Imagine you are at the edge of the sea on a day when it is difficult to say where the land ends and the sea begins and where the sea ends and the sky begins. Sea kayaking lets you explore these and your own boundaries and broadens your horizons. Sea kayaking is the new mountaineering.
Monday, June 01, 2009
Feeling sorry for myself.
While Tony and Gavin are having great adventures sea kayaking round NW Scotland, I am stuck at home. Last night I had gone for a little 20km solo paddle down on the Solway at sunset.
Just as I took this photo, my phone rang. It was Tony calling from Naeve Island. He told me all about their adventures on the high seas round Cape Wrath and below Whitten Head. Despite being master of the understatement, he managed to cram "fantastic, superb and stunning" into one short sentence.
With Tony's words still in my ears, I drifted away with my thoughts on the ebb tide. Slowly the daylight slipped away and the sky turned to inky darkness. I felt really sorry for myself, just for a moment...
31/05/2009
Kayak Caledonia progress report #5
Day 10, 31st May 39km
Tony, 20:20 "Great to be going east now. The surf is dying down. Had an amazing day, just on the edge of the sun all day. We paddled into Smoo Cave. The cliffs and birdlife on Whitten Head were fantastic, superb I did not know what to expect, it's absolutely stunning. We are now safely on Naeve Island, which is beautiful. We have not had any camp fires as we are too tired at the end of the day. The golden steadying liquid is going down well, if rather fast. We are getting along the coast well and all is fine"
Day 11, 1st June 29km
Tony 19:55 "We left our camp on Naeve island to find a force 4 easterly against us all the way. We had the tide with us so the wind against tide at Strathy Point was mental. We had hoped to go further but stopped at Melvich in quite a tired state. The local laird in The Bighouse took pity on us when he found us lying there and let us camp on his front lawn just behind the dunes! Just off to find some licenced premises to replenish essential fluids."
Tony 19:55 "We left our camp on Naeve island to find a force 4 easterly against us all the way. We had the tide with us so the wind against tide at Strathy Point was mental. We had hoped to go further but stopped at Melvich in quite a tired state. The local laird in The Bighouse took pity on us when he found us lying there and let us camp on his front lawn just behind the dunes! Just off to find some licenced premises to replenish essential fluids."