ron-t kayaking blog
10 November 2013 ............ Cemlyn to Carmel Head
After more and more days of wind, a brief calm spell was forecast - the north west wind in the morning dying down, a calm few hours, then a south west wind getting up as the next front arrived.
And a near to Neaps flood tide from mid morning to mid afternoon.
So I went up to Cemlyn, to go for a trip along to Carmel Head - it is a bit of coastline I have seen from the coastal path, but haven`t ever paddled.
It also meant I could take in the tide race around Cemlyn Point - again I have seen it a few times from land, but never paddled it. I have often wondered if it would provide a playspot.
However the day didn`t really go according to plan, although I did get to Carmel Head in the end.
The last stages of the north west wind left a legacy of quite a chunky sea, particularily around Cemlyn Point with the flood tide pushing through, and it was all a bit unnerving.
So I spent quite a long time procrastinating on making a decision about how or whether to go on.
I could see a route through the tide race, but it led into quite a chunky bit of sea around the corner.
Here are various pictures I took of it.
I crossed over the tide race and headed for the shelter of the Harry Furlough`s Rocks.
Well by now I had been sitting looking at it for too long, and all my fortitude had deserted me, so I went back round into Cemlyn Bay, landed on the nearest bit of beach, and sat in the sun and had lunch.
It was very pleasant, in the sun and out of the wind.
Suitably refreshed, I paddled back round, and by then the tide was higher and the sea had reduced a bit, so I paddled out through it and headed for Carmel Head.
It was quite a slow journey against the flood tide, but I eventually got close by.
West Mouse was sitting in sunshine somewhere off from Carmel Head.
I landed on a bit of beach - sort of - and from up on the rocks I could see quite a distinct line of white water forming a tail off to the west of West Mouse.
I could not tell if there is some kind of reef there, or if it was some kind of tidal shear line.
Round the corner, The Skerries were in shade, and looked to be a long way away.
Now I knew by now that I wasn`t going to be going round Carmel Head - for several reasons.
I had wasted nearly two hours or so at Cemlyn Point, so there was a good chance that the tide would turn quite soon, and I really didn`t want to be commit myself to paddling back round Carmel Head against the tide, which can be quite strong there.
Also because of the tide, if it turned, I would be against the tide all the way back to Cemlyn.
Finally, as I headed round the first, and most northerly point of Carmel Head, the sea was getting quite chunky.
If the tide turned, it would be sea against ebb tide, so it would get worse.
Time to head back !
It was a bit of a shame, as the most northerly point of Carmel Head is not the best bit - it is a rather low lying sloping line of rock.
Beyond it there is another point, then there is another quite sharply defined point that hides Porth y Dyfn, a long narrow inlet.
The most spectactular bit of Carmel Head is the bit that faces west and a bit north west, it has some good cliffs and a good sized cave.
Carmel Head has some interesting geological features - there are parts of it which are formed by old rocks being pushed up over the top of newer rocks, and it has the oldest visible rocks in Wales - Precambrian gneisses, if you are interested in such things.
The coastline back to Cemlyn isn`t the most scenic of coastlines, but there some cliff bits - here they are.
I think they only really look like this at high tides - at low tides, there are vast areas of exposed rocks and seaweed, which make the coastline a lot less interesting. However I can`t remember whether these areas are in front of the cliffs or not.
As I said earlier, I haven`t paddled this bit of coastline before, but I have seen them from the coastal path, and from the coastal path you don`t really realise they are cliffs.
I am not sure at what point the tide turned. Along this bit of coastline, slack water can be up to an hour or so before high water.
At times I was paddling along and could see a distinct westward flow just a bit further off shore.
Yet at Cemlyn Point there was no current at all, and I sat out at the entrance to the bay for quite a long time enjoying the experience, and I slowly drifted eastwards.
Here is the view looking roughly west from there, the hazy sun and the rather nice cloud formations give a forewarning of the next weather front that was on its way.
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