The Paddler Autumn/Fall issue 2017

ThePADDLER 44
The afternoon was tranquil. The sun shone and
we made excellent time, the miles clocking up.
The disappointment was the craggy coast that
cried for exploration, slipping inexorably past
on our right. Trevose Head, and its lighthouse,
glowed in the evening sun and it was definitely
time to find a landing spot. We’d progressed
another 42km and were blessed with the most
incredible evening spent above the beach at
Harlyn. The sunset was wonderful and dawn,
simply stunning. The lavender and rose skies
suggested we were in for more cracking
weather.
Glassy seas
Another early launch into the glassy sea was
barely a hardship. Day nine just got better and
better. The unique outline of Pentire Head,
silhouetted in the morning sun, was more
reminiscent of a dragon’s scaly ruff. The
decision to continue around Port Isaac Bay
against the tide, turned out to be an excellent
one. The tide was unnoticeable set against the
fascination of this stretch of coast: caves, zawns,
islands. It’s all there. The bizarre right-angled
catacombs of Dennis Point fashioned the
strangest cliffs I’ve ever seen; how does the sea
repeatedly shape 90° bends? We rounded the
point and came face to face with the masses,
clustered on the rocks like oyster catchers,
waiting for the tide to expose Trebarwith
Strand. The kayaks slid onto our personal,
private beach, overshadowed by immense
cliffs; the kayaks tiny specs against the cliff’s
magnitude.
Lunch at Trebarwith was hardly a chore. The
sun beat down, the tide receded and the
shallow turquoise sea filled with happy people.
Eventually, our private beach joined with the
main strand and we waded
back to the kayaks. The
transparent, glittering water
allowed views right to its
sandy depths. Even Gull
Rock #5 didn’t disappoint.
It looked like a blancmange!
Suddenly, it felt like our final
destination was within our
grasp as we arrived in
North Cornwall proper.
Tintagel Island loomed on
the horizon. From the sea,
it seems separate from the
mainland and it is easier to