made course straight for us. Geoff and I adjusted course a couple of times and just as I was reaching for my radio, they finally seemed to spot us and gave us some room.

Doolin ferry port is something else. Protection from the swell is only afforded at the very last minute and although a nearby rock helps to shield the quays it also helps to cause some very confused water. Just as we approached, three ferries and two sight seeing boats were lining up to get in. We would have to wait in the confused water with swells breaking either side. Slowly we edged forward and as the last ferry dropped its cargo of passengers and headed back to sea we paddled for it and landed on the slip. 

Cold and tired from another slog of a day, we got some soup and rice on the boil to warm us up.

Today (Day 17) we crossed to the three Aran Islands. First thing, the sun had been out giving us hope for a warm days paddle – just a mile into the first crossing the fog and the rain descended. We spent the next four hours tracing our way up the north east coast of each of the Islands until we reached Kilronan. We had to rely on our chart reading skills and our ability to follow a bearing as the Islands had all but disappeared.

Our bodies weren’t into it today. We don’t know why. Perhaps the first 17 days are just catching up with us but we decided to stop on Inishmore and as the rain and the fog didn’t look like lifting, we checked in to a B&B and get some food in us and sleep. It wouldn’t have been a safe option to push on in fog around some of the small Islands that are coming up anyway. 

So our 4th shower in 18 days and our first night in a bed feeling positively spoilt.

Big thank you to Val for a very generous donation to our charities. Thanks so much!

 Inishmore Quay…  

Irish stew …

Something missing?    

Apparently my branch of the Mullins family come from Kinsale but turns out that the Mullins from Derry make dam fine ice cream….

We have been blessed with some amazing weather so far and not wanting to waste any of it we have paddled nine straight days in a row and have now accumulated 288 miles under our belts. Just over a quarter of the way.
Yesterday we had a fairly tough paddle into a F4/5 (mostly the latter it felt) to cross Dingle Bay from Portmagee. A seven hour slog in the end. 

Today however, perhaps inevitably, our bodies seem to be telling us to rest. I guess it’s not just the paddling but the broken sleep in harbour walls and in car parks too that takes it’s toll.

So we cut the day short a little after 21 miles and are in Brandon. From where we are camped we can see across the Shannon. We hope to be on the other side tomorrow.

Time then to say a little more about the charities we are raising money for whilst we paddle round enjoying the extraordinary scenary and friendly people.

We are hoping to raise money for two charities:

Samaritans – supporting anyone in distress, around the clock, through 201 branches across the UK and Republic of Ireland. Geoff and Andy will be raising money for the branch in Cornwall (Truro) which provides support to callers from all over England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. Registered Charity Number: 262105

The West Of England MS Therapy Centre – providing support and relief of symptoms to people with Multiple Sclerosis and their supporters. (Registered charity number 801155)

No doubt you all get asked regularly to sponsor people but if you would like to make a donation (split 50:50 between these two charities) please follow the link below:
http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/team/midlifekayak

Anything you can give will be very welcome. Thank you!
Andy and Geoff

A slog of a day, 24 miles into a headwind but the Guiness is good (and so are the fish and chips). We’re in Portmagee, looking out across the sound to Valentia Island. Stunning!

We had climbed into our bivy bags besides the kayaks in Crookhaven fairly early last night, looking forward to getting some rest before the big day round Mizen Head and on to Carinish Bay. It would be a committed open water crossing and no opportunity to get out of the kayaks for some 24 miles.  It would be our first full day on the west coast and I guess both of us were feeling a little apprehensive.

It was a mild night and we were both asleep before too long.  I woke around 1am with Geoff telling it was raining. We decided to close up the bivy bags and hope they didn’t leak and that the rain would stop soon. 

At 3am, I swam out of my bivy bag and sought shelter outside a bar. 

Over porridge we surveyed our sodden kit and moaned about how unpleasant it would be to climb in to bed the following night. We were feeling right sorry for ourselves. 

Fortunately we had another can of HTFU juice and both drank a good mouthful, got kitted up and on the water.

From camp it was a 7 mile paddle to get fully round Mizen Head and it’s impressive cliffs. The forecast north easterly helped push us in our way for the first hour.

The rain had stopped by the time we started the open crossing. We could make out Sheeps Head but the other side of Bantry Bay was shrouded in mist and we assumed, rain.

We headed off north west on a bearing of 300 degrees. We figured that ought to take us slightly east of Dursley Sound, allowing for the effects of the  north east wind, through which we would paddle the last few miles to get to Carinish Bay.

As we left  Mizen behind us the wind settled down and a Minke whale broached maybe 40 metres in front of us. It was clearly a sign that it was going to be a good day.

And a good day it was. From a wildlife perspective it was easily the best day either of us have had in our kayaks. 

Gannets, Puffins, Guillemots, Shearwaters, Dolphins and Minke whales were feeding in the area. Gannets were putting on their incredible diving displays.  Every few minutes a Dolphin pod would appear and we had several close encounters with Minke. On three ocassions a Minke circled us several times, broaching within 10 metres of the kayaks. 

We felt incredibly privileged and blessed. 

With the wildlife display going on the miles ticked by and by 4pm we landed in a beautiful bay and pitched camp. 

The photo is of a lovely family we met when we arrived.  Also keen kayakers.

Had a great night’s sleep on the lawn outside the Stone House B&B in Baltimore. Jerry and Rhianne who run it, provided us with a huge breakfast this morning to set us up for the day’s paddle. They are also on the RNLI crew and had arranged for us to store our boats safely by the lifeboat station. Thanks so much guys!

It was a late start as we had to repack the kayaks after picking up provisions for the west coast. However, the stiff easterly wind helped us on our way out of the safe haven of Baltimore harbour, past Sherkin Island and into the Atlantic.

We were ticking along nicely at 5 to 6 miles an hour in the following sea. As we rounded Sherkin Island and turned to run down the north side of Clear Island we got our first glimpse of the Fastnet Rock, Ireland’s teardrop. The last piece of Ireland that emigrants saw as they sailed to America.

After a brief stop for a stretch and a coffee in the harbour on Clear Island, we started the open crossing towards Crookhaven Harbour. As the wind strengthened behind us, we zipped along at a fair old rate, surfing the ocassional wave. For a while we were tempted to keep going round Mizen Head and aim for Portmagee. But that would have been another 25 miles. So after a couple of hours we entered the safe waters of Crookhaven by paddling through a cave in the headland. 

Coming through the other side we were treated with a scene straight out of Spring Watch. There on the rocks in front of us, was a sea otter eating a fish that it had just caught. Stunning! 

Jerry and Rhianne – The Stone B&B. 

Jane (Geoff’s sister) and her husband, Gary and the lovely Emma who looked after us so well……and fellow kayaker