Rhosneigr to Borth Wen Saturday 24^th September by Neil Mack

After a lively night in the Paddlers bar, it was a pleasant surprise to see everyone on the beach at Rhosneigr at the designated time, all bright-eyed (ish) and bushy-tailed, to be sorted into groups for the day. Thirty paddlers all with various abilities meant there would be something to suit everyone’s wishes that day.

Our group consisted of a mixture of those relatively new to being on the sea or this being their initial sea paddle. The plan was simple. To head for Borth Wen, to take our time, have plenty of stops for ‘Elevenses’ and above all, smile and enjoy the trip. The forecast for the day was for settled, sunny weather. Sounded great! The caveat was the F4 northerly wind that would remain a constant all day, with a slight variance to a NE mid-afternoon.

Setting off from Rhosneigr using the last hour or so of the flood tide we headed in the general directed to cross the Cymyran Straits towards the outflow of the inland sea, and then cutting left towards Silver Bay. The sea state was flat, however, the wind provided a proper experience for some. The group managed admirably, and we were soon in the lee of the wind and having the first of our ‘Elevenses’ on Silver Bay.  Next stop, Borth Wen. This provided an opportunity to do some rock hopping or rock gardening. The aim was to get in close and enjoy some of the coastal features this part of the coast offers. With no wind to deal with the group began to relax, enjoying the challenge of negotiating the narrow fissures and gentle swells amongst the rocks. We were soon at the sheltered bay of Borth Wen. Our second ‘elevenses’ were taken, it was peaceful, bliss-like. This was soon shattered by the arrival of two other groups for LCC 😁.

Refreshed and replenished, we left the Hubble bubble and headed up towards Rhoscolyn head, calling into the small cove around from Borth Wen before starting the journey back. By now the ebb was in full flow, so a journey back in a beeline would take no time at all. Instead, we repeated our journey in, rock hopping back toward the inland sea outlet. The newest paddlers led in the rock hopping, and it was a joy to see their delight and confidence grow as they employed some newfound skills.

Our next elevenses was at the outflow from the Inland Sea. On Springs, as we were, tidal flow here can reach 4-5 knots. Fortunately, our timing was perfect, and the flow was a trickle, making the crossing a breeze. This is probably an inappropriate synonym as there was still a Force 4, blowing from the NE which provided a little challenging for some who’d not experienced weather cocking before! Nonetheless, this was soon sorted out, and on we ploughed. The tide was dropping considerably making the quickest way back to Rhosneigr inaccessible, so we did a bit of portaging across one of the outlying skerries and headed into Rhosneigr, avoiding some rather ‘enthusiastic’ kite surfers.

This was a proper journey for those new to our sport. It was so pleasing to see the smiles on everyone’s faces at the end (albeit tired smiles😁) and to have seen skills develop on the trip. This is what all club trips should be, and at LCC, it always delivers!

Take a bow Cathy, Ann- Marie, Maggie, Lewis John and Miles. You all contributed to a successful day👍

Click for more photos……..