Tuesday Evening Paddles, 29th July 2008

Kilclief Castle to Killard Point via Angus Rock

Photos: Malcolm Vincent
Words: Kevin Murray and Malcolm Vincent

This paddle was one of the sequence of Tuesday Evening Paddles that the club runs from the spring into the autumn.

Kilclief Castle is situated just south of the mouth of Strangford Lough, roughly half way between Strangford and Ardglass. Access to Kilclief Bay is from the car park just above the beach. Angus Rock is in the middle of the entrance to Strangford Lough, and plays host to a beacon on top of what looks like the remains of an old lighthouse. Killard Point is the peninsula just south of Kilclief Bay.

Kilclief Castle	Killard Point

The conditions were excellent. It was a beautiful evening with a slightly cloudy sky. Incoming tide and wind was from the South East. We had timed our paddle well and the tide was nearly high.

We launched from Kilclief Bay at around 7.15pm and headed straight out for Angus Rock. The paddle out was fairly easy, but a completely new experience for one of us. This was only Karen's second sea paddle, and although she has her river legs well established (as a Liffey Veteran) her first sea paddle was on Strangford Lough when it was as calm as a millpond.

Setting Off	Angus Rock

We made it to Angus Rock, which has a lighthouse with a red top, in good time, slightly stretched out, with Gordy, who had claimed point, well in front. The tide was coming in and so there was a stream coming between 2 masses of rock, about 7m wide. We played in the flow for about 10mins, ferry-gliding across the flow, joining & leaving the flow – and letting Karen experience the choppy water.

We then paddled south, making for Killard Point, intending to bear round the headland towards Ballyhornan, intending to circle Guns Island before returning. After about 10 mins paddling, we had stretched out again and we realised that we were making very poor progress against the incoming tide. Sometimes we were going backwards without knowing. It was difficult to relate actual speed because there was so much width of tidal water, and it only became apparent when a structure in the water was referenced to a structure (some distance away) on land. So we decided to bear off inshore and take an angle to the flow. Quite arduous paddling, even with aiming off, against the tide.

A Harder Paddle	Stopping For Tea

We stopped for tea at 9pm in the shelter of the headland right at Killard Point. Five of us (single paddlers) decided to head south around the headland to see what it was like. Gary, Karen, Gordy and Malcolm waited behind enjoying the sunset and the craic and watching the pair of seals which had come over to play right beside us.

A Beautiful Sunset	Watching The Seals

Around Killard Point, the tide was running quite quickly and, compounded by the great reach of water now available for the wind, the waves were steep, numerous and coming from the South East and reflecting off the rocks. We were making very slow progress and were paddling quite close to the rocks. I (Kevin) felt our ability to rescue each other in these conditions (fast flowing tide, close to rocks, with onshore wind, good sized numerous sharp waves coming from different directions due to them being reflected off rocks) was potentially not great. Two waves broke across the deck. After about 10mins of this I called a “ceasefire” – the others agreed and we turned back North. Now the waves were primarily from our 4 O’clock. I did two high braces on my left on our way back to the more sheltered water north of the headland, and I was constantly using all my “dynamic buoyancy” to stay upright.

We rejoined the 4 others and paddled with the flow and wind back to Kilclief across “busy” water. It was a brilliant paddle. Great sense of having paddled in fairly difficult conditions.

Total time 2 Hrs 40 min. (Only about 25 mins to return!)