Time for another recr
eational 8 mile paddle on Saturday 22nd November. This time I thought I would take my Liquid Logic river kayak from the 2 Tree Island slipway. Bitterly cold with a 25 mph breeze made for interesting paddling. After a shivery launch at low tide I soon warmed up paddling against the headwind. Very beautiful but wild. Absolutely tons of bird species hunched up against the wind on one side of the mudbanks. I soon followed their example using the shelter and calm water on one side of the creek. Birdwatchers from the bank gave me that look of ' rather you than me' and stumbled on also hunched against the cold.
Pretty hard work paddling mostly with a strong beam wind, trying to weathercock the boat constantly giving me a real ache down one side. Eventually realising dark would catch me out I turned back surfing the small waves most of the way back. Knackered but totally content back at the slipway managed to get enjoy that flash of a beautiful sunset before heading home to collapse.
eational 8 mile paddle on Saturday 22nd November. This time I thought I would take my Liquid Logic river kayak from the 2 Tree Island slipway. Bitterly cold with a 25 mph breeze made for interesting paddling. After a shivery launch at low tide I soon warmed up paddling against the headwind. Very beautiful but wild. Absolutely tons of bird species hunched up against the wind on one side of the mudbanks. I soon followed their example using the shelter and calm water on one side of the creek. Birdwatchers from the bank gave me that look of ' rather you than me' and stumbled on also hunched against the cold.Took a few little detours up tiny streaming creeks, birds a go..go all sheltering, plucking the odd frozen worm from the mud. The sun came out and the world changed, gloves off, hat off and time for a few photo's. If you really want that feeling of peaceful escape it's either up a creek with mud banks towering 2m above your head and just the sound of wind, trickling water and a few birds or the alien landscape at 20,000 feet on Annapurna. Different but great for letting the wrinkles in your soul escape.
Enough fluffy stuff and on with the trip up river towards Benfleet past Hadleigh Castle. You come across maybe a 100 old wooden posts on the Hadleigh side. The effect of the low light creating shadows on the mud was magical. The creek is very shallow and you have to pick your route carefully between buoys. Seagull heaven on the left side with the great black back and herring gulls showing no fear.
Pretty hard work paddling mostly with a strong beam wind, trying to weathercock the boat constantly giving me a real ache down one side. Eventually realising dark would catch me out I turned back surfing the small waves most of the way back. Knackered but totally content back at the slipway managed to get enjoy that flash of a beautiful sunset before heading home to collapse. If you fancy a wilderness paddle you don't have to go far www.perfect.uk.com . It's closer than you think.
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