Day 14 - Penarth to Port Talbot - The sting at the end of the tunnel

When you first set out on these things, it is the only time that you can 'control' the weather. After the first 2-3 days you get what you are given and live a life of reaction to whatever is thrown your way. And sometimes it does feel as if it is thrown at you.

When I set out on this one I wasn't quite ready, a little more time would have been nice, but there was a sort-of-blocking high pressure over the North Sea and I figured it might be as good as we got for a while - so I went.

The original plan was to start at Sharpness, bang out the first few days when the weather was on our side, survive back to the canals and then do a whatever-the-weather slog back to Sharpness. Of course no plan ever survives first contact with the Bristol Channel.

I viewed the 'crux' for this trip as being the crossing of Camarthen Bay (23nm) combined with the passage through the unhelpful Castlemartin Range. While weather can leave you stuck pretty much anywhere, longer crossings need lesser 'levels' of weather to strand you, and I really was hoping not to get stuck if I could help it. While the early E and NE winds of the high pressure were definitely useful, it wasn't 'oily calm' weather either. Sharpness was too far from Camarthen Bay to guarantee good crossing conditions  a few days hence, and so the start point was brought westwards to Rhossili.

But now I was starting to feel that the bridge that I had left to cross later, was of course now to be crossed. The weather was going against and I didn't have the luxury of the canals to slog down for the final stages.

With the finish line almost in sight, it was going to be touch and go - just for a change. And if I decided it was go, then... well it was likely to be awkward, maybe even tough. Just for once I would like to finish one of these sodding things with a gentle smooth paddle in - just for once.

At Penarth a stiff W wind is forecast for the day along the Glamorgan coastline, but it's calm here. After running out of steam a bit yesterday, it is going to be a suck-it-and-see day. Turn right out of Penarth and let's see where we get to. Though this mildly blase attitude is slightly complicated by the fact the weather is forecast to deteriorate. If we don't make the Mumbles this evening then I think we are going to get stuck for a few days - sat out on the beach within a day's paddle of the Rhossili finish - aaaagh!

Around Lavernock Point and into the wind. But as I turn westward the tide comes for the ride too. Though it's a slog, I'm still maintaining over 5kts - I can live with that. I have an all-too-early, though brief, stop on Sully Island before Barry, to add a heavier cag and then off once again. And that's how the day goes really, slogging westward and then later north-west. There is a swell running but the opposing tide keeps it under control. It is a little choppy and admin stops are a touch 'cheeky' but otherwise I'm a surprisingly smiley character. As I have said before, these trips are a way of seeing into the rest-home-future, you eventually spend your days slightly damp and smelling of wee.

The coastline is quite scenic, with mainly low cliffs and a few small beaches and bays. Turning N at Llantwit Major I expect the tide to fade but it stays with me, following around the corner, it is my lucky day!

Heading towards Porthcawl  and the swell is running over the semi-submerged reef of Tusker Rock, while closer in to Porthcawl things all start to become a little chaotic and confused. But we've had worse, Taran and me - just keep going N.

Now N of Porthcawl the tide is starting to go against. I make a tentative recce paddle out in the direction of the Mumbles, to get a feel for the tide, to help make a few calculations for the paddle later. I need a break now after slogging against the wind all day anyway, so the plan is to get off and have a rest in the dunes at Kenfig Sands and resume with the crossing later. Hopefully the wind may ease by then.

So I do.

Well sort of.

The Boss met me at Sharpness and has plans to hang around for a few more days if I can get the job done. So we are going to meet at Kenfig.

Phone call:

"I'm off the water at Kenfig"

"I'm there too - Where are you?"

"At the S end of the beach. By the Lifeguard hut."

Pause.

"Can't see you...? - Can't see the lifeguard hut either."

"Huh...? Where are you?"

"By the dunes"

Pause from the other party this time.

"The dunes??  Aahh. Hmmm. Perhaps..."

Muppet-Man had go out on the wrong beach of course. While I sat in the sun (and wind) on the edge of the popular beach at REST BAY, poor Boss had to trek all the way back through the dunes once again, at Kenfig. Oops. Sorry about that. I really am.

A little later than the planned 18:30 I get back on to try to reach the Mumbles. I paddle out for an hour, against the W wind and the foul tide I am making 3 kts, sometimes even less. It is choppy and the unhelpful tide is now letting the swell in too - 3ft and breaking here and there. I'm tired, trip fatigue is now setting in too and my forecast finish time at the Mumbles is an hour after dark. With these conditions that is not good. No siree.

Listen to your instincts fatboy.

No matter how much you want to finish, no matter what the weather is going to bring, no matter where you are going to get stuck - if it's not on, it's not on. It doesn't matter where you get to if you are not breathing.

But I'll be beggared if I'm going back in to Rest Bay (or Kenfig for that matter) again. The rule is to take every mile you can. A quick bit of maths shows that I can get to Port Talbot by dark, and so I turn N again. It's sandy beaches all the way so I can land if I fluff it, though I'll spend the night snuggled up with the steel-works. I just hope there is not too much rebound off the breakwaters up there.

There isn't. I was worried they might really confuse the conditions, but they don't make them any worse at all. Finally I turn in for the beach, but as dusk falls Port Talbot has just become one long, low silhouette. We arranged to meet at a roundabout on the prom. I can see car headlights regularly changing direction at one spot and hope that is the roundabout.

It is.

Welcome to Port Talbot - not necessarily where you want to be, but better than where you where.

34nm - 8:10 hrs