Thursday 30th April: Hayle - Perranporth (18 n.mi.)

Up at 0500, but a late start on the journey as I had to paddle back to St.Ives to replace my mobile phone. Water ingress had stopped it working, and I assumed that the electrical fault was, ahem, terminal. Phone, drybag, pasty and enormous flapjack duly procured, I set out once again in a generally clockwise direction.
What a difference a day makes! This is the sort of weather that brings the coastal scenery to life. So I'm going to impose some photos on you...








- The light on Godrevy Island







- 100m high cliffs







- Atlantic swell ending its journey (and creating plenty of clapotis for my entertainment...)







- The waterfall issuing, perhaps from an old mine adit, high up on the cliff face

Arrived at Perranporth and, in a fit of enthusiasm, decided to tackle the surf landing. The prospect of an expedition-loaded sea kayak hammering one's head into the sand is not to be taken lightly so I put on the helmet and tried to time things sensibly. Caught a couple of (2-metre?) seas, got rolled by a third, rolled again by a fourth and this time I bailed out, grabbing the boat by its end toggle and letting it tow me ashore. The forces involved are tremendous. Everything, with the exception of some precious chocolate bars, arrived ashore safely,


but not necessarily by the same route.








Hauled the boat up to the youth hostel, where a visiting Dutch family kindly provided dinner, and where the warden has extended a warm welcome, including the use of his Mac. Every kind of chore now completed (laundry, battery charging, tides, trip planning, weather and surf forecasts) and the blog is up to date. And so to bed.