The Paddler Autumn/Fall issue 2017

ThePADDLER 46
They are relics of tectonic mountain building that
created the super continent Pangaea, a mere
300 million years ago. Given all this
entertainment, it’s not surprising that we
managed 49km that day. Landing through the
small surf at Widemouth allowed us a camp spot
on the dunes, watching the sun set into the sea.
We had to drag ourselves away to shuttle cars,
eventually falling into bed at midnight. It was a
surreal way to end a perfect day.
The grand finale
Knowing that we had a mere four hours of
paddling left, we enjoyed a late start, although
this meant paddling against the tide. The sea was
a mirror, another perfect weather day; an
extremely rare occurrence for a British bank
holiday. Our compasses resolutely pointed north.
Those zigs kept zagging as we followed fold after
fold along the cliffs. The dip became so steep on
occasion that the layers of rock were vertical
sheets, pushing out into the sea. Bude hardly
made a blip in their inexorable waves. Neither
did Marsland Mouth, but this tiny non-descript
bay halted our progress. We’d reached the
border! There were obligatory selfies and
congratulations. We’d paddled round Cornwall.
Yay! Unfortunately there was still another 8km
to Hartland Quay and the car. Our paddle
wasn’t over yet. Gull Rock #6 and #7 passed in
quick succession. More folds and rocky fingers
pointed west, fingers that had ripped holes in the
sides of a multitude of ships. This included
Johanna that was wrecked in 1982, on her way
to South Wales with a cargo of wheat. She
floundered within sight of Hartland lighthouse,
the headland known locally as ‘Sailor’s Grave’.
We beached at Hartland Quay and joined the
Devon holiday makers in the sea, finally able to
cool off. It was done. The Cornish coast, all
337km of it. During those ten long days we only
saw three other sea kayakers. Where are you all?
Why isn’t the Cornish coast in demand,
surrounded by our bobbing craft? There are so
many sections that I will be returning to, to
explore more fully; I deserve to give into my
curiosity. So do you!
Chris, Eurion, Mark and I would like to thank P&H Kayaks and Palm
Equipment for their support in completing this adventure.