Setting off just after 10:00, I paddled out to Pen y Cil. Everything looked calm enough, so I decided to continue across to Bardsey. It looks so close! As I ventured further offshore I could tell there was quite a current running through the sound in a NW direction. I kept making transits, only to have to make new transits as I was swept into the sound. Eventually though, I reached the Bardsey shoreline. By this point I was in the various eddies forming by the tidal stream, behind Bardsey. There were boils and currents running in all sorts of directions. Certainly not the smooth arrows shown on the published tidal atlas.
As I was now in the lee of the prevailing currents, I carried on around the island. It was beautiful exploring the coast of Bardsey and its fine views.
Nearing the other end of the island near to the lighthouse, things started to get a little spicy, as the currents whipped around the end of the of island. Not only was the current very strong here, but there was some quite large waves to paddle through. Paddling flat out, I glanced at my deck mounted GPS - I was only managing just over one knot! I changed course slightly, to head further offshore, which helps a bit. My speed slowly started to increase very slightly. It was perhaps another mile of hard paddling before the effects of the tidal race started to diminish.
I had a quick stop at the slipway at Cafn Enlli, before jumping back into my boat and heading back to Aberdaron. The time was now 11:40 and in theory the tidal stream should have started to return in a SE direction. It hadn't. It wasn't even slack water and was still coming through the sound in a NW direction. There was nothing for it but to pick a transit on the mainland, paddle hard and stick on that heading. Once again it was obvious I was losing ground to the tidal stream, as I ferried my way back to the mainland. I was very slowly getting swept back into Bardsey Sound, and it was soon obvious I was going to miss the headland at Pen y Cil by some margin. Despite the current, it was a beautiful sunny day and the views were fabulous. Not to mention being circled by, whatever the collective noun is for a large number of Manx Shearwaters. What a stunning sight and I think one of the most beautiful birds when in flight.
About half a mile from the headland, I notice a lot of broken waves around what I soon realised was Carreg Ddu. A large rock. Not wanting to pass that on its downstream side, with its associated swirly waters, I paddled hard to pass the rock in front, in somewhat, if moving quite quickly waters. This lead me into a large bouncy eddy behind Pen y Cil. Another big effort and I blasted through the eddy at Pen Y Cil and turned into Aberdaron Bay. The excitement wasn't over yet, as there was a good stiff current coming out of the bay directly towards me. Sticking close to the shoreline, I eddy hopped my way back to Aberdaron. Or at at least until Porth Meudwy, where the affects of the current eventually stopped and my speed increased.
Back at the beach I did some rolling practice - I was hot. I also did some practice climbing onto the back of the boat, using a technique I had seen in a Surf Ski video, which was very successful.
It was now 12:46. Time to find Mrs T, the dog and my kayak trolley.
It may have been a brief visit, but I can now say, I have stood on Bardsey Island.
One hell of a Fab paddle.
10.8 Nm in 2 Hours 45 minutes
