CSCC Reports 2014: Sea Kayaking Weekend - 2nd August 2014

Rob Wright had planned this weekend with military precision, meet at the boat shed at 0630 hours sharp, head for Dorset for a launch at Kimmeridge bay at 1030 and then, after a day’s paddling set up camp site at Harmans Cross, Purbeck .

Well, we all know what can often happen to the best laid plans of mice, and men.

Marc and I decided that six o’clock starts were for postmen and milk maids and opted to head down on Friday afternoon instead and we met at the boat shed where, with some uncertainty still prevailing over the exact numbers expected, we loaded anything resembling a sea kayak into Mark’s van and headed for Dorset.

Despite getting away by about two, the weekend exodus from London seemed to have started early, and traffic was heavy. We had reached somewhere on the outskirts of Poole by late afternoon when a phone call came through from Dan. Rob could not make it until Saturday evening and the forecast for Saturday was for strong winds, force 4, and possible rain, so Kimmeridge was off the menu and was to be replaced with a paddle in Poole Harbour, from a car park in Hamworthy, close to our current location. When I relayed this news to Mark he observed, with some amusement, that we were therefore destined to travel another thirty miles to our campsite in Purbeck only to come all the way back morning. He then proceeded to put the van into orbit round a convenient roundabout while we pondered this dilemma and I discussed the issue over the phone with Dan. After half a dozen or so circumnavigations of the roundabout, studying the ordinance survey map, I was starting to feel distinctly nauseous but, despite this, managed to re-programme Marc’s Sat Nav to take us to the Redcliffe farm campsite near Wareham and on the banks of the River Frome that drains into Pool Harbour.       

On arrival the proprietor of this distinctly “Glamp” site took one look at Mark’s van and announced that the site was full and stomped off. Before heading off though we did notice that, adjacent to the campsite, was a car park and slip way into the Frome, a perfect launch site without the need to drive back to Harmworthy. We then proceeded on to the Railway campsite in Harmans Cross Purbeck. This is a very basic, and, at a fiver a head, very cheap, short, season campsite pleasantly located on a hillside overlooking the Purbeck steam railway and enjoying fine view of Nine Barrow Down in the distance. Post Code BH19 3EB Link to google maps. The Kings Arms at Langton Matravers is about a miles walk away by public footpath across the fields, and after erecting our tents, we headed for that establishment where we downed lashings of their excellent Ringwood Forty Niner.

Stephen, Gavin and Sarah travelled down on Saturday morning and met us the Redcliffe Farm campsite slip way. The charge a £2 per boat launch fee and £2 per vehicle to park and, despite this being a peak season weekend in August there was plenty of spare capacity in the car park. The Post Code is BH20 5BE.Link to google maps

We got on the river at a very CSCC-ish 12.30 and paddled down-stream towards Poole. After a couple of miles the water begins to open out into the Wareham channel where, at about 2pm we stopped for lunch on a sandy beach before proceeding on to Pool Harbour. As we rounded the peninsula of Patchings Point we could see Brownsea Island about two kilometres away across the bay, although already a bit late in the afternoon for the crossing we could not resist it and lands on the West side of the Island at Pottery pier. We walked over to the East side of the Island where an affable member of staff expressed concern that we might have missed the last ferry, we explained that we had our own transportation and were only seeking an ice cream and he generously sold us some some ice creams even though the cafe had officially shut. On the way back to the boats we saw red deer and a red squirrel, for which the Island is famous along with its association with the founding of the Scouting and Guide movement.

We set off from Brownsea at 6pm across what was now a distinctly choppy Poole Harbour with a South Westerly cross wind. We had set from Redcliffe at high tide, and by this time, would, with a normal tidal cycle be expecting to have the advantage of a rising tide to take us back, but Poole has a bizarre double tidal cycle and we found ourselves coming back against the falling tide. At one point we tried to shortcut the winding marked shipping lane of the Wareham channel and, although we had water for hundreds of yards around us, we noticed that the seagulls on the water were walking, not swimming, and our paddles started bringing up scoops of mud with every stroke. We had visions of being beached like school of whales and headed back to the marked channel. The last couple of miles up the Frome River after a long days paddle were a real slog with tide and river flow against us.

We arrived back at Redcliff at about 9pm with darkness falling to find a very concerned Rob waiting for us. We managed to make it to Wareham for fish and chips and a beer before returning to the Railway Campsite.

Sunday – Kimmeridge to Worbarrow Bay.

We paddled out from Kimmeridge to head west. As we left the shelter of the bay the sea was what the shipping reports would probably describe as moderate, and what I would describe as moderately scary. We had to paddle well off shore to avoid the breakers on the ledge which extends into the sea from the Western end of Kimmeridge bay and then we paddled parallel to the Gadd cliffs across Brandy Bay until we got to a small cove just to the east of Worbarrow bay from which it was only a fifty yard climb up the peninsula to a point where we could overlook the main beach of Worbarrow bay. We had lunch followed by cream teas bought from Corfe Castle and Gavin, Stephen, Sarah and I braved the cold waters to go for a swim in the bay.

On the way back across Brandy Marc obviously regretted not joining us for a swim earlier and decided to go for one several hundred yards off shore he was soon back in his boat and the return was otherwise uneventful.

Traffic on the way back was bad but Gavin and Sarah (in Stephen’s car) were able to enjoy some classic late 80’s shoegazing music from indie legends My Bloody Valentine, which made the time fly by.

More photos here.