Drakes Island and beyond Penlee Point

Photo Credit: Terry Calcott

This was a cold paddle, with a little bit of wind coming from the North. We started off as a single group with two paddlers on their first Saturday paddle. At Fort Picklecombe, the leader decided to split us into two groups; one going to Mount Edgcumbe for lunch and the other to Cawsand. As it turned out, we went a little beyond Penlee point and had lunch at a beach (Sandway’s beach?) before returning home.

Photo Credit: Terry Calcott

We did the compulsory rock-hopping as we went. Even though there’s very little swell, I got stuck on rocks at Fort Picklecombe; managed to extricate myself rather clumsily. I did a little more rock hopping near Penlee Point as well as the north side of the bay returning from lunch. I had problems selecting a good point to travel over low rocks as well as sometimesd getting pushed sideways. I think this all fits under the idea of being “bossed” by the sea when I need to do things with more power and less finesse. Popping outside of Penlee Point was wonderful, there looks like a great paddle over to Rame. I found the choppy swell by Penlee harder to deal with than the big slow swell we had a couple of weeks ago, but I seem to be getting more comfortable with it.