Having had an email from Mike Robson forwarded to me by Sabina Neall, about a forthcoming paddle from Whitby to Robin Hood's Bay and back this coming Sunday, I was all set to travel up to Whitby. The only trouble was as I looked out of my window on the Saturday evening, it was blowing one hell of a gale out there, with rain coming down in buckets and the tress being blown sideways! I phoned Mike up and asked "Are you sure the trip is still on tomorrow?". Apparently, I was not the only one; Mike's phone was red-hot that night with similar calls. So duly leaving home at 06:00 in the morning, I drove to Whitby arriving in sunshine at 08:30. Just in time for some breakfast!
09:30 soon came around and the group assembled on the slipway
Alice sported a great hat!
Sabina looking ready...
Are we ready yet?
And eventually we were off...
Seeing Whitby from the water was a first or me.
The 40% scale replica of the Endeavour (The Bark Endeavour) being readied for the days tourists
And as we neared the harbour mouth things started to get a bit lumpy
Rather than risk the rebounding waves in the harbour entrance, we did the sneak through the harbour wall
Timing was everything!
With some getting a little too close to the wall
Some good white water hand offs soon sorted the wall out!
Dave from Hull
With the wind and swell more or less behind us we made good progress.
Looking at the speed on my GPS we were averaging 5-6 miles an hour.
I had my laminated map of the coast - something Mike pulled my leg about. "You go out of the harbour and turn right and follow the coast to Robin Hood's Bay"...
Mike Robson
Ron Walker
Mike and Ron
Compulsory blob of water on the GoPro!
Robin Hood's Bay
Time for a Beacon Farm 99! Yummy!
Sheltering out of the wind for lunch
Unfortunately having had the wind and swell pushing us along on the way here, we were now going to be well and truly heading back into the wind and swell. It was definitely going to be a bit of a slog back. By this time, my GoPro batteries had died by this time so there were no more pictures (unfortunately). Having left Robin Hood's Bay, as we arrived at Ness Point, Mike and I were suddenly confronted by a couple of freak big waves. We climbed over the first one to hit us, but on the second wave, I went what felt like almost vertical, before landing slightly sideways. Suddenly I was needing to practice my roll. I just relaxed and waited for the boat to come around and without thinking, back deck rolled. I am a playboater after all! This was my first ever roll in anger in my Sea Kayak! I have to say I was quite pleased with myself, as up until this point I was not 100% sure I could pull off a roll in an emergency. It's a bit like having learned to roll in a swimming pool and then having to do it for real in a river...
It was a lot rougher now on the way back with the odd spell of rain too. Having made 5-6 mph on the way down we were struggling to make 3 mph on the way back. Mostly 2 mph. No wonder it felt twice as far back to Whitby. The bow of my boat seemed to be constantly going through waves now rather than over them! Back at the harbour mouth we decided not to use the cut through, as we had done on the way out, as we could see breakers protecting this entrance. However, it was somewhat very interesting entering the harbour, as the flow from the river was coming out and the swell pushing in, with waves rebounding off the harbour walls all over the place. Thankfully we all made it in safely.
Once back at the slipway it was time to pack up and sort the kit out. And for me the 3 hour drive home.
Thanks to Mike Robson for organising the trip and weather.
The best days seakayaking ever!
