The weather has taken on a distinctly autumnal feel over the last couple of weeks. Summer seems to have come to an end rather abruptly. So it was a pleasant surprise to head out on Saturday and find the sun was shining and the wind had dropped.
I took the bike out for a quick ride to Vale Pond Kiosk for breakfast by the beach but also to see what the water was doing. Conditions were great so I went and gathered my gear and headed to Havlet to take the kayak out for what may be (but hopefully isn’t) the last time this year.
Havlet’s always good for paddling as there is usually something interesting moored there. This time there was a beautiful masted ship which gave me an obvious route along the bathing polls, around the ship to the castle and then down the shore before heading back up to the slipway.
Up close I was surprised to see that the ship was metal hulled. I bet its a lot of fun to sail on it.
Castle Cornet looked great in the afternoon sun, and I could see kids jumping from the walls. I used to do this myself but strangely it didn’t seem as high when I was a kid as it did from the bottom as I watched them showing off as they jumped.
Boat owners in their tenders or other small craft would give a friendly wave and a shout of hello as I passed. Most of them were also heading to take in a closer look at the ship.
As I approached shore all the seabirds took off in a hurry as a pair of dogs sprinted for the water. They dived in barking excitably and clearly loving life as they swam chasing the splashes of stones their owner skimmed across the water.
It was exactly the kind of afternoon I be waiting impatiently for once the weather fully turns and heading out is no longer a possibility.
DigiDonkey 