Time for the Sunday paddle with the south coast squad, and, after missing one Sunday due to heavy weather I was happy to get the Sunday paddles on track again. The previous weekend with a forecast for gale force winds and long period large swells, I had, after much deliberation, decided not to organise a weekly paddle. That Sunday, a very inexperienced (one can only assume) kayak fisherman had set off from the southern side of the bay and got blown across the bay ultimately becoming separated from his kayak and drowning.
There is a story behind the folly of filming your last minutes and updating your Facebook profile when you are less than 2 kilometres across a relatively sheltered stretch of water from Marine Rescue instead of calling for help. However, that story is mostly about the false sense of esteem that comes from social media than anything else.
On this Sunday, the forecast was for strong northerlies, up to 20 knots, but shifting slightly northwest as the day progressed. Wanting to avoid a car shuffle with Covid restrictions still in effect, I decided we could launch from Mossy Point and potter along the south side of the long Burrewarra Peninsula where conditions would be sheltered and there are lots of small caves and gauntlets to explore.
However, that would mean driving - horror - or Doug and I could paddle down from Sunshine Bay to meet the squad, and paddle back at the end of the day. Neither of us were sure how long the "approach" paddle would take so we off before dawn, a wonderful time to be on the water. As the sun came up, the familiar short cliffs along this section of coast, lit up golden in the rising sun.
I left about 10 minutes before Doug and paddled down to and around Burrewarra Point solo. At that time of day, in a somewhat lumpy sea, the ocean felt like a lonely place. On the south side of Burrewarra Point, the ocean was immediately calm and I stopped to wait for Doug.
The bar at Mossy Point, sometimes rough, was glassily calm this morning, and the idea of a kayak spearing seemed improbable. We arrived in plenty of time to stretch out and enjoy a second coffee before the crew arrived.
We had an enjoyable paddle meandering along the south side of Burrewarra peninsula. Nick, the cave weasel, the only paddler in a plastic kayak and certainly the most skilled paddler, dodged in and out of every nook, cranny, cave and crevice.
The squad was happy to paddle around Burrewarra Point and we were immediately in lumpy water and a light headwind. We found a secluded beach to land for lunch.
There were no takers to continue paddling north after our break, except, of course, for Doug and I. So, while the crew turned south, Doug and I headed north. The wind, as predicted had shifted northwesterly so our paddle north was not too hard until we got Lilli Pilli where the coastline edges west.
Around 3.00 pm, we pulled happily into Sunshine Bay, just starting to get tired and feel that the day had been long enough.
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